Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

Q: What are the church office hours?

Q: How do I change my contact information – address, phone number(s), email address, etc?

Q: How do I join the church?

Q: How do I reserve church facilities?

Q: Where do I go once I arrive for worship at EPC?

Membership Information

Q: Do I need to take the New Member Class before joining?

No. You are welcome to become a member of EPC when you (and your family) are ready. We ask that you commit to taking the class.

Q: What if at the end of the class I don’t know if I want to become a member yet?

That’s fine, you can make that choice. This is a personal decision between you and God. We suggest you give this prayerful consideration.

Q: I was baptized at another church, does that count?

Yes. We recognize Baptism from all other Christian denominations.

Q: How do I register for the New Member Class?

Prayer & Pastoral Care

Q: What do I do if I have a prayer request?

Q: How do I subscribe to the prayer list distribution?

Q: What is the Stephen Ministry?

Our congregation's Stephen Ministry equips lay people to provide confidential, one-to-one Christian Care to individuals in our congregation and community who are experiencing difficulties in their lives.

Visit the Stephen Ministry section of our website for more information.

Q: How can I connect with a Stephen Minister?

You may contact a Stephen Minister by calling 770-977-2976 Ext 13 or E-mail the Stephen Ministry. Stephen Ministry is a strictly confidential lay ministry. E-mails and voicemails received are accessed by EPC's Stephen Leaders only!

Ministries

Q: How do I find a Small Group, a Bible Study or Sunday School class?
Q: Who do I call if I want to go on a mission trip?
Q: How do I sign up to be an usher?
Q: How do I join a choir?
Q: Do you offer any sports programs?

Faith Resources

Q: How can I get a copy of a sermon?
Q: Do you offer any email devotions?
Q: Where can I find resources to grow my faith?

Children & Baptism

Q: When is Vacation Bible School?

Q: Who should I contact when my baby is born?

Q: How do I get information about having my child baptized?

Q: How do I get information about the church’s preschool?

Weddings

Q: How do I get information about having my wedding at EPC?

Q: Do you offer a wedding coordinator?

Financial Information

Q: What is generosity?

Generosity is the natural, consistent, and occasionally spontaneous giving of our material possessions to God's service and our communities because of and modeled after what Jesus Christ has done for us on the cross. As God "did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all" (Rom. 8:32), so our posture toward God and others in response to his love should be one of cheerful sacrifice and generosity.

Q: What is stewardship?

A steward is a person who has been entrusted with, and manages, another's resources according to the owner's vision and values. Each of us was created for stewardship by God. (Gen. 1:28). A steward is both a ruler, with authority to govern resources, and a slave, accountable to an owner of those resources. The New Testament calls Christians caretakers of God's truths and gifts - even "God's grace" (I Cor. 4:1, I Peter 4:10).

Q: What is a stewardship pledge?

Your stewardship pledge is a statement of intention made in Faith to give of your treasure, time and talents to support the ministries and operation of Eastminster Presbyterian Church. A new pledge is made each calendar year. It is made by attending a small group session on stewardship and by filling out two cards. First, the “Financial Pledge” card for your financial commitment and second, the ‘Volunteer Card” for your commitment of your time and talents in the various missions and ministries of our church. The annual pledge is our way to provide the church with an assured level of financial support. Like any organization the church has monthly operating requirements that demand close budgeting and planning in order to maintain our church’s financial stability. Your pledge gives us the ability to accurately plan and forecast our operations and ministries. The volunteer card helps to match members with the various missions of the church. Once you return your completed volunteer card, a member in your area of interest will contact you and help get you started in your personal ministry in our church. Each of us through our individual talents, no matter what form they take, brings God’s purpose to the task in the form of a personal ministry.

Q: Why should I pledge?

Give as God has blessed you!” All faith communities ask people to give in one way or another. In our tradition, we believe that the pledge is a Faith Commitment – a tangible way to translate our beliefs into Action. In making a pledge, we make a promise; and the congregation and those we serve beyond our selves count on that promise.

Q: What is a faithful pledge?

From biblical times to the present day, the tithe is a standard of giving that has special significance for God’s people. The move toward tithing can come as a transforming experience in the way you think about money. We encourage giving intentionally the proportion of our income to God’s work that represents a meaningful commitment, one that entails a personal risk and reflects our faith that God provides for all our needs. It’s between you and God. It’s not a mortgage or a bank loan. No one but God will hold you accountable. As God blesses you, you can give more. And if challenges occur God will understand.

Q: Every pledge counts.

The challenge is not how much we give but what the gift means to us. This is the message of the story of the widow’s mite in the Gospel of Mark. We are to be faithful stewards of whatever God has provided. “For everything is from you, and we only give you what we have received from you.” 1Chronicles 29:14 If you consider Eastminster Presbyterian Church (EPC) your primary Church community, the place where you feel invested, this worksheet is for you. Eastminster’s annual operating budget for 2009 is approximately $850,000.00. Eastminster has no endowment set aside for its general budget therefore the church relies on the weekly giving of its members and friends. The information below is designed to assist you in planning your potential giving to Eastminster’s missions and ministries.