Joining First

New Members to Join November 15-16

We will be welcoming new members into the congregation the weekend of November 15-16. There will be a new member orientation luncheon on Sunday, November 9. You can click on the link below to print off a "New Member Information" form. You can then bring it in or mail it to the church office.
If you've been around First Lutheran and have decided it's a community of faith you'd like to call home, we invite you to become a member. We encourage you to participate fully in the life of the church even before your formal membership.

The first step to membership is to contact a member of the church staff to indicate your interest. We will let you know when the next group of new members is formally received (we do this four times a year) and send you some simple paperwork to get basic information from you. If you are already a member of another congregation, you will need to contact that congregation (or ask us to make the contact for you) to request a transfer of membership.

If you are not already a member of another congregation, no additional paperwork is necessary. If you have already been baptized and/or raised in the Christian faith, your reception into membership will be the same as others'. If you've not been baptized, we will talk with you about baptism and the instruction that is available prior to it.

The week before you are formally welcomed into membership (a brief, simple rite during worship), we will gather for a meal (usually Sunday lunch) and an orientation conversation. A few other members of the church will be present for conversation, and we will provide you with some membership materials and take a tour of the building. We'll get you connected with a sponsor--folks committed simply to being available to answer your questions and to being familiar faces (it's always nice to know one or two people by name when you're entering a new community).

Once a year--usually in Lent--we host Lutheranism 101, an introductory/refresher course in Lutheran Christianity. The class is open to everyone, and those who've joined in the previous year, or are planning to join, receive a special invitation. It's a helpful way to understand (or be reminded about) some of our fundamental beliefs, practices and heritage, as well as why we do some of the things we do. Additionally, it's one more way to be part of a small group to meet a few more people. The course is 4-6 sessions, either during the Sunday morning learning hour or Wednesday evenings following Lenten worship.

Why become a member? The only formal aspect of membership is the opportunity to vote and/or be elected to office during congregational meetings. More important, we feel, is the commitment one makes through the act of becoming a member--though a simple enough action, it does lead to more active involvement and greater participation in the life and ministry of the church.