Have you been attending but are not a member of the church? Consider joining the church on a Sunday soon!

Membership in a United Methodist Church is a dual-pledge, something I have grown to personally appreciate since becoming a Methodist in 2010. Standing with the congregation, the new member makes a pledge to support the life of the church through her or his time, talents, gifts, service, and witness. The congregation then pledges back to the new member that they will support him or her with their time, talents, gifts, service, and witness. In doing so, both the member and the congregation pledge their mutual support to one another and to this church before the presence of God.

It’s a powerful moment, even if it is a bit scary to stand up before the congregation! I’m always a bit nervous whenever I rise before the congregation, even though I’ve been leading worship since 2012! But since that time, I have continued to be amazed at the power of our liturgy, an old Latin word that simply means “work of the people.” We work together when we worship, creating an experience that deepens our knowledge of and experience with God. The liturgy we use to join the church is that work of the people, working together for mutual support as we all seek to grow the Kingdom of God through this church.

If you’re interested in joining, please contact the church office or me personally: 478-374-4327, eastmanfumc@gmail.com, or tgoshorn83@gmail.com. We’ll schedule a Sunday for you to join at the end of whichever service you prefer. It takes only a couple of minutes, but it will be a powerful moment in your life of faith.

-Ted