One of the most common comments we hear from people who attend TCC is that they feel accepted right from the start. I love that because it means that we have developed a "come as you are culture." People are free to explore the claims of Christ at the pace they’re comfortable with. We don’t pressure people or guilt them into taking next steps. We believe God meets you right where you are, but He loves you to much to let you stay that way.
When we first got started as a church, the expectations for serving were pretty simple. The question we asked was, "Do you have a pulse?" Since that time, we’ve raised our requirements. For example, now if someone wants to work with minors, not only do they need to have made the membership commitment, but we also do a background check.
Each year, we’ve added another basic class (101, 201, 301, etc.) that allows people to make a greater commitment. The beauty of our strategy is that there is a clear path to move forward in your walk with Christ. At each step along the way, the bar is raised for people to make life-changing commitments that will lead them toward becoming a fully devoted Christ-follower. The ball is then in each person’s court as to how far they choose to go.
At its best, it works like a giant magnet drawing people forward in their relationship with God. Now, about 80% of our baptisms are a result of our membership class where we present God’s plan of salvation in a very straightforward way. (By the way, we’re baptizing next Sunday at the river, I’m calling it Polar Bear Baptisms.)
I love the process! Our vision for producing disciples/leaders is one that goes the distance. There’re no shortcuts. I heard a quote that went something like this:
- If you want a year of success, grow grain
- If you want 10 years of success, grow trees
- If you want 100 years of success, grow people
We’re in this for the long haul. There aren’t any shortcuts. We’re in the people business, and our vision is to raise up thousands of people who are passionately pursuing Christ and impacting our world!