Become a Member of FPC


Baptism

Jesus Christ commands those who would follow him to be baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit as the point of entry into the church (Matthew 28:19).


If you have come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and have never been baptized, please speak to one of our pastors about your desire to do so.


If you are a visitor at FPC and have previously been baptized, our church will accept any valid Christian baptism and only ask you to share with them your testimony of belief in Christ and Christian experience.


From there, you will be asked by the session (our elders) to answer our denomination's five questions for membership:

  • Do you acknowledge yourself to be a sinner in the sight of God, justly deserving His displeasure, and without hope save in His sovereign mercy? 
  • Do you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and Savior of sinners, and do you receive and rest upon Him alone for salvation as He is offered in the Gospel? 
  • Do you now resolve and promise, in humble reliance upon the grace of the Holy Spirit, that you will endeavor to live as becomes the followers of Christ? 
  • Do you promise to support the Church in its worship and work to the best of your ability? 
  • Do you submit yourself to the government and discipline of the Church, and promise to study its purity and peace?





Types of Membership

Presbyterian churches have two primary types of members: communing members and non-communing members.


"Communing" comes from the word "communion," relating to the Lord's Supper. A communing member has been admitted by the session to the Lord's Supper based on his or her baptism, profession of faith, and ability to examine him/herself before coming to the Lord's Table. 


A non-communing member is usually a child who has been baptized as an infant, but has not yet made a public profession of faith or shown the ability to examine him/herself. Non-communing members have all the rights and privileges of a church member except voting in congregational meetings/elections and partaking of the Lord's Supper

Children and Membership at FPC

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How a Child Becomes a Communicant Member of FPC

Each fall, our senior pastor teaches a "communicants class" during the Sunday school hour. This class is recommended for children in 3rd through 6th grade, and parents or guardians are asked to attend with the child. During the class, children are walked through the basics of the Christian faith, the meaning and responsibility of church membership, and requirements for partaking of the Lord's Supper. Our church uses the workbook Understanding the Faith by Stephen Smallman to guide discussion in the class.


At the end of the class, parents and children are asked to have a meeting with the pastor to discuss potential communicant membership. If the parents and the pastor believe that the child is ready to be admitted to the Lord's supper, then the child will meet with the session to follow the normal process for becoming a communicant member (sharing a testimony of Christian faith and experience and answering the five questions for membership as outlined above).