Church Membership has little to do with voting rights or member privileges as it might in a club or civic organization; however it has everything to do with being in covenant relationships with God and with one another. Quite honestly, the concept of a born-again Christian remaining outside of a covenant relationship with a local congregation is foreign to the New Testament.
We do not believe your attendance here is accidental. We believe God has brought you here to partner in ministry, to be built up to greater maturity and effectiveness as a disciple of Jesus Christ so that He is reflected faithfully in the world. If we are mistaken and this is not the place God has for you, we would like for that to be confirmed as well so that you may find exactly where it is that He would have you grow and serve.
Several factors such as the church's doctrinal beliefs, vision, style, strategy, health and opportunities for you to use your gifts may play into the decision as to where to join. However, the bottom line is to answer the question: “Is this the congregation God has called me to to invest my time, treasure and talents for His glory?” The answer to that question may trump the other factors.
I want to personally invite you to attend our upcoming Long Green Membership 101 Classes. There, the factors mentioned above will be laid out systematically and you will have a chance to interact and ask any questions you may have. Completing the classes does not compel you to join in a covenant relationship, but it will hopefully give you the information you need to pray through and find God's will.
If you are considering a commitment to Long Green Baptist membership or if you would just like to learn more about who we are and what we're about, we invite you to Long Green 101. We will cover the church's vision and philosophy of ministry, our beliefs, important Baptist distinctives and history, and our polity of how decisions are made and finances are handled. Though it is a prerequisite to membership, all are welcome. Once you are registered, we will give you some materials to complete before the class sessions.
The schedule of classes is as follows:
Session 1 – Saturday March 27- 9:00 – 11:00 am
Session 2 – Saturday March 27- 11:00am – 1:00 pm
If you will be able to attend, please sign up on the website by clicking the register button below or call the church office at 410.592.7857 to register.
For His Glory,
Pastor Dale