Joining and Being a Member of a Church

"From the promises to Abraham (Gen. 12:1–3) to the ultimate fulfillment of those same promises pictured in the new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven (Rev. 21), Scripture is clear—God is saving for Himself a people.

Notice, I said people, not persons. In saying it that way, I don’t mean to suggest that salvation is not a personal matter or that God has no interest in individuals. He clearly does (Rom. 10:9–10). No, I chose people over persons to emphasize Scripture’s emphasis—that Christian identity is necessarily communal (1 Peter 2:9).

As our physical birth includes a network of family relationships, so too does our spiritual birth. This is why, when Scripture speaks of the church, it employs metaphors that call to mind profound connection.

Jesus is the Vine, and we are the branches (John 15:1–17).
Jesus is the cornerstone, and we are living stones being built into a temple (Eph. 2:20; 1 Peter 2:5).
Jesus is the Head, and we are members of His body (Eph. 4:1–16; 1 Cor. 12:1–27).

There’s not a hint of individualism or independence anywhere in those images. Nowhere does Scripture describe, much less prescribe, the Christian life as something that can be lived alone. In Christ, each Christian is related to every other Christian, and together we are the family of God (Rom. 8:14–16; Eph. 2:19–22). Deep commitment to and active participation in the church are nonnegotiable.

All this raises a question, though: How can we build and maintain real, vital, life-giving connection to the church over the long haul? Let me offer four suggestions.

First, we must become active members of a church. When we hear the word “member,” we might think of paying our dues and fulfilling the requirements, and then we’ll get the benefits of the club. Church membership, though, is a reflection of Scripture’s language concerning the nature of the church. Paul writes in Romans 12:4–5, “For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” Paul is saying that in the same way your hand is a member of your body, so every Christian is membered with Jesus Christ and other Christians. We are literally a part of one another. When we realize this, placing membership in a local church becomes a natural extension of what it means to be and live as a Christian.

We need the church. And the church needs us.   The marks of a faithful church member can be reduced to three commitments: Attending/Belonging, Serving, and Giving (2 Cor. 8-10; 1 Cor. 16:2)

3 UNCONVENTIONAL (AND FREE) WAYS TO APPRECIATE YOUR PASTOR

"It’s "pastor appreciation month," and while baked goods, encouragement notes, and gift cards are usually welcomed (though never expected!) your pastor may be blessed by something a bit out of the box this year.  These (free)

gifts are often more appreciated than silver and gold.  God's Word says, "We request of you, Christian brothers and sisters, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another (1 Thess. 5:12-13)."  It's God's will that the sheep love and care for their shepherds and that pastors love and care for their flock (1 Peter 5:1-4).  We are after all the family of God and the body of Christ.

"My husband, Chris, is a senior pastor and I have seen the best and worst sides of church people. We have been blessed beyond measure (a trip to Paris!) and wounded more deeply than I knew was possible, both through the actions and inactions of people in the pews. Although there can be difficult, unstable, and/or power-hungry people within the walls of the church, most of the heart-level hits a pastor receives are from the “everyday” church member: Words spoken or not spoken. Actions taken or not taken. Groups forming or splitting. All in the name of what they think is best for the church.

Chris and I have loads of pastor friends and I reached out to some pastor’s wives this week to help me with this post. Because as wives, we see what no one else sees. We know what church ministry does to our husbands. How it continues to forever change them and shape them—for good and for ill. As I submit this post, the comments from my pastor’s wife friends are still pouring in. With over 30 wives contributing, the thoughts below are a collaborative effort. Just like any wife would, we long to stand up for our husband, but because he is the pastor we often feel we can’t. It just seems self-serving. We each want to help our husband and support him in a public way but, selfishly, we usually lay low out of fear of putting our own conduct in the cross-hairs, if it is not already.

If you love your pastor and want to bless him this month (and beyond), we urge you to prayerfully consider these three deliberate choices:  1. PUT YOURSELF IN HIS SHOES. HE IS MORE LIKE YOU THAN YOU REALIZE.

He cannot do everything. He does not know all. He cannot read your mind. He does not have complete knowledge of the past (how things “have always been”). He cannot see the future.

He works really, really hard. He’s been trained to do his job (investing 4-8 years in seminary education alone).  He doesn’t like people telling him how to do his job (though most of our husbands have never specifically verbalized this, we assume he must feel it.). He needs to hear words of admiration, affirmation and encouragement more than he does criticism. He has personal preferences and there are things about his church that he doesn’t like. “Your pastor’s best will never be enough, but the good news is that he doesn’t need to be Superman.”  The Church already has a Savior!