Membership at EBC
If you are interested in membership at EBC, you must be a regular attender. To become a member, please read the EBC Membership Covenant and Membership Lifestyle Statement below and then submit the Membership Application at the bottom of this page. Married couples, please fill out an application for each of you.
A Pastor or one of the Elders will contact you to arrange a time to meet with you to review this important step. Afterward, upon recommendation of the Pastor and the Elders you will be welcomed into the church by the congregation.
EBC Membership Covenant
Having received Christ as my Lord and Savior, and being in agreement with Evergreen’s statements and structure, I now feel led by the Holy Spirit to unite with the Evergreen Bible Church family. In doing so, I commit myself to God and to the other members to do the following:
Worship: I will faithfully worship God
- By maintaining consistent private worship
- By faithfully attending corporate worship
- By giving regularly
Discipleship: I will learn and live the life of a disciple
- By learning the foundational doctrines of the Bible
- By consistently living out the instructions of Scripture
- By maintaining regular fellowship with believers
Ministry: I will serve the ministry of my church
- By developing a servant’s heart
- By being equipped to serve by my church leaders
- By finding and serving in a ministry of the church
Mission: I will help my church make disciples
-
- By praying for its growth
- By inviting the unchurched to attend
- By warmly welcoming those who visit
- By sharing the gospel with those around me
- By supporting the missions of this church
EBC Lifestyle Statement
Membership at EBC involves commitment at three levels.
- A commitment to Christ as a believer and follower. This commitment is made when you receive Jesus as your Savior and Lord and members attest to this decision in their membership application.
- A commitment to the body of believers at EBC. This commitment takes place when you complete your instruction in membership and sign the Membership Covenant.
- A commitment to a lifestyle that is glorifying to God. This commitment is made when you understand and sign the following Lifestyle Statement.
Purpose of the Lifestyle Statement:
- To help the believer live a godly, fruitful life and enjoy the blessings of God associated with it. (Psalm 1)
- To help the church maintain a spirit of unity and love. (Ph. 2:1-4, Rom. 15:5-6)
- To help the individual believer and the church as a whole maintain a godly witness to the world. (Mt. 5:13-14, 1 Pet. 2:11-12)
Biblical Responsibility of the Elders:
Scripture charges church leadership with maintaining the purity and harmony of the local church. (1 Peter 5:1-4) The Leadership Team of EBC is committed to biblically shepherding the members of the church for the sake of their spiritual health and the church’s testimony to the world. This leadership is fulfilled in two key ways.
1. Encouraging Spiritual Growth
The elders will work diligently to lead the members to develop the biblical purposes in their lives as described in the Membership Covenant.
- Worship: Faithfully worshipping God
- Maturity: Learning and living the life of a disciple
- Ministry: Serving the ministry of the church
- Mission: Helping the church make disciples
The majority of the Leadership Team’s work falls into this category of leadership. However, there may be occasions in which they must take corrective action with regard to a member’s lifestyle.
2. Confronting Ungodly Behavior
The Leadership Team will diligently confront unbiblical behavior that damages the spiritual health and testimony of a member as well as the church. These behaviors may be divided into two categories.
a. Behaviors Particularly Harmful to the Church Body
Such behaviors include, but are not limited to, gossip, slander, dissention, malice, bitterness, anger, abusiveness, and coarse joking.
b. Behaviors Particularly Harmful to the Individual
Such behaviors include, but are not limited to, substance abuse, compulsive gambling, fornication (sex outside of marriage), adultery, homosexuality, transgender activity or any other form of sexual expression outside of God’s design for marriage, as defined by Scripture.
As stated earlier, the purpose of the Lifestyle Statement is not to control people’s lives but rather to protect the spiritual health and testimony of the church body and our members. The Leadership Team will fulfill this role graciously and humbly according to the peacemaking steps described in the constitution. With their focus on forgiveness and reconciliation, the elders will follow the peacemaking steps with the hope that restoration will result. However, if ungodly behavior persists without repentance then the Leadership Team is authorized to discontinue membership, and to limit attendance and participation if necessary.
Lifestyle Commitment
Understanding the value of a godly lifestyle for a fruitful life and a healthy church, I hereby commit myself to living according to the EBC Lifestyle Statement. Furthermore, if my lifestyle makes it necessary, I will submit myself to the restoration efforts of the Leadership Team through the peacemaking process described in the Constitution.
