For information about visiting on Sunday or online links, click here

Why Membership?

A church is more than a place to go on Sundays. The Scripture calls the local church a family (relational intimacy and shared identity), body (mutually dependent but with different roles), temple of the Spirit (where Christ dwells) and vine/branch (mutually dependent on Christ and His word). It is not simply a place to be served. We believe Christ calls every Christian to be a an integral part of a church family through membership - membership is NOT required for salvation, but IS required for full obedience. 

 

Who Can Be A Member?

Anyone can be a member of Living Hope but there are two basic questions to ask yourself: (1) Do you know Jesus Christ? (2) Can you be part of our spiritual family (Living Hope)?

We ask that all members get baptized as a public declaration of their faith in Jesus Christ if they have not been baptized previously.

 
How Can I Become A Member?

1) Register for membership using THIS FORM

2) Faithfully participate in all 4 classes 

Classes are offered quarterly. The first three classes are interactive teaching sessions that take place on Sundays at 11:30am-1:30pm. The last class is membership ceremony day that includes brunch and activities, on Sundays at 9:15am-12:45pm. 

  • Class 1: What Do We Believe? (The Gospel & Theology of LHCC)
  • Class 2: Who Are You? (Testimony Sharing & Membership Interviews)
  • Class 3: Who Are We? & What Do We Do? (History / Values / Structure / Ministries of LHCC)
  • Class 4: Bringing It Altogether (Ceremony & Brunch)

Attendees will also receive light homework (about 30-45 minutes worth) per class. One excused absence is accepted, and making up the missed class is required. Class 4 cannot be made up as in person participation serves an intentional purpose of celebrating new members as a community. Anyone who misses Class 4 will be given a chance to be installed at the following quarter's ceremony. 

 Please contact Pastor James Lee (james.lee@livinghopecc.org) or the Membership Team (membership@livinghopecc.org) for assistance. 

 Remaining Membership Round Dates for 2024:

Q2 - April 28, May 5, 19, and 26

Q3 - August 4, 11, 18, and 25

Q4 - November 10, 17, 24, and December 8

 

REGISTER FOR THE UPCOMING MEMBERSHIP CLASS (Q2 2024)

 
What Happens When Someone Becomes a Member?

When someone becomes a member of the Living Hope, we understand that the member is affirming the vision, mission, values and beliefs of the church. In addition, the member is agreeing to support and follow the leadership of the church and to the collective community. It is that commitment that gives confidence that the member can serve in key capacities at the church, serve in leadership roles, teach regularly, vote on church matters, and receive financial support in missions.

 
Detailed Grounds for Church Membership

The following is excerpted from Jonathan Leeman’s book Church Membership: How the World Knows Who Represents Jesus from Crossway, 2012. Jonathan Leeman is the editorial director for 9Marks.

  1. It’s biblical. Jesus established the local church and all the apostles did their ministry through it. The Christian life in the New Testament is church life. Christians today should expect and desire the same.
  2. The church is its members. To be “a church” in the New Testament is to be one of its members (read through Acts). And you want to be part of the church because that’s who Jesus came to rescue and reconcile to himself.
  3. It’s how to officially represent Jesus. Membership is the church’s affirmation that you are a citizen of Christ’s kingdom and therefore a card-carrying Jesus Representative before the nations. And you want to be an official Jesus Representative. Closely related to this…
  4. It’s how to declare one’s highest allegiance. Your membership on the team, which becomes visible when you wear the “jersey,” is a public testimony that your highest allegiance belongs to Jesus. Trials and persecution may come, but your only words are, “I am with Jesus.”
  5. It’s how to embody and experience biblical images. It’s within the accountability structures of the local church that Christians live out or embody what it means to be the “body of Christ,” the “temple of the Spirit,” the “family of God,” and so on for all the biblical metaphors (see 1 Cor. 12). And you want to experience the interconnectivity of his body, the spiritual fullness of his temple, and the safety and intimacy and shared identity of his family.
  6. It’s how to serve other Christians. Membership helps you to know which Christians on Planet Earth you are specifically responsible to love, serve, warn, and encourage. It enables you to fulfill your biblical responsibilities to Christ’s body (for example, see Eph. 4:11-16; 25-32).
  7. It’s how to follow Christian leaders. Membership helps you to know which Christian leaders on Planet Earth you are called to obey and follow. Again, it allows you to fulfill your biblical responsibility to them (see Heb. 13:7; 17).
  8. It helps Christian leaders lead. Membership lets Christian leaders know which Christians on Planet Earth they will “give an account” for (Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:2).
  9. It enables church discipline. It gives you the biblically prescribed place to participate in the work of church discipline responsibly, wisely, and lovingly (1 Cor. 5).
  10. It gives structure to the Christian life. It places an individual Christian’s claim to “obey” and “follow” Jesus into a real-life setting where authority is actually exercised over us (see John 14:15; 1 John 2:19; 4:20-21).
  11. It builds a witness and invites the nations. Membership puts the alternative rule of Christ on display for the watching universe (see Matt. 5:13; John 13:34-35; Eph. 3:10; 1 Peter 2:9-12). The very boundaries which are drawn around the membership of a church yields a society of people which invites the nations to something better.