Membership

Become a Member of Horicon Baptist Church

Church membership isn’t a mere formality — it’s how a believer publicly declares: “These are my people. This is my church. I will walk with them, love them, serve them, and submit to their correction and leadership.”

And it’s also how the church declares: “This one is ours. He belongs to us. We will walk with him, watch over him, and help him follow Jesus.”

At Horicon Baptist Church, we believe that meaningful membership is essential to the health of the church and the faithfulness of every Christian. It’s how we commit to one another as a spiritual family. It’s how we make our discipleship visible, our care intentional, and our accountability real (Matthew 18:15–20; Hebrews 13:17; Galatians 6:1–2).

We follow a simple, intentional four-step process for becoming a member:

Note: These steps can happen in any order and at your own pace. Whether you’ve been attending for years or just started visiting, we’d be honored to walk with you.

1. Fill Out the Membership Application
The membership application is the first step in getting to know you — your background, your understanding of the Gospel, and your testimony of faith in Christ. It also gives you the opportunity to thoughtfully engage with our Statement of Faith and Church Covenant, and begin considering what it means to join a church in love, truth, and mutual commitment.

🔗 Download the Membership Application -- PDF -- Word Doc

Once completed, bring it with you to your membership class or pastoral meeting, or email it to [email protected]

2. Attend the Membership Class
“Membership Matters” is a three-part class that introduces you to:

The essentials of the Gospel
What we believe (our Statement of Faith)
How we live together as a church (our Church Covenant)

Because we’re a smaller church, we don’t run these classes on a fixed schedule. Instead, we offer them flexibly throughout the year — often on Sunday mornings, or during a Friday night/Saturday morning format, depending on your availability.
Once you’ve completed all three sessions, you’re welcome — but not obligated — to move on to the next step.
If you're interested, just email us at [email protected] or talk to a pastor on Sunday, and we’ll schedule a time that works for you.

3. Meet with a Pastor
This is a relaxed, one-hour conversation where you’ll:

Share a bit of your background
Tell us how you came to trust in Christ
Ask any remaining questions about the church or our beliefs

It’s a time for us to get to know each other better and help you discern whether membership at HBC is the right next step for you.

4. Congregational Affirmation
At our next members meeting, you’ll be introduced to the congregation. The pastor you met with will share a brief summary of your testimony and recommend you for membership. Members will then have the opportunity to ask questions and, after a vote of affirmation, welcome you into the church family.

Still Have Questions?
We’d love to talk more with you about what it means to belong to a church.
Feel free to email us at [email protected] or talk to a pastor after a Sunday servic