First of all, you don’t have to be a member to do most things at Epiphany. We are definitely not a club!  There certainly are no membership dues required. In fact, we have many very dedicated volunteers who are not members of our church. 

So why does membership matter? Well, first of all it shows one’s commitment to the mission of the church. When our membership increases it gives Epiphany a sense of the support we have from the people involved in our ministry—it shows us you are passionate about what we are doing. It also gives the church an idea of what talents and resources are available among the members, e.g. if we are looking for a Sunday School teacher our membership records can tell us who has indicated an interest in this type of ministry. That way we don’t go bugging a lot of people about a ministry they have no interest in.

However, we hope membership benefits the individual as well. The only requirement of membership is to be baptized and attend a short membership class wherein the major doctrines of our faith are discussed. It is our hope that this class gives our members an educated and firm foundation upon which to grow their spiritual lives in the Word of God.

This new member class is also known as the 101 Class and is offered twice a year; it consists of 10 sessions.  Attendance in the class doesn’t mean you are forced to take membership at the end. Many people take it simply because it gives them a chance to lob some of the heavy theological questions that puzzle them at a pastor who is obliged to answer them. Consider the class your chance to hold a pastor hostage for an hour or so and ask all the questions you want. If at the end of the course, you still aren’t sure about membership, no worries. You will always be considered a valuable part of our church family.

Below are the topics that are discussed in the 101 class:

• How do we know about God?
• The Bible
• Creation vs. Evolution
• About sin and God’s response
• God’s Law and Gospel
• Jesus Christ: Who He was and why He matters.
• Baptism &  Holy Communion
• The work of the Holy Spirit
• What is full-time Christianity?
• Ministry and Serving Others
• Epiphany’s mission and purpose