CONNECT

Many churches have lists of programs to help you connect with others in the congregation.  You won’t find much of that here.  Instead, we are an unapologetically relationship-driven church.  If you ask “how do I get involved,” we won’t point you to programs but people.  In the information below, you'll find the main ways that we encourage newcomers to connect with the people of MSBC, as we seek to live out the relational model of the New Testament church. 

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MEMBERSHIP

If the Bible is the cornerstone of our church, then membership is the cement that holds us all together. Both Christ and Paul pointed us toward membership for our encouragement, our protection, and our instruction. Every Christian should be a member of a local church, both for their own edification, and for the edification of others. We seek to carry out this vision through our three-step process by which to join MSBC.

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Membership Interview – In a 45 minute meeting, the prospective member meets with an elder to provide basic biographical information and recount God’s converting work in his or her life. The prospective member would then sign the statement of faith and church covenant, and the application would go to the elders.

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Elder Recommendation – At a regularly scheduled elders’ meeting, the elder will review the applicant’s testimony with the other elders. Upon receiving their collective approval, the candidate’s application proceeds to the next step: congregational affirmation.

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Congregational Affirmation - During one of our regular worship gatherings, each pastor who conducted an interview briefly describes how the applicants, who are desiring to be admitted to membership, have come to know the Lord. A vote is taken, and with a majority secured, candidates are admitted into membership.

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one-on-one discipling

God in His grace has not made us to walk alone in the Christian life.  In one-on- one discipling relationships, two Christians of the same sex meet to study Scripture, hold one another accountable, and pray.  Within this basic framework, discipling relationships may take a number of different shapes: an elder member may disciple a younger member, a more mature Christian might disciple a younger Christian, or peers in the faith might effectively disciple one another. The discipling meetings center on discussion and application of a spiritually rich book or Bible passage and are appended by prayer.  One-on-one discipling acts as a catalyst to Christian growth, helping us bear one another’s sorrows and joys.

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hospitality

Hospitality in the New Testament seems to be less of a specific activity (e.g. "invite someone to your house for dinner") and more of a mindset of folding strangers into your life.  That Biblical idea of hospitality is what undergirds much of the relational fabric at Main Street. If this congregation becomes your church home, you'll likely discover that much of the ministry here falls into this simple category of hospitality.  So what does that look like?

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Share a Meal Together

Admittedly some folks may feel awkward about being the one to invite people over, or out, when you're new.  But we’ve tried to build a culture at Main Street where hospitality is normal. So we hope that members will reach out to newcomers, but we also hope that newcomers will step up and invite longer-term members and other new people over for a meal or out for an activity from the very early days of their time at MSBC. Living these kinds of open lives together is a big part of how we create and sustain the hospitable culture of a gospel community.

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Stay Around After Services

One very simple way to express hospitality is to simply stay around after the conclusion of our morning services.  We want to encourage you to stay around and talk, to speak to visitors and to people you don’t know, and to make initial connections with others in the church.  It's part of how we're building a church that feels like the family of God.

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volunteer & Serve

There are as many ways to volunteer and serve at Main Street Baptist Church as there are people.  After all, for those who are Christians, service to the body of Christ is a primary way that we live out the gospel message (Matthew 25:40). As someone who is new to our church, though, we want to serve you and see your spirit nurtured in this community before we ask anything of you. For that reason the gateway to all service in our church--from volunteering in childcare to assisting with parking to leading a small group--is membership. We want you to commit to love this body, and we want to commit to love you in the same way. Then together we can discover the unique gifts and opportunities God has provided for you to serve this church.