Becoming a Member of East Side Lutheran Church

East Side Lutheran Church welcomes all people to services of worship or any church function, with no expectation of further commitment. Anyone may request to be placed on the mailing list and be given offering envelopes. All people are welcome at any of the worship services of the congregation. Nonmembers may not hold a congregational office or vote at congregational meetings.

All questions regarding membership at East Side Lutheran Church can be addressed to our membership coordinator, Kay Dammer. She can be reached at 334-3339 or e-mail to kdammer@sio.midco.net

East Side invites you to become a member of our congregation. This can be done in a number of ways:

•  Those currently members of a Lutheran Church can transfer their membership to East Side.

•  Those desiring to join East Side from non-Lutheran Churches are asked to attend a new member class.

•  Those with no previous church membership attend a new member class and/or meet with one of the pastors.

Expectations of Members

        To worship regularly

        To pray faithfully

        To read/study God's Word: the Bible

        To give generously

        To join and support each other in responding to God's invitation to mission – God's 

        mission to redeem the world. This means we seek to discover and participate in what God

        is already doing in our community and world – reshaping our community and world into

        what God intended.

Members are classified as follows:

•  congregations or by affirmation of faith.

•  Confirmed members are baptized persons who have been confirmed in this congregation, those who have been received by adult baptism or by transfer as confirmed members from other Lutheran congregations, or baptized persons received by affirmation of faith.

•  Voting members are confirmed members. Such confirmed members, during the current or preceding calendar year, shall have communed in this congregation and shall have made a contribution of record to this congregation.

•  Associate members are persons holding membership in other Christian congregations who wish to retain such membership but desire to participate in the life and mission of this congregation, or persons who wish to retain a relationship with this congregation while being members of other congregations. They have all the privileges and duties of membership except voting rights and eligibility for elected offices or membership on the Congregation Council of this congregation.

Participation in Holy Communion

East Side Lutheran invites all baptized Christians who believe in the real presence of Jesus Christ to participate regularly in Holy Communion. Participation in the Lord's Supper is the reception of the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ given with bread and wine, ‘given and shed for you for the remission of sins' and instituted by Christ himself for us to eat and drink. ( Luther's Small Catechism ) Preparation for Holy Communion will be provided for persons as young as ten years of age or in the fifth grade.

NEW MEMBER CLASS

There are several new member classes offered throughout the year. Often the topics are organized according to the needs of the participants but include:

        Lutheran Doctrine and Practice

        Discipleship in the World

        Stewardship of God's gifts

        Questions from participants

New Member Orientation

members, meet some of the staff, hear specifics about programs and service opportunities both within and beyond East Side, as well as to tour the facilities.