Introduction

Once you’ve got to know the church a bit, met with one of the Pastors, and been with us for a few months, we’d love you to consider how you might commit yourself to Cambray as your Church family.

At Cambray we have a church “membership” – not in order to create an exclusive group within the church, but because we believe passionately in the Biblical commitment to unite as God’s “living stones” within His local church, grow together in Him, and come under the leadership of the Elders.

What Membership means

The Great Commission (Matt 28:18-20) urges believers to be committed to the ongoing process of making disciples – and this is the heart of church membership! From their first steps of faith in Jesus and their baptism, new believers should be welcomed into the warmth of a community of fellow disciples who together seek to share the Gospel and encourage each other to grow more and more like Jesus (Col 3:12-14, Eph 3:11-16).

This requires commitment … a commitment first of all to Jesus, but also to one another. It’s a commitment to journey through life together, praying with each other and seeking to help each other to grow in Christ in all circumstances through His enabling and wisdom. The word we use to describe the kind of relationship involved in belonging to the church is “covenant“. A covenant is a two-way
commitment that is open-ended and unconditional. A covenant relationship is a deep bond between
two parties which does not anticipate an end and is not dependent upon love being earned.

Each church should be a covenant community – a group of disciples of Jesus who are deeply committed to God and to one another. Membership isn’t about the power, privilege or responsibility to make decisions. Rather it is about a covenant commitment to God, to personal discipleship that produces
Christ-likeness, and to each other as His local community of believers who, with servant hearts, are actively involved in serving and encouraging each other.

Who is Membership for?

Membership is open to all who have put their trust in Jesus as their saviour, who have been baptised as
believers by immersion, are walking with Him as Lord and who wish to join with God’s people in this covenant relationship for work of God through Cambray.

What do I do next?

Find out more by reading our Membership Booklet, available by clicking the icon below or to download here.

Our Membership Booklet gives you the details needed of who our Membership Secretary is – you can approach her, or you can chat to any of the Elders (including the Pastors) about your desire to explore Membership more. We will then arrange to meet with you to talk through what Membership means. With you we can then decide whether it is best to take more time to find out more about Membership or whether you can move forward into Membership now.

The Membership Process

1. Consider whether you are in agreement with the Basis of Faith and vision of the church;
2. Connect to the life of the church actively and prayerfully for at least 6 months;
3. Pray for God’s peace about joining God’s people in Cambray Baptist Church;
4. Request membership by asking one of the Pastors or Elders about membership;
5. Discuss with nominated church members in an informal interview;
6. The Members at the Members Meeting agree to welcome you as a Member;
7. You are welcomed into Membership in a Sunday Morning Service.

Do I have to remain a Member?

Membership is ideal for all those who continue to worship with us. But there may be a time when you need to move away from the area or even feel that its appropriate to change church. Our Membership Booklet identifies how we can help you in this decision process. Our aim is to support you in any transition to another location or another church so that you can remain under the continual care of a church family even during any transition period.