Membership Application

OVERVIEW

Welcome!

What follows is the application to become a covenanted member of Downtown Cornerstone Church. The church is a people, not a place. Becoming a member of a church is not like becoming a member of your local gym, country club, or grocery store. Rather, to become a member of a church is to formally covenant and commit yourself to God’s people, in Christ, in a local context. Church membership is a tangible way of demonstrating that you are a member of the household of God (Eph 2:19), a member of the body of Christ (1 Cor 12:27), and a partner in the gospel (Phil 1:5) by faith in the person and work of Jesus. We’re excited you’re considering becoming involved in this community. Please let us know if you have any questions along the way!

The Process

JESUS
This (almost) goes without saying, but church membership is for those that have repented of their sin and embraced Jesus Christ as their Lord, Savior, and Friend. If you’re still peeking over the proverbial fence of Christianity, we’re glad you’re here - but let’s continue the conversation about Jesus before becoming a member.
CLASS
A significant aspect of the process is walking through the entire Foundations Class that merges essential Christian doctrine with important elements of DCC’s mission, core convictions, and practices. You don’t have to agree with everything we believe, but we do ask that you not be contentious or divisive when differences arise.
PARTICIPATE
In Christ, we are spiritually united; the local church is the primary place where that new union is tangibly expressed. The church is meant to be a home, not a hotel, where members gladly exercise their God-given gifts to “build up” the church in love (Eph 4:11-16; 1 Cor 12-14). Therefore, a vital component of membership is participation in the life of the church: to know and be known by others (i.e., community), to exercise your gifts through service (i.e., service), and to faithfully steward your financial resources for the care of the church and the spread of the gospel (i.e., giving). If you’re not yet participating in these ways, we are happy to help you take these steps even as you pursue membership.
APPLICATION & COVENANT
The application covers basic information, your faith testimony, and affirming your alignment with Downtown Cornerstone Church’s doctrine, outlined in the Statement of Faith and Elder Affirmations, and agreement with the Member Covenant. After you've completed the application, we'll reach out to schedule your meeting with a pastor.
MEETING WITH A PASTOR
Pastors are called to care for, lead, feed, protect, and oversee the church as undershepherds to Jesus. They are to do so joyfully and personally, as they will give an account to God for those entrusted to their care (Hebrews 13:17). In this meeting with a DCC Pastor, you'll discuss your application, cover basic doctrinal questions, and the member covenant. Don’t worry! This isn’t a try-out. If you follow Jesus, are participating in the life of the church, taken the Foundations class, and have completed the application, you’ll do well. This is an additional opportunity for us to get to know you and for you to get to know us. Most find this is their favorite part of the process!
CONGREGATIONAL VOTE
After your meeting, the pastor will update the other elders so they can get to know and pray for you. Together, they will make a recommendation to the congregation to receive you as a member (or, if you need to be baptized, as a member pending baptism) at the next Members' Meeting. In that Members' Meeting, a pastor will present a brief summary of your testimony and participation in the church, answer any questions, and then lead a congregational vote. After the meeting, you'll be notified and added to the Members' group (on Church Center), or scheduled for an upcoming baptism (if you've not yet been baptized).

Notes

Are you married? If both you and your spouse are part of DCC and want to pursue membership, we would like for you to do it together. Though you are joining as individuals, you are also entering into membership as a couple. In order to account for all of our members, it is important that husbands and wives complete the member application individually. Please make sure to list your spouse so that your individual profiles are connected. Once you have both completed the membership application, your meeting with a pastor will be scheduled together.
Confidentiality & Electronic Submission - We recognize that matters of faith can be very personal, and as such, we take confidentiality and data security seriously. The information you share on this form will only be shared with DCC elders and select deacons assisting in the membership process. Formstack uses industry-standard practices for data security (read more here). An electronic copy of your application will also be emailed to you for your records/reference. If you are concerned about sharing particular details through this form, simply indicate "I'd like to discuss in person" wherever applicable.
Can I save my work? Yes! You can save your work and resume later at any time by clicking the "Save and Resume" link at the bottom of each section. This will generate a unique link to resume answering questions at a later time. You must save your unique link in order to resume, and you must restart within the next 30 days. On average, the application takes 1-2 hours.

PERSONAL INFORMATION

We ask for your contact information so that we can live as a family together. Basic contact information (email, phone) will only be shared with select groups that you’re a part of, which can be controlled through your profile in Church Center.

We also ask for a few pieces of demographic information for your profile, so that we can know you better and be able to have a picture of our church. Demographic information will only be shared with elders and select staff.

Name*

First Name

Last Name

Email*

Phone*

Address*

Address Line 1

Address Line 2

City

State

ZIP Code

Gender*

Date of Birth*

Marital Status*

What is your spouse's name?*

What is your fiance(e)'s name?*

Do you have any children?*

Child(ren) Name(s) and Age(s)*

Employer and Position*

Highest Education Completed*

Race & Ethnicity *

Do you speak any languages in addition to English? If yes, which one(s)?*

Are you currently a registered sex offender?*

Please read and confirm that you've reviewed and agreed to our sex offender policy for the parameters we have to protect everyone in our church and encourage accountability, full-disclosure, and compliance with the laws of Washington State.*

I have read and agree to the sex offender policy. I have questions I'd like to discuss with a pastor before agreeing to the sex offender policy.

Please briefly explain your situation and sex offender status.*

Please upload a recent photo (headshot) using the file submission link below. *

No File Chosen

File uploads may not work on some mobile devices.

This photo will help the church put a face to your name during the membership process. We will also upload this photo to Planning Center and use it in our membership directory.

PRIOR CHURCH INVOLVEMENT

What best describes your religious background?*

Did you become a Christian with Downtown Cornerstone?*

Have you been baptized as a believer?*

(See Matthew 28:19)

Date of Baptism*

Place/Church of Baptism*

Have you previously been, or currently under, church discipline?*

If yes, please explain. *

What church have you most recently been a part of prior to DCC? Are or were you a member at that church? If none, answer none.*

Please list the contact information for your current/previous church? (i.e., Pastor's name, email and/or phone number, church website.) If none, answer n/a.*

DCC PARTICIPATION

How did you originally hear about DCC?*

What led to your decision to make DCC your home church?*

Are you currently participating with a Cornerstone Community?*

What Cornerstone Community are you involved in?*

Are you currently serving within an area/ministry of DCC?*

Ministry Details*

PERSONAL TESTIMONY

How should I share my story?

Consider modeling your testimony after Paul’s conversion story to King Agrippa in Acts 26:4-23. In this section you will see that Paul’s story includes:

Who he was before he met Jesus (vs. 4-11)

What was your life like…what characterized you? How did you think of the Lord?

“My family, friends, interests were…”
“My most important value was…”
My religious background and attitude about Christ were…”

How he met Jesus (vs. 12-20)

Describe the world around you that drove you to consider Christ, whether it was circumstances or time.

“I was awakened to my need by (people, books, circumstances)…”
“What I thought or noticed (about myself, God) at this point was…”

Share the specific steps of how you became a Christian (e.g. scripture, word, person, church, etc)

"The aspects of the gospel that touched me were…”
“I came to understand that Christ…”
“I saw my need was…”

Explain the gospel clearly. For example:

“I saw that I was a sinner fully deserving of God’s wrath.”
"But, I then understood that Jesus died in my place, bearing the wrath of God, on the cross for me.”
"When I repented of my sin, turned from my old lifestyle, placed faith in Jesus’ sacrifice, I was forgiven of all my sin, became a child of God and received the gift of eternal life.”

How his life has changed after becoming a Christian. (vs. 21-23)

Describe your journey with God since conversion, detailing church experiences, developments in your theological understanding, influential authors or mentors, and major moments of repentance or growth.

What difference has Christ made in your life? In the way you act? Think? In the way others see you?

Don't be afraid to share that you still have struggles, but how Christ helps you with these struggles.

"What changed was…”
"My desires now are…”
"I’m now doing…”
"A difficult area of obedience is…”

Testimony*

Is there anything, past or present, which you believe could impact your membership?*

Please address any of the following: habitual/unrepentant sin (sexual or otherwise), criminal activity, doctrinal disagreements, ministry philosophy.

GOSPEL & FOUNDATIONS CLASS

A significant aspect of the process is walking through the Foundations Class that merges essential Christian doctrine with important elements of DCC’s vision.

What is the good news of the gospel? How would you explain the gospel to an unbelieving friend?*

Which Foundations Class series did you attend? (example: Feb 2018)*

Did you miss any of those 5 classes?*

What class(es) did you miss? Please comment. If you're not sure, please indicate so.*

We want to ensure that everyone has had the opportunity to work through the content of all five sessions. Please take this opportunity to save the link to any session you missed and plan to listen prior to your membership interview

Video: What we believe, Audio: What we believe, and Handout
Video: Why belong, Audio: Why belong, and Handout
Video: Who we are, Audio: Who we are, and Handout
Video: Why we are here, Audio: Why we are here, and Handout
Video: How we live together, Audio: How we live together, and Handout

Did you save the needed links?*

Yes

MEMBER COVENANT

The Member Covenant articulates our relationship to one another as brothers and sisters in Christ within the body of Downtown Cornerstone Church. Please read the covenant carefully and prayerfully before checking that you agree.

Downtown Cornerstone Church's Member Covenant

I have read the Downtown Cornerstone Church Membership Covenant. I understand this covenant obligates me to the DCC Members and elders, and they to me. I accept the responsibility to notify leadership if, at any time, I can no longer commit to this covenant, or if I have any questions, comments, or concerns. I will regularly pray for DCC, the leadership, and its members. By God’s grace, I will seek to fulfill my obligations as a follower of Jesus and covenanted member of this church for God’s glory, my joy, and the good of as many as possible.*

I agree with DCC's Member Covenant

As part of the DCC Family, I consent to receive email and SMS messages from DCC.*

I consent to receive email and SMS messages from DCC.

Note: Communication guidelines are in place to keep communications streamlined and relevant. You can adjust your notification and communication preferences at any time.

GENEROUS GIVING

Joyful financial giving is one way by which we follow Jesus and worship God (2 Cor. 9:12).
We give generously because God has generously given to us, in Christ.

Jesus says in Matthew 6:21, that “where our treasure is there will our heart be also.” What Jesus is saying is that our heart will go where we put our treasure. Therefore, we should put our treasure where we want our heart to be. Additionally, 2 Cor 9:7 says that, “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” Our purposes for giving isn’t to meet the budget, or to pay the church bills, it’s to worship God.

There’s an endless amount of ministry to be done, and so as you pray about giving to the Lord, we encourage everyone to ask these questions of themselves:

Does my giving reflect that I am an steward of everything I have, and not an owner?
Does my giving reflect that Jesus is my treasure?
Am I giving of my firstfruits, and am I giving regularly, sacrificially, and cheerfully?
Am I taking care of my local church family first and foremost?

Rather than mandating a particular percentage, the New Testament indicates our giving should be regular, sacrificial and cheerful. Old Testament giving was upwards of 26% of gross income. We typically recommend 10% as a healthy place to start. Married couples should only submit one pledge per couple. If your spouse will be submitting your family’s pledge, please enter “0” below.

Notes:

If you are not on a fixed income and unsure of the exact amount, then please provide your best estimate.
We take the stewardship of Jesus’ money very seriously through various financial controls. If you have any questions about giving, and ways you can give (donations of stock, etc.), please don’t hesitate to email giving@downtowncornerstone.org.
If you would like help with your finances, and how to steward them in a God-honoring way, please email money@downtowncornerstone.org.

As a member of Downtown Cornerstone we ask that you prayerfully consider what God is leading you to give of what he has given you, and indicate your monthly pledge below. We'll plan to touch on this topic briefly as part of the membership covenant when we meet - feel free to note any questions on the next page!

As an act of worship and based on the understanding that I am a steward, and not an owner, of all I have, my estimated monthly offering/giving will be:*

What has been your average monthly giving over the last 3 months?*

MEETING WITH A PASTOR

The last step you'll take in the process is meeting with a pastor. Don’t worry! This isn’t a try-out or a test, but an additional opportunity for us to get to know you and for you to get to know us, ask questions, etc. Many folks find this is their favorite part of the process!

When you submit your application, our membership coordinator will be automatically notified that you are ready for your meeting. They will assign you to a pastor, who will reach out to you to schedule your meeting.

What to expect during your meeting:

Share your story with your Pastor.
We want to know you, how we can be praying for you, and the gifts and passions Jesus has given you for the building up of the body.
Answer some basic doctrinal questions.
We want to make sure that all of our members understand what it means to be Christian, and so we will ask you some questions related to your understanding of the Gospel and what it means to be a member of a local church.
- What is the gospel?
- Who was/is Jesus? Why do we worship Jesus at Downtown Cornerstone Church?
- What is sin? Who is a sinner?
- What happens to unsaved sinners? How are we saved?
- Why should Jesus let you into the kingdom of heaven when you die?
- Are there any other paths to heaven or eternal life other than Jesus?
- How do we know these things to be true?
- Why is it important to know the answers to the above questions?
- Do you have any questions about Downtown Cornerstone doctrine or beliefs?
- Do you understand what it means to be a member of a local church? Are you participating and known in a Cornerstone Community? Are you regularly serving the DCC body? Are you giving sacrificially, cheerfully and joyfully?
Following your meeting.
After your meeting, expect to receive notification from a pastor within a few weeks. If there are any questions, need for additional discussion, or there are practical next steps to walk through, your pastor will let you know. You can contact the pastor if you don’t hear anything within two weeks or at any point if you have further questions!

Are there any additional questions or issues you would like to address during your membership meeting?

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