Membership Has Its Privileges
Faith Fellowship is nearly 15 months old. The time has flown, as it is apt to do, and God’s blessings are clearly seen. None of us envisioned that we would be able to progress so quickly, but it was in our dreams. Ministry opportunities and needs are presenting themselves to us regularly. Our mission is clear, but our duty is to stay on task and not be distracted from our goals. That is easier said than done, but we are single-minded.
We often joke that we have everything except members. For instance, we have a pastor and a youth minister. We have deacons and trustees. There are teams of youth workers and teachers in various departments. We have a slate of officers and financial personnel. God has given us finances and resources to meet our needs. We are an active church. We even vote on things. But we don’t have any members.
See, we never went through the process. But now we are. The group is forming that will comprise our charter membership. Why do this since things seem to be going well as they are? Is there any value to church membership anyway? There are some people who think the membership thing is unnecessary, and they may have good (or at least plausible) reasons for that. Would membership, in a real sense, make any difference? Why do it?
I can certainly understand why some would say church membership is unneeded. Perhaps, I can’t answer every objection, but let me give food for thought. First, the New Testament church seemed to be organized from the beginning. Many of the things that were done in the Bible would be hard to do if there were no official roll. Biblically, it just seems like there was more to it than “ya’ll come.” In a practical sense, membership is identification and finding a place of belonging. With belonging comes meaningful responsibility, security and support. These things are sorely needed on our day. Finally, God’s Word emphasizes commitment in many areas. Certainly, this would apply with respect to a place of worship.
The Bible emphasizes worship in a personal and intangible sense, but it also emphasizes the place of worship. We should not take the place of worship lightly. It is a part of God’s plan for our lives. Make it a part of yours.
Sterl
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