Membership

1. Church membership is biblical.

The church is the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-31) consisting of believers from every area of the world, working through local congregations to accomplish God's Kingdom work. Being a church member means that you become committed to one of these local expressions of Christ’s body.

Jesus always called His disciples to Himself and into a community with one another. So, when you become Jesus’ disciple, you also join His community of followers and commit to fellowship with them. Obeying the call to discipleship includes church membership. The most fundamental duty of membership is regular fellowship with a local congregation.

2. Church membership is beneficial.

One of the most significant benefits of church membership is the experience of being a part of something larger than yourself. Whenever people join a church, they are not just there to be consumers but to be contributors. 

Within the local church, there is corporate worship, organized teaching, and service to one another and the community. Another significant benefit is having accountability — because you’ve submitted yourself to your fellow believers and to the church leadership.

Local churches are missionary organizations. We’re partners in this great objective to spread the glory of God and to bring people to Jesus. Being a participant in that mission can bring meaning and fulfillment to your life. You can experience a profound sense of purpose that comes from joining a cause greater than yourself because the church’s mission is to bring the gospel of life into a world of death.

3. Church membership is all about love.

Finally, you should commit to a local congregation because church membership is fundamentally about love. The defining mark of a Christian is love for the fellowship of believers. Jesus said that when we love one another, we are showing the world the power of the gospel (John 17:23). The best place to see this love is in the local church. As members, we support one another. When someone is mourning, we mourn with them. If one rejoices, then we all rejoice. An individual’s financial struggles, sickness, or hardships are an opportunity for the church body to step up and set love into action.

We strive for love and unity with believers in the church because this brings glory to God.