Membership A Must?

I can’t point you to chapter and verse for church membership, but I’m banking on a fundamental assumption built into the New Testament that when someone trusts Christ, they become linked as family to every other believer in the world. That means then, that within each local church there is a familial commitment to one another. So, allow me a crude (and imperfect) illustration … you aren’t dating fellow disciples in Christ, you are married to them. Marriage has a commitment to it, even more, a Biblical covenant to it. Therefore, if you are a Christ-follower committed to growing as a servant-disciple on mission for the glory of King Jesus … well then, I’ll be so bold as to say – Church Membership is a MUST. In meaningful church membership, we declare: 

1.     We Need Each Other. Every part of the body matters. There are no unimportant, or less important, parts. For a healthy body committed to healthy mission, we need everyone using their gifts and giving their heart to accomplish and enjoy all that God has called us to.

2.     We Aren’t Going Anywhere. There is something powerful … and safe about knowing those you are doing life with will be there for you through the ups and downs we face on this fallen planet. For a healthy body full of healthy relationships, we must be able to trust each other, lean on each other, and commit our presence to each other.

3.     We Are About Something Bigger. Without relational commitments and organizational covenants, it’s easy to make life about ourselves. We can so easily be driven by our own comforts, or even simply our own commitments. Membership forces us to remember that our life is not our own and it forces us to rehearse our role in the Kingdom of God. Oh, that our lives reflect a passion for the glory of Jesus and the Gospel of the Kingdom declared to the nations! 

At Redeemer and want to pursue membership? It starts HERE. Not at Redeemer, but want to understand more of what Meaningful Membership ought to look like in your life? Feel free to read, watch and listen to our Membership course as well.