We practice church membership because we believe it is the most faithful way for a local church to practice and follow the commands of Scripture. There are evidences of membership in the New Testament. In Acts 2:41 and 2:47 the early church kept track of how many members they had. In 1 Timothy 5:9-10 there were membership lists kept of widows who met certain criteria. In 2 Corinthians 2:6 there is the mention of a "majority" of members. Though church membership is not explicitly taught in the New Testament, it is certainly implied.
In every sphere of life, God in his goodness has created structures of limited and delegated authority. We see this in the civil sphere (Rom. 13), we see this in the home (Eph. 5 and 6), and we also see it in the church. Hebrews 13:17 says, "Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you." If you are not a member of a local church, how do you know which pastors you are supposed to submit to? How do the pastors know whose souls they are accountable for? Church membership enables Christians to know who their leaders are and for leaders to know who they are called to shepherd (1 Pet. 5:1-2).
Hebrews 3:12-13 speaks of the deceitfulness of sin and that the way we are to avoid sin's deceitfulness is by exhorting and encouraging one another every day. We are all prone to sin, and God's means of preserving his people to the very end is through the accountability of local churches. Praise God for this balm for our souls that are so prone to wonder! In formally committing to a church in membership, you are safe-guarding your soul by allowing yourself to be held accountable by the congregation and the congregation is in turn promising to keep you accountable. We are all called to leave the ninety-nine sheep to go after the one.
In Mark 3:35 Jesus said those who do the will of God were his brother, sister, and mother. When God the Father adopted us through the finished work of Jesus on the cross, His people became brothers and sisters. As the family of God, we are instructed to rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep, bear one another's burdens, bear with one another in love while being eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, and much more. Though we should certainly strive to do this with all Christians, through church membership we are committing to deliberately and intentionally live out being a family with one another.
The first step to become a member is to take our Introducing VCC class. This class will give you an overview of who we are as a church, what we believe, what our vision is, and what church membership is. This class is taught by our core team of elders.
The next class will be offered in the Spring of 2024. You can sign up here.
After you have completed the class, one of our pastors will reach out to you to schedule a membership interview. This is an opportunity for us to get to know you better and hear your testimony in how the Lord led you to Christ.
We ask all prospective members to read and sign our confession of faith and commit to our church covenant. You might not affirm every point of our doctrine, but we do ask that you can confidently say you have no settled convictions against it.
At one of our quarterly members meetings, you will be presented before the congregation. You will say vows before the congregation even as they make vows to you. The congregation will then vote to welcome you into membership.
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Meeting Location
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Mailing Address