Membership
The Bible is the foundation of our church and membership is the form and structure built upon it. Both Christ and Paul pointed us toward meaningful membership for our encouragement, protection, and instruction. Though we do not claim that our understanding of membership is the only way that a church can honor these commands, we do seek to carry out this vision faithfully in the membership process at Providence Church.
Membership Matters – Aside from joining us for worship services or Life Groups, the first step toward membership at Providence is a class we call “Membership Matters.” The class is made up of six one-hour sessions on the following:
- What We Believe
- How We Live
- Why Membership Matters
- Who We Are
- Where We’re Going
- When We Gather
Courses are offered periodically throughout the year on Sunday mornings or as a Friday/Saturday Weekend Edition. Upon completion, those who attended the class will have a better idea of what membership means to us and are able but not obligated to set up a membership interview, the second step of the membership process.
Membership Interview – Prospective members will have the opportunity to meet with a few of our elders to provide basic biographical information and recount God’s saving work in his or her life. This is usually an informal time that is helpful for us to make sure we’re all on the same page in serving Christ together and to answer any questions that may not have been addressed or clarified in the Membership Matters class.
Elder Recommendation – At a regularly scheduled elders’ meeting, those elders that met with the prospective members will share from the interview time with the other elders. The elders will use this time to pray for and to carefully consider how we as a church can help the individual to have a more meaningful connection to the life and ministry of Providence. Once the elders have had this time of discussion and prayer, the next step is congregational affirmation.
Congregational Affirmation – During our bi-monthly members’ meetings, the elders will present the individual for membership with Providence Church. This provides the church an opportunity to learn a little more about the individual. The elders then recommend to the congregation that the individual be added to membership by a formal vote. Generally, those seeking membership will have been around long enough for the church to get to know them and vice-versa and at this point in the process, it is almost exclusively a vote of affirmation as a sign our unity.
If this whole process seems new to you, we understand. There is a growing number of churches today that do not have formal membership as we do. We do believe, however, that meaningful membership is best way for us to care for one another as we seek to glorify God by treasuring Christ, loving people, and making disciples.
In other words, there is no reason to be intimidated by this whole process! We truly believe that membership matters and we take our commitment to love and care for one another seriously. Of course, if you have spent some time with us already, we hope that this has been evident in our interactions.
Providence church is a diverse group of ordinary people with many flaws. But we also have an extraordinary message to share–a message of grace to sinners just like us! It is our prayer that our love would be a testimony to the message of our Risen Savior Jesus, by his grace and for his glory.