Share Delicious Facebook Twitter Email Membership FAQs Welcome : Membership FAQs What Questions Will I Be Asked in the Membership Process? Have you repented and believed in Jesus Christ alone for salvation? Can you tell us about it? Note: we are not necessarily looking for a date and time, but rather is it true now and how is your life reflecting the fact that you have repented and believed? Have you been baptized by immersion? And if not, are you willing to be baptized by immersion? Do you agree with the Doctrinal Statement and Church Covenant of Cedar Heights Baptist Church? Why is baptism necessary for church membership? Baptism is a commandment from God to the Church and to the individual (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:38-39). Baptism in the next act of obedience to Christ after salvation. To remain un-baptized as a believer in Jesus Christ is to be disobedient to God's instruction. Baptism in water is the picture of having already been baptized by the Spirit of God at salvation (Acts 10:44-45; 47-48). Baptism is a picture of your identification with the death burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 6:3-4). Baptism is the sign of the New Covenant. The sign of a covenant always followed the making of a covenant. In the Old Testament God covenanted with Abraham, and the sign of the covenant was circumcision. If you were going to be a part of the Abrahamic covenant you had to take on the sign of the covenant. You had to be circumcised. Much like the Old Covenant, the New Covenant has a sign as well. The sign of the New Covenant is baptism. We read in 1 Corinthians 11, "And after supper he took the cup and said, 'This is the New Covenant in my blood . . .'" In the death of Jesus Christ a New Covenant was made. And the sign of the New Covenant is baptism. And if you are going to be identified as a part of the New Covenant you must take on yourself the sign of the New Covenant, which is baptism. Through baptism, which identifies you as a follower of Christ and a New Covenant member, you are saying, "I want to use my gifts to build up the Church to further God's Kingdom, for his glory. And, I am submitting myself to the discipline of the church if I should ever begin to live in such a way that does not glorify God." Baptism gives God glory. Baptism places all the focus on God. The reason we submit ourselves to baptism is not primarily so that it will be special to us (although it is) - rather the reason we submit ourselves to baptism is joyful obedience to God's command, and amazement that God would lavish his grace on us as sinners and identify Himself with us. What is expected of members? Attend Regularly: Hebrews 10:25 tells us that we should not forsake "the assembling of ourselves together." This means that we should desire to worship God regularly with the Body of Christ. Particularly Be at Communion: We should probably not try to place more importance on one Sunday service over another. However, it is hard to conceive of a more special meeting time than when we commune with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Attend Member Meetings: As a congregational church, the members' meeting is an important time in our lives together. It is a gathering of the church for making godly decisions as a church. Pray Regularly: Or, Paul says, "without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Give Regularly: We believe giving is part of our worship of God. We give to God, not to man. And we worship God by giving cheerfully. And the Apostle Paul taught, in II Corinthians 9:7, "Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." Get Involved: We expect that each member will be actively involved in using their spiritual gifts for the building up of the body of Jesus Christ.

Pastor Kevin's Tweets follow me on Twitter How To JoinBoth Christ and Paul pointed us toward membership for our... More Doctrinal StatementFrom the time of the Apostles to today, Christians have... More HistoryIn 1957, and the early months of 1958, a group of... More CovenantHaving received Jesus Christ as our Savior, and having... More