How To Join
Why Join Grace Church?The letters of the New Testament and Christ's teaching in the Gospels emphasize the importance of membership in a local church. Membership enables a church family to give encouragement, instruction, and spiritual protection to one another. We encourage all who desire to regularly attend our church eventually to take the step of becoming a Grace Church member.
How To Join
1) Attend our membership class.
Inside Grace Church is a series of seven sessions that introduce you to our church’s history, values, and ministry priorities. They are offered regularly on subsequent Sundays or in one Saturday or Sunday morning session. The classes are:
- A Glimpse of Grace
- The Gospel of God's Grace
- Church Membership & Church Leadership
- A New Community, Part I
- A New Community, Part II
- Our Core Commitments
- Church Membership & Covenant
When you complete the class, you are able but not obligated to sign up for a membership interview.
2) Attend a membership interview.
Candidates for membership fill out a membership application (.pdf) and read through the statement of faith, church constitution, and church covenant. Then they meet with two members of our leadership team where the applicant is asked to recount how they became a Christian and may ask any questions about our church.
3) Be Recommended By the Elders.
After a membership interview, the elders will consider a candidate’s application and testimony at an elders' meeting. If there is consensus, the elders will move to admit the candidate as a church member at the next regularly scheduled members’ meeting.
4) Be Affirmed at a members' meeting.
During our every-other-month members' meeting, the elders will recommend candidates for membership. Questions will be fielded, and candidates are accepted into the congregation upon a vote of affirmation. Our congregation affirms their commitment to you, and you affirm your commitment to the members of our congregation.
Q&A About Church Membership
Question. What are biblical reasons for church membership?
A. When people became Christians in the days of the early church, they deliberately associated themselves with a church in their local area (Acts 2:47). Local churches practiced church membership to know who was part and who was not part of their church family (1 Corinthians 5:11, 13) so they could provide encouragement and exhortation (2 Corinthians 2:5; Hebrews 10:25-26). During Christ’s teaching ministry, he emphasized the importance of believers associating with a local church (Matthew 18:15-20). Joining a church helps your elders provide shepherding and care for your soul, for they must give an account to the Lord for their flock (Heb. 13:17).
Q. What if I missed several of the seven Inside Grace Church classes?
A. If you have missed just a couple class sessions, you are still eligible to become a member. See a member of the leadership team to get the class notes for those sessions you missed.
If you missed the majority of class sessions, we ask that you attend a Saturday morning teaching Inside Grace Church where we cover the seven class sessions.
Q. What if I want to regularly attend Grace Church but am not sure why membership is so important?
A. Consider this interactive article about the importance of church membership. Talk about your questions and concerns with a member of the leadership team to see why we see church membership as vital to your growth and our congregation's spiritual growth.
