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Membership
One becomes
an active member of the church through faith in Jesus Christ as
Savior and acceptance of his Lordship in all of life. Baptism and a
public profession of faith in Jesus as Lord are the visible signs of
entrance into active membership of the church.
The
congregation of Elizabeth Presbyterian Church welcomes all persons
who respond in trust and obedience to God’s grace in Jesus Christ
and desire to become part of the membership and ministry of his
Church. No persons shall be denied membership because of race,
ethnic origin, worldly condition, or any other reason not related to
profession of faith. Each member must seek the grace of openness in
extending the fellowship of Christ to all persons. Failure to do so
constitutes a rejection of Christ himself and causes a scandal to
the gospel.
·
proclaiming the good news,
·
taking part in the common life and worship of the church,
·
supporting the work of the church through the giving of money, time and
talents,
·
participating in the governing responsibilities of the church,
·
demonstrating a new quality of life within and through the church,
·
responding to God’s activity in the world through service to others,
·
living responsibly in the personal, family, vocational, political,
cultural, and social relationships of life,
·
working in the world for peace, justice, freedom, and human fulfillment.
Anyone
wishing to become an active member of Elizabeth Presbyterian Church
may do so by profession of faith, by transfer of certificate from
some other church, or by reaffirmation of faith in Jesus Christ.
Profession
of faith.
If you were
baptized as an infant and have reached a point when you are ready to
make public your profession of faith and accept responsibility in
the life of the church, the session invites you to become an active
member of EPC and stands ready to instruct and prepare you for
membership. If you have not already been baptized, you may receive
baptism and make public your profession of faith (after appropriate
instruction and examination by session) and be received into
membership of EPC.
Transfer of Certificate.
If you have already been baptized, publicly professed your faith,
and have been received into membership of another church, you may be
received into EPC membership upon receipt of a certificate of
transfer from the church in which you have been most recently a
member.
Reaffirmation of Faith.
If you previously made a profession of faith and became an active
member of another church, but are unable to obtain a certificate
from that church, you may become an active member of EPC by publicly
reaffirming your profession of faith after appropriate instruction
and examination by the session.
EPC offers
membership classes and recommends them so that you can learn more
about what it means to be a member of a Presbyterian church.
However, it is possible to become a member without taking a
membership class. Simply request a time to meet with session for
instruction and examination and you can be voted into membership at
that meeting.
If you
would like to take advantage of membership classes, watch for
announcements in the church bulletin. Or check the
calendar
on our website. A short, two-hour class is being offered this fall.
For those wishing to gain a deeper understanding of membership, a
more extensive class will be offered at a later date.