Membership at LaSalle

Our membership process is designed to help you get to know the church, reflect on your own spiritual journey, and help us get to know you a bit more as you consider membership at LaSalle. There are three main steps involved:

• Attend a Membership Intro Class—this 90-minute session is open to all and offers an introduction to LaSalle’s beliefs and history. Whether you’ve attended for two weeks or ten years, this is a great place to ask questions and get a deeper look at who we are.

• If you decide to continue in the membership process, the next steps include completing a short application and attending a New Member Welcome Class. This two-hour session covers more details of congregational life, governance, how to get involved, and makes space to meet other new members and pastors.

• Once your application is reviewed and approved by the Elder Board, new members are welcomed into the life of the church during a Sunday service. From that time on you are welcome to attend and vote at Congregational Meetings, and be involved in all levels of church life.

One way to think about membership is that it's an invitation to move from guest to host, from being an attender to being someone who embodies generous welcome.

Members are those who agree to steward well the many good gifts from God to this Body at LaSalle and share them with others. It’s a gift rooted in God’s abundance - as those who have already been invited to the banquet table of the kin-dom of God, and are committing to furthering that kin-dom through this specific congregation, we get to then invite others, save room at the table, pull up more chairs, make the introductions at the party! That is the call of community that centers around the Body of Christ. Membership starts with relationship, belonging, and becoming through Christ’s grace and the Holy Spirit’s power – and it involves shared belief and action as we learn together what we’re called to and what God has equipped us to be through our vision and mission.    

Becoming a member involves making a few specific commitments to the church (like participation in shared community life; praying for and encouraging our mission and vision; supporting the church with your gifts of presence, time, and financial resources as you are able; using your voice and vote to shape our congregational decisions). Only members are able to vote in church decisions requiring a congregational vote, and only members can serve on our Elder Board and Nominating Committee. Otherwise, participation at LaSalle (worship, volunteering, serving, etc.) does not depend on your membership status but is encouraged as part of healthy discipleship and spiritual growth. 

Unlike some churches where membership status is extended automatically, members at LaSalle have participated in the membership process and class(es). If you haven't participated in that process, then you most likely aren't a member at LaSalle. If you're not sure, feel free to contact the church staff to ask. 

The membership class! If you're curious about the church and want to learn more, you're encouraged to participate in the New Member Intro Class, where we'll cover all the basics. Then, you can discern in prayer whether to continue with the membership process.