WHAT IS THE MEMBERSHIP PATH?
Following Jesus is a process and a journey, not just a one-time decision. God invites us to grow up — to mature and become like Jesus Christ through the ongoing work of the Spirit. And, we grow best by being in community with one another as we learn to follow His word and ways together.
Committing to be a part of a local church body is part of that design. Calvary's membership path is a chance for you to get to know us and what we’re about as a church... and for us to get to know you.
NEXT MEMBERSHIP CLASS:
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 18
12:30-3:30 pm in Fireside
Lunch Included
To commit to our church and become a member at Calvary, here are four steps to take:
1) Receive Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior
Admit that you have sinned against God and need His forgiveness once and for all. Believe that Jesus Christ, God’s Son, died for you as payment for your sin and rose from the dead to give you eternal life in heaven. Now, you may receive God’s forgiveness by personally trusting in Jesus alone as your only means of being cleansed from sin. Now, walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4).
2) Be baptized as a believer
You don’t have to be baptized at Calvary. All we ask is that after having placed your trust in Christ for salvation, that you followed the example set in Scripture of publicly confessing your faith through the act of water baptism. We typically have opportunities to be baptized at Calvary a few times throughout the year.
3) Attend the "Discover Calvary" Membership Class
Since 1931, Calvary has been sharing the life-changing message of Jesus. Learn how our history impacts our future and the role you play in making our vision a reality by becoming a member of Calvary Church. The Discover Calvary class is designed for you to learn more about Calvary before committing to become a member. We’ll talk about how God designed His church to function, the history and beliefs of Calvary, and will go on a behind-the-scenes tour to learn about the different ministries of Calvary and ways you can get connected. It's also a great way to get to know others at Calvary, including some of our pastoral staff.
NEXT CLASS:
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 18
12:30-3:30 pm in Fireside
Lunch Included
4) Be interviewed by an elder
This is our chance to get to know you a little bit! You’ll sit down with one of our elders and get to share your story of how you came to know Christ, and have a chance to ask them any questions you have about the church. It’s also a great way to get to know one of the elders here at church!
BIBLICAL INSIGHTS ON CHURCH MEMBERSHIP
The Bible has a lot to say about how God’s people are supposed to live together...
- We’re a family: people who are committed to sticking together through thick and thin (Matthew 12:46-50).
- We’re a body: each member is contributing to the function of the whole, and we are dependent on each other (1 Corinthians 12:12-27).
- We’re instructed to respect the authority of the elders (Hebrews 13:17) and exercise church discipline (Matthew 18:15-17).
- We’re called to live out the ‘one another’ passages: there are over 60 verses in the New Testament about how we are to treat one another within the family of believers... things like loving one another (John 13:35), serving one another (Galatians 5:13), and forgiving one another (Colossians 3:13).
The Bottom Line____________________
Membership is a way to formally commit to living out the Christian life with a specific group of people... the church. To be a Christian means being committed to a community of other believers and working together to reach our world with the hope that is found only in Jesus.
“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:35
Do you have more questions?
Please contact our Connections Pastor Robert Carter at 714-550-2332 or