What about church membership?

 
In our travels we have attended many church services. If we moved to any place rather than visited, we usually became members of a local church. Today’s reading says that being a church member is vital for every Christian. I would add that “being a member” should add “of a local church” because there is a difference between the ‘church universal’ and the church down the street. The NT makes it clear that all Christians are part of the Body of Christ which means our faith makes us a member of the universal church.

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. (1 Corinthians 12:12–27)

In those early days, church members lived in the same area, but not so today. I cannot meet with or minister to all the Body of Christ, only those close to me. Since there are many congregations and varying denominations, that means deciding which group is God’s choice for me. It should be a place that I can identify with Christ and His followers, worship God with them, be taught the Scriptures, submit to God’s ordained authority structure, selflessly serve other believers, and grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ together with them.

God does not want me in a congregation where my faith will be continually threatened or I will feel out of place. However, He does want me to be accountable to others, have observable spiritual growth, and if no such growth is evident, be admonished gently by the church and the leadership with an aim of restoration.

This means church membership is not only evidence that I belong to Christ, but also am committed to His body, of which He is the Head. It also shows my commitment to the doctrine, ethics, and practices of that specific church. In other words, membership entails more than merely attending but actively engaging in communal life and support all aims and objectives, such as volunteering, joining clubs or committees, and making financial contributions to support the church’s programs and activities.

This does not make ‘church’ more important than commitment to Christ. While I am engaged in a shared spiritual journey with other members and involved in accountability, mutual support, and spiritual progress, I also gain a sense of purpose and belonging in the neighborhood as I build close relationships with other Christians who hold similar views and values. We help one another in many ways as we study, discuss, and grow together. The church I attend has a meal together every Sunday, small study and prayer groups, and many other activities to demonstrate the love of Christ to each other and to our community.

PRAY: Jesus, each week I am so blessed to be with Your people. We are a local Body, with many backgrounds and interests, yet gifts to edify one another and Your grace that unites us even in our diversity. The sense of  ‘family’ is also strong. Thank You for this amazing and lovely church, both universal and local. May You be glorified in every part of it.