Classes will include such topics as

• Why join a church? What do Christians believe?  More specifically, what do Presbyterians believe?

• What is our denomination? What makes it distinct among other Christian traditions? 

• How can we grow in faith and participate in the community of Westminster Presbyterian Church?

Yes.  It is important to attend all three (3 hours) since we go through a "journey" of sorts together.  You'll hear our story - and we'll hear yours.  In our last class, our church's leaders (aka "the Session") will introduce themselves to you and will conclude our process by voting to receive you as a member (*you must be present).  

While that works for some churches, we believe in providing a personalized get-to-know-us course that also helps us get to know you.  So, in short, no.  We do not transfer memberships. We will (by your permission and request) notify your previous church of your new membership at WPC.    

In our Presbyterian denomination, we refer to church members as "covenant partners."  We do this out of a belief that partnerships are more relational, and in this special relationship, we have a commitment to one another. (The Bible's word for this is a "covenant.") However, don't be surprised if we use both terms "members" and "covenant partners" interchangeably, since we are quite used to both!     

Joining as a family can be a wonderful experience – and we encourage that! We would prefer to discuss your own situation personally and see what works best for you.  Generally, we ask that children 12 and younger wait to join and participate in a special weekly class in January, aka the "Youth Covenant Partner Class."  That class is aimed at 6th-graders and older and ends with the class joining in February (optional).  Optionally, older children (13+) can participate in the New Member Class with their parents.  As with all joining decisions, we want your child to make the decision to become a covenant partner for himself/herself.  Again, we are happy to discuss that with you since what works for some families might not work for yours.  

It's important to us that you feel like you can commit to our community. Like a family, there will be disagreements – on mostly small matters. However, there are times when theological or doctrinal disagreements might deserve some further conversation.  Those are issues that tend to be quite personal with you and potentially "non-negotiable" on both sides.  Don't worry, we won't rush you to make a decision. And we won't make you feel bad if you decide membership isn't right for you.  Let's talk - and we'll see where to go from there.