Membership
Side by side for the Gospel
Membership: Side by side for the Gospel
“Let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that… you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel” (Philippians 1:27).
Jesus intends his people to be united in spirit and purpose to take his gospel to the world. Membership is how we can express obedience to this at North Coast Church.
In summary, membership is a public commitment to partner at North Coast Church for the growth of the gospel.
To become eligible for membership you need to attend Essentials. See the Essentials page for details and registration.
At Essentials you will discover what it looks like to be a healthy church member. We call this “meaningful membership.”
You can direct any general queries to Paul Iswariah, Membership Pastor. Be sure to check out our membership FAQs below.
Membership FAQs
Partnership is Christians working together in unity towards a common goal. Our goal is to advance the gospel together. Partnership for the gospel is a healthy thing that Christians are called to do (Philippians 1:27).
Effective partnership requires a formal commitment from each participant, so that each can rely on the others. Therefore membership involves signing your name to become involved.
Becoming a member is committing to this church body to serve our common purpose of bringing the gospel of Jesus to a dying world. This includes submitting yourself to the oversight and guidance of the leaders.
Making this commitment is biblical and healthy, but it can also be uncomfortable, because it entails giving up your own interests. You are committing to sacrificially work towards the good of the whole. It is about putting Jesus’ mission first, and your personal interests behind.
At North Coast Church we emphasise that we are on a rescue ship mission, where crew members combine their efforts to save people from drowning in the sea. This contrasts with a cruise ship, where paying guests are merely on board for comfortable entertainment.
Yet it is this service of Jesus which is the pathway to joy! Don’t we long for the day when Jesus will reward us and say, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master” (Mt 25:23)!
Below are six things we think are basic expressions of normal Christianity, and God’s ordinary means for building his church:
- Regularly attending church.
- Belonging to a Growth Group
- Serving on a team
- Giving financially
- Staying informed (newsfeed subscription)
- Praying for the church.
We acknowledge that not everyone can do all of these things all the time, so we do not make them legalistic requirements.
Firstly, get yourself acquainted with our church as a whole. To begin, attend a Welcome Lunch. As you start to feel ‘settled in,’ please attend Life and Essentials. During Essentials you will find out what being a Member fully entails.
At Essentials you will be given this booklet about Meaningful Membership. You are welcome to download it to read any time.
After Essentials you will be ready to fill out a Membership Application. All applications are briefly assessed and after approval ‘Welcome to Membership’ letters are issued.
Membership is only meaningful for Christians: people who have repented from their sins, have turned towards Jesus and are giving up their lives daily to serve him.
Additionally, membership is for Christians who consider North Coast Church their spiritual home.
Yes, attending is a key element to becoming a member. It is where we explain the aspects of being spiritually in agreement with each other.
Some churches require people to undergo adult baptism prior to being accepted as church members. At North Coast Church we do not. We consider a genuine confession of Jesus as Lord, and an eager desire to grow as a Christian here at NCC as adequate.
This is not to downplay the importance of baptism as an expression of Christian obedience. Speak to one of the pastors if you would like to be baptised.
Firstly, see the answer to “What is the process for becoming a member at NCC?” for some background.
Really, we are merely covering minimum requirements to ensure unity. A unified congregation is crucial for effective gospel witness to the world.
For married couples, we encourage both spouses to attend. Not only does Essentials prepare individuals to partner with the church, but husbands and wives must be united in the expectations of church membership.
You can become a member if your spouse is not a Christian.
In a case where only one spouse of a Christian couple can attend, we require husbands, in their God-given role as spiritual leaders of the family (Ephesians 5:22-33), to attend Essentials on behalf of their family. All applicants to membership must be accustomed with the Essentials content.
We take this situation on a case-by-case basis, however, we do not usually accept people into membership who are still members of another church. Being a member of two churches creates confusion for the leaders and potentially for the member also. This is in the situation where a person is changing churches within Perth.
In a case where a member is moving to or from Perth which is further away, the situation can happily be discussed with the Membership Pastor.