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Joining the Team
- Connecting BAPTISM and MEMBERSHIP
- Identifying What You Would be JOINING
- Wrestling With the Logic of MEMBERSHIP
- Illustrating Why MEMBERSHIP is Logical
and Practical
- The Benefits of BECOMING A MEMBER
- Becoming a MEMBER at CENTRAL HEIGHTS
4. Illustrating Why MEMBERSHIP is Logical and Practical
Membership is like playing on a team. When playing on an
athletic team it is important to know who is on the team and
who is not. It is important to respect, appreciate and honour
those who have evidenced a commitment to the greater cause
of the team’s goals. For example, identifying yourself
as an athlete does, to get you immediately on to the team.
The same is true of a local church. Although a person has
been identified with Christ, that doesn’t mean that they
now belong to every local church with all of it’s privileges
and responsibilities.
In our local church setting, membership represents what it
means to join a team.
Why is the TEAM concept so important?
The following is a question and answer process to help you
think through the value of being on a team. Please fill in
the blanks.
Project Church Plant:
Imagine that you as a group want to go and plant a church
on the flats because it is really needed. I know that you
are enthusiastic about telling people about Jesus in a new
church setting, and I come to you with the offer to lead
your group.
1. What will your first question be? Who are you?
Understanding who I am, helps you to know my story.
2. Let’s imagine that you have all decided that you
like me. What would your next question be? What do
you Believe? This would help me to understand and
predict the content of the message, our Teachings.
3. OK, so far you like me, you like what I believe. The
next question will probably be somewhat broader in nature.
What is our Mission? We have been given our
Mandate by Jesus. Go and make Disciples. No
matter how creative we are in articulating this information,
it always comes down to Jesus’ simple instruction to
make disciples.
4. Every Christian organization has been commissioned to
make disciples. Does that mean that we are all the same.
For example -- Gideon Bible Distribution ministry, World
Vision, and the local church all have the desire to make
disciples of Jesus, but they do it differently. That is
because they have different Values. That answers
the question of what really matters to us.
5. A local church in Africa and a church in Abbotsford
might agree on all the above statements but they might look
very different. Why is that? Because they have different
Dreams for what they envision their church
to look like.
6. So far all we have been doing is talking about concepts.
That will lead us to the next question where the rubber
hits the road. You will ask how are we going
to do this? That's a tangible strategy question.
7. After we have agreed on this then I get to ask you a
question and it is going to be... "would you like to
'Join The Team'? In reality that is how we
get to the topic of membership. In fact, I might even get
specific. I will ask the level of commitment. If you are
going to be on our team it is important to know how you
are going
to contribute to the team.
8. To be extremely practical about this church plant, I
will ask you some very practical questions as to how you
can contribute. We will need your participation in the following
areas...
- Praying for God's blessing and guidance
- Actively participating in the church experience
- Purposefully serving in your area of gifts and abilities
- Supporting with your finances
Think about it... Chairs will have to be set
up. Sacrifices will be made when someone has to take care
of a kids ministry and miss the service. Many volunteer hours
will revolve around the church. It will be difficult.
Then... the final and most practical questions
from me. They are...
1. Do you want me to do this strictly as a volunteer. If
so, I will need to get a paying job.
2. Do you want me to do this part time and get a part-time
job?
3. Do you want me to do this full time? If so, how much
would you be able to commit to.
Based on your financial commitment, I will decide which route
I will go.
Put that all together and we have a functioning biblical
community of believers, a functioning team.
On a very practical note with or without the word membership
being used, pragmatically this is MEMBERSHIP!
Although some of the following information may be found in
brief on this site, the following links express in detail:
If you would like more details, please contact
Pastor
John.
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