Membership

We welcome you to be part of the life and worship of our faith community. And we also invite you to explore membership options to support the noble causes of the Lord’s church in Tucson.

One of our core values is to welcome everyone into spiritual community. This means everyone is welcome to participate in the regular activities of the church, such as Sunday worship, small groups, classes, service projects, and community events. You don’t need to become an official member; everyone is invited to be involved. Membership becomes relevant when making decisions about church policies and finances. Membership confers the right to cast a vote at congregational meetings. In order to be as inclusive as we can, our By-laws provide two levels of membership: Associate Membership and Full Membership. Associate Members do not need to be baptized into the New Church and they can provide an advisory vote. Full Members are baptized into the New Church and become members of our denomination before signing the Sunrise Chapel roll book.

How to become a member:

Membership is open to those 20 years of age and older. Any adult who wishes to become a member (either Associate or Full Member) may speak to the pastor to initiate the membership process. Before becoming a Full Member of Sunrise Chapel, you will be invited to get baptized and then to become a member of the General Church of the New Jerusalem,which is Sunrise Chapel’s parent organization.

 

Options for Participation at Sunrise Chapel

Everyone is invited to participate in the worship and the life of our church by getting involved with our programs and activities. No formality is required. Just show up!

Introduction to Our Church

“New Church Foundations” is our 101 survey course covering all the basic teachings, history, and overview of our church – locally and worldwide. This course is offered whenever there are several people interested. There is always engaging discussion about a lot of topics. It’s one of the pastor’s favorite small groups. Interested? Just ask the pastor about it!

Becoming a Member

If you want to have a full vote at Sunrise Chapel’s organizational meetings or want to serve on the Church Board of Directors, (and you are at least age 20), we welcome you to formalize your connection through membership, a 3-step process outlined below.

1. The sacrament of baptism

 

To be baptized expresses a willingness to be instructed by the Lord and develop a personal relationship with Him in love and faith. Since Sunrise Chapel is based on a unique Christian theology and practice, the first step in full membership is baptism into the New Church. By it, you show a willingness to align yourself with the belief that the Old and New Testaments informed by the theology revealed through Emanuel Swedenborg is the Word of the Lord for the New Church.
To prepare for the sacrament of baptism, take our “membership course” – New Church Foundations.
The sacrament of baptism may be held privately or as part of a more public worship service. Just as the pastor for more details.

2. Become a member of our parent organization

Once baptized into the faith of the New Church, the next step is to become a member of our parent organization, the General Church of the New Jerusalem, headquartered in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania. This is to express your willingness to work within the governing principles and structure of the worldwide church organization. Each local congregation is unique in many ways, but we are all connected through this worldwide organization. Becoming a member is simply a matter of applying to the current Executive Bishop. Your pastor will provide the details.

3. Apply for membership in Sunrise Chapel

The final step is to apply to the pastor for membership in Sunrise Chapel. Upon acceptance, you are invited to sign the roll of membership.

This is an invitation for you to join our spiritual community and our non-profit organization. It will give you a say in the direction of the church, a church which can serve the Lord by helping people to experience heavenly joy through spiritual growth.