Steps to Membership

 

EXPLORE! Rosemount UMC Classes are offered in the Chapel the third Sunday of each month. (Times vary; see the church calendar for exact times here.)  This class is the first step to discovering what membership at Rosemount UMC means.  The EXPLORE! class is an informal gathering for those who wish to know more about Rosemount UMC’s programs, classes, community, serving opportunities, etc… We also take a tour of the building at the conclusion of each class.

From the EXPLORE! Class, folks are encouraged to take the next steps to becoming a fully engaged member:

  • Regularly attend worship
  • Try a Connection Group (Don’t worry – we can help you find one!)
  • Get connected in a service area or project
  • Support Rosemount UMC with your time and finances
  • Attend a Covenant Class

 

Covenant Classes are offered four times throughout the year.  Call the church office at 651-423-2475 or email us to find out when the next class is available and/or to be added to the invitation list.

 

Rosemount UMC Membership Vows

  • Prayers: I will pray regularly for the church, its people and their needs, for lay and staff leaders, and for the ministries and mission of Rosemount UMC.
  • Presence: I will participate weekly in worship if I am in town and healthy. I will participate in a small group.
  • Gifts: I will give proportionally from my income with the goal of reaching or exceeding a tithe.
  • Service: I will discover my giftedness and find a place to serve in the ministry of Rosemount UMC. I will also serve at least once a year outside the walls of the church.
  • Witness:  I will translate my faith into action in my community.

 

Eligibility for Church Membership The United Methodist Church is a part of the holy catholic (universal) church, as we confess in the Apostles’ Creed. In the church, Jesus Christ is proclaimed and professed as Lord and Savior: All people may attend its worship services, participate in its programs, receive the sacraments and become members in any local church in the connection.

 

Meaning of Membership (quoted from The Book of Discipline, p. 131)

Persons make known “their desire to live their daily lives as disciples of Jesus Christ.” They covenant together with God and with the members of the local church to keep the vows which are a part of the order of confirmation and reception into the Church:

  1. To renounce the spiritual forces of wickedness, reject the evil powers of the world, and repent of their sin;
  2. To accept the freedom and power God gives them to resist evil, injustice, and oppression;
  3. To confess Jesus Christ as Savior, put their whole trust in his grace, and promise to serve him as their Lord;
  4. To remain faithful members of Christ’s holy church and serve as Christ’s representatives in the world;
  5. To be loyal to The United Methodist Church and do all in their power to strengthen its ministries;
  6. To faithfully participate in its ministries by their prayers, their presence, their gifts, and their service;
  7. To receive and profess the Christian faith as contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments.

 

Growth in Faith Discipleship- Faithful membership in the local church is essential for personal growth and for developing a deeper commitment to the will and grace of God. As members deeper involve themselves in private and public prayer, worship, the sacraments, study, Christian action, systematic giving, and holy discipline, they grow in their appreciation of Christ, understanding of God at work in history and the natural order, and an understanding of themselves.

Mutual Responsibility- Faithful discipleship includes the obligation to participate in the corporate life of the congregation with fellow members of the body of Christ. A member is bound in sacred covenant to shoulder the burdens, share the risks, and celebrate the joys of fellow members. A Christian is called to speak the truth in love, always ready to confront conflict in the spirit of forgiveness and reconciliation.

The Call to Ministry of All the Baptized- All members of Christ’s universal church are called to share in the ministry which is committed to the whole church of Jesus Christ. Therefore, each member of the United Methodist Church is to be a servant of Christ on mission in the local and worldwide community. This servant-hood is performed in family life, daily work, recreation and social activities, responsible citizenship, the stewardship of property and accumulated resources, the issues of corporate life, and all attitudes toward other persons. Participation in disciplined groups is an expected part of personal mission involvement. Each member is called upon to be a witness for Christ in the world, a light and leaven in society, and a reconciler in a culture of conflict. Each member is to identify with the Christ of hope.

Accountability- All members are to be held accountable for their faithfulness to their covenant and vows with God and the other members of the Church. Should any member be accused of violating the covenant and failing to keep the vows that the member entered into with God and the other members of the local church as stated (above, The Meaning of Membership), then it shall be the responsibility of the local church, working through its pastor and its agencies, to minister to that person in compliance with the provisions of paragraph 216 (as outlined in the Care of the Members) in an effort to enable the member to faithfully perform the vows and covenant of membership.End of quote from the Book of Discipline.