Have you ever been a member of some group, organization or club? In my teen years I was a member of the Columbia House Record Club. I got 11 records for a dollar! It was awesome (at first.) I've been a member of various sports teams over the years. And in my junior year in high school I was inducted as a member of the National Honor Society. I'm sure if I gave it a little thought, there are many other things that I have been a member of over the years.
But the one membership that had the greatest meaning to me was when I became a member of my local church. As a child and teen I was actively engage in the Tilton-Northfield United Methodist Church. Somewhere around age 13 I became a member of my church. I've always considered membership in the church to be a big deal. But recently someone asked me about it. And I had to stop and really consider why that matters. What is the purpose of membership in a church? Why would we do it?
Back in the 1990s American Express had a slogan that they used in all of their ads “Membership has its privileges.” And that is often the way we think about membership. But is that why membership in the church matters? For the perks? Does being a member mean we suddenly get free coffee on Sundays, preferential parking or a better seat at worship? Not really. Membership in a Christian Church is a little bit different from other organizations. It is less about privilege and more about commitment. It is an intentional decision to outwardly declare “this is my church home, my church family.”
When we choose to become a member of a church several things happen. First we make a public profession of faith. We stand up before our church family and declare openly that we have chosen to be a follower of Jesus and we are committing our hearts, and our lives, to him. Also, in membership we are declaring our connection. Having professed our faith, we are now saying that we desire to live out that faith as a part of this church family. It is to belong.
Finally, membership is a statement of commitment. When we accept membership in a church we are professing our desire, and intention, to engage ourselves in the work of the church. To be a member of a church is to say that we will invest our time, talents, abilities and resources in the ministry of that church. It is, in essence, a public declaration that I believe in the mission of the church and I want to serve as a part of it.
On Sunday May 22 from 2 to 4 p.m. we will have a membership class where we will talk about what it means to be a member of Rock Church. The class will be “hybrid,” allowing people to attend in person (at my house in Plaistow) or on Zoom. If you would be interested in learning more about membership at Rock Church, you can sign up to be a part of the class by emailing Lynette at Lynette@rock-church.org.
Have a blessed week. I look forward to us all being together on Sunday as we continue this great new series on relationships “This is Us.”
Love you all,
Pastor Steve