What is Membership?
Church Membership is essentially a commitment between a local church family and an individual Christian. At the heart of this mutual commitment is the desire on the part of the church to provide an atmosphere of spiritual growth; and an equally strong desire on the part of an individual to grow. Membership is not just for the sake of the church. It also facilitates individual spiritual growth.
Requirements to Become a Member
The qualifications for membership include:
- a credible testimony of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ;
- believer's baptism;
- a commitment to the Purpose and Statement of Faith of this church;
- submission to the Discipline Procedures of The Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada and the Policy and Procedures on Sexual Misconduct for Official Workers and Churches;
- and such further qualifications as may be specified in the bylaws.
- While affirming the above as normative, the Board of Elders of the local church may discern on a case by case basis whether to extend membership to individuals who were baptized as infants and who now present a credible testimony of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ before members of the Board; a commitment to the principles of the Preamble; a commitment to the Purpose and Objective (Article 2), and statement of faith (Article 3) of this church; submission to the Policy on Discipline and Restoration for Members of Local Churches of The Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada and the Policy and Procedures on Sexual Misconduct for Official Workers and Churches; and such further qualifications as may be specified in the bylaws.
How to Become a Member
A person is encouraged to become a member of Cochrane Alliance any time during their Christian life. It is usually best to pursue membership as soon as you’ve adopted Cochrane Alliance as your home church.
It is also possible for your membership to be transferred from another church.
At Cochrane Alliance, people are required to attend a membership instruction class, and then participate in an interview with a church elder to explore your understanding of church membership, your commitment to Christ, and your desire to become a member.
If the elders recommend you for membership you will be approved at the next Board of Elders meeting, and then publicly received into membership at a designated Sunday worship gathering.
Expectations For Members
- Attend Church Services Regularly
- Find places to use your gifts/talents to serve the church family
- Support the church and missions work financially
- Pray with us and for us
- Attend Annual General Meetings
How Can I Become a Member?
If you want to become a member of Cochrane Alliance Church, let us know below and we'll connect with you.
You will be asked to attend a Membership meeting with a pastor which will give greater detail of what church membership is all about. Following this, an Elder and their spouse would visit you for a casual interview to help the church get better acquainted with you. The Elder could then recommend that you be formally received into membership at Cochrane Alliance Church.