How to Become a Member at Good Sam.
Everyone is welcome to take part in any area of the Good Sam community. It is not necessary to become an official member in order to fully participate. Once you request a name tag, you will be on our general mailing list, which means you get our newsletter the Tidings, and other notices via mail.
However, if you want to become official, here’s what to do:
It all depends on where you are in your journey with Christ.
If you are:
- Unbaptized, then please talk to the rector, any member of vestry, or any of the welcome team about finding out how to receive baptism. Usually, we check to see that you understand the faith you’re signing up for, and if not, offer a few classes. If you are not an adult, then we talk to your parents. Once you are baptized by the Water and the Spirit, you are a full member of Good Sam (and the Christian community at large!).
- Baptized, but not confirmed, please talk to the rector, any member of vestry, or any of the welcome team about finding out how to become confirmed in the Episcopal Church. Is this sounding familiar? Chris, our rector, teaches a series on the Episcopal Church. We do confirmations once a year, when the bishop of our diocese visits us.
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Confirmed, but not Episcopalian, then there is the opportunity to be “received” into the church. You might want to take the confirmation class to be sure you know what you’re letting yourself in for, and you’ll have to wait for the bishop to make his annual visit as he receives people at the same time he confirms others.
- If you are a confirmed Episcopalian, then please contact the church office and let us know from which church we can request the “letter of transfer”. Please remember to list your children (if any) as the other church may not know they are yours.
Our Registrar, Bill Broughton, knows everything there is to know about membership in the church, and is the primary point of contact, if you have any questions.
If you’re not ready to officially join us, but plan to keep attending Good Sam, there is some information we would like to collect from you, so that we can help you with your spiritual journey. At some point, you will be contacted by phone and letter about meeting and chatting with somebody at church, and about filling out the “Parishioner Data Form”, which we hope you will fill out and return!