Who is Hillcrest Church?
Hillcrest Church is a community of committed Jesus followers joined together to express his good news to the world in words and actions. We are a community seeking to follow Jesus together. We formally express this as one organization with three divisions, Hillcrest Church, Hillcrest Kids Early Learning Center, and Bellingham Chi Alpha Campus Ministries.
What does it mean to be a member of a church?
Church membership at its core is a commitment to intentional Christian community. Being a member of Hillcrest means much more than being a member of Costco! The Bible doesn’t talk about formal church membership but it does talk a lot about being a committed member of a local Christian community. Membership is our formal way of declaring that commitment.
Questions:
What’s the heart of what it means to be a member at Hillcrest?
The heart of church membership are commitments you make to the Hillcrest community and commitments we make to you in return.
We ask each member to commit to:
1) Pursuing Christ for your sake and the sake of those around you.
2) Pursuing relationships at Hillcrest, getting to know and be known by others.
3) Contributing to the mission of Hillcrest by being on mission yourself, serving, and sharing your gifts and passions.
4) Giving financially to support the mission of Jesus expressed through Hillcrest Church.
In return Hillcrest Church commits to:
1) Encourage and challenge you to love God with your whole self.
2) Offer real Christian relationships where you can be known and loved.
3) Equip and empower you for the ministry you feel passionate about and gifted for.
4) Offer support in hard times with relational and practical resources.
What does it officially mean to be a member at Hillcrest?
A community like Hillcrest needs organizational structure to support its healthy functioning. Hillcrest Church is incorporated and ruled by its by-laws. Members vote at the Annual Meeting each November on the budget and key leadership roles. In addition, there may be other special meetings throughout the year members vote at.
Who can become a member?
To become a member person needs to:
1) Trust Jesus as their King and Savior.
2) Have publicly demonstrated this commitment through baptism.
3) Affirm the Hillcrest Statement of Faith.
4) Affirm the commitments to pursue Christ, pursue healthy relationships with others at Hillcrest, participate in the mission of God, and support that mission expressed through Hillcrest.
How to become a member?
1) Complete the Application for Membership.
2) A pastor will contact you to schedule a membership interview.
3) After the interview your application will be presented to the Hillcrest Council at its next meeting. Upon approval of your application, you will be officially notified of your membership status.
