MEMBERSHIP AT DAYSPRING
Becoming a member at any church is a meaningful and important decision. It represents a readiness to make a deeper commitment to following Christ in the context of a Christian community that is endeavoring to be faithful to God’s call to make disciples. It’s a big decision, so we want to invite you to consider a few things before committing to membership at Dayspring. o The historic “vows of membership” for a United Methodist Church may sound overly simple, even obvious; however in their simplicity we find a robust understanding of life as a follower of Jesus. These vows represent our confession that Christ is Lord and our commitment to support God’s work through Dayspring by our:
Prayers– we’re committed to praying for the needs of those within the church and in the communities around our church. We’re praying that God’s kingdom would grow and that God’s love would be made manifest through Dayspring and through every church in our community
Presence– As the pace of our culture continues to increase, we know that it’s difficult to be present- for your family, your career, you friends, your children or for your church community. Nonetheless, we’re committed to following God’s example in Jesus Christ. When we needed God, God showed up! Our hope is that members will commit to weekly worship and to a small group (which includes elements of fellowship, scripture and service).
Gifts– God gives every individual unique gifts with which we can serve God and our neighbor. We’re committed to using those gifts- our time, energy, talents and finances- not for our own benefit, but for the benefit of those in need around us. A critical part of following Jesus is being a good steward of our gifts, and this includes our finances. God calls us through His Word to offer a tithe (10% of our income) back to Him as a way of thanking God as the source of all of our resources.
Service– Jesus specifically calls his followers to love and serve their neighbors- even when it’s inconvenient, difficult or uncomfortable. Consequently, we don’t believe followers of Jesus have the option not to serve. We’re committed to serving God and neighbor within the church and outside of the church.
Witness– We know that it can be difficult can uncomfortable to bear witness to our faith. However, we believe that every person within our sphere of influence could benefit by hearing of the love and grace of God. That doesn’t mean that we’re standing on street corners with bullhorns. But it does mean that we’re committed to loving our neighbors in ways that meet their physical and spiritual needs. We don’t’ just want to feed the hungry person, we want them to experience the Bread of Life.
MEMBERSHIP STEPS
If you are considering membership with us, we hope that you will embrace the process by following a few simple steps.
• Pray about membership- we believe that God has something to say about our commitment to engage in Christian community, and we encourage you to make this commitment prayerfully.
• Click “Download Form” to print and complete our Membership Form. You can submit it online or bring with you to Membership Sunday, which is the last Sunday of each month. • At the conclusion of worship on Membership Sunday, you will have the opportunity to share the vows of membership in the presence of your new church family.
• From time to time, Dayspring will hold a New Members Luncheon, where you can meet our staff and some of our lay leaders!