Church Membership
"... in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others" (Romans 12:5)
The Nature of Membership
Many in our society today question the value of church membership, but a reading of the Scriptures stresses the covenant-nature of the relationships between believers. This is true in the Old Testament, and especially true in the New Testament where the Christians in local churches are described with metaphors such as parts of a body, members of a family, and citizens of a country. We are told to care for one another, be devoted to one another, submit to one another, and the like. All of this requires a formal commitment to truly carry out.
To be a member of a church is to make a public promise to live according to the Word of God and to support the work of the congregation. Every believer is part of the Christ's universal Church (the spiritual Body of Christ) regardless of whether or not they officially join a local church, and church membership expresses one's intention to live out this spiritual reality with these people at this time and in this place.
Membership in a church is not like membership in a social club or other organizations. We approach those organizations as consumers or clients based on what services they offer us. Christ's Church is completely different. Membership is a calling to service and God's mission together. We seek to embody the nature of God's kingdom togther and extend the blessings of that kingdom to others. Members of a church exist to serve others, not primarily ourselves.
How to Become a Member
- Attend the Discover Deer Creek seminar, offered twice each year to provide an overview of the church, its mission and ministries, as well as to get to know the pastors. Contact Christy in the church office to learn when the next seminar is scheduled.
- Share your testimony of faith in Christ with our elders, who officially receive people into membership.
- Take your membership vows in front of the congregation on a Sunday morning.
Baptism
What Baptism Means
Baptism is a sacrament and means of grace that signifies our union with Christ for the forgiveness of sins, new life, and reception into God's family. The water signifes both the blood of Christ which washes away our sins and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit to transform us to become more like Christ. In short, baptism is a picture of what God gives us by grace through the gospel by faith in Christ. Baptism does not save us or wash away our sins: Jesus alone does that. Baptism is an outward sign of the inward grace of salvation that we receive by faith through Christ. Baptism is not a symbol of our faith (subjective experience of salvation); it is a symbol of what God offers us in the gospel through faith (objective picture of salvation). Furthermore, it is a membership rite in the local church and signifies our inclusion into the Body of Christ, the Church, through our common union with Christ.
We believe that the mode of baptism is secondary to its meaning: sprinkling, pouring, or immersion is permissible, although we practice sprinkling at Deer Creek.
Baptism is to be administered to everyone who professes faith in Christ and to their children. The inclusion of children is consistent with how God has worked within families since the time of Abraham. This is confusing for many people who grow up in other Christian traditions, so we encourage you to explore the rationale for this with one of our pastors if you have questions as to why we baptize children.
Adult Baptism
Adults who profess their faith in Christ for the first time and those who desire to join the church but who have not been previously baptized, will be baptized when they take their membership vows in front of the congregation.
Infant & Child Baptism
Infants & Younger Children: Deer Creek will baptize your infant or younger children when you take your membership vows. If you are already a member, contact one of our pastors to schedule a date for your child's baptism.
Older Children: We encourage your older children who have not been previously baptized to seek baptism after they make a public profession of faith. We offer a Communicants Class each year that helps 5th Grade and older students to think through issues of their faith while reading through the New Testament together and exploring the nature of the gospel and the theology of our church. Many choose to join the church after this class and receive baptism at this point. Contact Verleen, our Children's Director, to learn more about the Communicants Class.