Prospective Members

Thank you for considering membership in the Church at Ponce & Highland! As a member-led church, members are the people who guide, serve, and support the church. Everyone will be loved at our church, no matter what, but members get to vote and decide on big decisions, from budgets to pastors – they literally run the church!

Have you found something meaningful in this church community, and want to make sure this inclusive, loving church is there for others in the years to come? That’s the main criterion for being a member! Membership in the Church at Ponce at Highland consists of three commitments:

Commitment to community. Of all communities, you choose this one ‒ and in return, this community commits to you. We’d love to announce your membership and welcome you at the end of worship, but understand if you prefer not to stand up in front of the congregation.

Commitment to covenant. Members commit to our church covenant, which is below. As you can see, it gives us a framework for life without being overly restrictive.

Commitment to cooperation. Not all members join teams, committees, or become deacons. But all committee members and all deacons must be members.

Our church is a community of imperfect people that care for each other and the world. Membership may seem old-fashioned in an era when people move all the time and you can join or follow with the click of a button. But there is something powerful about knowing you belong and will always be cared for.

We’d love to talk with you more and answer your questions! There is more information below and all around our website. If you have questions, you can email one of the co-pastors!

Sincerely,

Rev. Mimi Walker, Co-Pastor, mimi.walker@dhbc.org
Rev. Colin Holtz, Co-Pastor, colin.holtz@dhbc.org
Rev. Colleen DeGraff Holtz, Co-Pastor, colleen@dhbc.org

Church Covenant

We are a congregation open to all persons who are seeking to know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and who desire to pattern their lives after the life and teachings of Jesus. Recognizing that we are all “one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28) we affirm our equality in the family of God and in this congregation regardless of social status, education, race, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, mental ability, physical ability, position, or any other distinction.

We believe that we have been created by God to live in community and led by the Spirit to join with this congregation. Together we affirm, practice and celebrate these historic Baptist principles, including:

The right and power of the local congregation to make its own decisions and to function in partnership with freely chosen affiliations. As such the local congregation owns its own property and has the power to ordain and call its own leaders.
The priesthood of all believers, affirming that each individual is competent to make decisions in matters of faith in conversation with community.
The separation of church and state while encouraging individual participation and a prophetic presence in the public arena.
Being guided by scripture we affirm the freedom and responsibility of the local congregation to assist individuals in the ongoing interpretation of the Bible as led by the Holy Spirit.
Openness to the ongoing revelation of God in the world.
The observance of the ordinances of the Lord’s Supper and Believer’s Baptism.
Commitment to the ongoing education of members and ministers in training.

As a member of this fellowship, I will seek to live out the following commitments:

I will gather regularly with the church to worship God, share the message of God in Christ Jesus, and continually examine its implications for my life.
I will study the Bible, meditate, and pray as I seek to more fully experience the presence and direction of God in my life.
I will also be sensitive to God’s message as it comes to me from history, the arts, nature, current events in the world, and other people.
I will be responsible to God through the creative use of all my income and possessions. I will give regularly to the financial support of our church’s ministry and missions endeavors.
I will discover, and affirm the talents, skills and spiritual gifts God has given me and use them in God’s service; and I will evoke, and celebrate those talents, skills and gifts God has given to others.
I will seek to reconcile relationships and minister to spiritual, physical, and emotional needs, within this congregation and in the larger community, recognizing the freedom and dignity of personal convictions within the bonds of unity.

Ways to get involved

Many members merely want to make a commitment to belong to a community. If you would also like to get more involved, there are a number of ways to do so:

Teams are the church. They provide opportunities to participate in the life of the congregation. Anyone is welcome to join these teams at any time, and one may serve on multiple teams and/or if they are on a standing committee.

Committees run the church. In the Baptist tradition, the church is autonomous and not subject to any denomination, pastor, or outside authority. Committees ‒ finance, personnel, property ‒ handle church business. Committee terms are for 3 years, and committee members must be church members.

Deacons serve the church. Deacons partner with the pastors and church ministry team to perform the pastoral ministry work of the church. Just as the pastor and other ministers are called by and are accountable to the church, so too are the deacons. Deacons must be members of the church and commit to serve for a three-year term. At the end of this service period, they must remain inactive for a minimum of one year.

Teams

Teams provide opportunities to participate in the life of the congregation. Anyone is welcome to join these teams at any time, and one may serve on multiple teams and/or if they are on a standing committee.

If you would like to volunteer for a team please email Pastor Colin at colin.holtz@dhbc.org.

The Hospitality Team: Create community! You will help carry out the monthly community time potlucks and special parties. The team plans, organizes, helps set-up, decorate, and clean after events, purchases food paid for with the hospitality budget, and sometimes bring dishes of their own. There is a group email and group text thread. Team members rotate taking the lead on responding to offers to help at each event.

Time commitment: Moderate, but hospitality team members don’t need to be present at or prepare dishes for every single event.

The Welcome Team: Create a warm environment for visitors! A new experiment for 2025, the welcome team will focus on intentionally welcoming people into our church community, mostly on Sunday mornings. Pastor Colin will organize a group text of team members to coordinate and make sure every worship visitor is welcomed (if they stick around long enough to say hi). The team will also be invited to share ideas for the website or to assist in outreach events like Pride, the pet blessing, etc.

Time commitment: Only Sundays or occasional text messages, unless interested in other events.

The Children’s Ministry Team: Care for our kiddos! You will assist Pastor Colleen with the care and enrichment of our children. Members of the team will be occasionally called upon to assist upstairs if we do not have nursery workers, or to plan and carry out fun activities alongside Colleen.

Time commitment: Only Sundays unless interested in other events.

Local and Global Missions Team: Help make God’s dream for the world a reality! Volunteer to serve our local people experiencing homelessness, primarily through providing dishes for, or helping serving at, the weekly Mercy meal. You can also help the Mayan Intercultural Seminary in Chiapas, Mexico educate, connect and protect indigenous communities, and support the growth of cooperative businesses in Chiapas and here in Atlanta.

Time commitment: Mostly Wednesday meals (not required to help every week), with other opportunities to support SIM

Choir: Make beautiful music! Love to sing or play music? Join the choir, participate in choral concerts, or find other ways to bring your gifts to the church.

Time commitment: Sundays in service as available, and rehearsals as scheduled. Email chris.massie@dhbc.org for more information.

Committees

In the Baptist tradition, the church is autonomous and not subject to any denomination, pastor, or outside authority. Committees handle church business. Committee terms are for 3 years, and committee members must be church members.

There are three standing committees:

The Finance Committee monitors our books and investments, including our bookkeepers and investment advisors. Finance proposes a budget to the congregation each year, based on recommendations from trustees, personnel, and teams.

Time commitment: moderate: a quarterly/bimonthly 30-60min Zoom call (monthly during spring budget season) and other business conducted via email. to review a Financial Report provided by the church book keepers.

The Personnel Committee oversees the church staff on behalf of the congregation. Barring unforeseen events, personnel mostly meets in the spring to review staff roles and make recommendations to finance for the upcoming budget year.

Time commitment: minimal, 2-4 meetings in spring

The Trustees are responsible for decisions related to the maintenance, repair and general operation of the church building and related properties, such as the parking lot, grounds, and vehicles. The Trustees also function as the official legal representatives of the church, with the Chair of the Trustees as the designated signatory for legal documents and contracts.

Time commitment: minimal, most business is handled over email, with the exception of periodic tours of the property and (ideally but not required) leading a yearly spring cleaning/organizing day.

Deacons

Deacons at The Church at Ponce & Highland partner with the pastors and church ministry team to perform the pastoral ministry work of the church. Election and ordination as a deacon is not just an “honor,” but a call from God. Just as the pastor and other ministers are called by and are accountable to the church, so too are the deacons.

To serve effectively in the ministry work of C@P&H, deacons should be persons who demonstrate the following:

Ability to work well with people
Willingness to serve
Spiritual maturity

Acts 6:1-7 is a Biblical text that describes the origin and purpose of the office of deacon. In the fall of each year, the church body is asked to participate in the deacon nominating process by suggesting names of individuals believed to be good candidates for service as deacons.

This list of expectations should prove helpful for individuals considering answering the call to service as a deacon.

In support of the C@P&H pastors and other ministry team members, deacons sometimes serve as lay ministers to the congregation. This ministry service may take the form of providing intermittent assistance at “point of need” to the church family (for example, giving someone a ride to a job interview, picking up medicine from the pharmacy, or helping to rearrange furniture in a home). Work in this ministry effort may take more of a long-term approach (for example visiting a person who is no longer physically able to come to church, keeping that person in prayer and making the church body aware of his/her needs as they arise). In this way, deacons truly support the ministry work of our professional ministry team.

Deacons participate in planning and implementation of ministry efforts through involvement in regular meetings and other planning sessions.

Deacons participate in church life as church members, including supporting the church through prayer, tithes and offerings, and involvement in efforts of the church.

Deacons participate and are involved in worship services. Examples of this involvement include: collecting the offering each Sunday (per a schedule), speaking the offertory prayer, assisting in straightening up the Sanctuary following Sunday worship services, preparation and service of the elements for the Lord’s supper and clean-up afterwards.