MEMBERSHIP
BECOMING A MEMBER AT MOUNTAIN HEIGHTS
Membership is for those who have found Mountain Heights to be their church home. Our members believe that God has called them to share in the mission of making authentic disciples for Jesus in Morgantown and the surrounding area. The purpose of membership is to help individuals grow spiritually through commitment and accountability and to help us know who we can depend on.
Here are some steps that you can take as you think about becoming a member at Mountain Heights Church. The following fulfills the commitment we ask our members to make.
> Regularly attend Sunday Service
> Become a baptized follower of Jesus
> Join a Small Group and commit yourself to the mission of the group
> Complete the Mountain Heights Series
> Serve on a team and attend Team Mountain Heights
> Commit to tithing to the local church
MOUNTAIN HEIGHTS SERIES
The Mountain Heights Series is designed to help you understand more about who we are, how you can mature as a follower of Jesus, and how you can be involved in what God is doing here. We offer one class in the series each month, and you may take them in any order. When you’ve completed all four, we invite you to consider making us your church home through membership.
BELIEFS
Learning What We Believe and How To Live it Out
There are many different beliefs when it comes to life and spirituality. This class is designed to point you to the Bible and explain the basic Christian principles we believe and live by at Mountain Heights. This session contains our theology on the Trinity, what we believe about Jesus, the purpose of the Church, how we remain culturally relevant while theologically conservative, and many other foundational truths that are important for us to be grounded as Christians.
FREEDOM
Growing in Forgiveness & Maturity
We all take different paths in life. Many of them lead us through hurt, shame, pain, and regret (sometimes through no fault of our own). Experience reveals that time doesn’t heal every wound, it simply scars many of them over. This class of the Mountain Heights Series looks at the transformation Jesus does in us as we learn to follow and trust Him. It’s about transparency, being known, being healed, maturing spiritually, and ultimately giving Jesus freedom to do what He wants in us.
SERVING
Discovering Your Spiritual Gifts & How To Use Them
Every follower of Jesus has been given abilities and spiritual gifts to use in serving. According to the Bible, spiritual gifts are given to us by Jesus for the common good. Our goal is that we would be equipped to help one another grow to maturity and become the individuals and the church that Jesus intends us to be. This class of the Mountain Heights Series will help you discover more about your spiritual gifts and how to use them through serving. If you’re interested in serving somewhere at Mountain Heights, this session will also help you know the various areas where you might be able to serve and what might be a good fit for you.
COMMUNITY
Understanding Involvement at Mountain Heights
Every person needs to have real relationships in their life to do well. This session of the Mountain Heights Series is about being connected to the local church and to each other. It’s about what it means to commit your life to Jesus’ mission alongside other people to avoid being an isolated Christian. It’s about the importance of membership in a church and learning that the church isn’t just something we go to on Sundays; it’s who we are!
SERVING
Why should I serve in the church? Simply put, the answer is: to become a Biblical Christian. Jesus Christ came to serve. “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45). Serving is one of the fundamental ways to define the ministry of Jesus.
In fact, the word ministry literally means to serve. The Greek noun diakonia is most often translated as either ministry or service. It follows that if serving others is the very definition of ministry, and specifically the ministry of Jesus, then we who take the name Christian should participate in the life of service that Jesus held.
TEAM MOUNTAIN HEIGHTS
Team Mountain Heights is a monthly meeting for everyone who serves at Mountain Heights Church, and is an important commitment that accompanies serving. At Team Mountain Heights we receive Bible teaching that’s relevant for what’s next and needed in the church. We also receive training for areas we serve in, as well as worship together and receive prayer. There are light snacks for adults and dinner for the kids, and there is always free childcare available for nursery through 5th grade. Team Mountain Heights is usually the first Sunday of the month. Check our Events Page for exact dates.
GIVING
We all live in complete dependence on God. As Christians, we have come to recognize this truth and give Him honor and glory for who He is. We respond to God by trusting in Him for all our provisions and acknowledging that all we have comes from Him. Christian generosity flows out of this truth and is demonstrated in our serving, loving, sharing, and financial stewardship.
Giving is a major part of worshiping God in the Bible. In the Old Testament, the tithe (or 10%) was the basic amount that was set aside as God’s. Leviticus 27:30 says, “Every tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the LORD’s; it is holy to the LORD.” Offerings were brought as worship to God above and beyond the basic requirement of the tithe.
Tithing is first seen in the Old Testament but occurred before the Law was given, as Abraham tithed to Melchizedek in Genesis 14, and Jacob promised to give a tenth of all God’s provision back to God in Genesis 28. In the New Testament, Jesus still assumed that people would tithe (Matthew 23:23). Even though we are now free from the specific requirements of the Old Testament Law because of Jesus’ work on the cross, the principles are all affirmed in the New Testament.
Giving continues to be a focal point of the Christian life and is echoed throughout the New Testament. 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 tells us “The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.”
God still expects people to demonstrate their love for Him and faith in Him by giving their resources. Our response is to give our time, energy, and money in our local church home. We do this to further God’s work and to worship Him because we are thankful for who He is and what He has done.
Some may ask the question, “Am I expected to give?” If you’re just visiting Mountain Heights Church, please simply drop your welcome card in as your offering. You are our guest! It’s the responsibility and joy of those who are committed to Mountain Heights to give to support the mission of the church. At Mountain Heights, you are free to give during the offering at our Sunday service, or by mailing your contributions to the office at 245 Don Knotts Blvd, Morgantown, WV 26501.
Mountain Heights Church is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, and all contributions are tax-deductible. You will receive an annual giving statement from Mountain Heights Church at the end of each year for amounts greater than $100.