Our Membership

At Westlock Gospel Chapel we do not maintain a formal membership list. Instead, we regard anyone who is a part of God’s family, and considers WGC their church family, as a member. Furthermore, we encourage each member of the family to grow in the following marks of membership.
 

Be a Part of the Family… 

  • By Accepting Jesus Christ as Your Saviour and Lord: Your membership in God’s family and WGC begins when you accept Jesus Christ as your Saviour and Lord.  To accept Jesus as your Saviour is to trust him to forgive your sins and give you eternal life with God.  To accept Jesus as your Lord is to make him your leader for life.  The Bible teaches that, when you do these things, you are accepted into God’s family.
  • By Getting Baptized: Following the instructions of our Lord, we encourage believers to be baptized as a way of making a clear declaration of faith in him. Baptism does not make you a part of God’s family; rather it is a public statement that you are a member of his family.
  • By Participating in the Lord’s Supper: While baptism occurs once in a person’s life, Jesus calls us to participate in communion around the Lord’s Table regularly. Just like baptism, participating in communion does not make you a part of God’s family; but it does show that you are a member.  Participating in communion regularly keeps you connected to your heavenly Father and to your spiritual family.

Participate in the Family… 

  • Through Association: The basis of family life is being together and getting along with family members.  That’s why we encourage our members to gather and get to know each other throughout the week.
  • Through Awareness: Another important element of family life is understanding the family: its story and beliefs, its dreams and values, and how it functions.  That’s why we encourage our members to become familiar with the material in this handbook and the stories of the church family.
  • Through Attendance: Yet another element of family life is joining in family events.  We strongly encourage our members to be a consistent part of the Church’s functions, including the Communion service, the Family Bible Hour, a Care Group and others.
  • Through Accountability: One more element of family life is accountability. If you see someone doing something that is harmful (spiritually or otherwise) either to themselves or to someone else in the family, it’s your responsibility to approach them.  Or if you do something that is harmful, you can expect to be approached. Far from a license to condemn, accountability is about looking out for each other and the family.  Biblical guidelines for accountability are laid down in Matthew 5:23-24 and 18:15-17, as well as 1 Timothy 5:19.

Contribute to the Family…

God has filled our lives with many great things, including time, talents and treasures.  The Bible makes it clear that we are stewards of these things and will someday give an account for the way we use them.  God does not want members of his family to use what they have solely for themselves.  Instead, he expects them to use their time, talents and treasures for the benefit of his family, here at home and around the world. 

  • By Giving of Your Time: When you become a member of WGC, you will find many opportunities to contribute your time.  Initially, you will be asked to help out with simple tasks and acts of service.  As we get to know each other, you may be asked to serve in other ways that are in keeping with your God-given abilities.

Please be aware that we ask people to be a consistent part of the family before we ask them to take any kind of teaching or leadership role.  All volunteers will be required to comply with our abuse prevention policy.  The policy appears later in this handbook.

  • By Giving of Your Talents: The Bible teaches that God gives each member of his family distinct and special abilities.  He expects each person to discover their abilities, develop them and use them for the benefit of the Church.

At WGC, you will find many opportunities to use your God-given abilities.  If there is a role at the Church for which you feel especially suited, be sure to talk to the leader of that area or to one of the Overseers.

  • By Giving of Your Treasures: The Bible teaches that each member of God’s family is to set aside an amount of money each week that is to be used for the benefit of God’s family, the Church.  At WGC, we don’t tell people how much money they are to set aside.  Instead, we encourage them to pray about it and ask God to impress an amount on their hearts.  It may start off as 1 or 2% of their income and may grow to 5%, 10% or more.  The Bible makes it clear that, whatever amount we give, we are to give it cheerfully, for God loves and rewards a cheerful giver.

WGC operates entirely on the money that is voluntarily given by its members.  We rely on God’s Spirit, rather than public pleas, to motivate members to give.  We take an offering each week at our Communion service.  You will also find an offering box in the Church’s foyer under the mailboxes.

We thank God for all people who willingly give their time, talents and treasures.  If you are interested in getting involved, you could consider joining a church cleaning team, a music team, the audio-visual crew, hosting at the door on Sunday mornings, preparing Sunday morning coffee break and other opportunities.

Invite Others into the Family…

Before he departed, Jesus told his followers to go into the world, inviting people into God’s family.  There are three ways you can do that.

  • Through Your Lifestyle: The most powerful invitation into God’s family is a lifestyle that reflects the goodness of our heavenly Father.  As the people around you witness your lifestyle, don’t be surprised if they will become curious about your faith.
  • Through Service: Because we have God’s promises of provision and eternal life, we are able to share freely the things we possess.  As people experience your generosity, you will find opportunities to share your faith.
  • Through Witness: It’s true that people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.  But, once they know how much you care, you have the right and responsibility to tell them the Good News about Jesus Christ that he came and died to give them eternal life.