Why join a church?
Christ did not merely die to save an assorted collection of individuals. He sacrificed His physical body to make a Body of believers - the Church. Our growth and maturity in Christ are inextricably connected to our brothers and sisters' growth and maturity. None of us can carry our burdens or fight our sins alone; we are to grow up together towards maturity in Christ.
Not only is the Church a Body, but we are also a family. Those who are washed by the blood of Christ now have God as their Father (2 Corinthians 6:18; Matthew 6:9) and Christ as their Brother (Hebrews 2:11; Romans 8:29). As members of the household of God (Ephesians 2:19), the Bible tells us we now belong to one another. Such a family - united not by a common interest, race, or experience, but by Jesus's blood - is beautiful and profound, but it comes at a cost. To experience all that God has designed for us, we must lay down some freedoms and commit to one another in the service of a greater good - the glory of God and the joy of all people.
Christ did not merely die to save an assorted collection of individuals. He sacrificed His physical body to make a Body of believers - the Church. Our growth and maturity in Christ are inextricably connected to our brothers and sisters' growth and maturity. None of us can carry our burdens or fight our sins alone; we are to grow up together towards maturity in Christ.
Not only is the Church a Body, but we are also a family. Those who are washed by the blood of Christ now have God as their Father (2 Corinthians 6:18; Matthew 6:9) and Christ as their Brother (Hebrews 2:11; Romans 8:29). As members of the household of God (Ephesians 2:19), the Bible tells us we now belong to one another. Such a family - united not by a common interest, race, or experience, but by Jesus's blood - is beautiful and profound, but it comes at a cost. To experience all that God has designed for us, we must lay down some freedoms and commit to one another in the service of a greater good - the glory of God and the joy of all people.
HOW MEMBERSHIP WORKS AT CITY ON A HILL CHURCH
Each Member goes through the following process.
Membership Class
Offered several times a year, our Membership Class gives COAH attendees a better idea of who we are, what we believe, what we value, where we're headed, and an explanation of Covenant Membership.
Pastor Meeting
Membership at COAH is open to everyone who has confessed with their mouth that Jesus is Lord and believes in their heart that God raised Him from the dead. As part of the membership process, we would love to celebrate with you the story of God's grace in your life and learn how we can best care for you in membership.
We would love for you to have a chance to get to know the leadership of our church! Before anyone joins the church, we ask that they sit down with one of our elders. We hope each meeting allows us to:
Rejoice alongside you at what God has done in your life
Confirm that you understand the meaning of Covenant Membership
Verify that there are no biblically warranted concerns with your joining COAH as a member
Allow you to connect with Redeemer's leadership
Answer questions or help you find opportunities to learn and serve at COAH
Baptism
Jesus commanded that all those who follow Him be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. At COAH, we believe that baptism matters, and therefore, we require that all members are baptized in obedience to Jesus's command.
We believe that baptism's best practice is for those who have personally repented and believed to express their union with Christ by being immersed in water. We recognize others who affirm their Christian baptism as practiced by orthodox traditions, but COAH will only teach and practice believer's baptism by immersion.
If you were baptized as an infant or have never been baptized, one of our pastors would love to meet with you!
Church Vote of Affirmation
Once you have met with one of the elders, shared your testimony with them, and have experienced a biblical baptism at our church or a sister church, our congregation will vote in affirmation of accepting you as a member of COAH at any regular gathering or special called meeting throughout the year.
Each Member goes through the following process.
Membership Class
Offered several times a year, our Membership Class gives COAH attendees a better idea of who we are, what we believe, what we value, where we're headed, and an explanation of Covenant Membership.
Pastor Meeting
Membership at COAH is open to everyone who has confessed with their mouth that Jesus is Lord and believes in their heart that God raised Him from the dead. As part of the membership process, we would love to celebrate with you the story of God's grace in your life and learn how we can best care for you in membership.
We would love for you to have a chance to get to know the leadership of our church! Before anyone joins the church, we ask that they sit down with one of our elders. We hope each meeting allows us to:
Rejoice alongside you at what God has done in your life
Confirm that you understand the meaning of Covenant Membership
Verify that there are no biblically warranted concerns with your joining COAH as a member
Allow you to connect with Redeemer's leadership
Answer questions or help you find opportunities to learn and serve at COAH
Baptism
Jesus commanded that all those who follow Him be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. At COAH, we believe that baptism matters, and therefore, we require that all members are baptized in obedience to Jesus's command.
We believe that baptism's best practice is for those who have personally repented and believed to express their union with Christ by being immersed in water. We recognize others who affirm their Christian baptism as practiced by orthodox traditions, but COAH will only teach and practice believer's baptism by immersion.
If you were baptized as an infant or have never been baptized, one of our pastors would love to meet with you!
Church Vote of Affirmation
Once you have met with one of the elders, shared your testimony with them, and have experienced a biblical baptism at our church or a sister church, our congregation will vote in affirmation of accepting you as a member of COAH at any regular gathering or special called meeting throughout the year.
We offer our Discover COAH class
that is our formal membership class held seasonally for those interested in joining our church.
This class will occur typically on
Sundays at 12:15 pm or Wednesdays at 6:00 pm
depending on the number of attendees. (Childcare will be provided for families with children of all ages.)
Please register by sending an email to info@cityonahillmh.com
Until then, you can read our Statement of Faith on our Beliefs page.
If we can answer any questions or help you connect at City on a Hill, please let us know!
that is our formal membership class held seasonally for those interested in joining our church.
This class will occur typically on
Sundays at 12:15 pm or Wednesdays at 6:00 pm
depending on the number of attendees. (Childcare will be provided for families with children of all ages.)
Please register by sending an email to info@cityonahillmh.com
Until then, you can read our Statement of Faith on our Beliefs page.
If we can answer any questions or help you connect at City on a Hill, please let us know!