Membership
People who are considering membership often
ask, “What does membership mean?”, “How do I join?”, “What am I committing to?”,
“I have been a Methodist all my life, why do I have to take a class?”, or “What
if I want to attend Jerome Methodist Church but not become a member?”
What being a member of Jerome
United Methodist means...
Membership means choosing Jerome Methodist
Church as your spiritual home, the basis through which you will order and live
your life around God’s love revealed in Jesus Christ. It means committing
yourself to the church’s central mission to share God's love by words and action
How to join…
To join Jerome United Methodist, each
person must attend the Jerome Methodist Church Discovery Luncheon. We meet
on the last month of the quarter throughout the year. After attending the
luncheon,
prospective members may indicate their intent to join the church if they
choose.
There are three ways to join...
-
Transfer membership from another Methodist
church,
-
Transfer membership from another
denomination, or
-
Profession of faith
If you have been baptized at any point in your
life, it is not necessary to be baptized again. If not, baptism is a required
part of joining the church.
Requirement
for baptism
The Sacrament
of Baptism is a requirement to join the United Methodist Church. If you have
ever been baptized in another Christian denomination that baptism is acceptable
and there is no need to be re-baptized.
In the tradition of United Methodist Church,
baptism is a crucial threshold we cross on our faith journey. Baptism is: (1) a
sacrament of initiation into the catholic (universal) church; (2) a sign of
God’s forgiveness and our new life in Jesus Christ; (3) the beginning of the
growth process in grace that leads us to love God and neighbor and to follow
Jesus; (4) a gift of God that is received as a sign of God’s love for us.
What am I committing to if I choose to
join? What are the vows?
After deciding to join, prospective members join at a worship service by reciting membership
vows. Specifically, you are committing to being loyal to the United
Methodist Church and upholding the church through your prayers, presence, gifts and
service.
Prayers
You pray for the members, leaders, and witness of this church and the global
body of Christ.
Presence
You commit to being an active part of the worshipful, spiritual life of this
congregation. You develop a pattern of regular worship attendance and become
part of a small group community of people centered on spiritual growth through
Bible study, prayer, care, and service.
Gifts
You live out the example of Christ’s self-giving love by offering your
full life in service to God, including your time, talents, passions
and financial resources.
Service
You become the living witness of Christ through word and action, drawing new
people into an experience of Christ and sharing God’s love to people in need in
our community and around the world.
I have been a Methodist all my life,
why do I have to take a class?
We are grateful for your lifelong commitment to
Christ through the United Methodist Church and are excited to include your life
experience among us. You will discover that Jerome Methodist Church’s connection
to the United Methodist Church includes a unique expression of our vision and
mission at this particular moment in our history, in this particular part of the
world. We want everyone who joins the church to know fully who we are and what
God is calling us to do, which may be different from churches you’ve come to
know in the past. And, the New Member Class will give you a great opportunity to
get to know others in the congregation who are new to the area or to this
church.
What if I want to attend Jerome
Methodist Church but not become a member?
This is absolutely okay!!! There are many
different paths to Christ and people arrive at different places. You can attend
or participate in the ministries of the church without being a member. We want
to support you where you are and help you grow in your faith.
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