Reception of Members
This is the ritual that we use to welcome persons into our congregation.
Invitation
Leader: We invite to come forward those who wish to affirm their baptism by
uniting with us in this household of faith:
Leader: Friends in Christ, we all are received into the church through the
sacrament of baptism. These people have found nurture and support in the midst
of the family of Christ. Through prayer and study they have been led by the
Holy Spirit to affirm their baptism and to claim in our presence their
covenantal relationship with Christ and the members of the church. They are
here for service to Jesus Christ, using the gifts which the Holy Spirit
bestows.
Sentences
Leader: Hear the words of Jesus: I am the vine, you are the branches.
Anyone who abides in me, and I in that person, is the one who bears much
fruit. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will,
and it shall be done for you. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in
my love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and
that your joy may be full.
Questions of the Candidates
Leader: Do you desire to affirm your baptism into the faith and family of
Jesus Christ?
Candidates: I do.
Leader: Do you renounce the powers of evil and desire the freedom of new
life in Christ?
Candidates: I do.
Leader: Do you profess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior?
Candidates: I do.
Leader: Do you promise, by the grace of God, to be Christ’s disciple, to
follow in the way of our Savior, to resist oppression and evil, to show love
and justice, and to witness to the work and word of Jesus Christ as best you
are able?
Candidates: I promise, with the help of God.
Leader: Do you promise, according to the grace given you, to grow in the
Christian faith and to be a faithful member of the church of Jesus Christ,
celebrating Christ’s presence and furthering Christ’s mission in all the
world?
Candidates: I promise, with the help of God.
Affirmation of Faith
Leader: Let us unite with the church in all times and places in confessing
our faith in the triune God, using the UCC Statement of Faith, inside the
front cover of the hymnal.
Address
Leader: By your baptism you were made one with us in the body of Christ,
the church. Today we rejoice in your pilgrimage of faith which has brought you
to this time and place. We give thanks for every community of faith that has
been your spiritual home, and we celebrate your presence in this household of
faith.
Question About Participation
Leader: Do you promise to participate in the life and mission of this
family of God’s people, sharing regularly in the worship of God and enlisting
in the work of this local church as it serves this community and the world?
Candidates: I promise, with the help of God.
Welcome and Reception
Leader: Let us, the members of First Congregational United Church of
Christ, express our welcome and affirm our mutual ministry in Christ.
People: We welcome you with joy in the common life of this church. We
promise you our friendship and prayers as we share the hopes and labors of the
church of Jesus Christ. By the power of the Holy Spirit may we continue to
grow together in God’s knowledge and love and be witnesses of our risen
Savior.
Greeting of Christian Love and Presentation of Certificate
Leader: In the name of Jesus Christ, and on behalf of First Congregational
United Church of Christ, we extend to you the hand of Christian love,
welcoming you into the company of this church.
Prayer
Leader: O God, we praise you for calling us to faith and for gathering us
into the church, the body of Christ. We thank you for your people gathered in
this church and rejoice that you have increased our community of faith.
Together may we live in the Spirit, building one another up in love, sharing
in the life and worship of the church, and serving the world for the sake of
Jesus Christ. Amen.
