Come do life with us!

The apostle Paul said, “(You are) fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household” (Eph. 2:19). This statement implies three basic truths:

1. The church of Jesus Christ is a family.

The Bible doesn’t say that the church is like a family.  It says the church is a family.  In fact, this spiritual family is going to outlast your physical family.  The Bible says there won’t be marriage in heaven, but there will be family in heaven – the entire family of God.

2. Christ intends for us to do life together as a family.

Wanting to follow Jesus without being connected to His family is like saying, “I want to play football, but I don’t want to be part of a team.” Or “I want to be in the army, but I don’t want to be assigned to a platoon.” Or “I want to play a symphony, but I don’t want to be in an orchestra.”

3. A believer without a family is much like an orphan.

When a person is raised in a functional family, he/she normally develops the self-esteem, character traits, skills, and habits necessary to live a productive life. That person also enjoys the love, support, and protection of other family members.  Likewise, a healthy, well-balanced church offers a believer the ideal environment for personal growth and ministry development.

Can you be a follower of Christ without being a member of a church family? Yes.

Is it practical or wise to be a follower of Christ without the support and benefits of a healthy church family? No!

· Being a member connects you to the body of Christ in a tangible way (1 Cor. 12:12-13)

· Being a member gives you other believers with whom you can have fellowship (Acts 2:44)

· Being a member gives you a context for healthy spiritual development (2 Pe. 3:18)

· Being a member places you under the pastoral care of our spiritual leaders (Eph. 4:11-13)

· Being a member provides you with spiritual protection and covering (Heb. 13:17)

· Being a member gives you a spiritual base where you can serve God and others (1 Pe. 4:10)

Membership has its privileges! When you commit to DCF, DCF commits to you! (Gal. 6:10)

• access to pastoral counseling with one of our pastors
• the opportunity to serve others through one or more of the ministries of our church
• eligibility to have a DCF pastor or minister perform a member’s wedding (as schedules allow)
• eligibility to have a DCF pastor or minister plan/officiate a member’s funeral or memorial service
• use of church facilities per our policy
• limited assistance with essential expenses per our benevolence policy

(a) have trusted Jesus Christ as Savior

(b) have been baptized as a follower of Christ or are planning to be baptized

(c) have a sincere desire to be fully devoted followers of Christ and to obey His Word as taught in the worship services of our church

(d) regularly attend/view our Sunday worship services

(e) regularly contribute tithes or generous offerings in support of the work of DCF

(f) have joined, plan to join, or are willing to help us form a new Life Group. Once in a group, they regularly participate in group gatherings and interactions as their schedules allow