Baptism, Communion & Membership

Cross Park Church exists because of the grace of God shown to us in Jesus Christ. We seek to be a church that loves and honors Christ above all else, that faithfully cares for and serves one another, and that offers the good news of God’s grace and love to our community and to the world.

We are excited about your interest in learning more and becoming a member of Cross Park Church. This five-step process is designed to help us get to know one another.

Step 1: Attend a New Member Class

This class is designed to provide you with information about Cross Park Church and to enable you to take the first steps toward becoming a member of our church. In this class we hope to answer common questions:

• What do we believe about the Gospel and its role in the church?
• What are some theological distinctives of our tradition?
• What is Cross Park Church called to do?
• What does it mean to be a member at Cross Park?

We pray that this class will be the first step in your involvement at Cross Park Church. We plan to offer this class seasonally when we have enough participation. Please send your interest to attend an upcoming class to leadership.

Step 2: Complete a Membership Application

We would love to know more about you! This application form will allow you to answer a few questions about your faith journey. The membership vows are listed at the end of the application. If you have any specific questions or comments, please reach out and we will connect you with Cross Park leadership.

Step 3: Participate in a Membership Interview

Once you’ve completed the class and the membership application, a Cross Park elder will reach out to coordinate a membership interview. This is a 1-on-1 or couple meeting together with an elder or pastor to chat about your faith and to get to know one another.

Step 4: Take your Membership Vows

This moment of public commitment defines the relationship. If the interview process determines that membership is a good fit for you and the church, your name will be presented to the rest of the elders for approval. If approved, you and anyone else going through the process will have the opportunity to publicly take your membership vows. If you haven’t been baptized, you’ll also be baptized at this service. You can read more about baptism and its connection with membership below.

“When can my child take communion with us?  How do we know when they’re ready?” 

Communion is a public remembrance of God’s redemption, a covenantal sacrament, and an expression of the spiritual union of believers with Christ and each other; therefore, we invite anyone who is a communing member of Cross Park Church or a member in good standing of a church that preaches the gospel to join us at the table. You do not have to be a member of Cross Park Church or a member of our denomination to join us for communion as long as you are living a life of faith in Jesus.

We want to help guide the process of determining whether your child is ready. So how can your child move from “not taking communion” to “joining us at the table”?

Some Pastoral Advice:

• No two kids are the same, even within the same family! It takes a lot of wisdom and discernment to know when each particular child is ready to move toward joining the church and taking communion. As you consider all of this, it would be wise for you to review the requirements in the Scriptures for who should take communion (1 Corinthians 11.17-34). For example, is your child able to discern the body of Christ? Does she know what is happening in communion?
• View this as part of their overall discipleship in the faith. Beginning to take communion is one aspect of what it means to join the church. As you shepherd your child, it is important to discern the following: Is there a spiritual interest and hunger that you are seeing outside of a communion Sunday? Is this child demonstrating fruit of the Spirit in his or her life (and not just when told to by mom or dad)? Is there evidence of a genuine trust in Jesus Christ? Do we know what our sin is AND what to do with it?
• It is far better to proceed patiently and carefully here than to move your child toward joining too quickly. More harm can be done by rushing the process than from moving through it thoughtfully and intentionally. We want all our people to get as much grace as they can, but not before they’re ready.

Some Practical Guidance:

• We offer a communicants class every 18 months or when there is need to hold a class sooner than what our usual cycle is. During this time, we review the foundations of our faith, what it is to be a Christian, and the importance of being part of a church body. Completion of this class is a natural time for you to help your child determine where they are for communion readiness. Our communicants class is NOT required for your child to be ready and able to join us for communion. The material covered during our communicants class is beneficial for anyone (child, youth, adult) to review from time to time whether they are a communing member or not. The material is a good and helpful reminder for what our faith and church believe.
• If you feel your child is ready for communion, reach out to an elder or a pastor about next steps to get a conversational interview set up. The pastors will give you information to talk about beforehand so there are no big surprises.
• From there, we will set up a casual interview. We try to make this as comfortable as possible for your child. You are welcome to join them or they can take another trusted adult, staff of the Children’s Ministry, a member of the Shepherdess Team, etc.
• Membership Vows are taken in public once the interview portion is complete, if the adult or elder feels your child is ready.
• We welcome them to join us at the table once a child has taken membership vows and joined as a communing member.

Membership ties us to one body of believers. But we are also part of a bigger family—the global church and its foundational belief in Jesus as our Savior. Baptism is the rite of initiation into the church of Christ, which consists of all those who possess faith in Christ, along with their children. In the sacrament of baptism, the washing of water, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, signifies our union with Christ and our participation in his covenant of grace. When we are sprinkled with the waters of baptism, we are acknowledging our need for Jesus and stepping into the new life and the new family he has promised us.

Infant
Here at Cross Park, we encourage church members to present their infant children for baptism. If you have questions about our views on infant baptism, we’ve put together a document with details on our position. To register your child for baptism, please email crossparkchurch@crossparkchurch.org and make sure to include your child’s full name and date of birth.

Youth
Older children who have made a personal commitment to Jesus or are interested in understanding more about the Christian faith and would like to be baptized, please consider the Youth Communicant class. Email kids@crossparkchurch.org for more information.

Adult
If you haven’t been baptized and are going through the membership process, be sure to mention it in your membership interview. That way, you can be baptized on the same Sunday that you take your membership vows.