Asbury Next Steps | Asbury Membership
If you’ve decided to make Asbury UMC your church home, know that you’re joining millions of others who are part of the larger United Methodist Church. We believe it’s important and also helpful for new members to have a common understanding of our beliefs, history, culture, practices and expectations. So, for this reason, we have identified a path to membership to help you on your journey.
– Visit our Next Steps area after worship on any Sunday you’d like. If you’re interested in membership or simply getting more connected, stop by to talk to a pastor or member of our staff.
– Ready to become a member? Watch this video that explains Methodist and Asbury’s history and also explains concepts of sacraments and vows. It’s just over 10 minutes.
– Complete this New Member Registration Form.
– Complete Volunteer Accelerator (a quick survey that aligns Asbury positions with your interests and talents).
– Take the vows of membership during worship. If you have not been previously baptized, this ritual can be performed during worship as well.
Membership vows are also important because they give us an outline for our common work of Christian discipleship. Within The United Methodist Church, members make a covenant (promise) to do the following:
– To renounce the spiritual forces of wickedness, reject the evil powers of the world, and also repent of your sin;
– To accept the freedom and power God gives you to resist evil, injustice, and oppression;
– Confess Jesus Christ as Savior, put your whole trust in his grace, and promise to serve him as your Lord;
– To remain faithful members of Christ’s holy church and serve as Christ’s representatives in the world;
– To be loyal to Christ through The United Methodist Church and do all in your power to strengthen its ministries;
– Faithfully participate in its ministries by your prayers, your presence, your gifts, your service, and your witness;
– To receive and profess the Christian faith as contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments.
Learn more about the membership vows of The United Methodist Church.
Asbury is a big, wonderful church. “But if you want to know what it’s like to be in real relationship with one another, we have to get smaller,” says Rev. Michael Bowman. “It’s one thing to sit with someone in a pew every Sunday; it’s another thing to know to be in that person’s home, meet their spouse, have their phone number in your phone, knowing you can call them when life inevitably gets hard.”
Explore Asbury’s Community Groups: new groups that form twice each year – sometimes at Asbury and sometimes in the community where you live. The next session begins meeting in February.
You can also contact Director of Connections Angie Gongwer any time. She would be happy to suggest groups, events, and opportunities for you and your family.