Membership and Newcomers
Welcome All New Members! (but what is membership anyway?)
Becoming a “member" of a church may seem intimidating or complicated but it’s actually not! Put simply, membership in the Episcopal Church is open to all baptized Christians. Becoming a member of Trinity involves the following simple steps:
Please note that you may be active in the life of Trinity Episcopal Church without being baptized. At some point we hope you will consider baptism and full membership in the Body of Christ.
We can also think about broader membership in terms of our Christian identities… What do I really believe? How can I pray? Who is Jesus Christ for me? What do I do with my checkered religious past? How can the church help me live my life? The list goes on. Welcome to the Christian journey! It is filled with such questions - the church is where they are lived out and discussed.
As you learn and pray, grow and serve at Trinity, you may find you want to take another step and make a mature commitment to the faith you have found in the Episcopal Church through Confirmation, Reception or Reaffirmation before the Bishop. These steps are outlined below.
We are so glad you are here and we invite you to move at your own pace, stepping forward whenever you are ready. May God bless you in your journey.
- Filling out a newcomer card and then scheduling a meeting with the Rector.
- If applicable, having the congregation where you were previously a member send us a letter of transfer. A standard form is provided for Episcopal parishes; most other denominations will write a courtesy letter.
- Providing basic demographic information for our rolls.
- As you feel called, attending a Newcomers Reception and an Inquirer's Class.
Please note that you may be active in the life of Trinity Episcopal Church without being baptized. At some point we hope you will consider baptism and full membership in the Body of Christ.
We can also think about broader membership in terms of our Christian identities… What do I really believe? How can I pray? Who is Jesus Christ for me? What do I do with my checkered religious past? How can the church help me live my life? The list goes on. Welcome to the Christian journey! It is filled with such questions - the church is where they are lived out and discussed.
As you learn and pray, grow and serve at Trinity, you may find you want to take another step and make a mature commitment to the faith you have found in the Episcopal Church through Confirmation, Reception or Reaffirmation before the Bishop. These steps are outlined below.
We are so glad you are here and we invite you to move at your own pace, stepping forward whenever you are ready. May God bless you in your journey.
In the Episcopal tradition, a “mature public affirmation” of one’s faith and membership can be expressed in one of three ways described below. When you are ready to take one of these steps, please speak with the Rector.
Confirmation in the Episcopal Church is the rite provided in The Book of Common Prayer for baptized persons who are ready and prepared to make a mature, public affirmation of their faith. In other words, confirmation is a service in which you say, on your own behalf, what others may have said for you at your baptism. At Trinity we ask adults interested in confirmation to meet with Rector and attend some of our Christian Formation programs such as the Sunday Forum, Bible Study or Education For Ministry (EfM). Confirmation is held once every other year at when the Bishop visits. Confirmation is not required for church membership, but it is a significant, public way to affirm your connection to the church. At Confirmation the Bishop prays that the Lord will “empower you for service and sustain you all the days of your life.”
Reception into the Episcopal Church is for baptized persons who have already made a mature public affirmation of their faith in another denomination. They are presented to the Bishop as part of the Confirmation rite. The Bishop acknowledges their prior status and receives them into the Episcopal Church with the following words, “We recognize you as a member of the one holy catholic and apostolic Church, and we receive you into the fellowship of this Communion.’ The term “catholic” in the Bishop’s acknowledgement above and in the Nicene Creed that we say on Sunday is not related to the Roman Catholic Church. In the case of “catholic” (lower case letter “c”), the meaning of the original Greek word is simply “universal.” We believe that no Christian denomination has any unique or special claim to Jesus Christ. “One holy catholic and apostolic church” refers to all of Christianity.
Reaffirmation is for Episcopalians who are refreshing or renewing their faith. They will have already been confirmed in the Episcopal Church, but may have only a dim memory of their confirmation. This service is also incorporated in the overall Confirmation rite. In it the Bishop prays that “the Holy Spirit, who has begun a good work in you, may direct and uphold you in the service of Christ and his kingdom.”
Confirmation in the Episcopal Church is the rite provided in The Book of Common Prayer for baptized persons who are ready and prepared to make a mature, public affirmation of their faith. In other words, confirmation is a service in which you say, on your own behalf, what others may have said for you at your baptism. At Trinity we ask adults interested in confirmation to meet with Rector and attend some of our Christian Formation programs such as the Sunday Forum, Bible Study or Education For Ministry (EfM). Confirmation is held once every other year at when the Bishop visits. Confirmation is not required for church membership, but it is a significant, public way to affirm your connection to the church. At Confirmation the Bishop prays that the Lord will “empower you for service and sustain you all the days of your life.”
Reception into the Episcopal Church is for baptized persons who have already made a mature public affirmation of their faith in another denomination. They are presented to the Bishop as part of the Confirmation rite. The Bishop acknowledges their prior status and receives them into the Episcopal Church with the following words, “We recognize you as a member of the one holy catholic and apostolic Church, and we receive you into the fellowship of this Communion.’ The term “catholic” in the Bishop’s acknowledgement above and in the Nicene Creed that we say on Sunday is not related to the Roman Catholic Church. In the case of “catholic” (lower case letter “c”), the meaning of the original Greek word is simply “universal.” We believe that no Christian denomination has any unique or special claim to Jesus Christ. “One holy catholic and apostolic church” refers to all of Christianity.
Reaffirmation is for Episcopalians who are refreshing or renewing their faith. They will have already been confirmed in the Episcopal Church, but may have only a dim memory of their confirmation. This service is also incorporated in the overall Confirmation rite. In it the Bishop prays that “the Holy Spirit, who has begun a good work in you, may direct and uphold you in the service of Christ and his kingdom.”