Church Membership

 When you feel at home with Goodshaw Baptist Church, we’d love you to consider becoming a Church Member.

Why does CHURCH matter?

• When you become a Christian, you become part of something bigger.
• You become part of the Body of Christ [Romans 12] – the spiritual community of believers – the Church.
• You can’t follow Christ (Head of the Church) but ignore His body (the Church) and expect a full Christian experience. That's why gathering with others is so important.
• Of course, you are welcome simply to attend our services. We just think it’s better still to belong to the church community – to commit to journeying with others.

Why become a CHURCH MEMBER?

• If you’ve been attending services at Goodshaw Baptist, we hope you’ve felt welcomed and valued.  For many people, becoming a Church Member is the next step.
• Membership is a two-way commitment. You’ll be committing yourself to support Goodshaw Baptist Church, and Goodshaw Baptist Church will be committing to support you.
• This is an exciting time for us as church. Together, we are embarking on a journey, discovering a new sense of mission and ministry. Becoming a Church Member will enable you to share with others in discerning our future together – and helping to make it happen.
• Being a Church Member means being committed to Christ, to our church community, and to the wider community we live in. It doesn’t mean you have to be super-spiritual or an experienced Christian – simply that you have chosen Goodshaw Baptist Church to be your ‘spiritual home’.

Who are Baptists?

40 million people around the world belong to Baptist churches. There are 2,000+ Baptist churches in England and Wales. Here are some of the main distinctives about Baptist identity:

• Believers’ baptism by full immersion. The Bible says, ‘Change your thinking (repent) and be baptised’ [Acts 2:38]. We only baptise those who have made a personal choice to follow Christ, whatever the age.
  
  
• Church Members are those who have committed together to live as devoted followers of Christ, and to play their part in the church’s mission and ministry.
  
  
• The Church Meeting is the spiritual heart of the church. It's where Church Members come together to discern the mind of Christ – God’s will, not our own. Individual members respect and uphold the decisions made by the members’ meeting even when those decisions are not in line with their own wishes.  The members’ meeting involves prayer, prophecy, listening, and discernment. It’s not primarily a business meeting; rather hearing God for our direction of travel, ethos, and governance.
  
  
• Authority and decision making ultimately rests with the Church Meeting, not with the Leadership Team (Deacons / Trustees) or Minister. We are ‘congregational’ and champion the ‘priesthood of all believers’ [1 Peter 2:5]. Practically, the Church Meeting delegates to the Leadership Team (Deacons) and Minister.
  
  
• Trustees / Deacons (leadership team) are Church Members elected by the Church Meeting to serve and enable the church‘s mission and ministry. They are also our Charity Trustees.
  
  
• Prophetic voice through the separation of Church and State. The Church should both support and challenge the State, speaking ‘truth to power’. The Gospel is not aligned to ‘Party Politics’, but it is political.

How can I get the most out of church?

Church Membership is both a privilege and a responsibility. Devoted followers of Christ aim to:

1.    Gather – participate in collective worship at one of our services to seek God together, praise and share communion as regularly as practical.

2.     Connect – join a small group to study God’s word.

3.     Pray – join in as we establish a rhythm of prayer.

4.     Tell – invite others and tell your story.

5.     Serve – use your time and skills to serve others. All of what we do is run by volunteers.

6.     Give – live generously. Giving is about discipleship, not fundraising or income generation.

7.     Belong – become a Church Member.

FAQs

Do I have to be a Church Member to attend services or volunteer?
No! Our services are open to all. We just think you’ll get even more out of joining.

Do I have to be baptised to become a Church Member?

Yes. As a Baptist church, we believe that church membership is for those who have personally put their faith in Jesus Christ and have publicly declared that faith through believers’ baptism.

Baptists have traditionally understood the pattern found in the New Testament to be that people first come to faith in Christ, are then baptised as believers, and become part of the local church community. For example, on the Day of Pentecost, Peter urged people to ‘repent and be baptised’ (Acts 2:38), and those who responded were added to the fellowship of believers.

Believers’ baptism is an important part of Baptist identity. It is a public declaration of faith, symbolising our union with Christ in his death and resurrection and our commitment to follow him as his disciple.

We recognise that many Christians have come from other church traditions and may have expressed their faith publicly through practices such as infant baptism and confirmation. We warmly welcome all who are seeking to follow Jesus and worship with us. However, for church membership, we ask that members have been baptised as believers.

If you have not yet been baptised as a believer, or would like to explore what baptism means, we would be delighted to talk with you. Baptism is a joyful step of obedience and faith, and we regularly support people who are considering it.

See our page on Baptism for more information.

What does Goodshaw Baptist Church believe about Gender Equality?

At Goodshaw Baptist Church, we have always welcomed both women and men to use their gifts in serving God and the church. Throughout our history, women and men have been encouraged to lead services, preach, teach, and contribute to the life and ministry of the church.

We believe that God calls and equips people for ministry according to their gifts and calling, and we seek to encourage all members of the church to serve in ways that honour Christ and build up the church.

As a Baptist church, we value the contribution of every believer and are committed to creating opportunities for both women and men to participate fully in the worship, mission, and ministry of the church.

What next?

• Let us know you are interested. Don’t wait to be asked. Speak to any of the Trustees or the Secretary.
• At the next church meeting (church meetings occur every two months) two Church Members will volunteer to meet with you for a chat. They’ll ask you about your Christian journey and why you want to become a Church Member. Be sure to ask them questions too!
• They will bring a recommendation to the next Church Meeting. 
• Once approved, you will be welcomed into Membership at a service (usually communion).