membership
The Church is Precious
The church is Christ’s precious possession; this is who she is by divine proclamation (1 Pet 2:9). As saints, saved by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, we should love the church—Christ’s church—for what is precious to Christ should be precious to us. The church is not a building, a place, or an object; it is the people of God, redeemed in Christ, and “called out” to bear witness to Jesus Christ in this world. The church is precious and is to be loved—that is those who appear lovable and unlovable, spiritually mature and immature, faithfully strong and weak; thus, the greatest and the least who profess faith in Christ are to be loved.
So precious to Christ is she, that He calls her His bride (Rev 21:9). We should love her because Christ “loved the church and gave Himself up for her” (Eph 5:25). The church is Christ’s precious “possession” (Titus 2:14) chiefly because He purchased her “with His own blood” (Ac 20:28), which is “precious” (1 Pet 1:19). His blood is precious and by an act of inestimable grace through His redeeming purchase, has rendered His church precious, wherever she may be represented without distinction.
Membership application
If you are interested in membership, you download and print this form, fill it out, and submit it to the church office.
Membership Covenant
A summary of our commitment to God and one another as one body in Christ.
Esteemed Highly for Christ’s Sake
The local assembling of believers is to be upheld and esteemed highly for Christ’s sake and for the sake of His people. The local church is identified as a realm of spiritual fellowship; a context for true communion. It fosters unity (Phil 2:1‐4), brotherly love (Rom 12:10), accountability (Matt 18:17), and the necessary strengthening to strive together for the same purpose of the gospel (Phil 1:27). The church also serves as the environment where spiritual edification and growth occur (1 Pet 2:1), and where spiritual leadership develops and matures (2 Tim 2:2). These blessed pursuits are facilitated not in the universal body, but in the local assembly.
On the basis of a biblical conviction toward unity and mutual accountability in the local body of Christ (cf. Acts 2:42; 20:17–28; Rom 12; 1 Cor 12; Eph 4; etc.), we affirm that these principles are best exercised through local church membership. Membership is not based upon rules and regulations established by the leadership of the church, nor does it obligate you to anything beyond what is prescribed for the fellowship of a New Testament assembly, namely the bond of love.
If you desire to labor with us and commit to the fellowship we have in the gospel of Jesus Christ, please contact the church office at (408) 782-1619 or by email: office@trinitybiblechurch.org.
For more on our convictions regarding the Church, please download our Philosophy of Ministry (pdf).
Magnificence in the making
A sermon on the significance of the church from Ephesians 5:25-27.