Membership at Del Cerro is about belonging to the body of Christ. It is how a Christian says "I'm committed to this local gathering of Christ-followers. I am committed to them, and they are committed to me." We use the word membership because it's the language the Bible uses to communicate belonging- like being a part or member of a body (1 Corinthians 12).
The membership process at our church goes like this:
1. Gather
Gather with our church, worship with us, fellowship with us and get to know us for a little while.
2. Membership Class
Participate in a membership class taught by one of our pastors. In the Membership Class you will learn about: the gospel, membership in the Bible, our church, our doctrine, and our Membership Covenant, and will have a chance to ask any questions that you might have on any topic. This is a great class to attend even if you are not sure you want to become a member.
It's usually held on three consecutive Sunday mornings during our Sunday School Hour (9:00 am) about once a quarter. If you're here regularly you'll be sure to hear about these classes.
3. Membership Application
At the end of the Membership class you will fill out the Membership application. This is a simple form that helps us prepare for, and schedule the interview which is step #4.
4. Interview with the Elders
The pastoral interview is our opportunity to hear your testimony and affirm your faith with you. You'll sit down with two of our pastor/elders and share how the story of how God saved you. You'll also have an opportunity to ask the pastors any questions you have regarding the church. Pastors are called to "shepherd the flock" (1 Peter 5:2), and to do that they need to know the flock! The interview is the beginning of the pastors getting to know you, and you getting to know the pastors.
5. Congregational Vote
We are an elder-lead congregational church. This means that the congregation, not the elders, has the authority to welcome and dismiss members (for more on this see the book: Understanding the Congergation's Authority) Once the pastors recommend you to the congregation for membership, the congregation will vote to accept you. At this point, you are a full-voting member of the congregation!
If you'd like to learn more about how we understand membership, here are a couple sermons and resources that might help:
In "Part 2" you'll hear about a proposed Membership Covenant. By the grace of God, our membership joyfully covenanted with one another at our member's meeting in November 2019. Here is a copy of the church covenant that all new members also agree to:
Del Cerro Baptist Church Covenant
If you'd like to enter into the process of membership, the best way is to fill out the Membership application linked below.
