:: How to Become a Member ::

As you begin to consider making Central UMC your home church, you may have questions about membership. We have several classes and opportunities available to help you through the process. It is our desire that as a Christian you become a committed church member through attendance. Our goal is not only to help those outside the membership to find answers to questions but also to help new members be assimilated into the life of the church by loving God and worshipping Him.

:: Call to Christ ::

This process of salvation involves a change in us that we call conversion. Conversion is a turning around, leaving one orientation for another. It may be sudden and dramatic, or gradual and cumulative. But in any case, it’s a new beginning. Following Jesus’ words to Nicodemus, “You must be born anew” (John 3:7 RSV), we speak of this conversion as rebirth, new life in Christ, or regeneration.

:: Call to Membership ::

Sometimes we think of membership like being a member of the Auto Club or the Country Club where we pay for services and privileges. Church membership is different. The apostle Paul used the image of a living body: "For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body-Jews or Greeks, slaves or free-and we were all made to drink of one Spirit." (I Cor. 12:13) In this biblical sense, to be a member is to be part of a living organism--a vital community animated by the Spirit of God to love and to serve. Paul's statement also points to the inclusiveness of the church: anyone may make the journey into life in the church.

:: Membership Preparations ::

You can become a member of the body of Christ, the church, by being baptized into it or by reaffirming your baptism. Baptism is a ritual made up of questions and promises, prayer, and washing. In most United Methodist churches the washing is accomplished by sprinkling. Sometimes it is done by pouring or immersion, but you will choose which way you want to be washed. Youth and adults go through a time of preparation and instruction before they are baptized. In the case of infants and children, the parents receive instruction. In this way they are helped to know God, the meaning of being "members of the body," and what it is they are committing themselves to.

Baptism initiates a covenant of relationship between God and the baptized person and between the church and the person. When you are baptized or affirm your baptism, the congregation enacts God's grace toward you and welcomes you into the community of faith. As a response to God's gracious initiative, you will be asked to pledge your loyalty to the life and ministries of the United Methodist Church and to promise to uphold the local church with your prayers, presence, gifts and service. As a baptized Christian, you will be part of the universal church and part of a particular community of Christians where you are known and watched over in love.

:: Membership Commissioning ::

After you have completed all membership requirements, you will be asked to participate in a new member dedication service before the church family. It is during this special time of affirmation and personal commitment that we introduce our new members by name to the congregation.

:: The Next Step ::

After you have become a member at Central UMC, we want you to begin to feel at home here in a community of Believers. The best way is to begin that process is through active participation in our Sunday morning Christian Education classes. Here you will find caring and supportive friends, opportunities to minister, and in-depth Bible Study experiences.

:: Putting Faith into Action ::

Loving our neighbors requires attention and sacrifice. We have to pay attention to what is happening around us in order to see our neighbors and to recognize their needs. We must also consider their needs to be as important as our own in order to live faithfully. Loving neighbor is more than random acts of kindness. It takes time, energy, and commitment. It is a lifestyle carefully cultivated in response to God.

United Methodists have believed, from the beginning, that each of us is called to participate in the outreaching ministry of Jesus Christ. John Wesley described this work in simple, practical terms: "Do all the good you can, in all the places you can, to all the people you can."

Putting our faith into action is at the very heart of our Christian calling. By volunteering to serve through programs such as United Methodist Volunteers in Mission or the Mission Volunteers program of The General Board of Global Ministries, every person in the church has the opportunity to serve and to live their calling more faithfully.