Becoming a Member

We are excited that you are prayerfully considering becoming a member of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church. Should you decide to do so, you may join in one of three ways.

1. A Candidate for Baptism.
If you have never been baptized but have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, you may join as a candidate for Baptism. Baptism by immersion signals the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is an outward expression of an inward experience.

2. One may join by Letter.
If you are a former member of another Baptist Church you may join by letter, requesting your membership be moved to Pleasant Grove

3. One may join by Statement.
If you have been baptized by immersion but have no church affiliation or church letter, you may join by statement of faith.

In each case, you may start the process of becoming a member of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church. You may come forward when the Pastor extends the invitation to discipleship at the conclusion of a worship service.

If you come forward when the Pastor extends the invitation to discipleship, a member of the Deacon Board will pray with you, collect some information, and provide you with details on the next steps.

All candidates for membership are encouraged to attend a Church Membership Class. During this class, prospective members will be provided with information about the church. This will include church history, church bylaws, an overview of the beliefs of the church, and a list of ministries and areas where new members can learn about ministries opportunities.

Why Should I Join

Once you believe Pleasant Grove Baptist Church is where God would have you to attend, we encourage you to make the commitment to join our family. At Pleasant Grove Baptist Church, we recognize the need for formal membership. We believe membership in a local church is important for four reasons.

Biblical Reason: Christ is committed to the church. Ephesians 5:25 states, "Christ loved the church, and gave His life for her." Membership in a local church is an important step in demonstrating our commitment to Christ. And Paul in Romans says "For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another."

Cultural Reason: We live in an age where very few want to be committed to anything... a job, a marriage or family. This attitude has produced a generation of "church hoppers and shoppers." Membership swims against the current of America's consumer mentality and is an antidote to society. Membership sets apart from the culture, allowing us to preserve our distinctive Christian beliefs and values.

Practical Reason: Membership identifies our community and family. It defines who can be entrusted with positions of leadership within the church.

Personal Reason: Membership produces spiritual growth. The New Testament places a major emphasis on the need for Christians to be accountable to each other for spiritual growth. A person cannot be accountable when they are not committed to any specific church family.

As you visit our church, we pray that you will consider all the benefits and privileges of membership to a local community of believers. Our prayer is that you will join us in our commitment to sharing the good news of Jesus Christ.

For questions about baptism or becoming a member, please contact our pastor at 919-894-4454.