Church membership is an important part of being a Christian. Membership publicly identifies you with a local body of believers. It also places you under the shepherding care of the pastors and elders, and connects you to the work of the deacons.
There are a few different ways to become a member at Cornerstone, but we encourage everyone to attend the seven-week membership class. After the class you can:
- Profess faith publicly and be baptized during a worship service, or
- If you have already been baptized, you can reaffirm your faith publicly, or
- Transfer your membership from a Reformed or Presbyterian Church in NAPARC.
All of our members take the following membership vows.
- Do you wholeheartedly believe the doctrine contained in the Old and the New Testament, and in the articles of the Christian faith, and taught in this Christian church, to be the true and complete doctrine of salvation, and do you promise by the grace of God to continue steadfastly in this profession?
- Do you openly accept God’s covenant promise, which has been signified and sealed to you in your baptism, and do you confess that you despise and humble yourself before God because of your sins, and that you seek your life, not in yourself, but only in Jesus Christ your Savior?
- Do you declare that you love the Lord, and that it is your heartfelt desire to serve Him according to His Word, to forsake the world, to put to death your old nature, and to lead a godly life?
- Do you promise to submit to the government of the church, and also, if you should become wayward, either in doctrine or in life, to submit to its admonition and discipline?
_________, what is your answer?
Each individual then answers: I do.
Finally, we encourage all of our members to use the gifts and resources God has given them to build up the body of believers.
To read more on church membership here are some links:
https://tabletalkmagazine.com/posts/why-church-membership/
https://www.wscal.edu/resource-center/i-dont-want-to-join-the-church