Membership at

ACC

SPRING 2024: Open to Adult community groups (Auburn Location)

We are beyond thrilled that you’ve decided to take this crucial step towards deepening your relationship with ACC and God’s family here. We truly believe in the beauty of belonging to a church community – it’s where you get to serve, grow, love, and be loved in a way that reflects God’s kingdom. We believe that the local church is God’s plan for belonging, growth and purpose, and we hope you experience that throughout this process!
 
This process has been carefully designed to help us know you better so that we can shepherd you well and help you find the best ways to use your God-given gifts and talents within our church family.

Please expect the full membership process to take about 1-2 months, allowing us the time and opportunity to ensure a thorough and meaningful integration into the fabric of our church family.

Expectations of Covenant Members of Auburn Community Church

*Remember the goal is intention over legality. Our team will work with you on where you can best be aligned with our expectations given your circumstances and life stage.
 
 
 
 
 

1. Being an active member of a Community Group at Auburn Community Church

  • And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” – Hebrews 10:24-25 (NIV)

2. Serving on an ACC Volunteer Team and in local outreach

  • “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” – Mark 10:45 (NIV)
  • “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” – 1 Peter 4:10 (NIV)

3. Living generously and bringing the tithe

For more details on what ACC believes about giving, click here!

  • “‘Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.'” – Malachi 3:10 (NIV)
  • “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” – 2 Corinthians 9:7 (NIV)

4. Understanding Church Membership and giving ACC Pastoral Permission to Shepherd You and Your Family

  • “Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.” – Hebrews 13:17 (NIV)
  • “Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.” – Acts 20:28 (NIV)

PHASE ONE

WELCOME TO ACC

START HERE

The purpose of this first step is to learn about who ACC is. Watch the required videos and read through Who We Are, What We Do, and Where We Are Going!

WHO WE ARE

ACC CORE CONVICTIONS

if you have watched or attended the ACC is… series already, feel free to continue past these videos.

Play Video
Play Video about Jesus-centered zeal
Play Video about counter-cultural formation
Play Video about tender-heated compassion
Play Video about multi-generational family

HISTORY OF ACC

Play Video

CORE BELIEFS

We believe the Bible is God’s Word to us in all that it teaches. We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the verbally inspired word of God, the final authority for faith and life, inerrant in the original writings, infallible and God–breathed. What the Bible says, God says. What the Bible implies, God implies.

2 TIMOTHY 3:16-17; 2 PETER 1:20-21; MATTHEW 5:18; 22:29-33; JOHN 16:12-13

We believe God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe. There is one true Holy God, eternally existing in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and equally possess all the attributes of deity and characteristics of personality. In the beginning, God created out of nothing the world and all the things therein.

GENESIS 1:1; 26-27, 3:22; PSALM 90:2; MATTHEW 28:19; 1 PETER 1:2; 2 CORINTHIANS 13:14

We believe Jesus Christ is completely human but, at the same time, completely God. He is the only plan for bringing people who are far from God back into a right relationship with God. He lived a perfect life, so that He could be a substitution for us in satisfying God’s demands for perfection. He defeated death in His resurrection so that we could have life.

ISAIAH 7:14; 53; MATTHEW 1:18-23, 3:17, 8:29, 14:33, 16:16, 28:5-6; LUKE 22:70, 24:46-47; JOHN 1:1, 14, 10:30, 11:25-27, 17:1-5; ACTS 1:9, 2:22-24, 7:55-56; ROMANS 1:3-4, 3:23-26, 8:1-3, 10:4; 1 CORINTHIANS 8:6; 2 CORINTHIANS 5:19-21; Gal 4:4-5; PHILIPPIANS 2:5-11; COLOSSIANS 1:15, 2:9; 1 TIMOTHY 2:5-6, 3:16

We believe that the church, which is the body and bride of Christ, is a spiritual organism made up of all born–again persons. We believe that the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures. We believe in the autonomy of the local churches, free of any external authority and control. We recognize believer’s baptism and the Lord’s supper as scriptural means of testimony for the church.

EPHESIANS 1:22-23, 5:25–27; 1 CORINTHIANS 12:12–14; 2 CORINTHIANS 11:2; ACTS 14:27, 18:22, 20:17; 1 TIMOTHY 3:1–3; TITUS 1:5–11; ACTS 13:1–4, 15:19–31, 20:28; ROMANS 16:1, 4; 1 CORINTHIANS 3:9, 16; 5: 4–7, 13; 1 PETER 5:1–4; MATTHEW 28:19-20; ACTS 2:41-42; 18:8; 1 CORINTHIANS 11:23–26

We believe marriage as a simple yet profound covenant: one man and one woman, committing to each other for a lifetime. It’s a unique, God-ordained covenant that grows and sustains, reflecting the deep, enduring love Christ has for his Church. The husband and wife are of equal worth before God, since both are created in God’s image. In God’s wisdom, men and women are not simply interchangeable, but rather they complement each other in mutually enriching ways.

Genesis 2:15-24, Ephesians 5: 22-33

We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace and received through personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins.

EPHESIANS 1:7, 2:8–10; JOHN 1:12; 1 PETER 1:18–19

We believe man was created to exist forever. He will exist either eternally separated from God by sin or in union with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally separated from God is Hell. To be eternally in union with Him is Heaven. Heaven and Hell are places of eternal existence. 

JOHN 3:16, 36, ROMANS 6:23, 1 JOHN 2:25, 5:11-13, REVELATION 20:15.

We believe The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, fully divine. He inspired holy men of old to write the Scriptures. Through illumination He enables men to understand truth. He exalts Christ. He convicts men of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. He calls men to the Savior, and effects regeneration. At the moment of regeneration He baptizes every believer into the Body of Christ. He cultivates Christian character, comforts believers, and bestows the spiritual gifts by which they serve God through His church. He seals the believer unto the day of final redemption. His presence in the Christian is the guarantee that God will bring the believer into the fullness of the stature of Christ. He enlightens and empowers the believer and the church in worship, evangelism, and service.

GENESIS 1:2; JUDGES 14:6; JOB 26:13; PSALMS 51:11, 139:7; ISAIAH 61:1-3; JOEL 2:28-32; MATTHEW 1:18, 3:16, 4:1, 12:28-32, 28:19; MARK 1:10,12; LUKE 1:35, 4:1,18-19, 11:13, 12:12, 24:49; JOHN 4:24, 14:16-17,26, 15:26, 16:7-14; ACTS 1:8, 2:1-4,38, 4:31, 5:3, 6:3, 7:55, 8:17,39, 10:44, 13:2, 15:28, 16:6, 19:1-6; ROMANS 8:9-11,14-16, 26-27; 1 CORINTHIANS 2:10-14, 3:16, 12:3-11,13; GALATIANS 4:6; EPHESIANS 1:13-14, 4:30, 5:18; 1 THESSALONIANS 5:19; 1 TIMOTHY 3:16, 4:1; 2 TIMOTHY 1:14, 3:16; HEBREWS 9:8,14; 2 PETER 1:21; 1 JOHN 4:13; 5:6-7; REVELATION 1:10, 22:17

We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that through Adam’s sin the race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God; man is totally depraved, and of himself utterly unable to remedy his lost condition.

GENESIS 1:26-27; ROMANS 3:22-23, 5:12; EPHESIANS 2:1–3, 12

WHAT WE DO

CORE PRACTICES

At ACC, our core practices are the foundational elements of what it looks like to practically be involved in the life of our church.

1. communion

At Auburn Community Church, communion is central to our spiritual life. We understand communion not merely as a sacrament, but as the ongoing practice of abiding in a deep, loving union with our Heavenly Father. This profound relationship is secured through grace alone, a gift that we receive with humble gratitude (Ephesians 2:8-9). But communion also extends horizontally, binding us together as a spiritual family. Living in authentic community, we share life’s joys and trials, following the early church’s example of mutual love and support (Acts 2:42-47). Through this two-fold communion, with God and with each other, we aim to embody Christ’s prayer that “they may be one as we are one” (John 17:11).

2. TRANSFORMATION

We believe that our journey with Christ is one of continual transformation, as we are gradually conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29). This transformation, a renewal of the mind and heart, is the work of the Holy Spirit within us (Romans 12:2). It’s not something we can achieve on our own, yet it requires our active participation (Phil 2:12-13). Through engaging in spiritual practices, cultivating a relationship with God, and living out our faith in everyday life, we cooperate with God’s transformative work. In this way, we aim to embody the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) and shine as lights in the world (Matthew 5:14-16).

3. commission

At Auburn Community Church, we recognize that each one of us has a unique role to play in the mission of God. Commission is our response to the call of Jesus to “go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). It involves being actively engaged in service, generosity, and sharing the message of Jesus with others. We believe that God has equipped each one of us with unique gifts, talents, and resources to be used for His glory, for the benefit of others, and the expansion of God’s Kingdom (1 Peter 4:10). This means being willing to step out of our comfort zones with radical hospitality, to love and serve others selflessly, and to be ambassadors of Christ in the world. Commission is not just something we do; it is a way of life, a natural overflow of the transformation that has occurred in our hearts through a relationship with Jesus.

WHERE WE ARE GOING

KEY MESSAGES

For additional insights into where we believe God is calling us as a Church in the future, please feel free to dive deeper into this collection of key messages.

*not required to watch for the membership process.

STEP TWO

Register & attend a Welcome to Church

Welcome to Church Lunch is a wonderful opportunity to ask questions of our staff and elders, as well as a great step to begin getting plugged into the ACC family.

After you have completed Phase One, you can begin these next steps!

PHASE TWO

tell your story

STEP 1

The first step is to submit the ACC Membership Application, which helps us know more about our ACC Family. Only one adult per household needs to submit the Membership Application for your home

APPLICATION

STEP 2

The second step is to submit the My Story form. Each household adult will be asked to articulate their story of how God has uniquely formed them through their family, life experiences, and ACC.

STORY FORM

STEP 3

The third step is to take the Spiritual Gifts Assessment. This is a great opportunity for you to further understand your unique giftings for the body of Christ. After you have completed the assessment, please submit your results to the My Spiritual Gifts form.

NOTE: This is not required for the Membership Process, but is highly encouraged.

Spiritual Gifts Assessment

MY SPIRITUAL GIFTS

STEP 4

After each household adult has completed the My Story Form, our team will pair you with a member of our “Story Team” (if you are married, you will be paired with a married couple).

 

The Vision of Story Team is to act as the bridge between potential new members and the life of Auburn Community Church. By journeying with individuals through their unique stories of faith, we aim to discern their spiritual needs, connect them to our community, and assist them towards covenant membership.

Your story team member will be able to answer questions on how to actively be engaged in the life of our church. For example: How to get plugged into a community group, how to join a serve team, etc.

Your designated story team member will contact you via email, so please ensure that you are attentive to your inbox.

Due to scheduling constraints, our story team members are granted a one-month window to arrange a meeting with their assigned prospective members.

PHASE THREE

GO AND BE THE CHURCH

FINAL STEP

This entire process will all culminate into the final step as an opportunity to join Auburn Community Church as a covenant member, launching you into next steps of involvement in our faith family.
Upon completion of the membership process, our team will provide practical touch points by email to plug you into the body in every respect, sign ups for serve teams, community groups, FAQs on giving, contact points for staff. There will be a series of emails over the course of 2 weeks, each touching on a different point of engagement.

LOCAL GATHERINGS
Find the times and addresses for all of our Local Gatherings HERE!