If you are interested in joining Christ UMC as part of your discipleship journey,
please contact the church office,  at (815) 399-5910, or  at info@christumc.cc. 

Together we GATHER, GROW and GO.

Baptism
Baptism is a sign for us that God claims us as his own and makes us a part of God's family. In the United Methodist Church (UMC), baptism is required for membership. Upon baptism, we profess our faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. In the case of infant baptism, that profession was made on our behalf with the knowledge that God's grace is at work in us even before we are aware.The UMC recognizes baptisms of other denominations as long as an ordained pastor invoked the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit as Jesus directed his disciples, and applied water through sprinkling or immersion. People who have been baptized will reaffirm their baptismal vows upon being received into membership. People who have not been baptized will want to discuss their options with one of our pastors. 

Membership Covenant
In addition to reaffirming the baptismal vows, becoming a member of Christ UMC involves making a covenant with the current membership and others to be an active participant in the life of the church. New members agree to uphold the United Methodist Church and Christ UMC in the following ways:

1. Prayer:  Prayer is basis of all we do. Prayer connects us to one another and to God through Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit. 
2. Presence:  Being present in worship and engaging in community activities whenever possible allows for the deepening of relationships. Christianity is never a private religion, and the relationships we form in community will strengthen and nurture us in our journey of faith.
3. Gifts:  We all have been equipped with Spiritual Gifts in order to live out the call to ministry that God has placed on each of our lives. We support the church by offering these gifts in service. This includes our pledge to give back a portion of what God has given us in monetary gifts, that the ministry we’ve been called to can grow and flourish. 
4. Service: It is through serving that we “put feet to our faith.” Serving is not an optional component of our faith, but is necessary in order for our faith to take root and to grow within us and to be shared with others. 
5. Witness:  Choosing to become a member is one way we witness to our faith. But we also witness to God’s love in Jesus Christ by sharing our story with others. Witnessing to our faith is as simple as letting others know how God is working in our lives.