Membership

Church membership is the formal relationship between a local church and a Christian. In church membership, the church affirms its oversight of a Christian’s discipleship and the Christian agrees to live out his or her discipleship in the care of the church. Both Christ and Paul pointed us toward membership for our encouragement, our protection, and our instruction. We seek to carry out this vision through our four-step process.

Membership Class – All prospective members must attend our Membership Matters class. The curriculum is composed of four one-hour classes entitled:

• Why Join a Church?
• History of Palermo Christian Church & Church Covenant
• Statement of Faith
• Life as a Church

Courses are offered periodically throughout the year in a Friday night/Saturday morning format or weekly on Sunday mornings. Upon completion, those who attended all four classes are able but not obligated to sign up for a membership interview, the second step of the membership process.

Membership Interview – The prospective member meets with the elders to provide basic biographical information and recount God’s converting work in his or her life. The prospective member would then verbally agree with the statement of faith, and the application would go to the elders.

Elder Approval – At a regularly scheduled elders’ meeting, the elders will review the applicant’s testimony with one another. Questions are fielded, a vote is taken, and with a majority secured, candidates are admitted into membership. Upon receiving the collective approval of the elders, the candidate’s application is approved.

Congregational Affirmation - During a Sunday morning service, the approved candidate is publicly announced to the church as a member.