We have spent the last several articles here in the Forerunner talking about church membership and what it means. Today, I want to share a few more thoughts.
In my limited experience, I have heard various reasons why people don’t “join” (participate with) a local congregation of believers in the Great Commission in a committed manner. Some people are afraid they will be asked to do something; some do not want to lose their cemetery plot at their “home” church; others are just shy and don’t want to walk “down front” during the last song; others still do not “join” because they refuse to be held accountable by the church for the way they live (Matthew 18:15-20; 1 Corinthians 5).
God has so designed each of us and the church for us to belong to Christ and to each other...we are members of one another (1 Corinthians 12:12-31). Church membership is for our good and designed by God for our sanctification as we journey together with other believers on mission with Jesus following him. Belonging to and being committed to a group of believers is the pattern of the New Testament for every believer (just read the book of Acts).
In our church, we want membership to mean something. We want it to matter...not for social status, not for cemetery plots (yes, I know we don’t have a cemetery...thank goodness), not for institutional management, not for tradition keeping. We want membership to matter for growing in Jesus, exercising spiritual gifts to help the body grow, and fulfilling the Great Commission.
Don’t you want to be a part of that? That’s what I want church to be about...that is what church is about.
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