Welcome to Faith Assembly’s Assembly s Exploring Membership class! If you’re considering becoming a member of Faith Assembly, then you've definitely come to the right place. We've designed this class to answer your membership questions and guide you through the steps to becoming a member. You may be surprised to know that Faith Assembly has three times as many attenders on an average weekend as we do members. Why so few? Well, as you are about to discover, membership at Faith Assembly involves more than simply getting your name on a list. At Faith Assembly, membership is synonymous with involvement. If you are at least 18 years old and attend Faith Assembly regularly, you are eligible to apply for membership. As a regular attender, you've had a front row seat to observe the life-changing mission of Faith Assembly. But we realize that while seeing is believing, just seeing may not have covered it all. Over the next hour, we’ll give you a brief overview of our mission and ministry strategy.
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Where it all began... Faith Assembly was founded in 1957 by Rev. T.G. Morrow and a small group of people in an old dance in downtown Pasco. The little church purchased the old Christian Church building about six months later at Fifth and Shoshone. They had a great vision of what God would do for the new assembly. Rev. Leonard Philp became pastor in 1963 and served until 1967. The church made it through difficult times by seeking the deeper things of God. Pastor Philp saw in a vision a great, large church in West Pasco that would one day house the congregation. Pastor Donald B. Strong was called to pastor in 1967 and served as pastor until August 1989. A church building on Sylvester Street was purchased in 1968 and dedicated to the Lord in 1972. In 1973, Playland Day Care was founded. In 1975, a new gym, day care wing and office complex were dedicated to the Lord. In 1977, Faith Christian Academy was founded. In 1983, the congregation began to raise money for a new church. Under Pastor Strong’s leadership, the church purchased the property on Court and 72nd and built the main campus. Pastor John E. Johnson served as senior pastor from August 1989 until July 1994. Under his leadership the church’s missions giving and attendance increased significantly. Pastor Johnson led the church to expand its vision and become a leader in the Northwest District. Dr. J. Melvyn Ming was the senior pastor August 1994—January 1997. Under his leadership the church expanded the role of lay elders and leaders, increased the emphasis on the Sunday School and training, developed a clear vision and strategy for the ministry of the church, and focused on the development of people. Under Pastor Ming’s leadership Faith Assembly’s finances were brought into stability and balance. Rev. Darrel M. Johnsen came to Faith Assembly in February 1997. It has been under his leadership that we have seen many people come to Christ and begin to grow in their relationship with the Lord. Consistent with our mission to build people and transform lives, our establishing an outreach to help those struggling with addictions and co-dependency has seen many individuals set free and enabled to find their place in the body of Christ. In addition, Pastor Johnsen has worked diligently to establish a budget and retire debt, and in 2004 we were able to build a new auditorium, café, lobby, and office area. Our attendance has grown consistently and many new ministries have been initiated. 3
Our core values... Biblical Authority We believe God has spoken to us through the Scriptures. Therefore, the Bible is our ultimate authority. Intimacy with God We believe God desires an intimate relationship with every believer. Through prayer, meditation, worship, and Bible study, we can pursue and achieve intimacy with the Father. Relevant Environments We believe our role is to create environments that are conducive to the work of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of people. A relevant environment, combined with competent leadership, will allow us to connect with our audience. Relational Evangelism We believe that all believers have the responsibility of carrying out the Great Commission in their sphere of influence. Authentic Community We believe accountability, care, and a sense of belonging are critical to balance and progress in our spiritual journey. These three things are best achieved within the context of a small group of like-minded, relationallyconnected believers. Strategic Service As gifted members of the body of Christ, each believer is responsible for exercising his or her gifts in tandem with other members of the body. It is not enough to exercise spiritual gifts. Maximum impact is contingent upon a coordinated, strategic exercise of gifts in the body. Intentional Apprenticing We believe that every believer is responsible for passing along to others the knowledge, skills, and opportunities for service that God—through others—has entrusted to them.
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Our mission... Our mission at Faith Assembly is to build people and transform lives into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. We do this by creating irresistible environments where people are encouraged and equipped to pursue intimacy with God, community with insiders, and influence with outsiders.
Our ministry strategy... Our ministry environments are designed to function like the rooms in a home. We invite guests in by the front door, develop friendships in the living room, grow as a family around the kitchen table, and then head out the driveway to reach others. Front Door (guest) — It’s the place in your home that serves as the welcome area for guests and new friends. It’s the first step and it’s often your only chance to make your guests feel comfortable enough to return. That’s exactly how we’ve designed our entry environments at Faith. Our Sunday morning worship services are our “front door” environments. We want our guests to come back, so we do everything with them in mind. Each area of ministry also has its own front door. Youth has “Identity” service on Sunday nights, families have “Family Experience” on Sunday mornings, and adults have worship services on Sunday mornings in the auditorium. These environments are where most people will experience Faith Assembly for the first time, and they serve as the perfect place to introduce newcomers to life at Faith. Living Room (friend) — A room in a home with sofas and chairs. It is used for social activities, entertaining guests, etc. When guests arrive and are welcomed into your home, you invite them into the living room. Everyone finds a comfortable place to sit and the interaction begins. At Faith Assembly, this is where you connect with people 5
like yourself. Smaller and more interactive than the front door environment, these gatherings offer genuine opportunity to begin friendships...just like the living room in your home. For married adults, there is “MarriedLife Live” (quarterly), middle school students have “678,” high school students have a discipleship track on Sunday mornings, and children have “Upstreet” on Sundays. Come in the living room and have a seat! Kitchen (family) — What is the most popular room in your home? Where do you end up when friends or family come over? The kitchen. This is where lasting friendships are made. And that’s the kind of environment we are striving for in our life groups. Life groups are where people meet regularly for Bible study and prayer, and commit to accountability, friendship, and support. They are the safe place to open your heart, share your life, and ask the tough questions. Life group opportunities for adults include weekly “Life Groups” and “Starting Point” on Sunday mornings. For students, life groups happen on Sunday nights. For children, life group opportunities happen during “Upstreet” on Sunday mornings. Life groups are where life changes happen here at Faith...and we want to help you get there! Driveway (outreach) — Each day we get up and leave our physical home to go out into the community. Leaving the comfort of our home is when we can make a difference with people in our sphere of influence and beyond. It’s also a place to practice what we’re learning and invite others to find all of their home in Christ. Here are some ministries that best represent the driveway: ShareFest, Royal Family Kid’s Camp (for foster care children), Celebrate Recovery, jail ministry, short-term mission trips, and personal invitations to special events.
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Church membership… membership expect what the Bible expects by Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church
Why do churches have so many people on their membership rolls who give little or no evidence of Christian commitment or even conversion? Why do many churches find it difficult to motivate members to give, serve, pray, and share their faith? The answer is simple. The members were allowed to join with no expectations placed on them.
“Whatever happens, make sure that your everyday life is worthy of the gospel of Christ.”
You get what you ask for! The difference between attenders and members can be summed up in one word: commitment. It’s like the difference between couples who just “live together” and those who get married. While becoming a Christian means to commit yourself to Christ, becoming a church member means to commit yourself to other Christians. It is a commitment to a specific group of believers – to practice the oneanother’s of the New Testament. Paul mentions two different types of commitment in 2 Corinthians 8:5: “First they gave themselves to the Lord; and then, by God’s will, they gave themselves to us as well” (GN). At Saddleback, we call these first-base commitments. You commit yourself to Christ for salvation and then you commit yourself to other Christians for membership in our church family. In our church we define koinonia (fellowship) as “being as committed to each other as we are to Jesus Christ.” Jesus said that our love for each other was to be the mark of discipleship (John 13:33-34). I believe it’s an indictment of American Christianity that most believers can quote John 3:16, but they can’t quote 1 John 3:16: “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.”
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When was the last time you heard a message on this verse? Today, most churches are silent about developing that level of commitment to each other. The phrase one another or each other is used more than 50 times in the New Testament. We are commanded to love each other, pray for each other, encourage each other, admonish each other, greet each other, serve each other, teach each other, accept each other, honor each other, bear each other’s burdens, forgive each other, sing to each other, submit to each other, and be devoted to each other. All of these commands are what membership in a local body of believers is all about. These are the responsibilities of membership. The most important part of a marriage ceremony is when the man and woman exchange vows. Before witnesses and God, they make certain promises to each other. This covenant between them is the essence of the marriage. In the same way, I believe the essence of church membership is contained in the willingness to commit to a membership covenant. It is the most important element of our membership class. Throughout the Bible and church history, spiritual covenants have been made between people in order for mutual edification and accountability.
Just as the wedding covenant is the essence of a marriage, so the membership covenant is the essence of church membership.
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Turning attendees into a part of the family by Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church
“Now you are no longer strangers to God and foreigners to heaven, but you are members of God’s very own family...and you belong in God’s household with every other Christian.” ~Ephesians 2:19 (LB) Today, a lot of Christians are what I call “floating believers.” It is an expression of America’s rampant individualism. Anywhere else in the world, being a believer is synonymous with being connected to a local body of believers. You rarely find a lone ranger Christian in other countries. Many American Christians, however, hop from one church to another without any identity, accountability, or commitment. They have not been taught that the Christian life involves more than just believing — it also includes belonging. We grow in Christ by being in relationship to other Christians. C.S. Lewis once wrote an essay on church membership, reminding us that the word “membership” is of Christian origin, but it has been taken over by the world and emptied of all its original meaning. Today, most people associate the term “membership” with paying dues, meaningless rituals, silly rules and handshakes, and having your name on some dusty roll. Paul, however, had a very different image of membership. To Paul, being a “member” of the church did not refer to some cold induction into an institution, but rather it meant becoming a vital organ of a living body (Romans 12:4-5, 1 Corinthians 6:14, 1 Corinthians 12:12-27). We need to reclaim this image! The meaning of membership Joining a church used to be an act of conformity in our society. You joined a church because everybody else did. Now the rules have changed and conformity is no longer a motivating factor. In fact, George Gallup has found that the vast majority of Americans believe it is possible to be a “good Christian” without joining (or even attending) a local church.
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Membership is an act of commitment that comes with many benefits:
It identifies me as a genuine believer (Ephesians 2:19, Romans 12:5)
It provides a spiritual family to support and encourage me in my walk with Christ (Galatians 6:1-2, Hebrews 10:24-25)
It gives me a place to discover and use my gifts in ministry (1 Corinthians 12:4-27)
It places me under the spiritual protection of godly leaders (Hebrews 13:17, Acts 20:28-29)
It give me the accountability I need to grow (Ephesians 5:21)
The church provides us with benefits we cannot find anywhere else in the world:
Worship helps me focus on God. It prepares me spiritually and emotionally for the week ahead.
Fellowship helps me face life’s problems by providing the support and encouragement of other Christians.
Discipleship helps me fortify my faith by learning the truth of God’s Word and applying biblical principles to my lifestyle.
Ministry helps me find and develop my talents and use them in serving others.
Evangelism helps me fulfill my mission of reaching my friends and family for Christ.
Church is a family There are many analogies for a Christian disconnected from a church: A football player without a team, a soldier without a platoon, a tuba player without an orchestra, and a sheep without a flock. But the most understandable (and biblical) picture is that of a child without a family. 1 Timothy 3:15 refers to the church as “...the family of God. That family is the church of the living God, the support and foundation of the truth.” (LB)
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God does not want His children growing up in isolation from each other so He created a spiritual family on earth for us. Paul reminds us in Ephesians 2:19, “...you are members of God’s very own family...and you belong in God’s househo9ld with every other Christian.” (LB) A Christian without a church family is an orphan. I believe it is important today to position the church as a family, rather than as an institution. Since the 1960s, Americans have become increasingly antiinstitutional. They use the phrase “organized religion” with contempt. On the other hand, people are longing for a sense of family and community. Today, there are a number of factors that have fragmented the nuclear family in our culture: The high divorce rate, delayed marriages, the emphasis on individuality, alternative lifestyles, women working outside the home, and the high rate of mobility. In our mobile society, people have few roots. People are no longer surrounded by the extended family of aunts and uncles, grandparents, and brothers and sisters that provided a safety net for previous generations.
The church is like an extended family of aunts and uncles, grandparents, and brothers and sisters that provide a safety net.
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What’s What s next? Chances are you are already familiar with many of our ministry environments. No doubt they are a big part of what hooked you to begin with. As a member we will ask you to move beyond simply participating in these incredible environments. We are going to ask you to partner with us in creating , leading , and funding our environments as well. Creating relevant, life-changing environments is neither easy nor inexpensive. But with your help, we can continue to impact our community through this unique approach to ministry. Membership process We’re so glad that you have attended this Exploring Membership class. Hopefully this has helped you know a little bit more about Faith Assembly, and what we do and why we do it. You are now eligible to apply for membership. As part of this application process, we’ll ask you about your personal relationship with Jesus Christ, as well as your baptism. We’ll also collect some biographical information to make you aware of ministry opportunities designed for your season of life. Meet with church leadership This may sound scary...but it really isn’t! If you have expressed an interest in becoming a member, we want the chance to visit with you. Someone from our elder or leadership teams will call and set up a time to get together. There won’t be a quiz or any kind of an interview...just a few minutes face-toface to find out who you are. Membership covenant At the meeting mentioned above, we will have a membership covenant for you to sign as your official application for membership at Faith Assembly. This covenant will then be taken to the next leadership meeting, where a vote will determine your acceptance into membership. Introduction to congregation Following your acceptance into membership, we will contact you and set up a time to get your picture. On a Sunday morning we will then introduce all the new members and celebrate your commitment to membership.
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Getting involved... Success at Faith Assembly is defined by how effectively our ministries move people from our large environments into life groups. At Faith, the life group is the best place for sustained life-change to occur. In a life group, people study God’s Word together and discuss the issues and challenges of life. It's also where they pray, care for one another, and are missed if they don’t show up. Practically speaking, there will never be a way for the staff or elders to personally minister to everyone who attends our church. That’s why we place such a high premium on group life. It’s how we minister effectively at Faith Assembly. What is a life group? Life groups are small groups of four to six couples or six to eight individuals that meet in someone’s home for fellowship, Bible study, prayer, and accountability. A life group is a community to share joys and challenges while “doing life together” and is designed to be invitational to friends, neighbors, visitors, and to multiply. We offer life groups for all ages, genders, and stages of life, as well as groups that are centered around specific interests. How do I get involved in a life group? Visit GROUPlink - a life group connection event held quarterly Someone in a life group invites you Visit our website where you’ll find a list of small groups and the ability to register online Contact the church office Our life group mission statement Life groups are small groups of people who gather together regularly to seek God and apply His Word through loving, caring, and sharing, as we serve one another, our community, and those who will believe in Jesus. Key relationships for life group members Intimacy with God Community with insiders Influence with outsiders
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Membership Covenant If you decide to commit to membership at Faith Assembly, you will be given a covenant to sign. This is a copy for you to preview. Having received Christ as my Lord and Savior and having been baptized in water, and being in agreement with Faith Assembly’s purpose, beliefs, values, strategy, and structure, I now feel led by the Holy Spirit to unite with the Faith Assembly family. In doing so, I commit myself to God and to the other members to do the following: 1. I will protect the unity of my church
By acting in love toward other members By refraining from gossip By following the leaders
2. I will share the responsibility of my church
By praying for its growth By inviting the unchurched to attend By warmly welcoming those who visit
3. I will serve the ministry of my church
By discovering my gifts and talents By being equipped to serve By developing a servant’s heart
4. I will support the testimony of my church
By attending faithfully By living a godly life By giving regularly
_____________________________________________________________________ Signature Date
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Additional info... Our website is a great place to go if you’re looking for additional information about Faith Assembly. You’ll find details about our many ministries, missions and outreach, and upcoming events, as well as our Statement of Faith (the 16 doctrines of the Assemblies of God), and our Constitution and Bylaws. Please feel free to visit often (www.faithtricities.org). You are always welcome to contact the church office or one of the pastors. We would love to hear from you and help you in any way we can. Pastoral staff Darrel & Gail Johnsen, Lead Pastors .......................... darrelj@faithtricities.org Mark & Krysta Barker, Executive Pastors................... markb@faithtricities.org Roland & Gina Wallette, Music Pastors .................. rolandw@faithtricities.org John & Pam Scheline, Family Life Pastors .................. johns@faithtricities.org Brent & Kylie Johnsen, Identity Youth Pastors ...........brentj@faithtricities.org Don & Wilma Strong, Senior Care Pastors ................... dons@faithtricities.org Office hours Office and telephone hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. E-mail prayer requests may be sent to prayer@faithtricities.org Contact info 1800 N. Rd. 72 | Pasco, WA 99301 Phone: 509-547.5773 E-mail: faithtricities.org Website: www.faithtricities.org
Welcome to the Faith Assembly team! 15
Faith Assembly 1800 N. Road 72 Pasco, WA 99301 509.547.5773 E-mail: faithtricities.org Website: www.faithtricities.org
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