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When I was about 10 years old I was baptized in the church baptistery. Afterwards I received a card which was the size of a regular business card. It had a picture of the church on one side and the church covenant on the other. It informed me that I was now a church member. That was the extent of my teaching about what church membership was all about.

Times have changed.

This spring starting on March 2nd we will begin a class during Sabbath Grow Groups where you will be able to learn what it means to be a church member.

This class is open to everyone, both members and non-members. Participation doesn’t automatically mean that you will become a member of the church, but it is necessary to go through the classes if you are to be considered for church membership.

There are three components of understanding what it means to be a church member.

1. Discipleship

Jesus told his disciples to “go and make disciples of all nations.” (Matthew 28:19) A fully devoted follower of Jesus is a disciple. People sometimes think church membership is just a matter of what you believe. Being a disciple is not just about what you believe; it is about how you live.

Since Jesus commanded us to make disciples, we must realize that becoming a disciple is one of the standards for church membership.

We use the book Start To Follow by Greg Laurie as our guide to discovering just what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. If you haven’t been through this class, we will be holding the next one on Sunday, March 3rd from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. at the church. Lunch will be provided.

I want to encourage you to attend even if you have been a long time church member because there is a lot of confusion among Christians over what a disciple is. This class will help clear up any confusion you might have.

2. Doctrine

The word doctrine comes from a Latin word which simply means “teaching.” Doctrines are those key beliefs which disciples of Jesus must be taught in order to know the truth of who God is and what His plan of redemption is for the world.

Seventh Day Baptists identify our core doctrinal teaching in our Statement of Beliefs. During the first four weeks of our class we will study and discuss these core doctrines.

3. Devotion

Our church family is devoted both to the Lord and to each other. Our devotion to each other flows from our devotion and love for Jesus.

In the three weeks which we will spend on this area we will learn about the church covenant, the vision, values and principles of ministry which we share, and the nuts and bolts of how the church is organized. All of these areas are crucial for members to understand in order to share together in the church family relationship.

These classes will start on Sabbath, April 6th and go for three weeks.

So again the three components of church membership are discipleship, doctrine and devotion. If we embrace these three things, we will know and experience the awesome blessing of church membership.

Please let me know what questions or concerns you have about becoming a member of the church. In addition, if you know someone who you think would benefit from these classes, invite them to come.

Finally, pray with me that the Lord would be increasingly glorified in His church. This is why we were created. May it be true of our church family that in everything Jesus receives all the glory!