church membership

Church membership affiliates an individual believer with a specific local congregation

You may become a member of TPIBC through one of two ways.

1 — By a profession of faith & baptism

The beginning point for membership in God’s church is to have a personal saving experience with Jesus. To be transformed in heart and mind, we repent of our sinful condition and ask for and receive the cleansing power of God’s Holy Spirit.

The second step is to present ourselves to the church asking for baptism as a public declaration (witness) of our new special relationship with God and to identify with His people, His church. The church will consider the application of the church candidate and vote on acceptance at a suitable date after special training and observation.

Baptism (by immersion in water) will follow a period of special training. This is provided by the Minister in a series of lessons on faithful church membership. The lessons include the following items: need for personal salvation experience, and need for growth in the disciplines of Bible study, prayer, worship, stewardship or handling of resources, lifestyle, and service.

2 — By a letter of recommendation

You may present yourself as a candidate for membership based on a prior Profession of Faith and Baptism in another Baptist church that is a member of the Baptist Convention of Hong Kong.

TPIBC will take your written application and contact your former church* requesting a Letter of Recommendation from them.

*If your former church is not a member of the Baptist Convention of Hong Kong, is an overseas church, or a non-Baptist church, then other conditions may apply.

If you would like to know more about church membership, please contact the Church Office.

what is a church member?

Members glorify the Lord and promote the ministry of His church. With the help and encouragement of the Holy Spirit, we keep ourselves in the love of Christ.

- We obey God’s Word and His divine teachings.

- We work diligently to grow in our knowledge, holiness and mutual concern for the sake of the church.

- We enhance the work of the church and develop spiritually.

- We maintain our practice of worship and church doctrines.

- We cheerfully give our regular offerings, support the work of the church, and proclaim the gospel.

- We commit ourselves to extend the holy kingdom of our Saviour.

- We commit ourselves to family worship and personal devotion.

- We educate our children in the truth of the Bible.

- We guide our relatives and friends to Christ.

- We are just in our deeds, and exemplary in our attitudes and behaviours.

- We refrain from all habits that are harmful to the body and mind, the temple of the Holy Spirit.

- We keep our covenant of love and concern for each other and pray for each other.

- We help, support and encourage one another in times of illness and suffering.

- We cultivate the fervour that a Christian should possess and learn to be humble in our speech.

- We are slow to anger, seek peace at all times and wholeheartedly keep our Lord’s commandments.

sanctification and a Christian lifestyle

...but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

~1 Peter 1:15–16

We are called to be a holy people serving a holy God. Sanctification is the term used to describe the growth in holiness or beauty of Christ-likeness. It has to do with separation from corrupting worldly influences and living with the transformed mind and spirit we have in the Holy Spirit, the indwelling Christ.

1 Peter is an exhortation to Christians to be vigilant about Christian lifestyle. We are to avoid the excesses of extravagant lifestyle and the temptations of unhealthy sensuality. Some temptations are obvious: debauchery, drunkenness, and idolatry. Some are more subtle: love of power over others, love of money, personal vanity.

Each generation must work out its particular lifestyle: the ways we dress, play, eat, the ways we spend our money and time, the ways we do courtships, talk, disagree, and the friends we choose.

We do not have an official Church mandate on dress codes or lists of forbidden activities. But we need a consensus so that people recognize the particular presence and witness we bear.

A general guideline for the way we dress: modesty and reverence. We come to Church with holy reverent waiting on God. We do not expose large parts of the body or dress in ways that distract from the spiritual focus of creating a reverent atmosphere:

Holy God is Centre Stage.