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Membership
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Each person desiring to become a member in good standing with Autumn Ridge Community Church must meet the following criteria:
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Evidence of being a regenerate/born again follower of Jesus Christ
(cf. John 3:1-15; Titus 3:5)
Each person who applies for membership must submit a written testimony to the elders of the church addressing: a) the state of his/her life before following Christ; b) the manner in which he/she came to trust in Christ for salvation; and c) the ways in which he/she has matured as a Christ follower from the time of conversion until the present day.
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Evidence of obedience to Christ through participation in the ordinance of baptism
(cf. Matthew 28:18-10).
Though baptism in and of itself does not contribute to one’s salvation, participation in this ordinance is one of the few verifiable criteria to determine whether or not a so-called follower of Jesus has taken at least one tangible step of obedience to the will of the Savior. Therefore, all those who desire to become members of Autumn Ridge Community Church must have undergone baptism. Autumn Ridge Community Church recognizes believer’s baptism as the biblical model of baptism: the immersion of a Christ-follower beneath water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Provided that the individual in question was a genuine follower of Christ at the time, those baptisms performed in the context of other local churches satisfy this criterion for membership. On a case-by-case basis, we also consider potential members whose consciences hold their infant sprinkling or christening to be a valid baptism.
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Completion of the Autumn Ridge Community Church membership class.
At a minimum, this course presents and reviews the gospel message (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:1-8); overviews the Autumn Ridge Community Church Statement of Faith to ensure doctrinal unity amongst them members of the church (cf. Ephesians 4:5; Jude 3); and outlines the mission, values, and methods/strategies of the church.
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Participate in a membership interview with at least one elder of the church.
Such an interview allows the elders of the church to meaningfully recommend to the congregation those potential members who believe the gospel, who live in surrender to the will of Christ, and who are in agreement with the distinctives of Autumn Ridge Community Church.
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Be affirmed by the members of the church.
Upon completion of the above four criteria, the elders of the church will recommend that potential new members be welcomed into the membership of Autumn Ridge Community Church. The decision to formally include these individuals as members of Autumn Ridge Community Church will be made by a majority vote of all members in good standing who are gathered at a meeting of the church.
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Upon being affirmed by the congregation, such individuals will become members in good standing upon signing the Autumn Ridge Community Church Membership Covenant. In order to remain in good standing, members of Autumn Ridge Community Church will uphold the pledges of the Church Membership Covenant. Furthermore, each member who wishes to continue his or her association with Autumn Ridge Community Church will renew his or her commitment to the Covenant on an annual basis.
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