WHY BECOME A MEMBER?
Becoming a member provides the opportunity to learn more about God, to wrestle with & clarify what you believe and to participate fully in the decisions made by the congregation. Becoming a member affirms your commitment to God and to the community of God’s people. It is also a commitment to a particular part of God’s family that nurtures and invests in your growing faith. SCAPC views membership as one step in a life-long discipleship process. Thus, becoming a member is not so much about meeting certain requirements and having your name placed on a roll, as it is about taking up the journey of Christian discipleship with the people of this congregation. The membership process is designed to introduce you to our community, equip you to navigate comfortably within it and prepare you to join with us in the goal of becoming daily more like Christ!
HOW DO I JOIN?
The best way to learn about church membership is to come to the Parlor following 10:30 a.m. worship. Representatives of the Welcome & Membership Team, members of the Session, and the pastors are available to answer questions about our church and to provide informational material to take home. If you are thinking about getting more involved, or wondering how to get more connected to this family of faith, stop by and chat. We would love to hear about your journey to this place, and answer any questions. Inviting you into membership is a simple process that will take about 5-10 minutes.
DO I NEED TO BE BAPTIZED IN ORDER TO JOIN THE CHURCH?
Yes. Your baptism could have taken place when you were an infant, child or adult; it could have taken place at a non-Presbyterian church. That’s okay. But, if you haven’t been baptized, then you need to be baptized, in order to be a member. Let one of the elders or pastors know that you need to be baptized, and we can easily arrange for it.
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER I JOIN?
After you join, you’ll be invited to an orientation, held during the Sunday School hour, in which representatives of various ministries within the church introduce you to their work. You, along with any other new members, will be given the opportunity to answer questions, talk with church members about your interests and see where you might want to get involved. The membership committee also hosts New Member brunches, in which members who joined in the past year have an opportunity to meet each other and learn more about SCAPC. New members are encouraged to “jump right in” as getting involved in a committee or events are usually the best way to get to know others!
MAY I PARTICIPATE IN CHURCH LIFE WITHOUT BECOMING A MEMBER?
Absolutely! We hope that those who are not members feel welcome at our worship services, Sunday School, adult study groups, women’s circles, work days, dinners and everything we do as a church. Membership is an opportunity to openly proclaim one’s faith in Jesus Christ, one’s sense of call to this community of faith, and one’s willingness to participate in the official life of the church, such as congregational meetings and session. But the decision to join the church should not be made with undue haste or a sense of obligation.