Becoming a Member of The Church on the Heath

What is Membership?

Being part of the Christian church is a joy and a privilege. Jesus showed throughout his life that God welcomes all who turn to Him. Thank you for expressing an interest in membership at Church on the Heath.

 We have a common membership roll for Christians of any denominational background, or none, who wish to become members.  Members of the common roll will be eligible to vote at our annual meeting and congregational meetings and also to stand for election to the Ecumenical Church Council.

 This is a helpful summary of Church Membership by the American pastor Rick Warren followed by four aspects of membership:

 Living out a commitment to a local church involves many responsibilities: living out a godly lifestyle in the community, using our spiritual gifts as we serve the church, contributing financially to the work of the ministry, encouraging one another towards holiness with humility and in love, and faithfully participating in corporate worship. So membership matters, and it is only when we’re faithful to this kind of commitment together is the church able to live up to her calling to serve God faithfully. 

 Believe

Baptism is the public declaration of faith that Jesus is Lord!  To be eligible for membership, you need to have been baptised and confessed your Christian faith in a manner recognised by one of the partner churches.  If you have not been baptised, we usually suggest attending an Alpha course as initial preparation.  We will gladly hold a Baptism for those wanting to make a public declaration of faith.

 Belong

Belonging is a key part of the Christian journey.  Fellowship with other Christians and the act of worshipping together keep us strong in our faith and allow us to support one another during difficult times. This includes:

·       attending worship services

·       joining a small group either for Bible Study or service

·       attending congregational meetings

·       participating in the social life of the church family

Give

At Church on the Heath, we hold to Paul’s call to generosity in giving (2 Corinthians 8) and understand giving to the Mission of God expressed by the local Church to be a key part of any Christian discipleship. We encourage Members to aim to regularly give 10% of the income God provides for them (Mark 12:41-44) to support the work of Church on the Heath.  We recognise, however, that all our circumstances differ and that this is not possible for everyone. From time to time, there will be opportunities to demonstrate increased generosity for specific projects.

 Serve

Jesus said of Himself that he came ‘no to be served but to serve’ (Mark 10:45).  The life of the local church and its commitment to the local community depends on all of us getting involved. Members are encouraged to serve in a Sunday Ministry and to follow their calling and use their gifting to serve the church and/or community in other ways.  We would love to explore with you ways in which you could serve.

 Reception into Membership

Formal welcome as a member of Church on the Heath takes place during Sunday services.  If you would like to become a member please contact Patrick at:

minister@churchontheheath.or.uk  He will then arrange a time to meet with you to chat through what membership will mean for you and provide you with a form to complete.