The Highway Forums General Discussion Open Forum Reason why we join a church

Hi,

I'm curious about the reason why we join a church. By "join" I mean to officially become a member as opposed to continually attending. In many (most?) ways, whether one is officially a member of a church or not has almost no bearing on one's week-to-week life in a church.

Currently, I am still a member of my last church in the U.S. It's been almost two years since I've been there (except for one visit). The first year I was in Japan I sort of bounced around some churches and didn't find one I liked. The last year I've been attending a very good church and recently have talked to the pastor about becoming a member and he asked me, among other things, to write a short statement about why I wanted to become a member of the church. This got me thinking about the above question.

I do think it's important to join a local church and have felt for a while that I should officially join this church. It's a bit silly (IMO) to keep your membership at a church you haven't attended in years. I'm having a hard time laying my hands on Biblical instruction concerning this area however. Are there any clear commands in Scripture that instruct one to join a church (in an official capacity)? Would constant attendance as a non-member eventually become a sin if continued indefinitely? Other than having voting rights in the church, what are some differences that may arise in one's church life related to whether or not one is a member or not? Looking forward to your answers.

John

Just a few thoughts....

There is no chapter and verse in the Scriptures that states we must become card carrying members of a local body of believers. However, there are valid reasons to become a member besides having the privilege of voting. By becoming a member of a local body we are aligning ourselves with that body and saying that we are in agreement with their doctrine and statement of faith. We are choosing that group of believers to serve along side of for mutual edification, encouragement and to use our spiritual gifts for the glory of God.

Hebrews 10:25
Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

1 Thessalonians 5:11
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

Being a member also recognizes that one is under the authority of the elders of that body. This is especially important if discipline issues arise.

Hebrews 13:17
Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.

1 Thessalonians 5:12
Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you.

A local body of Christians becomes your spiritual family. A true benefit to one whose natural family is unregenerate. There they can find the guidance, teaching, love and support of brothers and sisters in Christ.

Dear John,

Sorry I don't have time to respond personally at the moment; but in the meantime, I would highly recommend the following by Don Whitney:


Why Join A Local Church? <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/BigThumbUp.gif" alt="" />

Thanks Brad,

I briefly scanned the article, but I'll take a closer look at it later.

John

Just a few thoughts on church membership:

Membership is an act of commitment. There are numerous benefits to membership.

1. It identifies a person as a genuine believer (Eph. 2:19; Rom. 12:5)

2. It provides a spiritual family to support and encourage a believer in their walk with Christ (Gal. 6:1-2; Heb. 10:24-25)

3. It gives a believer a place to discover and use their gifts in ministry (I Cor. 12:4-27)

4. It places a believer under the spiritual protection of godly leaders (Heb. 13:17; Acts 20:28-29)

5. It gives a believer the accountability they need to grow (Eph. 5:21)

A Christian disconnected from a Church is like a football player without a team, a soldier without a platoon, a tuba player without an orchestra, a sheep without a flock. but the most understandable (and Biblical) picture is that of a child without a family. First Timothy 3:15 (NCV) refers to the Church as "...the family of God." God does not want His children growing up in isolation from each other, so He created a spiritual family on earth for us. Paul reminded us in Ephesians 2:19 (LB) "You are members of God's very own family, ...and you belong to God's household with every other Christian." A Christian without a Church is an orphan.


Wes

Hi Wes,

Thanks. I think those are some excellent points. I really appreciate the Scripture references too.

I do have a question about point 1 though. I'm just a little concerned about the "genuine" comment. I think we would agree that not all church members are "genuine believers". I think we would also agree that there are some genuine believers who aren't church members. So, I guess my question is how does being a church member identify one as being a "genuine believer"?

Thanks,
John

I agree with your argument that not all church members are genuine believers however generally an authentic Christian will want to commit themselves to a local body of believers where they can participate in the life of the church. Have you ever met a person who says they are a Christian but they have no need or desire to go to church? Would you consider them genuine?


Wes

Wes,

I think John has a legitimate question but on the other side of your answer. How many people have made a profession of faith and been baptized but show no evidence of being regenerate; a "genuine" believer? Thus, church membership in their case is no indication that their faith is "genuine".

In His grace,

Agreed! Church membership does not prove that a person is a genuine Christian. Conversely how many "genuine" Christians avoid making a commitment to a local church simply because there are goats among the sheep? A genuine Christian joins a church to find fellowship with the Lord and His people and to avail themselves of the means of grace. Unfortunately in our day the difficulty can be in finding a "genuine" church which has all the marks of a true church.


Wes

Wes touched on one important aspect that a lot of "lone ranger" Christians don't really think about: the means of grace. I don't see baptism and the Lord's Supper, to say nothing of preaching and teaching, as being easily available to those who are not in a local church body.

And as others have also indicated, accountability and church discipline are also part of belonging to a local church, to say nothing of what I would hope would be the accompanying joys of fellowship and community with other believers.

Theo

Hi Theo,

I agree with your second set of comments, but the first set raised some questions for me.

Do you mind explaining what you mean by "not in a local church body."? Are you speaking of membership here, or only attendance. If you're speaking of membership, then your comment about "preaching and teaching" doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me since anyone who attends regularly but who is not a member would still have preaching and teaching available.

Also, is it permissible to receive the Lord's Supper if you are a regular, baptized attender, but who is not an official member of a church somewhere? In most (many?) cases, people would probably become a member of a church when they are baptized, but not in all cases.

If you believe church membership in a local body is required to receive communion, what would you say about people who move to a new location and begin attending a new church but keep their membership at their old church. Would there reach a point where there receiving communion at their new church (of which they are not a member) becomes an issue? I have thought about this some because I have been in Japan for two years and my membership is still at my U.S. church. The first year I was here I was unable to find a church I felt was good. The second year, I found one but was debating about whether to join or not (plus I was considering returning to the U.S. and didn't see a point in joining and then leaving after two months). Now, I've decided to join and am planning to become a member this fall.

Anyway, the point is that the issues of "local" church membership and even communion as related to that have been personal issues for me recently and not just an academic question.


Thanks,
John

John,

I went back and re-read your question, and I realize now my post was sort of a "non-sequitur" to yours. When I speak of "lone ranger Christians" I am speaking of those who do not participate in, or attend, any church at all. I know a couple of guys--indeed, one where I work--who hold themselves out to be Christians but do not attend church at all. I had people like that in mind when I mentioned the preaching and teaching aspect.

"Regular attenders" are often welcome to participate in the sacraments at most churches, although I do think elders or clergy often would expect them to join the church after a while. That is (I would say) because of the discipling/accountability aspect.

Sorry about the nonsequitur!

Theo