Church Membership

Welcome to Our Church Family

Whether you are new to our parish, transferring from another parish, or have been part of our Church community for many years, we invite you and your family to register with us.

Membership registration helps the Church maintain accurate records of our members and families and allows us to communicate important spiritual, pastoral, family, and community information.

Purpose of Church Membership

Church membership is an opportunity to grow in the Christian faith and participate in the spiritual life and ministry of Holy Trinity & Saint Mary Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.

Through membership, individuals and families are encouraged to:

• Grow in faith, prayer, and spiritual understanding.
• Participate regularly in Divine Liturgy and the sacramental life of the Church.
• Strengthen their relationship with God through worship and Christian fellowship.
• Learn and live according to the teachings and traditions of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.
• Participate in spiritual education, Bible study, Sunday School, and other programs.
• Support and encourage the spiritual growth of children and families.
• Serve others through charitable, community, and Church ministries.
• Build a strong and faithful Christian community.
• Participate in the mission and ministries of the Church according to its ecclesiastical order and traditions.

Why Does Our Church Need the Church Management System?

As our Church grows, keeping membership information, family records, communication, ministries, and financial records organized becomes increasingly important. The Holy Trinity & Saint Mary Church Management System helps us serve our members more effectively and manage Church activities responsibly.

The system is designed to help the Church:

• Know and serve our members: Maintain organized records of members, spouses, children, youth, and adult family members.
• Improve communication: Help authorized Church personnel communicate service schedules, announcements, pastoral information, and educational opportunities.
• Support spiritual education: Help coordinate participation in Sunday School, youth programs, and our online classroom.
• Organize ministries: Identify members’ interests in choir, fellowship, outreach, volunteering, and other Church activities.
• Record contributions: Maintain records of tithes, offerings, building-fund gifts, and other donations, and provide contribution receipts.
• Manage Church expenses: Record authorized expenses and prepare financial reports that support accountability.
• Protect member information: Organize access to membership and financial information according to assigned responsibilities.

How Does This Benefit Members?

The system is not intended to create unnecessary paperwork or financial obligations. It is a tool to help the Church know its members, communicate more consistently, coordinate spiritual education, serve families, and maintain responsible administrative and financial records.

Church membership is about faith, worship, spiritual growth, and fellowship. The management system supports these purposes by helping the Church organize its work and serve the parish family.

A monthly giving commitment is voluntary and is not a condition of membership.

Online Classroom — A Foundation of Our Spiritual Mission

Online spiritual education is one of the fundamental services of our Church. Christian education continues beyond Sunday worship and helps children, youth, adults, and families grow in the faith and teachings of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.

Through our online classroom, members can learn about EOTC doctrine, Holy Scripture, Church history and tradition, liturgy, prayer, the sacraments, Sunday School, youth education, and the Orthodox Christian spiritual life.

Membership registration helps the Church organize educational participation and communicate information about lessons and courses. Access to particular courses may depend on classroom account setup and enrollment.

Family Membership Registration

We encourage families to register together so that the Church can maintain accurate information for each member of the household.

Church Notifications

Text message and email are the default communication methods where available and appropriate. Individual contact information for family members helps us share relevant Church information with the right people.

Default communication methods: Text Message and Email. Please provide accurate contact information. Additional communication methods may be used when appropriate and available.

Spiritual & Church Participation

Membership registration also gives you an opportunity to indicate how you and your family would like to participate in the life and ministry of the Church.

Church Management and Member Records

The Church uses its membership management system to organize registration records, family information, ministry participation, and Church administration. Authorized personnel may also use the system to record contributions, issue receipts, manage expenses, and prepare financial reports.

The goal is to strengthen organization, accountability, communication, and service to our parish family. Member information should be handled responsibly and accessed only for appropriate Church purposes.

Giving Is Voluntary

Members may support the mission of the Church according to their ability and willingness. A monthly giving commitment is voluntary and is not a condition of Church membership or registration. Contributions are recorded separately from membership registration.

Member Declaration

I am registering as a member of Holy Trinity & Saint Mary Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church with the desire to grow spiritually, participate in the worship and sacramental life of the Church, strengthen my Christian faith, and take part in the spiritual, educational, fellowship, charitable, and community ministries of the Church.

I desire to remain connected to the Church, to grow in faith and Christian life, and to support the spiritual growth of my family and fellow members.

I understand that the information provided through the membership registration will be used to maintain Church membership records and to communicate important Church services, spiritual programs, events, announcements, pastoral information, and notifications to members and their families.