Hope Community Church Membership:
At Hope we have four requirements for membership:
1) A personal profession of Christ as Lord and Savior.
2) Baptism by immersion as a public symbol of one’s faith.
3) Completion of the membership class.
4) A signed commitment to abide by Hope’s membership covenant.
HOPE COMMUNITY CHURCH MEMBERSHIP COVENANT
“Having received Christ as my Lord and Saviour and been baptised, and being in agreement with the Hope Community Church Statement What We Believe and Teach, I now feel led by the Holy Spirit to unite with the Hope Community Church family. In doing so, I commit myself to God and to the other members to do the following”: (all references from New International Version)
I. I WILL PROTECT THE UNITY OF MY CHURCH
By acting in love toward other members
By refusing to gossip
By following the leaders
Romans 14:19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
Romans 15:5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus,
1 Peter 1:22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.
Ephesians 4:29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
Hebrews 13:17 Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.
II. I WILL SHARE RESPONSIBILITY OF MY CHURCH
By praying for its growth
By inviting the unchurched to attend
By warmly welcoming those who visit
1 Thess. 1:2 We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers.
Luke 14:23 “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full.
Romans 15:7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.
III. I WILL SERVE THE MINISTRY OF MY CHURCH
By discovering my gifts and talents
By being equipped to serve by my pastors
By developing a servant’s heart
1 Peter 4:10 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.
Ephes. 4:11-12 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, [12] to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up
Philip. 2:3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.
Philip. 2:4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Philip. 2:7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
IV. I WILL SUPPORT THE TESTIMONY OF MY CHURCH
By attending faithfully
By living a godly life
By giving regularly
Hebrews 10:25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another–and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Philip. 1:27 Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel
1 Cor. 16:2 On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.
Leviticus 27:30 “A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord.