One becomes a member of the Church at baptism. Living into one’s baptism, however, involves being part of a real, flesh and blood congregation. We hope you will consider making your commitment at Calvary!
If you have already been baptized and want to make Calvary your church home, here is what to do:
- Register your baptism with us. We accept the baptismal rites of all Christian churches as the real thing; we never “re-baptize” anyone. Contact Ebet Peeples and ask that the record of your baptism be transferred here. (She will want to know, as best you can tell her, where and when you were baptized, and where your most recent church home has been, if any.)
- Attend Calvary’s four-week Welcome Class, if you have not already done so. New ones start every couple months. This class will give you a good idea about what makes Calvary tick. It includes sessions on our five core values: forgiveness, action, inquiry, togetherness, and Hallelujah!
- Adopt a plan to take part in Calvary’s ministry with your money and your skills. Someone from the parish’s stewardship committee will call on you to talk about financial stewardship and making a pledge to God’s work through Calvary Church. Each of us (including the clergy) gives time and money to support the church’s work. Ebet Peeples will be eager to help you find a parish ministry to plug into—or a place to serve in the wider community, all in Christ’s name.
- Confirm your faith commitment before the Bishop. Twice a year, a bishop comes to Calvary to hear and bless the faith commitments of our members. This is the sacrament of “Confirmation.” Parishioners prepare for this by attending our Practicing the Faith class, offered as a Sunday morning class or as a one-day, all-day intensive, whichever is best for you. If you have already been confirmed in the Episcopal Church, you are invited to reaffirm your faith (or for those coming from the Catholic Church, to be received) on this occasion.
The Episcopal Church has a term to describe the baptized who have completed this process and keep their involvement current– confirmed communicant in good standing. These are real, active “members” of the church, and each of us is invited to be one!
“confirmed” = publicly committed to Christ and his Church,
“communicant” = regular in worship, and
“in good standing” = contributing to the building of God’s Kingdom with our time, talents, and money.
If you have not yet been baptized, speak with one of the clergy. Adults prepare for baptism through participation in a Practicing the Faith class, teens through Journey to Adulthood.