COVENANT MEMBERSHIP

Does it really matter if I become a formal member of the church? Why do you have a membership class if the Bible doesn’t command it? If membership is so important, why do I have to take so many steps to become a member? These kinds of questions are often brought up in conversations about our church membership process.

We recognize our steps to membership may seem intimidating or lengthy to some, but that’s because we believe membership is a weighty and powerful position in the the local church. The Bible calls members to hold the church accountable for its doctrine and teaching, make important decisions together, and intimately invest themselves in one another’s lives. In other words, God doesn’t take church membership lightly so we don’t either. There are four steps to becoming a Covenant Member at Pennington Park Church:

Baptism is an ordinance of the church whereby a person, after professing faith in Jesus as Savior, publicly expresses that faith before the body of Christ. At Pennington Park, we baptize by immersion in order to signify our spiritual death, burial, and resurrection to new life through Jesus Christ. If you have not been baptized as a believer, we ask you to take this step before continuing in the church membership process. You can complete a baptism application which includes a section for a written testimony that you’ll read at the time of your baptism.

Are you new to Pennington Park Church? Discover is a special event just for new attenders and occurs bi-monthly. You’ll have the opportunity to meet church staff members and leaders, hear about our church’s culture, and have your questions answered before taking your next step.

As you consider becoming a member of Pennington Park, we want you to make an informed decision. Our Belong class covers the mission, strategy, beliefs, and ministries of Pennington Park as well as the meaning and benefits of church membership. Whether you’re ready to become a member now or just want to learn more about us, Belong is a great resource. This class occurs 3-4 times per year and includes child care.

After attending a Belong class, you will have the opportunity to complete the membership application and schedule an interview with an elder or staff member of Pennington Park. The membership application typically only takes 15 minutes and allows us to learn your story and get to know you better. After you complete the membership application, an interview will be scheduled where you can share your testimony and church history and ask any questions you may have.

The final step in our membership process is to sign our membership agreement which confirms your commitment to live in biblical unity with the body of Pennington Park, participate in the building up of the church, and submit to its leaders and its teaching. Following your signing of the membership agreement, you will be affirmed by the congregation as a formal Covenant Member of Pennington Park.