If you have reached a moment in your life where you have decided to enter into a personal relationship with Jesus, you may be wondering what happens next.

What is a Follower of Jesus?

We hear the name “Christian” in our culture, but tend to think of it as a type of religion instead of a lifestyle. A Christian is someone who follows Jesus’ teaching, instructions, and direction in their life. Our new relationship with Jesus and making Him priority in our life should fill us with a different attitude toward ourselves, others, and our world. A follower of Jesus lives out that change of heart, and strives to align their will with the will of God by obeying His instructions.

But a follower of Jesus can’t in their own power change everything in their lives to resemble His. It takes time and is a process of learning (discipleship) and changing (transformation). The part of this process we can do is to make efforts to learn more about Jesus and His instructions for living and loving others, and apply what we learn to opportunities that come along in our life.

Will we always do this perfectly? No. The Bible even reminds us of this: “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). That means new followers, as well as long-time followers of Jesus will mess up. But the great thing about Jesus is that He’s not about records, He’s about relationship, and in those moments, He is less concerned with what you did and more concerned about how to restore your relationship.

Baptism

At New Hope, we believe that baptism is not necessary for salvation, but is a public declaration and picture of the believer’s new, personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Accepting Jesus’ atonement for your sin by making Him the new leader of your life is symbolized by baptism by immersion - it symbolizes the end of an old way of life (the old life being buried with Jesus), and the beginning of your new life in Christ (the new life rising from the old). We also believe baptism to be an act of obedience and encourage any believer who has not been baptized to consider following through.

Since we believe that baptism is for those who have placed their faith in Christ and committed to a personal relationship with Him, we wait until children are old enough to believe in Christ and understand the true meaning of baptism before they are baptized. New Hope offers a class to help answer children’s questions and walk carefully through their understanding of the choice they are making. This class, New Hope New Kids, is a no-pressure class that involves parent participation. If your child is wanting or asking about a relationship with Jesus, we encourage you to enroll them in our next session. Contact Nichole Sims at nicholes@discovernewhope.com for class information.

Lord’s Supper

On the night that Jesus was betrayed, He participated in the Passover with His disciples and instituted the Lord’s Supper. He took Bread stating that this represented His body that would be broken for each of us. He then took wine stating that this represented His blood which would be shed for us. He told us until He returns, to participate in the Lord’s Supper in remembrance of Him. Therefore, as believers we observe the Lord’s Supper approximately twice a quarter, during a Sunday and Wednesday worship service.

Church Membership

Membership at New Hope is more than attending church meetings. It is a commitment to join and actively participate in building up a spiritual family with the goal of glorifying God and supporting each other. Becoming an engaged member of a healthy church will help you grow spiritually and give you a means to put your gifts and passion to work through ministry in order to make a difference in the lives of others.

We want members of New Hope to experience meaningful involvement in their church family and where God is leading us. Members can do this by engaging in worship, getting involved in a small group, and ultimately finding a place to serve. We don’t encourage “sitting and soaking” because that leads to meaningless religious ritual. Membership in a church becomes meaningful at the point when you develop genuine relationships with other believers and you invest your life in a community of believers.

A personal relationship with Jesus is foundational to becoming a part of any church family. And since baptism is the first public step of obedience in your relationship with Christ, if you have not been baptized following salvation, we ask that you take this step before becoming a member. Identifying with Him publicly allows other believers to witness your decision, and encourage your growth in Christ.