One of the things that the Board and I have been talking about is a better process for new members and new believers at The Orchard Church… You know… Someone makes a decision to join the church, or to become a believer, and we shake their hand and welcome them. We invite them to the Orchard Orientation. We invite them into a lifegroup. We recognize that this isn’t really sufficient, and we are talking about what to include in the process.
In reading through “Essential Church,” a book by Thom and Sam Rainer, they suggest the following topics be included in the New Member’s Class.
1. Doctrine/beliefs of the church
2. Polity/government of the church
3. Church constitution and bylaws
4. Purpose of the Lord’s Supper/Communion and Baptism
5. Church covenant and church discipline
6. Expectations of members
7. History of the church
8. Tour of church facilities
9. Denominational information (if applicable)
10. How to become a Christian
11. Budget/financial support of the church
12. Requirements for church membership
13. Ministry opportunities in the church
14. Overview of spiritual disciplines
15. Introduction to church staff
16. Church mission statement
17. Spiritual gifts inventory
18. Support of missions
19. Brief evangelism training
Whew! That’s a lot, isn’t it? How long should this class be, exactly? Currently, our Orchard Orientation covers a lot of these bases. What do you think should be included? Email me and let me know what you think!