Membership Guidelines

 

Purpose:

 

The purpose of these guidelines is to establish the process by which an individual makes one of the most important decisions in their life in Christ, to connect with a body of believers. Every individual should be careful to do their due diligence to ensure they are comfortable with and understand the beliefs, practices and expectations of Grace Congregational Church and our expectations of you as a member prior to becoming a member. Church membership offers individuals a sense of community with other like-minded believers, an opportunity for continued personal growth in the Word of God and in service.

 

1.1 Membership Types

 

1.1.1 Adults – Individuals, age 18 and up, desiring to become members of Grace Congregational Church (GCC), should successfully complete all portions of the Orientation To Commitment (OTC) class and/or simply complete the Membership Information Form. A Membership Information Form is required for each adult member regardless of marital status.

 

1.1.2 Youth – Membership status of youth, birth to age 17, is based on the membership status of at least one parent/guardian. Youth who have reached the age of 18, desiring to become members of GCC should follow the adult membership requirements above.

 

1.2 Other Membership Types

 

1.2.1 Watch Care – Members of another ministry who would like to connect with GCC as a home away from home. This would apply to individuals such as college students, or others visiting and/or living temporarily in the city for an extended period.

 

2. Membership Status

 

2.1 Active Membership – Active membership shall be defined as a member who supports the ministry financially through tithes and offering and/or attends services on a consistent basis in any given calendar year, January through December. Such a member shall be considered a member in good standing.

 

2.2 Inactive Membership – A member who has not been active, as defined above, for a period of one (1) calendar year will be placed in an inactive status. If an evaluation of inactivity is determined, an effort will be made to contact the member.

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2.3 Immobilized – A member who is otherwise active but is unable to physically attend services. Members should communicate this status using the online form submission (Member Status Update).

 

3. Reinstatement of Membership

 

3.1 An individual desiring to reinstate their membership, either from an inactive status to active status or after prior termination of membership, should simply complete the Membership Information Form.

 

3.2 Renew participation in the worship activities and support of this ministry, meeting the definition (as defined above) of active membership.

 

4. Termination of Membership

 

4.1 Death – the name of a member shall be removed from the church roster upon notification of their death.

 

4.2 Transfer – any active member may request that a letter of membership be transferred to another fellowship of like faith. No letter will be granted to a member who is in an “inactive” status.

 

4.3 Removal – any member upon verification, will be removed from the membership roll if they have:

         

4.3.1 Been in an inactive membership status for a consecutive 2-year period.

         

4.3.2 Provide express written request to the Senior Pastor, Executive Pastor, or their designee, to be removed from the church roster either by letter, email, or online form submission (Member Status Update).

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Revised as of January 2024