Join Our Church

What are the requirements for membership?

Membership in our church means a personal confession of faith in Jesus Christ.  This involves three elements:

  1. Repentance of Sin.  This does not mean that you must straighten up your life before you can join.  It means that you must indicate a willingness to turn from your sin with the help of Christ.
  2. Faith in Jesus Christ.  You must believe that Jesus, the Son of God, died for your sins and rose from the dead.  You must trust him as your Savior.
  3. Believers baptism by immersion.  Baptism is the formal confession of faith that Jesus is now Lord of your life.

We ask each person who joins our church to attend New Member Orientation within a year after joining our church.  This is a five-week class on Wednesday nights.  Those who cannot attend on Wednesdays can watch it at home on DVD.

How do I join First Baptist Church?

You may indicate your desire to join our church by walking forward to meet the pastor during the singing of an invitation song at the end of any worship service.  There are two ways to join:

  • If you are a new Christian:  A decision counselor will offer to answer any questions and lead you in prayer to trust Jesus as your Savior.  You can then be baptized at the next scheduled baptism that is convenient for you.
  • If you are a Christian who has already been baptized by immersion:  A decision counselor will get the information of the church where you preciously were a member and we will notify that church that you have joined our church.  If you do not know that information, we will simply receive you on your statement that you are a Christian and that you have already been baptized by immersion as a sign of your faith.
  • If you are a Christian but you have not been baptized by immersion:  If you have never been baptized or have been baptized by some other method, we will gladly receive you on your confession of faith and ask that you be baptized by immersion in our churches a common sign of your faith.

Do I have to make any advance preparation to join First Baptist?

No.  You're welcome to call or email the pastor or a staff member in advance if you have questions or want to talk to someone, but that is not required.  You may respond to the invitation in any worship service.

Why should I join the church?

Membership in a church is biblical.  Acts 2:41 says, "Those who accepted His message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day."  Every Christian should be connected to God's people in a church family.  Membership expresses belonging, accountability, and commitment.  First Baptist Church is congregationally governed.  Only those who are members can vote to receive members, vote to elect deacons and other leaders, vote on the budget and other matters of the church.  Only those who are members can serve in leadership roles such as teachers, ministry team leaders and in some other areas of service.

Why do I have to be baptized again if I have already been baptized?

There are two important elements to our belief about baptism:

  • First, baptism is sa sign of personal faith by a believer.  Thus, we do not baptize infants ro children who are too young to make a personal statement of faith.  If you have been baptized as an infant, we ask you to be baptized again as a believer, that is, following your personal statement of faith.
  • Second, baptism is to be by immersion, or being placed completely under water.  This method symbolizes the death and resurrection of Jesus and the believers own death to sin and new, resurrected life.  Romans  6:3-4 says,  "Don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death/  We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life."  So, if you have been baptized by another method such as sprinkling, we ask you to be rebaptized to depict this aspect of your faith.  Baptism by immersion is the common sign of faith of all our members.

What will baptism be like?

We have baptism one Sunday every month at 8:30 AM and 11:00 AM.  You can choose the date and time best for you.  We have a baptistery in our worship center.  It is a large, heated pool behind the video screen.  The screen is lowered, and the baptistery is in view of the congregation.  We meet fifteen minutes before the service to prepare for baptism.  There are men's and women's changing rooms.  A man and a woman from our baptism team will be with the pastor to assist you.  You will need to bring a change of clothes and a towel.  You will wear a white robe for the  baptism.  You can bring whatever you are comfortable in to wear under the robe.  Baptism is a time of joyous celebration.  Your friends and family will be asked to stand in your honor before you are baptized.  You are encouraged to invite people to witness this wonderful event.

Why do I have to a take a class after I join the church?

Many people make a commitment to Christ and then receive no direction or follow-up.  They do not know what to do next.  We do not want that to happen in our church.  Our New Member Orientation is designed to help you understand what  has happened to you in salvation, how to have assurance of salvation, and learn how to grow as a Christian.  The five-week class also explains basic Christian beliefs, provides a spiritual gifts inventory, and gives a tour of our church.  Many people choose to take the class before they join the church.  That is fine, but it is not required.  The class is offered four times a year beginning in January, April, July and October.