Exploring Membership Classes
What if I think I might want to join…someday?
OK, first of all, you don’t have to “join” to “belong” at Forest Hill. You can be a loved and accepted member of the Forest Hill family for as long as you want without ever officially joining. Many people of various faiths - not just Protestant or even Christian - are part of our faith community.
That said, there are benefits to being a member of a faith community. Committing to a church can deepen and enrich your faith journey. It doesn’t mean you’re joining for life - it’s a chance to set down your bags for a while and spend time along the journey with fellow travelers and seekers. (You also get to vote at congregational meetings and be ordained as an Elder or a Deacon.)
More importantly, it’s a way to acknowledge to yourself and those around you that you want to try to follow the way of Jesus and you want to do it in community. Membership in a church is a statement of your commitment to a particular faith community - a faith family.
Exploring Membership groups are held at least twice a year, usually in the Fall and Late Spring. The next group meets Saturday, Oct. 15, 9am-12pm, and Sunday, Oct. 16, 9-10:30 am. (Childcare is provided.) Find out what Forest Hill is all about and why we’re Presbyterian. Attending doesn’t obligate you to join, so if you just want to learn more about Forest Hill, this is a good way to do it.
You can join in 1 of 3 ways:
* If you’re an active member of another church, you join by transferring your membership from your previous church to Forest Hill.
* If you’ve been baptized but you’re not active in a church, you join by reaffirming your faith.
* If you’ve never been baptized, you join by professing your faith and being baptized.
If you choose to join, you will be received by the Session and introduced to the congregation during Sunday worship. Contact Rev. John Lentz, Rev. Clover Beal, or the church office (216-321-2669) for information about the upcoming session.
What do I have to believe to join?
It’s not so much about what you believe as what you do. By joining, you publicly declare your desire to be part of a community that seeks to follow Jesus Christ’s teaching and believes the gospel really is good news.
What else?
Um, that’s about it.
Oh, come on. Aren’t there a bunch of rules and creeds?
The Presbyterian denomination is built on several different creeds but there is no strict set of beliefs separating Presbyterians from any other Christian faith. Any Christian can be a Presbyterian. And every Presbyterian is encouraged to find a personal set of beliefs.
If you want to read more about our Mission and our Structure, try our Structure & Governance page.
To learn more about the structure of the Presbyterian Church visit the Presbyterian Church (USA) website.
To learn more about the Presbyterian church in general, check out this Wikipedia entry.
But what about Sacraments?
Protestants - and Presbyterians - celebrate two sacraments: baptism and communion. Read more about them on our Worship page.
Want to know more? There’s a nice short resource on the Presbyterians Today website called “How to Speak Presbyterian” by Rev. P.J. Southam. It explains some of the oddities of the Presbyterian jargon – with a little theology thrown in.