Membership Introduction
We believe that commitment to a church family is vital for every Christian. God doesn't just save us from sin. He also calls us to be in relationship with other believers, submit under spiritual authority, care for our brothers and sisters and hold one another accountable. Those things don't happen well without a personal commitment to the church.
Step 1 - Attend NEXT
Has God called you to join Haven City Church? Before you make this decision you should attend a NEXT class. Our NEXT classes are held on the second Sunday of every month. This is a fast-paced, 30 minutes meeting, following our worship service. In this meeting you will learn about the six driving values that undergird the ministry of Haven City Church. This is purely an informational meeting. You will not be asked to make a commitment or sign up for anything.
Sign up to attend our NEXT class
Step 2 - Sign Up
If you have attended the NEXT class you are ready to take the next step. It is super simple. Fill out this form to apply for membership of Haven City Church.
On this application you will be asked to affirm our Statement of Faith and Member Covenant.
Your completed application is sent to our leadership team and they will schedule a follow up appointment with you. In this appointment we will review the answers you submitted and explain church membership more in depth. This is a great time to ask questions and express any concerns you might have.
Step 3 - Pre-Member
Now that you have filled out your membership application and met with a church leader you can start doing the three C’s: Community, Claim, and Contribute. See the broader explanation of the three C’s below.
We ask everyone who applies for church membership do these three things for a probationary period… typically six months. This gives you a chance to begin functioning as a member in the church and gives us a chance to get to know you.
Step 4 - Formal Membership
Once you have completed this six month probationary period, and the church leaders vouch for your faithfulness you will be approved as a member of Haven City Church.
Community
Community is another word for expressing the value of our Christian relationships. God has rescued us and restored us so that we can have healthy relationships with one another. He has put us in each other's lives for a purpose. We do community by gathering on Sundays for worship and throughout the week in missional community groups. If you are committed to Haven City Church then you are committed to putting into practice what the Bible says about Christian relationships.
Claim
Claim is our commitment to spiritual growth. God doesn't just want us to be forgiven of our sins, he wants to form us into new people. He has provided his Spirit and his Word (the Bible) to do this forming work. God also gives to the church teachers who help equip the saints for the work they are called to do.
This works itself out practically in that we do quarterly live discipleship seminars on Saturday mornings and we have an online discipleship class that anyone can enroll in.
Contribute
As members of Haven City Church we contribute ourselves to the work God is doing in Baltimore City. We are all in! Our life is the contribution. We now live as missionaries in our every day lives. We do outreach together in Southeast Baltimore. We give financially to the church. We serve on Sundays. We are hospitable, generous and caring.