Are you interested in becoming a member of St. John’s UCC or do you have questions about what being a member means? Please contact one of our pastors or the Church Office for information on the next New Members Class or answers to your questions. Our pastors can always be found by the doors after every worship service to speak with you. St. John’s is always happy to welcome new members into our church family! We hold new member orientation classes periodically through the year to introduce you to the traditions and beliefs of St. John’s church and the United Church of Christ, our denomination.
When you join St. John’s, you will be asked to stand before the congregation on a chosen Sunday morning, and will be asked a few questions like this by the pastors to profess your faith:
“Do you, by this act of joining the church, profess your desire to live out your faith as a member of this congregation, ever seeking to better reflect the image of God in your daily life and ever desiring to more fully understand and embody the teachings of Jesus Christ, whom we are called to love and serve?” New Members respond: “I Do”
“Do you promise, with God’s help and grace, to grow in the Christian faith and to be a faithful member of St. John’s United Church of Christ, taking to heart the commitment you are making today before God and the members of this faith community?” New Members respond: “I do”
The congregation will then speak words in unison to welcome you into our family, and will later ‘meet and greet’ you during our Fellowship Time. If you are not a member, we hope that you will consider joining us – all are welcome! New members are also asked to attend the next Congregational Dinner after joining (held in January & October) to be again introduced and acknowledged by the congregation!
Sponsors – Each new member is assigned a sponsor or sponsors – current members of St. John’s who will stand with the new member when they join and also help introduce them to the St. John’s family and the organizations and activities our church provides. Sponsors also write an article for the Enlightener introducing the new members to the wider congregation. A sponsor may be someone who brought the new member to visit St. John’s, someone who greeted them on an early visit, or someone the pastors think have a ‘common interest’ with the new member. If you are a current member and would like to sponsor a new member in the future, please speak with the pastors!