{"id":34,"date":"2023-12-21T17:43:05","date_gmt":"2023-12-21T17:43:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/losaltosucc.net\/?page_id=34"},"modified":"2023-12-21T20:54:29","modified_gmt":"2023-12-21T20:54:29","slug":"membership","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/losaltosucc.net\/index.php\/membership\/","title":{"rendered":"MEMBERSHIP"},"content":{"rendered":"

Becoming a Member of Los Altos United Church of Christ*<\/h3>\n

The people at Los Altos United Church of Christ come from all walks of life and diverse religious backgrounds. Join us on your journey, and you\u2019ll find a welcoming home of spiritual seekers who will provide fellowship, support, encouragement, and assistance.<\/p>\n

How do I get started?<\/strong>
\nThe best way to get started is to come and be part of our journey\u2014worship with us, fellowship with us, learn with us. There is no pressure to join.<\/p>\n

At Los Altos UCC, we respect one anothers\u2019 individual spiritual journeys. We take the Bible seriously, not literally. We celebrate two sacraments, baptism and communion. The worshiping community is central to the life of our church, and members are encouraged to attend worship services regularly.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s the process?<\/strong>
\nWe typically accept new members into the congregation 2-3 times each year. During our Sunday worship service we introduce and welcome the new members and we affirm our covenant with one another. If you\u2019d like to know more about membership, please contact the Pastor, who will set up a meeting to talk with you and answer any questions you might have.<\/p>\n

As a part of the United Church of Christ, we are a non-creedal church. That means we view creeds and statements of faith as \u201ctestimonies not tests.\u201d We do not require you to believe any particular set of doctrinal statements; however, many of our members find these statements to be meaningful and an important part of our shared identity.<\/p>\n

What does it cost?<\/strong>
\nWe find that our spiritual journeys are enriched and supported by regular church attendance and involvement. We believe it is important to support the church with our time, our talents, and our treasure. Members support the mission and ministry of the church to whatever degree they are able. We understand our giving to be an expression of our gratitude to God.<\/p>\n

Do I have to join to be part of the church?<\/strong>
\nNo. Many folks participate in the life of our faith community without becoming a member. However, most of us find that our experience becomes deeper and richer for having made the commitment of membership. As a congregational church, members have a voice and can vote in congregational meetings on issues such as the budget, the election of officers and board members, the calling of pastors, and other policies.<\/p>\n

How long do I have to attend before I can join?<\/strong>
\nThere are no specific requirements or timelines for joining. Some have chosen to join within a month of coming here for the first time. Others have waited longer before deciding to join the church. Each person\u2019s situation and faith journey is unique. As Jesus says in the gospel of John, \u201cthe Spirit blows where it chooses.\u201d When the Spirit seems to be calling you to join, then that\u2019s the right time for you.<\/p>\n

Can I keep my church connection back home?<\/strong>
\nYes, we are glad to welcome you into membership as an associate member. Associate membership has all the rights and privileges and responsibilities of regular membership, but you continue to maintain your connection with your home church.<\/p>\n

* \u201cBecome a member\u201d adapted from First Congregational UCC in Manhattan, Kansas and Lakewood UCC in Colorado.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"100-width.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-34","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/losaltosucc.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/34","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/losaltosucc.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/losaltosucc.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/losaltosucc.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/losaltosucc.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/losaltosucc.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/34\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":186,"href":"https:\/\/losaltosucc.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/34\/revisions\/186"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/losaltosucc.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}