WHY IS MEMBERSHIP IMPORANT?
Rather than membership being contractual (i.e. legal and practical), it is seen as covenantal. Church members are making a spiritual commitment to one another as brothers and sisters in God’s family. It reflects a deep personal and communal commitment to this particular Christian community – DCBC.
In today’s world, where formal commitments are deemed unnecessary and it is sufficient to “believe” without “belonging”, at DCBC we think both are important and membership makes an important statement.
Membership allows you to say, “These are my people, this is my spiritual home”. You are no longer a ‘visitor’ or ‘attendee’ but a significant part of the DCBC family. This means an intentionality by all members to cultivate relational depth rather than superficial relationships.
Members can participate in formal decisions and vote according to the Constitution. This includes access to information, meeting participation, and eligibility for benefits or services offered by the organisation.
Membership at DCBC does not involve passive observers, but active participation. It involves making a commitment to be engaged in fellowship, serving, contributing financially, and join in its mission.
This includes eldership, committees, PRFM, PLT, or leadership of a major ministry. Anyone acting in a role that influences the direction or decision making within congregation settings needs to be a member.
We believe God has appointed leaders to govern the Church for the common good. Membership agrees to submit to godly leadership, abide by the Constitution, and be accountable to one another in the spirit of humility and love.
All members are expected to live a life consistent with the teaching of the Bible and to seek to fulfil the aims and functions of the Church through prayer, ministry and giving of their material resources according to their means.
Understand the commitment you are making.
It is helpful to familiarise yourself the history of DCBC and our vision going forward. Our Constitution is available to read, as well as our Vision Statements, Core Values and Mission goals. Talk with other members and leaders to find out more, and how where you can get involved in church life.
We want to make it personal.
Talking through your intention to become a member is important for you and the church. This helps both parties be confident about what is expected from each other, address any concerns and confirm there is mutual agreement in proceeding. We then let our Operations team know so we can include you in the next Membership Registration celebration.
Joining DCBC and the Baptist Union.
Those who choose to come into membership after this course will be received into membership during a Sunday service. New members will sign the membership register and receive a membership certificate. The congregation will respond with prayer and blessing. You’re now officially part of the DCBC family!
When it’s time to move on.
Membership is not a life-long obligation. There are various reasons why someone may relinquish their membership, such as transferring to another Church, or requesting to be removed from the register for personal reasons. Membership is automatically ended if a person has not attended in over two years, or a serious breach of our constitutional guidelines. We will always endeavour to have a conversation before this happens.