Membership
At City Bible Church, we believe that the local church is a people and not a place – and so we practice formal and meaningful membership. It’s formal in that we have a process by which we welcome new members in. Meaningful in that this isn’t just a way to track people and numbers, but we see a biblical beauty and purpose for membership.
Joining a church isn’t like joining a health club. It’s not about special access, but about committing to one another. It’s about becoming family. We believe that, though the Christian faith is very personal and intimate, it isn’t individualistic and private. We need one another and have been called to live in community.
And so, though all are welcome to visit and attend our worship gatherings, our desire for you is to commit as a member; to covenant with us as we aim to know Christ and make Him known!
Please reach out to one of our elders if you have any questions about membership or if you are interested to join.
How do I join?
There are a few things that must take place before a prospective member joins the church.
1. Attend the Membership Class
We hold membership classes several times throughout the year. This is an opportunity for you to get to know us as a church. The class is made up of three sessions: “What Is A Church?” “What Do We Believe?” and “Who Are We?” The membership class last about 3 hours (with a meal) and is completed in one afternoon. Attending the membership class does not obligate you to join our church, nor does is obligate us to welcome you in as a member.
Our next Membership Matters Class is on January 28, 2024. To register, click here.
2. Schedule An Elder Chat
Where the membership class is an opportunity for you to get to know us, the elder chat is the way for us to get to know you. This is a time that you would sit with one or two of our elders for coffee, and they will walk you through a questionnaire. There are three purposes for this chat:
- The elders will get to know you and how they can best care for and shepherd you.
- By hearing your testimony and understanding of the gospel, the elders will affirm your salvation and baptism to present to the church.
- The elders will confirm that you believe and agree to uphold our Statement of Faith and Covenant.
3. Elder Meeting
After you complete your elder chat, the elders will gather to discuss and pray for all perspective members. The elders want to make sure that they can confidently present a person before the church for membership as they have been given the responsibility to lead and care for the flock. They want to make sure that the person is a believer who has been baptized according to our statement of faith.
4. Member’s Meeting
The elders don’t decide on behalf of the church who will become a member or not; the church herself is her own final authority. The elders will present a person to the church (current members), give support for their recommendation, and call the church to vote. If there are no objections, then the person is joyfully welcomed into the church.
<<< FOR HELPFUL ARTICLES THAT EXPLAIN OUR VIEW AND POSITION FOR MEMBERSHIP, CLICK HERE >>>