membership at antioch

Learn about what membership means, why we have it, and how you can become a member at Antioch Fullerton.

Why Membership?

In scripture, we see Jesus invite ordinary people into a life of knowing and following Him. His followers, called disciples, are invited into a community where they collectively prioritize learning to be with Him (Mark 3:14), becoming like Him (Luke 6:40), and embracing the mission He came for (Matthew 28:18-20). These communities of Jesus-followers are the local church as seen in the New Testament. Scripture ties both our relationship with Him and our spiritual growth to being a meaningful part of a local church, where in committed relationships we can discover Him more and give and receive the life of Jesus. 

One of the pictures that scripture paints of a local church community is that of a human body.  As Paul puts it in Romans, like the human body the church is, “one body with many members.” (Rom. 12:4).  These members of the body are to care for one another (1 Cor. 12:25), honor and include one another (1 Cor. 12:21-23), suffer and rejoice together (1 Cor. 12:26), and utilize our giftings for the well being of the body (Rom. 12:6). These passages paint the picture that the commitment of the members to the body creates an environment where they and every other part can both receive and give the life they need.

What is Membership?

Simply put, being a member at Antioch means you are a baptized believer who is living out some of the basic commands of Jesus. 

Practically, this means that members:

  1. Have received the gift of salvation and have been baptized.

  2. Agree with Antioch’s statement of faith. (PDF version)

  3. Regularly participate in following Jesus and the life of the church as lined out in the membership agreement.

While membership is optional and you can still be fully involved at Antioch without being a member, we fully believe that these basic, Biblical commitments are essential to the life of a disciple and the well-being of a church community.

How to Become a Member

STEP 1: Welcome to Antioch Lunch - Attend one of our free, monthly lunches to learn more about Antioch Fullerton. Upcoming Welcome Lunches >

STEP 2: Teachings & Core Beliefs - Listen to our 6 key sermons regarding our membership process (see below), and understand and acknowledge our Core Beliefs >

STEP 3: Complete a Membership Form - Fill out the short digital Membership Form > declaring your intention to become a member.

STEP 4: Connect with a Pastor or Elder - Our desire is to connect personally with our members, answer any questions they have, and understand how we can support and help them on their journey with Christ and the local church. In light of that, having a sit-down connection with one of the pastors or elders is a key step we ask everybody to take so that we can best assist each individual or family in a personal way. Note: a member of our team will reach out to you upon completion of the membership form.

STEP 5: Commit to the Membership Agreement - This is a commitment we invite people to make in order to help them “put a stake in the ground” for their own journey with Christ and commitment to a local church. Membership Agreement >

READY TO EXPLORE MEMBERSHIP?

This brief membership form (from step #3) is simply a tangible way to declare your intention to become a member. Once completed, a member of our team will reach out to you about next steps!

Membership Sermon Series

Our sermon series from October 2024 called “Essential Discipleship: God’s Design for the Church” covers some core convictions and values behind our membership process. As a crucial part of the membership process, we encourage you to give them a listen. There are 6 episodes:

  1. Disciples Belong - Why do we need the church?

  2. Disciples Become - What does it mean to be a disciple?

  3. Disciples Believe - Why does it matter what we believe?

  4. Disciples Love God - How do we love God, together?

  5. Disciples Love People - How do we really love people?

  6. Disciples Change the World - How do we participate in the mission of God?

For the handout referenced in this episode, click here.

More About Antioch

New to the faith? Read a summary about the nature of the person Jesus—his Humanity, his Divinity, and His purposes in the earth.

SALVATION

Explore more about our core doctrines, our distinctive doctrines, and creeds we hold to here.

BAPTISM

Learn more about our beliefs about baptism, its significance, and how you can be baptized at Antioch.

BELIEFS

Have Questions?

We understand that the journey of membership can be complex.

If you are not quite ready for membership but want to learn more or connect with a member of our pastoral team, please contact us by filling out the form below.