How Do I Become A Member of First Baptist Church?
After attending our church for a while, you may decide that you are interested in joining our Church Family. This short pamphlet will help you to understand what church membership means and how to become a church member.
Being a member of a church is different from being a member of any other organization. Church membership means you are joining with a group of fellow Christians for the purpose of spiritual growth so that you can learn how to better love God and others (Matthew 22:37-40). However, as with any group that you want to join, you first want to know what will be expected of you as a member.
The first expectation of Church membership is that you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ – meaning that you have accepted Jesus’ forgiveness for your sins and invited Him to be the one who controls your life. If you have not yet started a relationship with Him, please call and speak with one of our ministers at the church (228-467-4005) to discuss how to begin a relationship with Jesus.
We at First Baptist Church of Bay St. Louis have a Constitution that defines what is expected of members. We believe that each member that joins our church has been led by God to enter into a covenant relationship with the rest of the church family. Upon joining into a covenant relationship as a church member, our church family expects the following from each church member:
1. That you regularly attend the regular services of the Church
2. That you voluntarily support the financial obligations of the Church through regular offerings.
3. That your attitude and behavior would show that you have a spirit of cooperation toward the Church and its ministries.
5. That you would strive for personal, spiritual growth and would be in the habit of telling others about Jesus.
6. That you would become involved in service through one or more of the ministries of the church.
7. That you would show love to your fellow church members by praying for them, aiding them when they are sick or in distress, encouraging them with your speech, and always being ready for reconciliation.
After examining these expectations, you may wonder, “What do I get from being a church member?”
A church has certain responsibilities to the believers who are a part of its fellowship. The following items are suggested in the Scriptures and are built into the Covenant relationship to be the responsibility that the Church has to each of its members.
1. To provide baptism to those who have chosen to be part of God’s family through repentance of sins and acceptance of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.
2. To love always and under all circumstances. The Church should be the first to stoop and pick up a fallen brother or sister. It should be the first to extend a forgiving hand.
3. To offer opportunities for spiritual growth so that each member can become fully involved in the Christian life.
4. To comfort, console, and aid in times of crisis.
5. To insure a wholesome, spiritual atmosphere in which members can grow and serve by:
• Maintaining the unity of the members through love;
• Maintaining strict biblical teaching; and
• Promoting the holiness of members.
You have now finished reading what is expected from the member and what is to be provided by the church once one becomes a church member. If you are still interested in joining the church, we have four methods by which someone can become a member. They are:
1. By Baptism after professing faith in Jesus Christ.
Any person who professes faith in and accepts Jesus Christ as their personal Savior is able to be received as a candidate for believer’s baptism and afterward into the full fellowship of the Church. This option is for those people who are making a first time decision to accept Christ and want to join the church, and also for those who have previously made a decision to begin a relationship with Jesus Christ, but have never been baptized by immersion as a believer. Two examples of the people who fit into this second category are: 1) Someone who made a decision to accept Christ at an earlier time but was never baptized, and 2) Someone who was baptized as a baby and therefore did not choose to begin a relationship with Jesus – this person would need to be baptized as a believer who made their own choice to accept Jesus.
2. By Letter
A person who is currently a member of another Baptist Church may present themselves on “Promise of Letter” from their other church. Our Church will then take the necessary steps to obtain their Church Membership letter from the sister Church.
3. By Statement
Any person who has at some time has been baptized by immersion as a believer in another Baptist Church, but whose membership has lapsed or been lost, may affirm his or her faith to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord to the Pastor and become a member of the church.
4. By Absentia
In unusual instances, a member may be received on promise of letter or presentation of letter by another family member or by statement while being absent. This is not customary practice and will apply only in extreme cases (for example, if one member of the family is overseas, or is an invalid, or is employed is such a manner as to render attendance impossible at any regular service of the Church.)
We hope that you are ready to make a decision to join our Church Family by becoming a member. After determining which of these categories you most likely fit into, you are invited to talk to the Pastor at the end of any worship service to indicate your desire to become a member of our Church Family. We look forward to your being part of the Family!
If you are not certain which membership option is the correct one for your own situation, please come speak to the pastor at the end of any worship service so he can help guide you in your decision to become a church member.