Join Our Family
We are honored to be a part of God moving in your life and helping you in your next steps! In fact, we believe there’s a next step for every follower of Jesus, no matter if you’re a new believer or if you’ve been doing this for years. Whatever it is, we are so excited to take the next steps with you on your journey!
Joining Jesus and the SHBC Family
Follow Jesus
If you are brand new to your faith or do not know where to begin, start here.
We are so excited for you as you begin your journey with Jesus. This is the best decision you will ever make. We would love to help you take your next steps in following Christ. Click the button below to get connected with us, and welcome to the Family.
Bible Reading 101
Figuring out where to start reading the Bible can be daunting.
A simple plan we recommend is to pick one of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, & John) and read 1 chapter a day. So if you pick the book of John – on Day 1 you would read chapter 1, Day 2 is chapter 2, Day 3 is chapter 3 and so on.
Before you start reading – pray and ask God open your heart and mind to His Truth as you read His word. Ask Him to help you understand as you read.
As you read, we recommend applying this simple Bible reading method is S.O.A.P. (Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer)
As you read Scripture, slow down and think about what the text means. Imagine being there and experiencing what is happening. Write down verses that stand out to you in your journal.
As you read – write down any Observations you have – make notes, jot a quick summary of the passage, write down questions you have, or whatever God says to you through His word.
Then reflect on your Application – how this passage applies to your daily life. Which character do you identify with in the story? What are similar situations you see in your life? How can you respond in the way Jesus taught?
And close in Prayer. This is a personal message from you to God, so don’t worry about getting the perfect words down. Just make it honest and heartfelt. Remember that God always listens, and already knows your needs. He just wants to hear from you.
Prayer 101
If you don’t know where to begin in prayer, here’s an easy way to start….just P.R.A.Y.
Praise
Praise is adoration. Start by telling God who He is to you and what you’re thankful for – putting things into perspective and your heart in the right place as you begin connecting with God in prayer.
Repent
Take a moment to reflect on repentance – admitting to God your faults and allowing Him to convict you of the things that are wrong in your life. (Isaiah 6)
Ask
Prayer requests are what we often jump to when we think of prayer…Philippians 4:6 teaches us that we should confidently present our requests to God.
Yield
So many times we rush past this. To yield is to stop and quiet your heart to hear from God. This is probably to most difficult step in prayer, but is possibly the most meaningful and worth the effort to make it a habit.
At the end of the day, prayer is about submitting to God. You’re admitting that He is sovereign and He is in control. In prayer, we tell God that He is God and we are not.
Join the SHBC Family
Are you already a follower of Jesus who is new to SHBC? Start here.
Members at SHBC commit themselves to God and their church family to be…
…GROUNDED in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and His church by the public confession of their faith and baptism, regularly participating in public worship and a small group/Sunday school class, and living a life that is fully devoted to Jesus Christ.
…GROWING in their relationship with Jesus by being intentional about spiritual growth through such personal disciplines as prayer and bible study, building relationships that encourage them and others toward Christ-likeness, and practicing good stewardship of their time and money.
…GIVING of their life in ministry and mission for Christ by discovering and using their gifts and abilities for God, sharing the gospel, and reaching out to the community in love & support.
Steps to Membership
Attend our New Comer class – our Introduction to SHBC (highly recommended). Register here.
Come forward during the invitation and express your desire to join our church or fill out this card to be contacted.
Talk with our counselors after the service and affirm all areas of membership expressed above. Follow through on any steps that they recommend (i.e. baptism).
*The only requirements for membership are a relationship with Jesus Christ, personal baptism, and a commitment to SHBC. To talk with someone about a relationship with Jesus Christ, or baptism please email [email protected]
What is Baptism?
Baptism is a sign of repentance. Baptism – In Matthew 3:1-17 before Jesus begins his Earthly ministry he is Baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River.
John the Baptist was baptizing people who had confessed their sins and immersed them in water for the purpose of repentance.
After Jesus had been Baptized, God descended like a dove and a voice from heaven said “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”
Baptism is a public declaration – It is a public testimony of ones personal decision to proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
Baptism unifies the believer with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit – In Matthew 28:19 after Jesus rose from the dead he said, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” In Christ, the believer is brought into unity with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Baptism is more than water – In Mark 10:38 Jesus speaks of Baptism as the act of suffering he is about to experience through dying on the cross. “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” Just as Christ died on the Cross and rose to new life, your Baptism proclaims that you have been raised from your dead life of sin to a new life in Christ.
Baptism is an ordinance – We at Southern Hills Baptist Church celebrate Baptism as an ordinance. An ordinance is a religious rite which one engages as a memorial or act of obedience. This ordinance historically has marked entrance into a church community.
Why should I be baptized?
Baptism is a sign of a new beginning – Baptism is a Sign of a New Beginning. Baptism is not only a celebration of acceptance into the Christian Faith and Community, it also is a mark and celebration of a new beginning, a life of freedom in Christ.
In Scripture, baptism is associated with the forgiveness of sins – In both the Old Testament and New Testament, Baptism is a sign of being made clean and being restored to a right relationship with God.
Jesus was Baptized – Just as God spoke a great adoration and acceptance to Jesus during his Baptism, God speaks this to each of us.
Baptism makes things very clear – Because Baptism is a public declaration of faith, there is no confusion or gray area as to where one stands in their faith.
Baptism is a step in spiritual maturity – Once you have accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, Baptism is the next step in the Christian Life.
Baptism is a celebration – Everyone likes a party! And what could be more exciting than celebrating the proclamation of a life that has been transformed by the power and love of Jesus.
A few more words about baptism...
Southern Hills is a church made of individuals who have personally claimed Jesus Christ as Lord, publicly acknowledged this decision, and then followed through with personal Baptism. Although we know Baptism is only a symbol, we believe that Baptism follows one’s personal decision to accept Jesus as Lord rather than precedes it.
If you have already personally crossed over… to follow Christ and followed through with Baptism, and are looking for a church home, Southern Hills warmly opens itself to you. We believe that being connected with a local church is important and critical in a Christian’s life.
For friends who claim Christ as Lord… but have come from traditions in which Baptism comes before one makes a personal decision to accept Christ, we would ask that as an act of obedience to Christ, they follow his example and likewise are Baptized.
For friends who have claimed Christ… but have never followed through with personal Baptism, we would be honored to be a family that celebrates this moment of completion by witnessing your baptism.
Contact us to schedule a baptism date: [email protected] or 918.743-8897.
Celebrate With You!
We are honored to be a part of God moving in your life and helping you in your next steps! In fact, we want to celebrate with you. If you’ve decided to join our family of believers at Southern Hills, please let that be known by coming forward on a Sunday morning at the invitation time after the pastor’s message. At the end of the service, our pastor will invite our family to come by to greet you in person.
Have Questions?
We’d love to get to know you more and answer any questions you may have about our faith family.
Contact us at 918 743.8897 or [email protected]
Need prayer?
Our awesome prayer team would love to pray for you. Send prayer requests (and praises too!) to [email protected].