Membership
Becoming a member of a church is not like becoming a member of the YMCA or a public radio station. It’s not a contract whereby you pay a certain amount in order to receive a certain benefit.
When you join Fauntleroy Church, you enter into a covenant, promising to be in relationship with God and other members and to trust in that relationship. We are all in this together, and our community of faith changes when people join us in this covenant.
The tangible benefits of being a member of this congregation are opportunities to vote on pastoral leadership and other important issues before the congregation and to serve on our Church Council or lead a ministry. Non-members may participate fully in worship, serve on ministries, enjoy social and educational events, and help with projects.
Covenant: Covenant-making is an important part of our faith tradition because making covenants with people is the way God operates in the world. As the United Church of Christ Statement of Faith puts it, God "calls the worlds into being..." and "calls us into the Church to accept the costs and joys of discipleship." We covenant with God and one another to be a community of faith, discipleship, and service.
We ask those who join Fauntleroy Church to affirm their trust in God and their choice to follow Jesus and reflect his love for all people. Then we all recite the first part of our covenant - “Our Statement of Purpose:”
Trusting in Christ's love for us in this place and time,
Building on the legacy of previous generations,
Mindful of our needs and of those we seek to help,
Respectful of our differences in an inclusive, caring community,
Seeing peace and justice as the work of the people of God,
Believing that worship, service and learning are life giving,
We yearn for God's grace;
We draw strength from God's presence;
We dare to commit ourselves to the challenges of following Christ.
Those wishing to become members promise the following:
Adopting as my own, the covenant of the Fauntleroy Church; I promise and covenant with God and the church to follow the teachings of Christ, to support the work of Christ's church with my resources, to participate in service to others, to worship regularly in community, and to foster individual and united spiritual growth.
Members of the church respond with these promises:
We, therefore, the members of this church receive you into our communion and welcome you with joy into our fellowship. We promise to pray for you, to watch over you, and to help you. God grant that as we love and are loved, as we serve and are served, as we bless and are blessed, we may so live and worship together as to glorify the name of Jesus the Christ in whose ministry and life we share.
Becoming a member: Your first step will be visiting the church to get acquainted with us. See if you find the way we worship inspiring, comforting, and challenging, then talk with a few members about the many other facets of our common life. If the fit seems right, let us know and we’ll invite you to our next orientation. Soon after, we will ask you and others wishing to join to come forward during worship for the public covenanting described above. What if I'm not ready to become a member? We are happy to have you attend worship, work on projects, enroll in classes, and offer your gifts for the common good. Many people participate in Fauntleroy Church, some for years, without joining.
What if things change and I can no longer be a member? People who can no longer be active or who need to take a time out continue as cherished members in our care. If you relocate or wish to join another congregation, you need to ask to be removed from our rolls or have your membership transferred. If the change is temporary, we can move you to inactive status and you may return at any time.
