No. We recommend but do not require baptism for church membership. The purpose of baptism is to publicly announce that we have been identified with Jesus Christ as our Savior. Water baptism has, throughout the ages, been a means of visibly representing a real, yet invisible, change that has taken place. Paul in Romans 6:1-4 describes this invisible change as the Holy Spirit identifying each believer with Christ in both His death and resurrection. We practice baptism by immersion to follow the pattern of Jesus’ baptism, as described in Matthew 3:16 and Mark 1:10. Even though we cannot literally “follow Jesus in baptism” because His baptism was unique, by immersing we can “follow Him in practice.”
See Horizon Churches’ handout explaining The Importance of Baptism.
Frequently Asked Questions
Because of its readability, Pastor Chuck has always studied and taught from the New American Standard Bible, 1995 Edition. For personal edification and study, we would also recommend the New Living Translation (NLT), the New International Version (NIV), New English Translation (NET Bible), and the English Standard Version (ESV). These translations are accurate and easy to read. Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase “The Message” helps by adding flavor to the Word. The use of multiple translations provides additional insights into God’s holy Word.
Horizon Church observes the Lord’s Supper, also known as Communion, on one Sunday every few months, and on the Sunday nearest to the New Year. It is our belief that this schedule keeps the observance of the Lord’s Supper infrequent enough to be a fresh and meaningful expression of worship but not so frequent that it becomes ritualistic.
The “tithe” or “tenth part” is first mentioned in Scripture when Abraham presented Melchizedek with a tenth of the spoils from his victory (Genesis 14:17-20). The tithe in Israel was essentially an income tax collected by the High Priest for the purpose of supporting the Tabernacle or Temple and the functions carried out by the Levites. As such, it was not considered to be optional. There were “freewill offerings” taken at various times for other purposes, like helping the poor or Temple refurbishing, and these were optional. To be honest to Scripture, we have to acknowledge that tithing is never directly commanded to believers in the New Testament Church. The Apostle Paul instructs believers how to give but not how much to give. (2 Corinthians 9:7 “Each one of you should give just as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, because God loves a cheerful giver.”) “How to give” follows the principle of freewill offerings in Israel, providing a yardstick to tell us how we are responding to the generosity of God (2 Corinthians 8:9). God desires that every Christian give in proportion to His blessing in their lives, and without reluctance or compulsion. God loves a cheerful giver, and rewards givers in proportion to their giving.