LEARNING THE FAITH AND BECOMING A MEMBER

The best first step is usually a conversation with the pastor.

You may ask questions about Christianity, Lutheran teaching, the Divine Service, Baptism, the Lord’s Supper, or anything else you have encountered at Redeemer. You may also share something about your own background, including whether you were baptized, whether you have belonged to another congregation, and what has led you to Redeemer.

This conversation is not an interview that you must pass. It helps the pastor understand how best to serve you and which next steps may be appropriate.

Some people come with years of church experience. Others are encountering Christianity for the first time. Some are returning after a long absence. Each person’s history is different, but everyone needs the same Savior.

Catechesis is the Church’s careful teaching of the Christian faith.

The word comes from a Greek term associated with instruction by word of mouth. Christians have used catechesis from the earliest centuries of the Church to prepare people for Baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and a lifelong confession of Christ.

At Redeemer, catechesis is not a sales presentation, an initiation ritual, or a test of religious intelligence. It is an opportunity to hear what God teaches in Holy Scripture, ask honest questions, and learn how the Gospel of Jesus Christ shapes Christian faith and life.

The goal is not merely to memorize religious information. The goal is to know Christ, understand His promises, receive His gifts, and confess the faith clearly.

Our instruction is centered upon Holy Scripture and organized around the six chief parts of Luther’s Small Catechism.

The Ten Commandments reveal God’s good will for human life. They also expose our sin and show us our need for a Savior.

The Apostles’ Creed teaches us who the Triune God is and what He has done for us through creation, redemption, and sanctification.

The Lord’s Prayer teaches us how Jesus invites His baptized people to pray with confidence to their heavenly Father.

Holy Baptism joins sinners to the death and resurrection of Christ, washes away sin, gives the Holy Spirit, and places God’s name upon His children.

Confession and Absolution give troubled sinners the certainty that Christ’s forgiveness is not merely a general idea. His forgiveness is spoken personally and directly to us.

The Sacrament of the Altar is Christ’s true body and blood, given and shed for Christians to eat and drink for the forgiveness of sins.

We also study: • The authority and trustworthiness of Holy Scripture • The distinction between God’s Law and Gospel • Salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone • The theology of the cross • The Divine Service and Lutheran worship • The Lutheran Confessions • Prayer and the Christian life • Christian vocation • Marriage and family • The Church’s life of mercy and service • Why Christians need a congregation • Redeemer’s Communion practice

Questions are encouraged throughout the class.

Adult catechesis is appropriate for many different people, including: • Those who are not presently members of a Christian congregation • Christians from another denominational background • Baptized Christians interested in becoming Lutheran • Spouses or family members of Redeemer members • Adults who have never been baptized • Former church members returning after a long absence • Current members who would like a refresher • Anyone who wants to understand Lutheran Christianity more clearly

Attending a class does not obligate you to become a member. You may participate, ask questions, and take time to understand our confession before making a decision.

We would rather teach the faith carefully than pressure someone into a quick commitment.

If you have never received Christian Baptism, the pastor will provide instruction and prepare you to be baptized.

In Holy Baptism, God is the One acting. Baptism is not merely our public declaration that we have decided to follow Jesus. It is God’s gracious work through water and His Word. He joins us to Christ, gives forgiveness, and brings us into His family.

Adults preparing for Baptism receive catechesis so that they may understand and confess the faith into which they are being baptized.

If you were baptized with water in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Redeemer recognizes that Baptism as God’s work. We do not baptize someone again simply because the Baptism occurred in another Christian tradition.

You may be asked to participate in catechesis so that you can understand Lutheran teaching and make a public confession of the faith shared by our congregation.

Your previous church experience will be treated respectfully, but we will also speak honestly about important differences in doctrine and practice. Christian unity should be based upon the truth of God’s Word rather than the avoidance of difficult questions.

Members of another LCMS congregation may ordinarily be received through a letter of transfer from their previous congregation.

Please speak with the pastor and provide the name and location of your former congregation. Redeemer can help request the transfer, or you may contact your former congregation directly.

The pastor will still want an opportunity to meet with you, learn about your family, answer questions, and introduce you to the life of Redeemer.

Some people come to Redeemer after years away from regular worship. Others were once members of a Lutheran congregation but gradually became disconnected.

You do not need to be embarrassed about returning. The Church exists for sinners who need Christ’s forgiveness, not for people who have maintained a perfect religious record.

The pastor will speak with you about your previous instruction, Baptism, confirmation, and current circumstances. Depending upon your background, a period of catechesis or review may be appropriate before you are received into membership.

The purpose is not to create an unnecessary barrier. It is to care for you faithfully and restore you to an active life of hearing God’s Word and receiving Christ’s gifts.

Parents have the primary responsibility and privilege of teaching the Christian faith to their children. The congregation assists parents through Baptism, Sunday School, catechism instruction, the Divine Service, and pastoral care.

Children should not be treated as spectators waiting to become part of the Church when they are older. Baptized children belong to Christ and need to hear His Word, learn the liturgy, sing the hymns, pray with the congregation, and grow in the faith.

Youth catechesis provides careful instruction in Holy Scripture and Luther’s Small Catechism. It prepares young Christians to confess the faith publicly and receive the Lord’s Supper with understanding.

Confirmation is not a graduation from church. It is a public confession of the baptismal faith and a promise, made with God’s help, to remain faithful to Christ and His Word.

After confirmation, Christian learning continues throughout life.

An adult who completes catechesis and desires to become a member may be received through Baptism, confirmation, profession of faith, or transfer, depending upon the person’s background.

Confirmation is not a Sacrament and does not add something missing from Holy Baptism. It is the Church’s public recognition that a person has been instructed in the Christian faith and confesses that faith with the congregation.

The emphasis is not upon completing a course. It is upon confessing Christ and continuing to receive His gifts.

In a culture that often treats church attendance as private and occasional, formal membership may seem unnecessary. Scripture, however, describes Christians as members of one body who belong to one another in Christ.

Membership provides a clear relationship of spiritual care, responsibility, and confession.

A member of Redeemer is received into a congregation where the pastor is accountable for caring for that person’s soul. Members worship together, receive the Lord’s Supper together, support the work of the congregation, participate in its life, and care for one another during illness, grief, need, and celebration.

Membership also says something publicly. It communicates that you share the congregation’s confession of faith and desire to live within its fellowship.

Members of Redeemer are not people who have mastered the Christian life.

We are sinners who live by repentance and faith. We need Christ’s forgiveness, and we need to forgive one another. We sometimes struggle with doubt, temptation, grief, and weakness. We will occasionally disappoint one another and need reconciliation.

Membership does not mean that every member has the same personality, political opinion, background, or personal preferences. Our unity is grounded in the Word of God and our shared confession of Jesus Christ.

The Church is not a gathering of the spiritually successful. It is where Christ gathers sinners to forgive them.

The Lord’s Supper is both Christ’s gift of His body and blood for the forgiveness of sins and a public confession of unity in faith.

For this reason, receiving Communion together means more than expressing personal devotion. It says that we confess the same Christian faith and are united in the teaching proclaimed from that altar.

Visitors are encouraged to attend the Divine Service, hear God’s Word, pray, and sing with the congregation. Because churches differ significantly concerning the Lord’s Supper and other teachings, we ask visitors who are not members of an LCMS congregation to speak with the pastor before receiving Communion.

This practice is not intended to question anyone’s sincerity or to suggest that only Lutherans are Christians. It reflects our responsibility to care faithfully for those who commune and to take seriously the unity confessed at Christ’s altar.

The pastor will be glad to explain our practice without embarrassment or pressure.

The Christian life is sustained by Christ’s gifts, not by a checklist of religious achievements. Nevertheless, membership includes real commitments and responsibilities.

Members are encouraged to: • Attend the Divine Service faithfully • Receive the Lord’s Supper regularly • Continue studying Holy Scripture and the catechism • Pray for the congregation and its mission • Bring their children to Baptism, worship, and Christian instruction • Support the congregation according to their ability • Care for fellow members • Serve their neighbors through their vocations • Seek reconciliation when conflict occurs • Participate responsibly in congregational life • Contact the pastor when spiritual care is needed • Confess Christ within their homes and daily lives

These practices do not earn salvation. They flow from the life Christ gives.

You do not need to hide uncertainty or pretend to agree before you understand.

Some questions can be answered quickly. Others require time, study, and conversation. The pastor will be glad to meet with you individually, continue a discussion outside class, or recommend additional resources.

The Church should be a place where truth is taught confidently and questions are treated seriously.

Our goal is neither to pressure you nor to soften our confession. We want to speak clearly, listen carefully, and direct every conversation back to Jesus Christ.

The purpose of catechesis is not simply to increase Redeemer’s membership numbers. It is to proclaim Christ faithfully and prepare people to receive His gifts with understanding.

The best reason to become a member of Redeemer is not that the congregation will satisfy every personal preference. No congregation can do that.

The best reason is that here the Holy Scriptures are taught, the Gospel is proclaimed, Baptism is treasured, sins are forgiven, Christ’s body and blood are received, and Christians live together beneath the cross.

If you would like to learn more, attend the Divine Service and introduce yourself to Pastor Johnson. You may also contact the church office to ask about the next adult catechism class or arrange a private conversation.

You may come with questions. You may take time to listen and learn. You may discover that Lutheran teaching is both deeper and more comforting than you expected.

At the center of everything is not our decision, effort, or religious achievement. At the center is Jesus Christ and what He has done for sinners.

Christ crucified and risen, for you.