Membership at Mercy Hill is meaningful. Membership is for baptized christians that want to make a commitment to care for one another spiritually, physically and emotionally, and join together to fulfill the great commission as a local body of christ.
Membership is important because:
We see it practiced in the Bible. (1 Cor. 5:12; Acts 2:46-47; Matthew 18:17)
The membership is the church. The church is not a building or a property, it is the group of christians that have organized together into a local congregation.
It is through membership that the church affirms an individuals profession of faith. By welcoming a new member into the fold a church is saying, "yes, we agree that you are a follower of Jesus, walking in obedience to him." That can be very powerful and encouraging, especially in seasons of doubt.
It takes a church to fulfill the great commission. 1 Corinthians 12 shows us that each christian has been gifted through the Holy Spirit with a unique area of service. Wether it be teaching, administration, hospitality or evangelism, a church is a body made up of its various parts to fulfill the mission that God has given us. It takes all of us.
How does someone become a member at Mercy Hill?
Membership at Mercy Hill is an intentional, thought out, diligent process. We want to make sure of two things. 1) You know what you're getting into, and 2) we know what we're getting into. Membership is not a commitment that should not be made lightly, so we have made it a multi-step process.
Regularly attend. It would not be wise for you to make such an important commitment before you knew what life was like as a part of our church. So take your time and get to know us.
Membership class. Membership classes are designed to communicate what Mercy Hill believes, what our mission and goals are, and what expectations of you as a member would be if you were to join us. There's no pressure, attending the class is not a commitment to join.
Talk to an Elder. Once you have completed the class you will meet with at least one elder. We want to answer any questions or concerns you may not have felt comfortable bringing up in the class.
Church affirmation. Once all the previous steps have been completed the elders will present a recommendation to the church to welcome you into membership. It is ultimately the churches decision. Their affirmation is their commitment to provide care and support to you as a part of the body of Christ.
Church covenant. If the church affirmation is the church's commitment to you, this is your commitment to them. You will agree to the covenant indicating you are ready to fulfill all your responsibilities as a church member.