Is church membership a biblical requirement for a Christian?

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First Class is a pre-membership class taught by the Senior Pastor.  First Class is the place to get to know Berean Baptist Church better–scroll down to see what is taught. If you’re new to the church, or have attended for some time but not explored membership, you are encouraged to check out First Class right away.

First Class will help you get to know our pastors, our mission, vision, covenant, beliefs, values, and other believers who are exploring whether Berean Baptist is the place to make their church home. You’ll get to hear from and meet many of our pastors and ask questions. We believe God accomplishes His purposes as individuals join themselves to and participate in local churches. First class is designed to help you make a wise, informed and Spirit-led decision about church membership. We think you’ll thoroughly enjoy the class and find it to be a worthwhile investment of your time even if you decide you’re not ready for the step of membership. First class should be thought of as a “boot camp” or discipleship class designed to help cement believers in their relationship with God. Scroll down to learn more about the details of the class. Check out the membership webpage to learn more about membership in the church.

The next First Class date: Sunday, September 8, 2024

Class Materials

• First Class Slide Presentation
• God’s Plan of Salvation
• Berean’s Articles of Faith
• Berean’s Covenant
• The Lord’s Supper: A Time of Holy Communion
• Several Short Articles on the Bible
• KJV-Only and Sound Doctrine
• Read Church Membership and Attendance
• Giving Options – How to e-Give

Additional Optional Materials

• “God’s Plan of Salvation” by Mark Dever
• “What Does it Mean to Call Upon the Name of the Lord for Salvation“
• “People In Hell Who Had a Personal Relationship with Jesus”
• Listen to “A House of Prayer”
• “The Celebration of  Baptism by Immersion”
• Watch or Listen to a Message on “The Lord’s Supper and Baptism”
• Baptism Booklet
• “Soul Liberty in the Non-Essentials of the Faith”
• “Abstain from Alcohol and Adultery: Because More Than Your Job…”
• “Two Great Truths Orbit Around the Son”
• “Our Discipleship Philosophy”
• Watch, Listen or Read a Message on “The Gift of Tongues”
• Watch, or Listen to a Message on “The Perseverance of True Believers” 
• “Have you Bought into the Lie about Judging?”
• “An Inexcusable Omission”
• “The Sinner’s Prayer Biblical or X-Biblical” 
• Discounted Tuition Policy
• Pursue Berean’s Steps to Church Membership
• Pastor Sean’s Bio

Class Video Presentations

• Our Mission As a Church
• The Church and Our Covenant
• Our Doctrine and Articles of Faith
• The Covenant and Our Behavior
• Giving our Time and Talents to the Church
• Formative Church Discipline
• Formal and Corrective Church Discipline

Once candidates for membership complete First Class, they turn in their course requirement checklist and are interviewed by a pastor, and their names are presented for approval before the church at a members meeting. Candidates approved for membership will be notified in writing of their inclusion into the voting membership of Berean.