By Carey Finn
Is becoming a member scary? Is it exciting? How about the process? What will I need to do? Lord Jesus how much WORK will I have to do if and when I become a member? What if I don't believe everything that the church believes? Will it be easy? Will the elders have certain expectations and will I have to take a test of some sort?
If you are a member of Redeemer Hoboken or if you have considered becoming a member, these are some of the questions that may have gone through you mind. When I became a member several years ago, the process wasn't scary at all. In fact, for me it was enlightening and I enjoyed making my vows. I enjoyed committing to the church and found the process quite easy. The elders made me feel very comfortable and were gracious and welcoming.
First things first: The potential member attends a membership class at Tony's apartment in Hoboken. There they discuss the churches beliefs, history and what is necessary to become a member. To my surprise, the only thing necessary to become a member is the belief in the Apostles Creed.
Second step: If from this point on the potential member wanted to continue pursuing the possibility of membership, there would be an interview scheduled in which two of the elders or an elder and a deacon would have an interview with the potential member.
Third step: The interviewers would then recommend you to the "Session" (Elder meeting that is scheduled on a monthly basis). The session then votes on whether they want to have the potential candidate become a member.
Last step: Taking the Vows! The individual would then be asked to say the vows in front of the church. And if the individual hadn't been baptized at some point their life, they would also be baptized.
Let's see what a few new Redeemer Members had to say about their experience.
Written by Elsy Fulgencio
Believe it or not, becoming a member of Redeemer Hoboken was quite an emotional experience for me. I was excited, nervous, scared, and sentimental about the idea of being part of the body of Christ. I have never been a member of a church prior to Redeemer nor regularly attended a church. So I didn't have a clear picture of what being a member really entailed. Days before my membership interview, I had images rushing through my head with ideas of what I thought the interview would be like. I was praying for God's guidance throughout the process and asking God whether I was making the right decision at the time. Despite the uncertainty I felt, I knew I was taking a big step in my spiritual growth. Overall, the membership process did not take long. First, I took the membership class in March over at Tony's place. The class was very informative and a great eye opener to the roots & history of how the church developed. Then I met with Steve Warsavage at Redeemer who took my contact information had someone follow up with me. Then I received an email from Peter Ko about 3 weeks later to schedule the interview, and about 2 weeks later and after a few emails I met with Peter & Lori Lawrence. At the beginning of the interview, they both made me feel welcomed & treated me as part of the family, but I was still a bit nervous of the outcome and wasn't sure of their expectations. Telling my story of how I came to faith was a bit uneasy for me because that meant that I needed to come out of my shell, and I am mostly an introvert. Furthermore, I was afraid of how I was going to be judged. But I also knew that this was a time to trust God & the Holy Spirit in guiding me through my testimony. The interview ended up being exactly what I had expected. It was real and emotional.........and yes, if you are wondering whether I had tears in my eyes, I will truly tell you I did. I don't know how to tell a story without tears. Peter & Lori did a great job answering my questions and had a very approachable attitude so I did not have any reservations. I will end by saying that Peter & Lori are both great examples of what the church life should be as they both serve and care for the church community. They were truly an inspiration & encouragement for me on the interview and gave me the certainty that I was moving in the right direction.
Written by Tim and Amanda Gold
Church membership is signifying that you are calling the church you continue to attend home. You are stating that you agree with the vision, the mission, and the statement of faith of the church. You are willing to place your trust and submit to the authority of the church the pastor and elders. There is a certain understanding that as a member of the church you are committed not just to be there on Sundays and not just to tithe the obligatory 10% to the church. You are committed to serving actively in the church to be a part of a fellowship group and to use your gifts and talents to encourage others in the church and ultimately to give glory to God. When we walked into Redeemer Hoboken we were taken back by the fact that amidst the chaos of living very close to NYC there is this vibrant, electric, and loving Christian community. After other visits to Redeemer Hoboken, the same rang true for us and we did not need to visit any other churches in the area. We knew very early on that Redeemer Hoboken is the place we call home. Naturally the next step for us was to begin the process to become members of Redeemer Hoboken Church. We waited for the next membership class and made sure we were in attendance. The membership class was just one Saturday morning for 3 hours. So the time commitment was minimal and even at that point when you attend the class you can still walk away if you decide not to be a member. The class gave us the ability to know the history of Redeemer Hoboken, the values and beliefs of the church, and the ministries of the church. We walked away confirmed in our thinking that we wanted to become members of Redeemer Hoboken. The next step for us was to have an interview with an elder and a deacon. We were able to schedule that interview with Gary Lawrence and it just so happened that the deacon available for the interview was his wife Lori. What a wonderful time to hear from them about how much they love being part of the church body at Redeemer Hoboken. It is less like an interview and more of a conversation telling the story of God's faithfulness in our lives. There was also time to ask any questions we had concerning the church. We found this part of the process very enjoyable. After the interview is done then you wait to here from the session regarding the final step to membership. Once we were approved for membership from the session then it was paperwork completing what was for us a transfer of our membership from our church outside Philadelphia to here at Redeemer Hoboken. Then we stood before the congregation and took our membership vows.
Was it easy? Scary? Difficult?
I would not say the process was scary or difficult at all. Everyone from Tony to the elders were there to walk us through each step and answer any questions. The process is simple but does need a little bit of a time commitment for a season. As a family you have to schedule time for the class but that is just one Saturday morning and then you have to make time for the interview which is just once as well. So I would say to anyone who has been attending Redeemer Hoboken for a period of time and can call the church home should sign up for the next members class and begin to explore church membership.
Did you have any reservations? If so, what were they?
We did not have any reservations about becoming members. Since we were members of a PCA church in the Philadelphia area we wanted to stay within the PCA denomination when we moved to Jersey City. So in terms of becoming members we wanted to make sure that Redeemer Hoboken was active in the PCA denomination and held to the beliefs, values, and theology of the PCA. All those questions we had were answered in the affirmative as we took part in the membership class.
How did Tony and the elder who interviewed you make you feel?
Both were very welcoming and inviting in terms of asking any questions that we may have had regarding the church. We thought they were both encouraging in offering opportunities to be serving in the church body. As well they both were willing to share their personal experiences and explain what Redeemer Hoboken means to them which we thought was extremely helpful. So if you are wondering about church membership do not wonder anymore. Sign up for the next membership class and take that next step!
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