Scripture provides numerous "one another's" that instruct us how we live and serve each other as adopted brothers and sisters in God's family (John 13:34,1 Peter 1:22, 1 John 3:11, Romans 12:10, 1 Corinthians 1:10, Phillipians 4:2, etc.). Scripture also tells us that placing ourselves under a local church's authority is imperative to our spiritual growth (Hebrews 13:7, Titus 1:5).

 

Church membership then is a commitment to a particular body of believers where you exercise the "one another's" and submit yourself to that body’s authority as you grow in your pursuit of Christlikeness. Membership in a local church is a vital step in the life of all Christians. Therefore, we take membership seriously and encourage all who regularly attend our gatherings to consider the process of membership as listed below.

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Membership Class

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All prospective members must attend our Membership class. The class is three hours and offered quarterly. During the class, we walk through the following documents/topics and answer questions that arise. 

 

• Why Join a Church?

• Statement of Faith

• Church Constitution

• Church Covenant

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Membership Application

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Upon completion, those who attended the class are able, but not obligated, to fill out a member's application and sign up for a membership interview, the second step of the membership process.

 

Membership Interview

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In a 30 - 45 minute meeting, the prospective member meets with an elder to provide basic biographical information and recount God's converting work in his or her life. The prospective member would then sign the statement of faith and church covenant, and the application would go to the elders.

 

Elder Recommendation 

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At a regularly scheduled elders' meeting, the elder who held the interview will review the application with the other elders. Upon receiving their collective approval, the candidate's application proceeds to the next step: congregational affirmation.

 

Congregational Affirmation

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During our every-other-month members' meetings, each elder who conducted an interview briefly describes how the applicants, who are desiring to be admitted to membership, have come to know the Lord. Questions are fielded, a vote is taken, and candidates are admitted into membership with a majority secured.

 

If you have any questions about CCF's membership process, feel free to email info@ccfva.org.