Membership

When someone becomes a Christian and is baptised, they wonderfully become a part of Christ’s united body (1 Corinthians 6:15, 10:16-17, 12:12), siblings in God’s loving family (Romans 12:10, 1 Timothy 3:15), members of God’s holy temple (Ephesians 2:20-22), and fellow citizens of Jesus’ coming kingdom (Eph 2:18-19). These body, family, temple, and kingdom images, which provide devoted community and shared identity, are made visible in local gatherings of Christians in churches.

Jesus himself established the local church (Matthew 16:18), and the apostles did their ministry through it. Someone who repented and believed in Christ was baptised into a local church (Acts 2:41) and then took the meal for the gathered church, the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:20, 33). The committed Christian life in the New Testament was a life of commitment to a local church. Consequently, whilst it’s true that Christian’s today must choose to join a local church that does not make it a voluntary organisation. Having chosen Christ, a Christian has no choice but to choose to be a church member somewhere where they can commit to attending, loving, discipling, and serving God’s people. Church membership, in other words, is not about “additional requirements”. It’s not about business meetings or helping with the church budget. It is about a church taking specific responsibility for a Christian, and a Christian for a church. It’s about “putting on,” “embodying,” “living out,” and “making concrete” our membership in Christ’s universal body.

Accordingly, Church membership is also the means of giving encouragement and assurance in the Christian life. Membership at a local church is the church’s affirmation that you are a citizen of Christ’s kingdom - a card-carrying Jesus representative before the nations. Jesus tells Christians that they have the responsibility to uphold one another’s profession of faith through church membership (Matthew 18:15-20). Membership lets church leaders know which Christians on planet earth they shepherd and those who they will “give an account to God” for (Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:2). A community of people united to one another puts the alternative rule of Christ on display for the watching universe (Matthew. 5:13; John 13:34-35; Ephesians 3:10; 1 Peter 2:9-12). The very boundaries which are drawn around the local church invites unbelievers to something better.

As a result, the first and best way to get involved at Emmanuel is to join it. Once you have spent time with us, have asked questions, and are ready join our church, here is what the process looks like practically:

  1. CONTACT US. Chat to a church elder or email us here to let us know you are ready to join

  2. MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FORM. Fill out this Membership Application Form. By filling out this form, you give our elders information to get your membership process started.

  3. MEMBERSHIP INTERVIEW. We will schedule a membership interview with you and one of the elders. Please note this is nothing like a job interview! This is an encouraging time for us to hear how God has been working in your life. We, also, ask that you look through the church handbook before you come because it answers many questions about our church life together. We will ask if you have any questions about our Statement of Faith and Church Covenant, and have you sign them if you are in agreement with them. The meeting takes about an hour. These times provide a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the work of God in your life. It is also a chance for you to get to know your leaders and be known.

  4. ELDER RECOMMENDATION. The elders review the applicant’s membership application at a regularly scheduled elders’ meeting. Upon their collective approval, the application moves to the congregation for their approval. 

  5. CONGREGATIONAL VOTE. At the next members meeting, your testimony will be read and the congregation will vote on your membership application. Then, the church receives you into membership - a commitment to care for you as you care for us in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.