Welcome!

Thanks so much for taking the initiative to pursue membership here at Redeeming Grace Baptist Church. Our prayer for you through this process is that God will providentially guide you to deepen your passion for the Lord Jesus Christ, to connect your life to the people and the mission of our church, and to reveal to you the unique role that you will play as a part of this local body of believers.

Membership Matters. The Bible says in Romans 12:5 that we are “members one of another.” That means that we are dependent on one another for spiritual growth in Christ. Members at Redeeming Grace Baptist Church are those who have obediently accepted the responsibility to grow together in their relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and to help others do the same. Believers are to live this out in the context of Christ-centered and gospel-centered relationships with others in the body of Christ. Members are also those who have taken part in supporting the overall mission of our local church, which is:

"We exist to glorify God
By making disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ
Throughout the whole world
Through the proclamation of God’s Word,
Resulting in
God-focused worship,
kindred fellowship,
and biblical evangelism."

Consider a few more reasons why church membership is so important for our church and in your life:

For Our Church Body

It communicates to the other church members that you are committed to them
It enables church leaders to identify whose spiritual lives they are shepherding and who is living out the mission of the church
It identifies you as a follower of Christ who is committed to His body
It creates a recognized family of devoted followers of Christ to pursue something spiritually significant together

For You...

It provides a spiritual family to support your walk with Christ
It places you under the spiritual protection of godly leaders
It provides an opportunity to discover and use your spiritual gifts to build up the body of Christ
It gives you encouragement and accountability for growth in your relationship with God

We thank God for you and are excited to walk through this process together with you. If you have any questions along the way, please feel free to call, text, or e-mail. We look forward to getting to know you.

Van L. Loomis, Jr. Pastor-Teacher

Phone: (804) 725-3457
E-mail: van.loomis@gmail.com

Next Steps

As you pursue membership here at Redeeming Grace Baptist Church, please read the entire page before beginning as it outlines our process. All resources will be linked below.

Read The Following:Confession of Faith.
1. RGBC Constitution.
2. "Why Church Membership" by Michael Osborne.
3. Complete the Spiritual Giftings/Abilities Summary form.Submit your Testimony to the elders.
Attend an Elder interview. The interview serves two important roles:
1. It allows elders to become more familiar with those desiring membership.
2. It allows prospective members to become more familiar with the elders and ask any questions about the church, leadership, fellowship, etc.
Be presented to the church for membership.
1. (specific details of the membership process can be seen in 5.D of the RGBC Constitution)

What We Believe

Our confessional beliefs are reflected in the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith. A link to the 1689 Confession has been presented below. Please take the time to read this very thorough statement of faith carefully. If you have any questions concerning what we believe, one of the elders would be delighted to discuss it with you.

In presenting our beliefs, keep in mind the following three principles:

In all confessional beliefs—we have unity.
In all non-confessional beliefs—we have liberty.
In all our beliefs—we show love.

Sharing Your Story

Communicating how you entered into a relationship with Jesus Christ is vitally important. As you prepare your thoughts, take some time to tell us more about that experience. We recognize that someone's path to salvation may often contain information that needs to be kept confidential or may be sensitive in nature. For the sake of confidentiality, we have provided an email link below for you to send this information directly to the Elders.

While you have the freedom to compose your testimony in any form that you deem appropriate, many have found it easier to share their story of grace and faith by breaking down their testimony into the following three stages:

Before I believed upon Christ:

Describe your value system, motivations and lifestyle prior to your conversion. Identify the events and circumstances that caused you to consider Jesus Christ as the solution to your spiritual need and ultimately led to you trusting in Him alone as your Savior. In some cases, this may have taken place over a long period of time.

How I received Christ:

Please include the specific steps that you took to become a Christian and why you believe that you have eternal life. As much as possible, try to avoid religious lingo or church clichés (e.g., “I asked Jesus into my heart”, etc.) as this will prepare you to communicate your story more clearly and biblically to your friends.

After I received Christ:

Describe the difference that Christ has made in your thinking, motivation, values, and actions. For some, this may be a dramatic change from the “before” description. For others who accepted Christ at an early age, this step will allow you to think through and describe how your life is different from what it could have been and to describe the transformation that is continuing to take place in your life. In either case, please state what assurances that you have of forgiveness and eternal life.

We understand that this may be the first time you have written out your testimony, which can be challenging. If you need help, please feel free to contact our Pastor via phone, text, or e-mail. The elders look forward to reading your story of faith, and we hope that you will take the time to share it with someone else who may not know the truth of the gospel.