Membership 101

What is it?

Membership 101 is a class held at different times throughout the year with the purpose of introducing new people attending HPC to what our church is all about as well as give them some instruction dealing with what we believe having membership in a church is all about.  Since there are people coming to HPC from all kinds of different backgrounds inside and outside the church we want to provide an opportunity for folks to become familiar with our vision and purpose.

The class itself is given in two formats:  The first format is in three sessions held on different days/evenings with each session about 45minutes.  The second format is when the class is in a condensed format on one day with the same three sessions taught all on the same day.  Which format is being offered is dependent on the request of those signing up for the class and we arrange that before beginning.

The basis for church membership at HPC can be summarized from Ephesians 2:19;

Now you are no longer strangers to God and foreigners to heaven, but you are members of God’s very own family, citizens of God’s country, and you belong in God’s household with every other Christian.  — Ephesians 2:19 (Living)

From that scripture there are three key truths that can be observed:

1. The church is family.
2. God expects you to be a member of a church family.
3. A Christian without a church family is homeless.

We also stress that membership isn’t about a slip of paper you receive or adding another name to the membership roll or getting “in” on the “in-club”.  Membership is really about commitment.  When you become a member of HPC you are saying in effect, “I recognize HPC as the church family God wants me to belong to and in response to His leading I commit my abilities, my talents, my time, and my resources to what God would have me contribute to this body of believers.”  This is why we don’t take membership lightly.  We expect our members to follow through on their commitment.

Does this mean that we don’t value any non-members at HPC?  No!  We recognize that you can be used by God regardless of whether you are a member or not and we also don’t distinguish between members and non-members when caring for the people in the church.  Just because you are a member doesn’t mean you are “further up” on some mythical totem pole of recognition!  However, there are a few ministry roles and opportunities that are limited to those who are members of HPC.  The reason for this is because we want people to serve in those positions who have demonstrated their commitment and their agreement with what we believe God has called HPC to.

At HPC there are four things that unite us together:

1. Our salvation (what God has done for us).
2. Our statements (why we exist as a church).
3. Our strategy (How we fulfill our vision/purpose).
4. Our structure (When & Where we fulfill our purpose).

This, then, forms the outline for Membership 101.

Pre-Session (if needed): Our Salvation

• what it means to be “born again” and how the gospel transforms our life.    
• The significance of God’s grace and the importance of the Cross in our lives.
• Water Baptism - what is it? why do we practice it? Let’s do it!

Session One: Our Statements

• Our statement of faith
• Our Lifestyle statement
• Our Purpose statement

Session Two: Our Strategy

• The story of HPC’s beginning
• Who we are trying to reach
• Circles of commitment / 4 covenants
• “City on a Hill” vision (INSPIRE, INVOLVE, EQUIP, GROW)

Session Three: Our Structure

• How our church is structured
• Our affiliation with the PAOC (Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada)
• What it means to be a member of HPC.

To see when the next membership class is being held and to sign up if you are interested you can now use the handy-dandy online registration form located here.  Remember this class is a pre-requisite for membership at HPC but you are not required to apply for membership after taking this class - it is a good course to take for anybody who is interested in finding out more about HPC!