Membership is Discipleship
Our mission is to lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ, His followers and His world. Membership at St. John’s is about pursuing these growing relationships, and allowing ourselves to be led by Christ through the ministry of this congregation. Membership is not so much about joining an institution, as it is committing to discipleship and the pursuit of spiritual growth in the context of a community of faith.
What does it mean to be a Member/Disciple?
Simply put, it means to be pursuing growth in these three relationships: With Jesus Christ, His followers, and His world. There are three main activities that we emphasize at St. John’s that we believe are central to growing in these relationships. Membership at St. John’s means to be active in these areas:
- Worship – Gathering in the presence of God for prayer, praise, Word, and Sacrament
- Small Group – Meeting with others for Bible study, fellowship, and prayer
- Service – Serving others in our home, church, community, and world
How do I become a member?
The first step in becoming a member is becoming a worshiper. Begin making worship a part of life for you and your family. Worship is the center of the life of our congregation, the central way in which we “lead people up” in their relationship with Jesus.
The next step is to participate in the Foundations class. This is a nine-part seminar on the basic teachings of the Christian Faith. This class is centered on the gospel of Jesus Christ, the good news of what God has done for us through the death and resurrection of His Son.
The class is offered in person once a year, usually in the fall. Please contact the church office for details regarding the next offering of the class. You can also view recordings of the last offering of the class and download the handouts and slides. Please go to Foundations.
Session 1: The Story – An overview of the Christian story, centering in redemption through Jesus Christ.
Session 2: God – Who is the Triune Christian God? Contrasting the Christian worldview with naturalism and pantheism
Session 3: Humanity – What does it mean that we are made in the image of God? What does it mean that we are are sinful?
Session 4: Jesus Christ – Who is Jesus Christ? Why is He unique? What did He do?
Session 5: Restoration – Why is the resurrection so important? What is Christian Hope?
Session 6: Christian Living Part 1: The Holy Spirit, The Church, The Word
Session 7: Christian Living Part 2: Christian Ethics, the Ten Commandments
Session 8: Christian Living Part 3: The Sacraments, Baptism, The Lord’s Supper
Session 9: Christian Living Part 4: Prayer and Worship
Basic Overview
If you would like a basic overview of the Christian Faith that you can view online, please check out Discovering the Christian Faith. This series of videos covers the basic teachings of the Christian faith and the life and ministry of our congregation. We focus on what it means to have a relationship with Jesus Christ, and what it means to be part of the body of Christ in this place. To access this online class. Click here! To find out more, please call the church office at 707-255-0119 or contact Pastor Mike at pastormike@stjohnslutheran.net
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