If you are interested in being a part of Christ’s Body as a member of Fellowship of Grace, we invite you to make that interest known to one of our Elders. We will be glad to discuss this important matter with you personally. It should not be surprising that we ask all those who are desirous of membership to AFFIRM the following five questions:
- Do you agree that your salvation is due to God’s love for you alone and not the things you did to please Him?
- Do you believe that Jesus is God and that He died for your sins?
- Do you promise to show your love for Jesus by trying to obey Him as the Holy Spirit helps you?
- Do you promise to love Jesus’ Church by being involved with others here as we worship the Lord and seek to help one another?
- Do you agree to submit to the Elders and our discipline while you endeavor to advance the holiness and peace of Christ’s Church?
The desire of Fellowship of Grace is to have you not only affirm but love and serve the Lord Jesus with us! We look forward to our fellowship together with you and our mutual growth in His grace and knowledge.
Fellowship of Grace is a part of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) which in turn is a part of the world-wide Body of Christ, His Church universal. As such, we take our relationship to Christ seriously for He is the head of the Church. We believe if one is truly committed to Christ, he will also be a member of a local church. To be related to Jesus as the head of the church, but not to a local church, is to seriously miss the mark. Whole-hearted involvement in the Church is not a matter of secondary importance. It is, in fact, God’s will for all believers (see 1 Corinthians 12:12-26).
What, then, does it mean to really be a member of a church? We believe it involves at least the following:
A. Trusting – i.e., to know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior. Paul assures Timothy that he “knows whom he has believed…” (2 Tim. 1:12). To be a member of a local church, one must first be trusting in Christ and His perfect work of redemption. Membership in a church ought to be more than assenting to certain historical facts or simply “knowing about” Jesus. Membership is knowing Him and resting in His work alone to save you.
B. Declaring – i.e., to speak of Christ openly as your personal Lord and Savior. Being able to share how God brought you to faith in His Son is very important. Paul says he is not ashamed of the Gospel because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes (Ro. 1:16). Therefore, the elders are careful to be sure you can declare to others the faith you have in Jesus Christ.
C. Submitting – i.e., a willingness to be under the local leadership. Some people want to be associated with Christ’s Church and yet never submit to the elders the Lord appointed to shepherd the flock of God. God says, “obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account” (Heb. 13:17). Seeking their counsel for problems, decisions, and direction is part of the privilege of membership in a local church.
D. Participating – i.e., a healthy and obedient sharing of yourself in the areas of worship, fellowship, ministry and finances. God makes it clear that He has placed us in His Body, the Church (1 Cor. 12:12f) to give Him praise and worship. Therefore, we are told to not forsake the times appointed to come together with other believers (Heb. 10:25). Furthermore, in the Church there needs to be fellowship (Acts 2:44) wherein we share our life and possessions with one another. Since the Lord has given all believers spiritual gifts, it is also incumbent upon us to use these gifts to serve others (Eph. 4:11 & 12). Of course, we must be faithful in giving God His tithes and our offerings so as to support the local church and its ministry in word and deed.
You will notice that each of these four areas is set forth in the Bible as an essential characteristic of a true believer. In calling us to faith in the Lord Jesus, God has made us new creatures in Christ. As such, His Spirit enables us to trust in and declare Christ as our personal Lord and Savior. Then we serve Him in His Body, the Church, through submission to the elders and participation in the life of the congregation. This, quite simply, is what membership is all about.
For those interested in joining Fellowship of Grace, you may do so in one of the following ways:
- By Profession of Faith if you have become a believer in Jesus Christ and not previously joined another church.
- By Letter of Transfer if you hold active membership in another PCA congregation
- By Reaffirmation of Faith if you are a member of another Bible church.