Membership Made Easy
Membership here is not just having a name on a list. Being a member indicates a willingness to partner and potentially lead with us in our mission to lead people in a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ. We believe that life change happens best through community. A community group is the best environment to open God's Word together, pray together, grow together, be held accountable, be cared for, and experience being part of a "family". Because mutual accountability in our relationship with God and service to each other are our core values, we want our members to partner with us in achieving these.
Step One: FBCF Q & A
The first step in our strategic approach to membership is an informational luncheon called FBCF Q & A. This is the only place where someone can get an application for membership. The content of this presentation isn't simply aimed at what the church offers its members, but the primary focus is on the mission and strategy (Foyer to Kitchen) we are asking the members to embrace. We will make it clear that we are not only asking people to pursue this strategy for themselves and their friends, but also to partner with us in creating, staffing, and funding the environments necessary for its fulfillment. We want them to be fully on board with our mission and strategy.
The Q & A is held on a Sunday afternoon immediately following our worship service for both convenience and in order to provide childcare. At the end of the luncheon, those who desire to take the next step in church membership will be given an application for church membership.
Step Two: Complete a Membership Information Form
In many churches, the process of church membership is often handled exclusively in the large group context of the worship service. In order to make membership as strategic as possible at FBCF, we need to add an additional step. Instead of the prospective member turning in his or her completed membership information form at the worship service, we require that it be taken to a Bible study class, or a small group. There the leader must sign the application to verify the applicant attended a smaller, more relational environment than the worship service.
This, in effect, forces all of our prospective members into the group strategy of the church. Hopefully, their experience in the smaller group is of high quality, and they'll want to return to it. After the application is signed, it is mailed or hand delivered to the church for processing. Then it is evaluated in light of our requirements for membership and accepted or, in some cases, delayed while we pursue further information.