Membership in Jesus' church isn't like a membership at a club or a membership at Costco. There is no application to fill out, and there are no annual dues to pay. However, that doesn't mean there are no requirements for membership. Infants and children become members of the congregation when they are baptized. This means that the congregation and the pastors assume responsibility for their spiritual care. As Christians grow and mature in our faith, we reach the point where we are ready to receive Holy Communion. Youth and adults become communicant members after they have completed a course of instruction in the basic teachings of the Bible (catechism instruction or adult membership class). Once instructed, they are able to declare publicly that they are in complete agreement with God's word, and they are ready to receive the Sacrament. All Christians desire to be part of a fellowship of believers and receive the gifts that God has given to his church.

We welcome everyone to worship, to activities, to outings. You'll find a welcoming group of friendly people. Baptism is for everyone who desires it, and the Pastor will be happy to speak with you about baptism for you and your children (if you haven't been baptized already). Since Holy Communion requires some important knowledge of the Bible, we respectfully ask that people receive Communion only after they have been instructed and declare their agreement with our church's teachings.

The first step is to contact one of the pastors. Our pastors are called by God through the congregation to serve people with the Word of God. The pastors want to get to know you and discuss how to best serve you with God's Word.

The second step is to start worshiping with the congregation. It is important to gather with fellow believers to find out the wonderful things God has to say to us.

The third step is to enroll in one of our Bible Basics classes. Our pastors offer these classes at least twice a year. Speak to one of the pastors to get a schedule of when the classes are offered. Bible Basics takes about 15 sessions to complete. You will enjoy a lively discussion with other participants about the basic teachings of the Bible and how they apply to our lives today.

The fourth step is to get involved in the life of the congregation. The pastor will discuss ministry opportunities with you as a member of Emmanuel Lutheran Church.

If you've already been instructed and confirmed in a sister congregation in the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, you don't need to take the membership class all over. (On the other hand . . . if it's been awhile, you might find that Bible Basics is a refreshing review for you and a huge faith-building experience!) To transfer, simply contact your Pastor (e-mail or a letter is best, but phone works just as well) and ask that your membership be transferred to Emmanuel in Tempe, Arizona. At the same time, please mention to a Pastor here at Emmanuel that you've made the request, and he'll make arrangements to meet with you and help get you settled into your new church home.

"WELS" stands for Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. A "synod" is a group of congregations who choose to walk together as Christians united in our teaching. "Wisconsin" is simply a reference to the geographical origins of our synod (our synod's headquarters are in Waukesha, Wisconsin). "Evangelical" means that we emphasize the gospel, or "good news" that Jesus is our Savior from sin. We have adopted the name "Lutheran," because we follow all the teachings of the Bible as explained correctly by Dr. Martin Luther (1483-1546) and expounded in the Book of Concord of 1580.

Emmanuel Lutheran Church is part of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS). The WELS, characterized as theologically conservative, is the third largest Lutheran church body in America. With national offices in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, WELS began in 1850 when three German pastors met in Milwaukee. Today, it has grown to over 1200 congregations in North America. It has over 400,000 baptized members, which includes over 300,000 communicants, served by over 1000 pastors.

The synod operates four ministerial education schools: Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, Mequon, Wisconsin; Martin Luther College, New Ulm, Minnesota; Luther Preparatory School, Watertown, Wisconsin; and Michigan Lutheran Seminary, Saginaw, Michigan.

As members of the WELS, we share with our fellow believers in our synod's stated mission: As men, women, and children united in faith and worship by the Word of God, the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod exists to make disciples throughout the world for time and for eternity, using the gospel in word and sacrament to win the lost for Christ and to nurture believers for lives of Christian service, all to the glory of God.