Membership at Trinity-St. James

​Greetings in the name of our crucified, risen, and reigning Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Trinity-St. James Lutheran Church is a congregation of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS). As such, membership at Trinity-St. James is based on your confession/agreement with the teachings of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod as drawn from the Holy Scriptures (The Bible) and the Book of Concord (The Lutheran Confessions). As a result, there are four ways to become a member of Trinity-St. James:

• By Baptism: The Sacrament of Holy Baptism is for all people infants, children, or adults. (Matthew 28:19,  Matthew 3:23, 1 Tim. 2:4, 1 Pet. 3:21) Children who have received the Sacrament of Holy Baptism at Trinity-St. James Lutheran Church are considered Baptized Members of Trinity-St. James who are under the spiritual care of the Pastor. Adults who are not yet Baptized can contact the church office by email or by calling (440) 357-5174 and enroll in Adult Information Class and receive the Sacrament of Holy Baptism. Baptism Form: child / adult.
• By Confirmation: Baptized members of Trinity-St. James can go through a two year period of catechetical instruction in the Christian faith beginning in sixth grade. At the end of this two year period, the youth may choose to undergo The Rite of Confirmation whereby they confess for themselves what their parents confessed for them at the time of their baptism.
• By Profession of Faith: Adults who are interested becoming a member of Trinity-St. James may enroll in our Adult Information Class where they are taught what LCMS Lutherans believe, teach, and confess. If you come from a non-LCMS Lutheran congregation, this course will serve as “refresher” in Lutheran doctrine, as well as clarify the differences between LCMS and other Lutheran denominations. Enrolling in our Adult Information Class is easy; simply contact the church office by email or by calling (989) 659-2506.
• By Letter of Transfer: If you are currently a member of another LCMS congregation you may request that your membership be transferred from your former LCMS Congregation to Trinity-St. James. To do this, please contact your former congregation and ask for “A Letter of Transfer” to Trinity-St. James Lutheran Church, P.o. Box 156, Munger, Michigan 48747.

 
What Being a Member of Our Church Means:
Membership at Trinity-St. James means, FIRST OF ALL, that one has opportunities to live out God’s calling to the Christian life in the fellowship of a Congregation. These include the opportunity to:

• Worship at one of the services our Church provides for believers to gather and praise God, pray to Him, hear His Word, and celebrate the Sacraments as He has commanded.
  Members, who believe that Jesus went to the cross to die for their sins, will want to attend Church faithfully unless illness, advanced age, emergency, or special circumstances prevent them from doing so. We are reminded in the Scriptures, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25).
• During advent and Lent, special services are held on Wednesdays nights. People whose occupation requires them to work on Sundays are encouraged to ask their employer to, if possible, plan their schedule in such a way that they can worship our Lord, the Head of the Church, at least every other week.
• Learn through the educational programs Trinity-St. James offers, Sunday School and Bible Classes for all ages, and Confirmation instruction. We encourage all members to participate because every Christian needs to grow spiritually. These opportunities are available to non-members, as well.
• Serve by using their time and talents with which God has blessed them to glorify God and to build and extend His Church. Christians are called “not to be served, but to serve.” Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be great among you must be servant of all” (Matthew 20: 27-28). Our church offers many opportunities for service already. We are willing to assist members in discovering where they might best serve or where there is a need in ministry.

 
Benefits
Church membership means SECONDLY, that the Church will provide certain benefits and privileges that are not automatically or routinely available to non-members. These include:

• WEDDINGS in our sanctuary and with the services of our pastors and other staff members. 
• BAPTISMS for the children of members.
• FUNERALS for members or their immediate family. Planning Funeral/Memorial Form - Funeral Planning Form 
• PASTORAL COUNSELING in times of crisis or personal need.
• VISITATION while hospitalized or homebound.
• ENROLLMENT discount of member’s children in a local Lutheran School.
• HOLY COMMUNION as practiced by The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod.
• FELLOWSHIP through various organizations and activities.

 
Obligations
Being a Church member means, THIRDLY, certain obligations to the Church on the part of our members. These include the necessity to:

• Pray for and support the pastor and other staff members and speak well of them to others (both fellow members and people outside the congregation). Also pray for the members of our congregation and for others that they be brought to faith in Jesus Christ.
• Support the mission of the Church financially with regular and sacrificial offerings. The Biblical practice of tithing (giving a percentage of income) is strongly encouraged. Those who are richly blessed materially and those who benefit from hearing God’s Word through the church are especially encouraged to be generous.
• Give time and abilities to share in doing the many tasks that are necessary for the continuation of the congregation’s ministry. God has given each person special abilities that our congregation needs. This may include serving on a board or committee, helping out with one of the ministry programs of the Church, or even assisting with maintenance of the buildings and grounds.

We thank our Lord, the Head of the Church that He has called and gathered us together in His Church here at Trinity-St. James. May He continue to bless His ministry at Trinity-St. James to His glory and for the welfare of His Redeemed People.