How to Join Christ Presbyterian Church
Visitors and non-members friends of the church are welcome to attend and participate in the worship services and programs of the church as often and as long as they wish. For most people, however, there comes a time when they wish to make the commitment to become a full member of the church, and to do so is a relatively easy process.
Desiring that new members be fully informed and fully committed, and believing that most people want to know something about the church they are joining, our church conducts member-ship information classes from time to time. These are held during the Sunday School hour for four Sundays. Attending these classes is strongly recommended, but a person may speak to the pastor about joining the church, if for some reason this is not possible.
Depending on existing church affiliation and previous experience, a person can become a member of our church by the following means:
Confession of Faith and Baptism
People who have never made a public declaration of faith in Jesus Christ may do so at our church and receive the Sacrament of Baptism in order to become a member of the church. Presbyterian churches accept and can practice water baptism by three methods.
- Immersion - A person's total body is fully immersed in a large container or body of water (indoors or outdoors).
- Sprinkling - Water dipped from a small container (font) by the minister's hand is placed on the head of the person being baptized. This is most often done in the church sanctuary (worship center) during a worship service on Sunday.
- Pouring - Water is poured from a pitcher on to the person's head; again, usually done during a worship service on Sunday.
Times and locations may vary, but Presbyterians always feel that the Sacrament of Baptism should be done as a part of the worship experience of the whole church, or a least in the presence of a representative group of the church. The method of baptism is decided by the individual in consultation with a pastor. Presbyterians believe that the Sacrament of Baptism is for all members of the faith community, and therefore, infants and children receive this sacrament as well as adults. It is a sign of God's love and of their inclusion in the family of faith.
Transfer of Membership
A person who has a membership in another church may join Christ Presbyterian Church by transferring their membership from that church to ours. The former church is simply notified that a person wishes to have their membership transferred, and appropriate forms are sent from one church to the other. Transfer of membership is done between Presbyterian churches and some others also.
Reaffirmation of Faith
A person joining the church by this means simply states that she/he previously made a declaration of faith in Jesus Christ in another church and was baptized, but now in unable to present evidence of that action. Reasons for this may be that the previous church no longer exists, does not participate in the membership transfer process, or no longer has a record of the person's membership.
Affiliate Membership
This is a conditional form of membership allows a person to continue as a member of the former church and at the same time make a commitment to membership in our church. As is true for full membership it is the Session that accepts a person into affiliate membership. While this form of membership is limited to 2 years, a person may ask that his/her affiliate membership be renewed or extended for another term. Some of the people who find this form of membership attractive are students, military personnel, and temporary workers.
Regardless of the method of joining this or any other Presbyterian church, it is the Session of the church, not the congregation that conducts and oversees the process. The Presbyterian form of church organization (government) is representative, with members of the Session, who are called "elders," being elected by the church members to serve as the governing board of the local church. Anyone wanting additional information about church membership, or who wants to start the process of becoming a member of Christ Presbyterian Church, is invited to contact the church office and speak to one of the pastors.