I'm New to Gathering

Connecting through Highlights Classes

All new and prospective members are invited to participate in two classes designed to help newer people understand who we are at Highland Baptist Church. Highlights 1 is a four-week class which is offered once a quarter, and Highlights 2 is a four-week class that is taught three times a year. For information about when the next class will begin, contact Nina Maples.

Highlights 1 is taught by Joe Phelps, Senior Pastor, and Nina Maples, Associate Pastor, and is designed to help new and prospective members become better acquainted with this thinking, feeling, healing community of faith, we call Highland Baptist. The course includes topics such as what we believe, what baptism is about, how to join, and what membership entails. The class will help participants understand how the church is organized through our ministry groups, our deacon body and our church staff. Information is provided about Bible Study classes that meet on Wednesday and Sunday for all ages and opportunities to join ongoing ministries within and outside the church walls. The class concludes with a tour of the building. At the conclusion of the Highlights experience, participants are invited to a dessert social at the home of the pastor.

Highlights 2 is taught by Nina Maples, Associate Pastor, and is a class that invites people to explore their gifts and passions for ministry. The class helps participants discover their spiritual gifts and how those can be used for ministry both inside and outside the church. Participants will learn about their personality type through the use of the Enneagram and look at how their personality helps inform their style, their comfort level and their approach to ministry. Nina is available to meet individually with participants to help them discern their goals for becoming involved in God’s transforming work of Love in the world.

New Member Assimilation

At Highland, we place a high value on helping all members to feel connected and an integral part of this community of faith. Members who go through the Highlights 1 and 2 classes are well on their way to becoming involved, but there are other ways we stay connected to our newest members. Our Deacons have teams that adopt each new member for about three months until the new members feel comfortable with their level of involvement in the church.

New members are also invited to a luncheon that is hosted by our New Member Ministry Group and our deacons. At the luncheon, members have an opportunity to meet other new members, deacons and ministerial staff while enjoying a delicious meal. 

GROW: Reaching Out

GROW is a program that focuses on welcoming those who have visited our church as prospects. Highland wants all visitors to receive a warm welcome, as well as any further information they might need about the church. There are currently three teams that meet for one hour once a month to write welcome notes or make phone calls to those on our prospect list.

GROW teams meet on the following dates: the first Tuesday of the month at 6:00 p.m., the second Monday of the month at 11:00 a.m., and the third Tuesday of the month at 7:00 p.m. Two of the teams share a meal after they have finished their assignments. If you are interested in joining a team, please contact Nina Maples.

 

For more information on ministry with prospectives and new members, contact Nina Maples.