How DO I JOIN FBCA?

This question has two different answers...one is the actual process of joining the church and the other is the different forms of membership.

The actual process:

You can actually join the church in several ways.  The most common method of joining the church is by coming forward at the end of a worship service.  At the end our services, Dr. Wiles offers an "invitation" for people wanting to make spiritual decisions.  You can simply come to the front of the church and you'll be greeted by a minister who will walk you through the process.

You can also join at the "10 Minute Party" in the South Commons.  This quick gathering takes place after every service and meets in the South Commons right outside the Worship Center.  Look for the "10 Minute Party" banner and there will be ministers there to walk you through the process.

The last main way to join the church is at our quarterly "Discovery Luncheon."  This lunch happens every three months after the last worship service.  This free lunch enables you to meet with the staff in an informal setting, ask questions, and find out all about our church.  You can join at every Discovery Lunch.

Different Forms of Membership:

When you join our church, you can do so in several different ways.

Profession of Faith

The first form of joinging the church is your "profession of faith."  This is for people making a first-time commitment to Christ and are just starting their Christian life.  We will counsel you on what it means to be a Christian and on what baptism means.

Rededication
The second way to join the church is by what we call "rededication."  Rededication is for those individuals who have make a prior commitment to Christ, but have not grown in the way they wanted and want to re-commit to knowing and serving Christ in a new and better way.  If you are already a Christian and have recently experienced a spiritual renewal, this may be your choice.

Statement of Faith
A third method of joining the church is by "statement of faith."  A statement of faith simply means you have already made a commitment to Christ, but in another denomination than Baptist.  If you have not been baptized by immersion, we would encourage you to do so.  But if you have already been baptized by immersion, First Baptist recognizes that baptism.

Moving Your Letter
If you are a member of another Baptist church, you can join First Baptist by "moving your letter."  This phrase is rooted in the tradition of mailing an actual letter to your old church requested your membership be moved to First Baptist.  If you join by "moving your letter," we'll send the letter the next week!

Watchcare
Finally, you can join by "watchcare."  Watchcare is a program for temporary residents in the area where they can come under the "watchcare" of our church while maintaining their home church membership.  Temporary workers and college students often find this is the method that suits them.