Membership: Priceless

Are you a member? Why is membership important?

In Pastor Rob’s sermon series based on the ‘9 Marks of a Healthy Church’, one of the marks highlighted is Membership. As we recently presented a new group of members at EMF, and prepare to begin another round of membership classes, consider why membership is important to you.

At EMF we recognize the need for a formal membership for at least three reasons.

1. First, we believe the concept of membership is biblical. While the term “church member” is never used, the concept is implicit throughout the New Testament. Believers clearly identified themselves with a specific local body and were challenged to become devoted participants.
2. Second, formal membership is valuable to the leaders of the church as they seek to fulfill their God-given task of shepherding. Our church is and always will be a place where everyone is welcome to come and explore. At some point, however, it is important to identify those who truly comprise the “flock” at Everlasting Mercy Fellowship — the core that can be counted on to build and sustain the ministries of the church. Every team needs a roster.
3. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, experience shows that membership benefits the individual. In a culture where commitment is no longer highly valued, recognizable membership is an important step that moves each of us out of the vague clouds of our good intentions and into the clear light of committed participation. It presents a challenge to “step out of the stands” and publicly affirm a commitment to Christ and to a specific local body. In a sense, membership can be a significant “defining moment” in one’s lifelong discipleship journey.

Check out the notes from the 9 Marks site about membership:

What is it? According to the Bible, church membership is a commitment every Christian should make to attend, love, serve, and submit to a local church. Where is it in the Bible?

• Throughout Old Testament history, God made a clear distinction between his people and the world (see Lev. 13:46, Num. 5:3, Deut. 7:3).
• Christ says that entering the kingdom of God means being bound to the church “on earth” (Matt. 16:16-19; 18:17-19). Where do we see the church on earth? The local church.
• The New Testament explicitly refers to some people being inside the church and some people being outside (1 Cor. 5:12-13). This is much more than a casual association.
• The church in Corinth consisted of a definite number of believers, such that Paul could speak of a punishment inflicted by the majority (2 Cor. 2:6).
• Not only does the New Testament speak of the reality of church membership, but its dozens of “one anothers” are written to local churches, which fill out our understanding of what church membership should practically look like.

Why is it important? Biblical church membership is important because the church presents God’s witness to himself in the world. It displays his glory. In the church’s membership, then, non-Christians should see in the lives of God’s changed people that God is holy and gracious and that his gospel is powerful for saving and transforming sinners.

Interested in membership? Talk to Pastor Rob or Pastor Leandro about attending the next 'R.E.A.C.H. 101' membership class!