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Membership
for information and sign-up contact the Elder for Membership Involvement » membership@...
Introduction - The IPC Membership Circle
The church is a covenant community made up of those who promise to love and serve God and commit to caring for one another. Membership in a particular congregation is an opportunity to publicly associate oneself with the universal church of Jesus Christ and to become involved personally and corporately in the ministry and mission of His church.Our Christian Privileges
- an intimate relationship with God: direct access to the Father without needing a mediator or priest
- an assured relationship with God: more than a mere feeling, our salvation is eternal and sure (as attested to in Romans 8)
- to be a full member of God's universal family of believers around the world
- to worship and serve in a local congregation
Our Christian Duties
to grow in maturity:- in knowledge and wisdom (head & heart)
- in judgment and behavior
- to grow in holiness, to be more like Christ
Duty to God
- to obey Him and remain in a close relationship with Him through Bible study, worship, prayer, fellowship, and service
- to love Him and love others as He loves us
Our Duty to the Church
- to participate in the full life of the congregation (as opposed to private individualism)
Choose your church based on these two criteria:
The pastors: Are they submissive to the authority of Scripture? Do they preach/teach/model biblical truth?
The congregation: Are they striving to be a fellowship of believers who love Christ, love one another, and love the world?
- to support the church with our time, talent, energy, and resources (financial and otherwise)
- to pray
- to serve
- to love
- to witness to the truth of the Gospel
In summary, what Christ did for the world (us) is what we are now called to do in His name for others.
"I am the vine, you are the branches."
"As I have loved you, so you are
to love one another."
"IPC: Growing together while reaching outward."
The Circle of Membership
Membership is a continuous circle which moves along into an ever-deepening faith, bringing us closer to God and closer to others.We go out into our communities
and into the world in the name of Christ
1 - Magnify - Worship:
"We gather to worship God."
What do we believe at IPC?
The International Protestant Church of Zürich (IPC) is a congregation of Christians from many nations united in worship to serve God in Zürich and beyond. Our theology and ministry is based on the tenets of the Reformed (Protestant) tradition.Our Purpose
- to emphasize and exalt the significance of Christ and His influence in our lives
- to provide a means of witness to our loyalty to Christ
- to worship together
- to provide Christian education for all ages
- to serve each other and others near and far
- to invite and encourage faith in Christ
- to maintain fellowship with other bodies of Christians locally and worldwide
The Covenant of IPC
This covenant is the unique historical expression of our common faith and purpose of our congregation:
Recognizing full liberty of individual interpretation, and taking cognizance of the various statements of faith under which its members may have made their professions, we, the members of this church, associate ourselves with all who follow Jesus, and promise to work with one another in this church to further its Christian testimony through worship and in service, supporting its efforts as best we are able.
We humbly repent of all the selfishness that is in us and of the wrongs that we have done, and trusting in God's love to forgive, guide and strengthen us, hereby propose to love Him with all our heart and mind and strength, and our neighbors as ourselves. We resolve to follow the Biblical injunction to do justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God; to take Jesus Christ as Savior and Master, His Spirit as our spirit and His way of life as ours. We promise to pray, to work, and if need be, to suffer for the realization of righteousness and freedom, and to seek as God's children to fulfill together our common calling to the glory of the one God.
Summary of Primary Beliefs Based on Our Covenant:
full liberty of individual interpretation in light of the various statements of faith professed by our members
- unity in fellowship and service with all who profess the Lordship of Jesus Christ
- affirming the reality of our sinful condition and repenting of such
- trusting in God alone to forgive, restore, guide and strengthen us
- seeking to love God in Christ with all our heart, mind and strength and to love our neighbors as ourselves
- affirming the Holy Scriptures as divinely inspired to be authoritative in all matters of faith and life
- following the biblical injunction to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God
- taking Jesus Christ as our Savior and Master, making His Spirit our Spirit and His will our will
- promising to pray, work and if necessary, to suffer for the realization of righteousness and freedom
- seeking together to glorify the one, true God
Worship at IPC
IPC offers two worship services:
Morning worship service:
11:30 at the French Reformed Church
Evening worship service:
18:30 at the Methodist Church (except last Sunday of the month)
2 - Membership- Fellowship.
"We meet together in friendship."
Formal Membership with IPC
Formal Membership with IPC is open to all who are in agreement with the purposes of this church as expressed through the IPC Covenant. This covenant is part of IPC's Constitution and By-Laws which also rules the functioning of the church.How to become a permanent or affiliate Member with IPC
Please call the Church Office for more information.
"The IPC-Family would like to get to know you better."
3 - Maturity - Discipleship:
"We pray and study together to grow."
We offer different programs to allow you to study the Word, to pray for ourselves and others, and to grow in your faith.Prayer
Prayer ministries operating on different levels.Adult Education Classes
Bible Studies and Classes on subjects concerning our lives as Christians.Children's Sunday School
Leading our children to grow in their faith.Community Groups (small groups / home groups)
There is a group meeting close to your home.Special Interest Groups
For women, men, mothers and children, young adults and many more.4 - Ministry- Caring & Serving:
"We serve one another in love."
IPC is a self-supporting church. Our members are our only resource, financially and through their work, prayer and support.
We employ two full-time pastors and two half-time secretaries. A high percentage of the work of maintaining our various programs is done by volunteers.
Please use the time and talent pledge sheet to determine where you can offer your help to the church.
5 - Missions - Outreach:
"We share Christ with others."
I. Thought Questions:
What does the term "missions" mean to you?
How would you describe your past experience with missions?
What missions organizations do you know?
Have you ever been involved in a missions project at another church or with another group? If so, what kind of work did you do?
II. Overview of Missions at IPC:
There are presently two "arms" of IPC's outreach and mission work:
Arm 1 is the committee, which donates money to organizations that have been researched and prayed over. The committee reviews each organization annually. A wide scope of charities are represented: orphanages, medical aid, etc. Please contact the Chairperson of the Outreach and Missions committee if you have any questions in regard to this. We are always looking for creative ways to do fund-raising for such missions projects.
Arm 2 is called the "Missions Network" and has just recently been formed to encourage more personal involvement in projects. See Missions for more information.
Last update May 27, 2006