What About Baptism?
To become Christian is to receive a new identity. You no longer allow others to tell you who you are. Christ now claims you and instructs you. A Christian is one who has “put on Christ.”
Baptism celebrates becoming that new person. That is why the church’s ritual begins with putting off the old, renouncing sin and the evil powers of the world, and pledging our loyalty to Christ.
God Initiates the Covenant We also believe that in baptism God initiates a covenant with us, announced with the words, “The Holy Spirit works within you, that being born through water and the Spirit, you may be a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ.” The word covenant is a biblical word describing God’s initiative in choosing Israel to be a people with a special mission in the world, and Israel’s response in a life of faithfulness. The baptismal covenant calls us to a similar vocation.
Christians have also understood the baptismal covenant in light of Jesus’ baptism. At Jesus’ baptism, God said: “This is my son.” While Jesus’ relation to God as Son is unique, for Christians baptism means that God has also chosen us as daughters and sons, and knows us intimately as a parent.
So the most important things about us, our true identity, is that we are now sons and daughters of God. That is why the introduction to the United Methodist Baptismal Covenant states, “We are incorporated into God’s mighty acts of salvation and given new birth through water and the Spirit.”
Why Join Aldersgate?
In a world so corrupt in so many ways, did you ever consider, God might want us to band together in love so that we can model Christianity for the world?
Church membership is a gathering of believers of Jesus Christ. By identifying yourself with Aldersgate, you let the pastor know that you intend to be committed in attendance, giving, prayer and service. In turn, you are entering into a covenant relationship with the church and its leadership. It is a commitment to be meaningfully involved in the lives of others.
e Series Classes
To become a community member of Aldersgate, you must take at least one of the following courses:e-1 - Exploring Membership, is our basic introduction to our church family and is designed to clearly explain who we are and what we believe. The class is broken into four sessions covering: Our Salvation, Our Statements, Our Strategy and Our Structure. At the end of the class, there will be an opportunity for you to join the Aldersgate family through membership. No pressure whatsoever - we want you to be comfortable no matter what decision you make. This class is optional for current Aldersgate members.
e-2 - Experiencing Growth, will help you develop the habits you need to jump-start your spiritual growth. It will give you an overview of the three basic spiritual habits every Christian needs in order to grow: Daily Time with God (prayer and Bible reading), Giving, and Fellowship. Pre-requisite - e-1 (Aldersgate members may begin with e-2)
e-3 – Equipping for Ministry, means that every member of our church is a minister. This is what e-3 is all about. During this class, you will learn how God has designed you to serve. You will be given time to discover how your (SHAPE) Spiritual gifts, your Heart for particular activities, subjects or circumstances, your Abilities, your Personality, and your Experiences can be used by God to transform lives. Pre-requisite - e-2.
e-4 - Empowering for Mission, often includes your own story of how God has worked in your life and is one of the most effective tools you have for connecting people to God. In e-4, you’ll learn to communicate that story to your neighborhood, workplace and around the world. Pre-requisite - e-3.
