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I have been to many different churchs, some for good reasons, and some because well honestly there was some pretty girl there-lol. I was just wondering, does the church you attend have a class you must participate in before "joining" the church and if it does, do you agree with it? Some churches require a vote from the congregation, and some dont require someone to join at all. Any thoughts or comments on the subject?
My church has a class that you can take, but it is optional. They also ask you to fill out a pledge card, but do not require you to pledge a certain amount. They ask that you consider joining a group of some kind to get to know people in a smaller setting, but again, it's not required. I'm pretty sure that the only thing that is required for membership is that you sign the membership book. If you attend our church, but are not a member, you are called a "friend". So we might have an event that is open to "members and friends". So you can still participate in everything, you just can't vote.
The church I attended until recently requires baptism for the remission of sins , and for the gift of the indwelling if the holy spirit. If you are a new person in the congregation, they won't baptize you until the elders and preacher think you are ready. That is ONE of the reasons I quit attending. I think you and God are the only ones who know if you are ready.
I have been to many different churchs, some for good reasons, and some because well honestly there was some pretty girl there-lol. I was just wondering, does the church you attend have a class you must participate in before "joining" the church and if it does, do you agree with it? Some churches require a vote from the congregation, and some dont require someone to join at all. Any thoughts or comments on the subject?
too many "man" rules as in rules made by man
for idiotic reasons that don't make sense
I would rather not get into
The only requirement my church has is that you know Jesus as your savior and have asked to Him to forgive you of your sins. Baptism, comes after that, it has nothing to do with being saved, only Jesus saves. We do not have classes or books to test.
Blue62, you made a good choice to leave that church baptism is not an requirement of salvation, it is a symbol of Christ death, burial and resurrection, it has no saving power.
My husband and I have attended several different churches during our marriage and they have had various methods of handling membership. Our current church does not actually have formal membership! If you want to come, come. If you want to leave, leave. If you come more than about 5 or 6 times in a row....you're probably going to be considered a "regular." We do have a church directory. If you sign up to be in it, well, I guess you're considered "one of our flock" for sure! Our pastor has some philosophical reason that he prefers to do it this way, I think, but quite honestly, I can't remember what it is.
A couple of the other churches we have attended have had classes in order to ascertain that you understand the basic doctrine taught etc. At one church, it was pretty simple- 3 little classes. At another it was fairly complex, you had to attend about 8 weeks of a class with a workbook and homework and all. These were all non-denominational churches.
When I was in the Baptist Church as a child, they had to "vote you in."
Of course, I never saw anyone NOT be voted in, I guess! That would be pretty weird!
In my church a person who wants to join must go through 6 "lessons" taught by our missionaries. Once those are complete they have an interview to make sure they fully understand the commitment they are making. The person is then baptized for the remission of sins and receives the Holy Ghost by laying on of hands.
too many "man" rules as in rules made by man
for idiotic reasons that don't make sense
I would rather not get into
Just gonna say I agree with you on the "man" made rules. As I mentioned before on a previous post I was baptized when I was 10 in a non-denom church. Several years later my parents joined a mainstream denom and in order for all of us to join, a requirement to join that church was to be baptized again. At 17 I knew the Bible and although I gave in and was rebaptized, I did not agree with it, and felt some tension toward them, to me anyway, that the first time I was baptized wasnt for lack of a better term, good enough?
Blue62, you made a good choice to leave that church baptism is not an requirement of salvation, it is a symbol of Christ death, burial and resurrection, it has no saving power.
Then why do people get baptized? Why did Jesus get baptized? He said it was to fulfill all righteousness. He certainly did not need baptism so why would he set that example for us if it wasn't truly necessary for salvation?
In my church a person who wants to join must go through 6 "lessons" taught by our missionaries. Once those are complete they have an interview to make sure they fully understand the commitment they are making. The person is then baptized for the remission of sins and receives the Holy Ghost by laying on of hands.
When a person wants to join a Baptist church, well an SBC church, I cant speak for anyone else,the person goes to the front of the church and the preacher ask the congretion is there a motion for this person to join? someone says I or whatever and then there is a second and then he (the pastor)ask for for an amen from the congregation.
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Church membership
If you want to come, come. If you want to leave, leave. If you come more than about 5 or 6 times in a row....you're probably going to be considered a "regular."
We do have a church directory. If you sign up to be in it, well, I guess you're considered "one of our flock" for sure!
That would be pretty weird!
