Become a Member
There are three ways to become a member of First Church:
- By confession of faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior (and readiness to be baptized if you have not been already)
- By reaffirmation of faith (for those who are not currently an active church member, but have been in the past) or
- By transfer of church membership from another church.
Before joining First Church, potential members attend our Inquirers’ Class which introduces the history and organization of our church and helps potential members understand what our church is all about. The class is offered as an intensive half-day session on a Saturday.
Please check First Notes for upcoming Inquirers’ Classes.
New Members are welcomed on the following Sunday.
Please register for Inquirers’ Class with Lisa Polite: lpolite@fpcnyc.org and give your mailing address so we can put you on the mailing list!
What are the Inquirers’ Classes?
Inquirers’ Classes allow us to get to know each other, to learn about the beliefs, commitments, organization, staff, life and activities and the mission of this church you’re considering joining. In our brief class time we won’t be able to accomplish all of this, but we can get a good start and begin a process in hope and faith. The first major topic covered is the basic nature of our church and why we come together as a community.
As we begin to share something of ourselves with each other, who we are and why we are here, we explore beliefs we hold in common as a church. What does the Presbyterian Church believe? What does the congregation at First Church believe? We look at how our church is structured, the organization of the Presbyterian Church and its history.
The Christian Church has always served others as the way of living out its beliefs in daily life. How do we serve? Who do we serve? What is the importance of this Christian stewardship? Finally, we discuss what First Church expects of its members and what members should expect from First Church.
What is required of members?
All that is required of members is to:
- Confess the Christian faith
- Trust in Christ as our savior
- Promise to follow Christ and Christ’s example for living
- Commit oneself to attend church and to become involved in its work
In addition, there is the promise to live a Christian life and to seek and accept God’s forgiveness when we fail. Members have a commitment to grow in the knowledge of and commitment to this faith.
Membership is an adventure with God to live a different kind of life.
Are there other requirements of membership?
We believe every Christian has a responsibility before God to use our time, talent and resources, not only in the church, but in common life in the service of God. We are ambassadors who carry a message wherever we go and servants of God in whatever we are doing with our lives in the world.
How is First Church organized?
First Church, like all Presbyterian churches, is a representative democracy. The word ‘Presbyterian’ actually comes from the Greek word ‘presbuteros’ which means ‘elder.’ We are governed by elders who are democratically chosen from and by the entire congregation. Governance and authority over church matters resides with these elected elders.
Elders make up the church’s governing body which is called the Session. Our Session oversees the day-to-day-work of the church and supervises the Deacons, who are elected to conduct the temporal and charitable ministry of the church, and the Trustees, who are elected to manage financial, legal and property affairs of the church.