How and when did you come to faith?
At Whitehouse Church we believe that the Bible clearly tells us to obey Jesus by being baptised as believers, by full immersion, and so we would ask you to prayerfully consider this if you haven’t already. However, we have an ‘open’ membership which means that people who have not been baptised in this way can still become members, as long as you have demonstrated another form of public declaration of faith in the past. (E.g. A confirmation service or a “sprinkling” etc.) If neither of these have happened for you and you still wish to become a member, please reach out to Tony via email to arrange a visit. Tony@whitehousemk.church
Have you been baptised as a believer by full immersion (or made another form of public declaration of faith)? If so, please give details (how, where and when)
Whitehouse Church subscribes and believes in the Baptist Union’s Declaration of Principle:
• That our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, God manifest in the flesh, is the sole and absolute authority in all matters pertaining to faith and practice, as revealed in the Holy Scriptures, and that each church has liberty, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to interpret and administer His laws.
• That Christian Baptism is the immersion in water into the name of the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit, of those who have professed repentance towards God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ who ‘died for our sins according to the Scriptures; was buried, and rose again on the third day’.
• That it is the duty of every disciple to bear personal witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ, and to take part in the evangelisation of the world.
As a member we would expect you to subscribe to these principles too. Do you accept them and agree to this?
At Whitehouse Church we would describe the responsibilities of a member in the following ways:
• Regularly attending worship and participating in church activities;
• Personal prayer and Bible study;
• Participation at the Communion of the Lord’s Supper as a privilege and a priority;
• Helping the church whenever possible by using gifts and abilities to advance the purpose of the church through its activities;
• Attending and participating in church members’ meetings;
• Giving regular financial support to the church in proportion to personal resources and circumstances;
• Upholding Christian values.
Do you agree to fulfil these responsibilities when becoming a member?
As part of an expansion on the terms listed above, at Whitehouse Church we combine membership with the biblical definition and characteristics of a Deacon.
The role is defined as:
• A servant role that doesn’t involve leadership.
• A role more to do with administration (practical) matters than spiritual.
• A role in which we serve to free up those called to minister through the Word.
• A role where each person seeks to be full of the Spirit and of Wisdom. Characteristics include:
• People of dignity (honourable, reputable, sensible)
• Not double tongued – not gossips
• Refrains from addictive substances and excessive alcohol
• Not be fond of gain
• Hold to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.
• They must be tested - beyond reproach
• Morally pure.
• Leads a God centred household.
• Worthy of respect, not malicious talkers, but temperate and trustworthy in everything.
As a new member do you agree to join us in our pursuit, as we actively aspire to this individually and corporately as Gods church?
As we seek to find ways for every member to serve; where do you see yourself serving within our church (based on your interests, abilities, gifts, and time)? This won’t automatically ‘sign you up’, but will help us prayerful and working with you, find an area to serve.
We believe Church functions best with mutual love, support and accountability. We will always aim to do our best as a church to support you in whatever situations you find yourself in life. Some of which may make fulfilling the expectations of a member difficult. However, some situations may unfortunately lead to your membership being called into question. This would be to safeguard you and/or the church from harm. Every member of the church including, its Ministers, Elders and Trustees, are held to the same account. Your membership may be called into question if:
• You are convicted of a crime.
• Your church attendance becomes irregular without due reason.
• You fail to attend members meetings.
• You do not serve in any part of church life, for an extended amount of time (3 months+), without good reason.
Do you understand and agree to these terms?
Once you’ve hit send on this application form, we will take some time to review and presents your application to the current core team to vote on. The core team will next meet in early January. You will learn very soon after if your application has been successful. Thanks and blessings.
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