Children's Ministry

Youth Ministry

Women's Ministry

Music Ministry

Missions and Outreach

Caring Ministry

Small Group Ministries

UCC Medfield
496 Main Street
Medfield, MA 02052-2515
Tel: 508 359 2351
Fax: 508 359 2352

Membership in a Discipleship Model Church

A legitimate question that people sometimes ask is, “What does membership mean in a Discipleship Model church?” After all, since we are no longer a Membership Model church, why do we ask people to join our fellowship and become members? Isn’t that contradictory?

In Romans 12:4, 5 Paul writes, “for as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another.” As disciples of Jesus, we are one body through Jesus. The early church experienced this oneness through the Lord’s Supper. While this fact is still the same today, the sense of individual commitment to one another that we experience in Christ through Communion does not carry the same force as it did in former times. For this reason the church developed the category of membership as a way of capturing our commitment to Jesus and to one another. Analogically, one can think of membership as a kind of marriage: persons make a public commitment to the serve Jesus as a disciple in the local congregation, a way of responsibly binding ourselves to one another in the freedom and love of Jesus. In so doing, we place ourselves under the church’s care and discipline. In this sense, discipleship and membership are complementary.

Becoming a member of The United Church of Christ in Medfield is important for several reasons. First, it is a way of expressing the oneness that we share as followers of Jesus. Second, by committing ourselves to this local body of believers, we position ourselves for growing in faith and experiencing mutuality and accountability in our relationships with others. Third, membership gives persons visibility so that there is greater opportunity to connect with other persons and ministries. UCC Medfield works hard to help each disciple find his or her gifts and to help each disciple “plug into” an appropriate ministry or small group. Fourth, membership gives each person a voice in the church government. The church government of UCC Medfield is the members of the congregation. The congregation as submitted to Jesus Christ our sole Head, makes major decisions concerning the overall direction of ministry, calling of the clergy, approving budgets, and electing church officers. Membership is a requirement for serving as deacons, operations and administration team members, and church officers.

A person who desires membership at the UCC in Medfield must:

1. Complete the three-session New Member class.
2. Make a Confession of faith in Jesus Christ according to the UCC Book of Worship.
3. Be willing to build the Six Marks of Discipleship into your life and continue to grow in them.
4. Have been or be baptized.

Ultimately membership is not about having privileges; it is about loving, serving, and experiencing the communion that we have together in Christ Jesus.

Download the Confirmation Registration Form Confirmation

8th Grade Confirmation
The goals for students in the first year of confirmation include:
1) A basic understanding of the Christian faith – where it comes from, what it’s about and what it has to do with them,
2) Thought and discussion about questions that relate to God, the world, their beliefs and the way they live their lives – now and in the future.
3) An introduction to the church as a place where they can search for answers to questions; can meet and encourage others who are also searching, and can find Christian friends and mentors to point them toward answers.

The registration form and class schedule is the same as that for Focus on Youth Program.

9th Grade Confirmation
Goals for students in their second year of confirmation are a continuation of the first year goals. Classes meet on Sunday from 12:00-1:30 September through May. Each student is encouraged to:
1) Increase his/her knowledge of the Christian faith,
2) Explore and wrestle with issues of faith,
3) Actively participate in and experience the life of our church,
4) Learn the difference between churches in their structure and practice,
5) Confront and acknowledge the claim that God had upon their lives.

Both 8th and 9th grade confirmation classes have attendance requirements and participate in at least one service project each year.

(Click here for 9th Grade Confirmation class schedule)