“Are you a Rewards Member?” asks the cashier when you’re buying that fabulous sweater, or even when you just run to the hardware store to grab a widget. By signing up, shoppers get discounts, coupons, and other spending incentives; and the store gets loyalty, which increases their bottom line. Nice relationship, huh? Of course, there are those shoppers - one of which I tend to be - that would rather keep their personal information private than get a $10 reward in their email. (Maybe I need a little counseling!)
“Membership” is an interesting concept. People can become members of a rotary club, or a club for running, reading, robotics, or roller skating. People can join communities, committees, cliques, causes, or churches.
Church membership - now that can be a sensitive topic. For people who do go to church, some are members, while some prefer to slip in shortly before the service begins and scoot out as soon as it is done; and others would rather not commit to a church, but instead hop around from one to another.
Decades ago, before cars became so readily available, people went to the church in their neighborhood. The only choice was in regards to denomination. The Baptist Church for the Baptists, the Catholic Church for the Catholics… you get the idea. Nowadays, the number of choices can seem endless - there are even churches that label themselves Non-Denominational.
If you’re reading this, you’re probably either not a church member or you care about someone who is not a member. You might be considering joining, or you might just want to remain anonymous. There are many reasons behind each decision, but here I’d like to look at some reasons to join.
First, it is essential to ensure you are at a church holding a few specific beliefs:
For more on understanding the core beliefs, check out 3 Essential Beliefs all Christian Churches Share
Here are 4 reasons to move from attending a church to belonging to a church.
Life can be hard; we all need a soft place to rest and recharge. When you become invested in the lives of a group of people and allow them to see the real you, comfort, love, and kinship will follow. The Church is a spiritual family. From the time we are born, we crave connectedness; in fact, it is the only way to thrive. Even when a family of origin is filled with brokenness and turmoil, the inner desire to be connected never goes away. God calls us His Family; and He teaches us how to love one another. It still gets messy sometimes, but we are all here because we care and want to grow in love.
Nobody is a solo Christian. Jesus told a parable of a lost sheep and a good shepherd who went looking until he found it. Because the rest of his flock were together, he could leave knowing they would care for one another. God likens us to sheep. Left alone, a sheep is vulnerable to predators, topographical dangers, dehydration and starvation. Saying you are following God when there is no willingness to be with His people is like a single sheep traveling the vast terrain thinking they’re following the shepherd. God, in His love, will not stop pursuing you until you have been rejoined with the flock.
God calls us the Body of Christ where, like the human body, each part functions differently but together. In the field of music, a symphony is achieved when each of the one-hundred individuals plays their instruments uniquely and in one accord. Together we can achieve more than we can alone. God has given you special characteristics, talents, and interests that fill a purpose and can create beauty when you use them in harmony with other believers. Taking a spiritual gifts survey offered in the membership meeting can help you discover how you are equipped to bless and benefit the Body.
We are on a mission together - to lead others to Jesus so they may receive forgiveness, restoration, and reconciliation. When Jesus sent out the twelve disciples to spread the Gospel, and later seventy-two more, He sent them in pairs, because two is better than one. Seeing someone receive Christ as Savior and Lord, is one of the greatest joys we can experience. In the book of Acts, reading about unbelievers becoming saved by seeing Christians doing life together, reminds us that division pushes people away, but communion draws them in.
Although there is no perfect church, we can know that since the Church is God’s design, the rewards of membership far outweigh the costs. And even better, we are assured that God turns any “cost” we perceive into a benefit.
If you attend Grace Capital Church and haven’t gotten around to signing up or are nervous about becoming a member, I want to encourage you to attend the Next Steps Membership Meeting here at Grace Capital Church. In this pressureless environment, you can learn more about your church family, the part you play, and our shared commitments.
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