Partnership

Pursuing Partnership

You may be asking yourself...

How do I become a member?
How do I transfer my membership from another church?

In Philippians 1, Paul speaks of "partnership in the Gospel" and writes about what that entails for a Christian. Below you can read about the process, read an FAQ, and download the partnership packet. Here are a couple more details:

Anyone desiring to become a partner will make a commitment regardless of previous church membership. If you are already a member elsewhere, we will talk with you about this during the process.
Partnership is a 1 year commitment. Too often, members can become "inactive" and cease to truly partner in the Gospel. At South Harbor, we will ask you to recommit each year to partnering with us.
Partners as South Harbor will be "members" of Fair Haven Ministries as well as of the Reformed Church in America.
Partnership is in place of what we normally call "church membership".

Download Partnership Packet

Download Partnership Renewal

Partnership FAQ

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT...

...being a partner at south harbor church

What am I agreeing to when I become a partner?

• Partners agree to the following 4 Partnership Statements:

o I Believe in my heart the God raised Jesus from the dead as my Savior and I CONFESS that Jesus is the Lord of my life.

o I Agree to CONNECT by partnering in community through intentional relationships with others inside and outside the church.

o I Agree to COMMIT by partnering in ministry through my time, talents, and treasures inside and outside the church.

o I Agree to CHANGE by partnering in transformation through a life-giving impact of the gospel in my own life and in the lives of others.

Can I transfer my membership from another church? If so, how?

Technically, South Harbor does not receive “transfers.” We ask everyone to participate in the partnership process regardless of previous church attendance or membership. A transfer is when one church receives someone into membership who has already made commitments at the previous church, including a profession of Christian faith. We have found that an affirmation or reaffirmation of faith at a person’s current church is important, and can sometimes get short-changed through a transfer process. We do advise, though, that you contact any previous church and ask them to remove you from their roles.
All Partnership commitments are considered either a profession of faith or a reaffirmation of faith. This is why we ask you to share with us your faith story, so that we can hear about your faith and so that you make a conscious decision to affirm or reaffirm.
We have found that sometimes, adults in the church went through a confirmation or profession of faith process as youth, but did not really understand it or make a real commitment. This process allows each person to rethink and reaffirm their faith.

How is partnership at South Harbor related to membership at Fair Haven?

Partners are also “members” of Fair Haven Ministries.

Is South Harbor part of a denomination?

Yes. South Harbor is actually a campus of Fair Haven Ministries, which is a church of the Reformed Church in America.

Does being a partner cost the church money with the denomination?

Yes. Fair Haven pays a set fee each year to the denomination for each partner.

Do you have a faith statement that I have to agree with?

South Harbor Church is part of the Reformed Church of America. We believe that the Bible is the word of God and is our only rule of life and faith. We are also a Reformed Church, so we believe that the historic creeds and confessions are historical and faithful witnesses to a biblical faith. [Find more about these at www.rca.org/beliefs] We are also an evangelical and missional church, and find great affinity with the belief statements of the National Association of Evangelicals. [Find out more at www.nae.net]
It is not our practice to require you to adhere strictly to all the details of these beliefs, but in order to fully participate as a partner you should be comfortable with most, if not all, of these standards. If you have any major issues with any of these statements or the beliefs they express, you should discuss this with Pastor Tom or someone from the leadership team prior to becoming a partner.

Will I be held accountable to the commitments I make? If so, how?

At South Harbor, commitments will be lived out through active participation in life-giving relationships (Connect in community), life-giving ministry (Commit to ministry), and life-giving impact (Change through transformation). Your partnership should be evident through your active participation in each of these areas. It is your responsibility to God to live a life worthy of the gospel, and in biblical community, we will spur one another on. This may include challenge, accountability, encouragement, and even spiritual discipline.

Can our whole family join together?

Each person is asked to complete the Partnership Agreements. Youth and children can also become partners. For more information on youth and children, see Mari from South Harbor Kids or Chris from Student Ministries.

When I give at South Harbor Church, what happens to that money? And do I have to tithe to be a partner?

We’ve developed a FAQ on Giving to talk more specifically about this subject.

I’m ready to make the commitment. Now what?

Fill out a Partnership Packet.