When you have decided to join this congregation and make this your new church home, please setup a time to speak with the pastor. The pastor will talk with you about the United Methodist understanding of God’s grace, explore the topic of theology and ministry of the United Methodist Church and discuss how faith is lived out in this congregation. The pastor will also instruct you about the process to join and schedule a time for you to come forward during worship to join the church.
Here are the commitments you make when you become a member at HHUMC:
Once you know what you are ready to become a member of HHUMC its time to decide the level of membership you will join. There are several levels of membership depending upon your level of commitment and intended pledge to this congregation. You may be a full member, an affiliate member, an associate member or a preparatory member.
Full members join a new congregation on a permanent basis, with full voting privileges and the ability to run for church offices not held by clergy.
Affiliate members join a new congregation on a temporary basis while maintaining full membership in another Methodist congregation. They may vote on issues affecting the United Methodist Church as a whole, but not on issues that solely effect their new, temporary congregation. To become an affiliate, provide the pastor with the name and contact info of your permanent congregation for notification of your new affiliation.
Associate members join a new congregation while maintaining full membership in another Christian denomination. They may not vote on issues pertaining to either their new congregation or the United Methodist Church as a whole. To become an associate, provide the pastor with the name and contact info of your permanent church for notification of your new association.
Preparatory members are baptized children under the age of 18 who are still awaiting confirmation within the Methodist faith. While adults are welcome to join the UMC immediately upon receiving baptism, there is a delay for children so that they have the time to mature and absorb what it means to be a member and then make up their own mind about moving forward. Children generally begin taking classes to prepare for confirmation around the age of 12 or older. Speak with the pastor about attending classes.
A word about baptism, to join the UMC at any level of membership, you need to have been baptized within the Christian faith. Let the pastor know if you've already been baptized, since the UMC accepts baptisms performed by other Methodist congregations as well as other Christian denominations, we will not require you to repeat baptism. We believe that once baptized, always baptized and a second baptism is not needed.
If you’ve never been baptized, the pastor can perform your baptism during the service in which you become a member. Talk about your options beforehand. The UMC uses three methods for baptism: sprinkling water over your head, pouring water over your head, or immersing your entire body. Sprinkling is the most common, but if you prefer one method over the others, let the pastor know.
Deciding to become a church member at HHUMC is an important life event and we take seriously your desire to join this congregation of the United Methodist Church. We make a commitment to you too. We commit to be your church home and provide you with spiritual and physical care as you grow in Christ. We promise to pray for you and your family. We promise to provide you with a place where you can live out your commitment to God as we serve alongside you. We will be in ministry with you that we too will fulfill the mission of this church which is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of our community and the world.