Being a Christian is more than identifying yourself with a particular religion or affirming a certain value system or moral code. Being a Christian means you have embraced what the Bible says about God, mankind, and salvation. Consider the following truths found in the Bible:
God is Sovereign Creator
Modern thinking says man is the product of evolution. But the Bible says we were created by a personal God to love, serve, and enjoy endless fellowship with Him. The New Testament reveals it was Jesus Himself who created everything (John 1:3, Colossians 1:16). Therefore, He also owns and rules everything (Psalm 103:19). That means He has authority over our lives and we owe Him absolute allegiance, obedience, and worship.
God Is Holy
God is absolutely and perfectly holy (Isaiah 6:3); therefore, He cannot commit or approve of evil (James 1:13). God requires holiness of us as well. 1 Peter 1:16 says, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
Mankind Is Sinful
According to Scripture, everyone is guilty of sin: “There is no man who does not sin” (1 Kings 8:46). That doesn’t mean we’re incapable of performing acts of human kindness. But we’re utterly incapable of understanding, loving, or pleasing God on our own (Romans 3:10-12).
Sin Demands a Penalty
God’s holiness and justice demand that all sin be punished by death (Ezekiel 18:4). That’s why simply changing our patterns of behavior can’t solve our sin problem or eliminate its consequences.
Jesus is Lord and Savior
Romans 10:9 says, “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved.” Even though God’s justice demands death for sin, His love has provided a Savior who paid the penalty and died for sinners (1 Peter 3:18). Christ’s death satisfied the demands of God’s justice and Christ’s perfect life satisfied the demands of God’s holiness (2 Corinthians 5:21), thereby enabling Him to forgive and save those who place their faith in Him (Romans 3:26).
The Character of Saving Faith
True faith is always accompanied by repentance from sin. Repentance is agreeing with God that you are sinful, confessing your sins to Him, and making a conscious choice to turn from sin (Luke 13:3,5; 1 Thessalonians 1:9) and pursue Christ (Matthew 11:28-30; John 17:3) and obedience to Him (1 John 2:3). It isn’t enough to believe certain facts about Christ. Even Satan and his demons believe in the true God (James 2:19), but they don’t love and obey Him. True saving faith always responds in obedience (Ephesians 2:10).
To the modern ear, the notion of church membership can sound odd, intimidating, or even abusive. So, why does church membership matter so much to us? Here are 10 reasons from a book entitled Church Membership: How the World Knows Who Represents Jesus by Jonathan
1.) It’s Biblical
Jesus established the local church and all the apostles did their ministry through it. The Christian life in the New Testament is church life. Christians today should expect and desire the same.
2.) The church is its members
To be “a church” in the New Testament is to be one of its members (see the book of Acts). Membership means we don’t go to church; we are the church.
3.) It’s a pre-requisite for the Lord’s Supper
The Lord’s Supper is a meal for the gathered church, that is, for members (see 1 Cor. 11:20, 33). Here at FBC, only members of this local body and members of good standing in other gospel preaching churches are admitted to the table.
4.) It’s how to officially represent Jesus
– Membership is the church’s affirmation that you are a citizen of Christ’s kingdom and therefore represent Him in all you do.
5.) It’s how to declare one’s highest allegianc
– Your membership in a local church is a public testimony that your highest allegiance belongs to Jesus. Trials and troubles may come, but church membership is your way of saying in the midst, “Through it all, I am with Jesus.”
6.) It’s how to serve other Christians
Membership helps you to know which Christians on planet Earth you are specifically responsible to love, serve, warn, and encourage. It enables you to fulfill your biblical responsibilities to Christ’s body (see Eph. 4:11-16, 25-32).
7.) It’s how to follow Christian leaders
Membership helps you to know which Christian leaders on planet Earth you are called to obey and follow. Again, it allows you to fulfill your biblical responsibility to them (see Heb. 13:7, 17).
8.) It helps Christian leaders lead
Membership lets Christian leaders know which Christians on planet Earth they will “give an account” for (see Acts 20:28, 1 Peter 5:2).
9.) It enables church discipline
It gives you the biblically prescribed place to participate in the work of church discipline responsibly, wisely, and lovingly (1 Cor. 5).
10.) It gives structure to the Christian life
It places an individual Christian’s claim to “obey” and “follow” Jesus into a real-life setting where authority is actually exercised over us (see John 14:15; 1 John 2:19, 4:20-21).
As shepherds and overseers of a local church, pastors are entrusted with protecting, leading, equipping, and caring for the body of believers. The following is an overview of the requirements for our pastor(s) as spelled out within the Scriptures:
By the power of the Holy Spirit, the pastor(s) agree:
As those who have experienced the new birth brought about by the grace of God through the gospel of Jesus Christ, we have the privilege of reflecting the character of Christ. Our expectations of members do not add to the biblical obligations of a believer. Rather, this non-exhaustive list only explains what Scripture teaches about the obedience that faith produces:
By the power of the Holy Spirit, our members agree:
While God’s word is the cornerstone of our church, then you might say membership is the cement that holds us all together. Both Jesus and the apostle Paul point us toward church membership for our encouragement, accountability, protection, and growth. Church membership is the commitment a believer makes to a local body of believers, in response to the gospel of Jesus Christ, to be a disciple, to disciple others, to be accountable, to serve, to participate in fellowship and to live out God’s mission of proclaiming Christ to the world.
How do I become a member of First Baptist Church?
Joining FBC is a simple three-step process:
STEP 1 – Discover First
Discover First is a one-time class designed to help you learn more about our church family, answer any questions you may have, and provide you with information necessary to take the next steps in membership. The class is made up of four sections: who we are, what we believe, what we do, and what we ask. Classes are usually offered on the last Sunday of each month during evening worship (6:30pm). A sign-up sheet is located on the “Grow” board in the information hallway.
STEP 2 – Meeting with our Pastor
Once you have completed the Discover First class, the next step in becoming a member is meeting with our pastor. This is a time for our pastor to get to know you and your family as well as a time for you to get to know him and his family. Some of the things that he will talk to you about in this meeting include: your salvation testimony (your story of becoming a Christian), your understanding of the gospel, your understanding of baptism, and your previous church involvement.
During the meeting with our pastor, he will discuss with you the four requirements in becoming a member of First Baptist:
STEP 3 – Congregational Affirmation
During our monthly business meeting (Second Wednesday of each month, 6:30pm), Bro. Seth will briefly describe to other members how the person(s) desiring to come into membership have come to know the Lord. Questions are asked, a vote is taken, and with a majority secured, candidates are officially admitted into membership.
The children and youth of our church have a variety of ways to encounter Jesus and learn more about the Bible throughout the year:
*Other children/youth events are scheduled throughout the year apart from those that take place on a regular basis. Please watch for announcements and details as they are posted.
One of the most exciting realities of being a Christian is the joy that comes from growing in your faith. Whether you are at the beginning of your walk with Christ or further down the road, you have room to grow. As a church, we want to help you grow, and we want you to help us grow, this is what it means to disciple one another.
As you seek to grow in your faith, our church is committed to providing not only resources, but individuals and groups where you can connect with other believers, become more and more like Jesus, help others become more and more like Jesus, and impact your sphere of influence for His kingdom.
Some of the ways that we grow in our faith at FBC are through:
As a church, we know that the good news of the gospel compels us to reach out in love to those in our community, state, nation, and around the world. We try to do this in a variety of ways:
*Apart from the recurring outreaches/missions listed above, our church hosts and participates in other outreaches throughout the year. Information about these ministries, as well as dates and times are provided two-three months in advance. Other information about the outreach/missions efforts of our church, plus sign-up sheets are listed on our “Go” board in the information hallway.
Serving in ministry is something that every member of our church is called to do. Serving and ministering is not limited to our pastor(s) and deacons only, but rather to every believer who calls FBC their church home. Truly, we seek to commit ourselves to every-member ministry.
We’re so thankful that God has given His people different spiritual gifts and other talents that are each to be stewarded and used for the good of the body of Christ. We strongly encourage every member to cultivate their spiritual gift(s) and talents in our church by actively serving in the ministries of their choice.
Members of our church serve in various ministries such as:
The easiest way to plug in and get involved in a specific ministry at FBC is simply to introduce yourself to a ministry leader, and offer to serve. Our ministry leaders are always looking for more willing servants in the ministries they are responsible for.
For a list of ministry leaders and contact information, please contact the office or ask another member of our church and we will be happy to get you connected.
*At various times throughout the year, our church hosts ministries that require many people to serve:(Outreaches like Apple Day, VBS, Church Clean-Up Days, and Back to School Block Parties). For these kinds of ministries and outreaches, sign-up sheets are posted in advance on the “Go” board in the information hallway. If you are interested to serve in these ministries, we ask that you please put your name and contact information on the sign-up sheet and our ministry leader will contact you.
There are many ways to stay connected and up to date with what’s taking place at FBC:
*As always, please feel welcome to talk with our pastor, our deacons, or any other member of our church to ask questions and get the information you are looking for. We are here to serve you.