Membership
All are welcome to worship with us! You don't have to be a member to
participate in our church life. We really hope you will just show up and
experience First Congregational Church for yourself.
Becoming
a member is a step into a stronger commitment to the church. It is a way
to express your desire to join our evolving faith community: you wish to
participate regularly in worship, to build relationships with other church
members, and to live your faith in service to the wider community. You do not
have to agree to a creed to become a member. Our members are diverse in
thinking and invite dialogue where there is disagreement.
To
become a member of First Congregational Church, you simply need to express to the
minister or a Deacon your desire to join the church. We typically offer membership classes two or
three times per year, though they are not required to join the church!
All
members join the church during a worship service. At this time, you will affirm
your intention to join the congregation, and we say something like, “Let us all
affirm what we believe. Do you believe in God? (We do.) Do you believe
in Jesus Christ? (We do.) Do you believe in the Holy Spirit? (We do.)
Confirmation
In
our tradition youth join the church through the rite of Confirmation.
Confirmation
is an opportunity for maturing young people to speak for themselves and claim
the Christian faith as their own. At First Congregational of Whitman, we
practice infant baptism (though we do not refuse adult baptisms). It is a
time in which parents or guardians act in faith on behalf of their child.
At Confirmation, one confirms the faith she was baptized into before she
could claim it for herself. Our Confirmation program is offered every
other year and is open to youth in 8th grade or above.
Once
confirmed, our confirmands do not claim to have it all figured out, but
have affirmed that they wish to be part of a lifelong journey of faith.
Confirmation is also an act of the wider congregation, which affirms they
will offer their presence and support along a journey filled with questions,
uncertainty, and change.