Nuggets #32

An Unstoppable Force by Erwin McManus
The Benefits of Membership
Becoming a member of Mosaic is a declaration that you are moving from being a consumer to being an investor; that you are joining not simply the community of Christ, but the cause of Christ. The motivation behind becoming a member is not what can be received but what can be given. And yet on a deeper level, membership is an invitation to genuine intimacy. When people become members, they are saying that they submit their lives to the spiritual authority of this community and welcome genuine accountability in their spiritual journeys. What once was our standard for leadership is now our standard for simple membership.

People who come to faith through Mosaic never have a problem with this standard of living. The greatest tension and difficulty comes from those who are accustomed to being members of churches without any expectations on their lives.

We have broken the membership standard into four basic areas of commitment for every person considering membership. The first is that they live a holy life, acknowledging that every person is imperfect and that there is a high likelihood we will all blow it at some time or another. This commitment entails that we be honest about where we are and that when we sin we come clean and trust the body of Christ to restore us to fellowship.

The second commitment is to be an active participant in ministry. This is a commitment to move beyond a spectator mentality to a participatory one. Involvement is understood-on a minimum level-to be a faithful worshipper in corporate celebration, to be actively involved in a small group committed to life transformation, and to find a particular place of service in which to use gifts and talents.

The third commitment area is in tithing. We ask every person who feels called to be a part of Mosaic to be a generous giver, and by generosity we mean to give 10 percent of our income and beyond.

An finally, the fourth commitment of all members is to live an evangelistic lifestyle. People commit to using their many gifts and unique personalities in building meaningful relationships with those who do not know Christ and, through a genuine expression of love, help others come to faith.

So up front, we ask all members to invest their passions, their service, their resources, and their relationships for the sake of the kingdom.

It's amazing how much people can accomplish if you'll simply have confidence in them and call them out to give God the very best of their lives.

How does your church handle membership? If you're a member, do you remember what you committed to? Are you often reminded from the pulpit, or do you just have a vague idea? If someone asked you what it took to become a member of your church, could you give them a full answer? Are you living out your commitment to your church as stated in your membership agreement? Does your church offer constant opportunities to become members, or every once in a while? Are those times consistent and predictable? I'd love to hear from you on the questions I pose each day. If you'd prefer to remain anonymous, you can email me at gshazenberg@sbcglobal.net.

Nuggets #31

An Unstoppable Force by Erwin McManus
On the Job Training (cont.)
For a lot of people, church membership is not that different from a membership at Bally. (a health club) They're a part of something that they do not take part in. Another problem with the word membership is that many times it is associated with being exclusive. Many people struggle with churches having membership rolls because it feels exclusive and alienating to those outside.
I certainly understand the biblical imagery of membership. Paul describes the church as the body of Christ and all of us are members of that body, members in the same sense that arms and legs are members of the human body. To be dismembered is to be cut away from the body that brings life. I can imagine how inconceivable it would be for Paul to think of a Christian as someone who was not a member of the body. But time corrupts language and the word member in our present context is quite different from the time in which Paul used it.
We decided that everything that we could do for a person we would do regardless of membership. If you want to learn the Scriptures at Mosaic, you don't need to be a member. If you want to receive counseling, you don't need to be a member. If your desire is to be loved, accepted, cared for, or encouraged, you certainly do not need to be a member. Everything we can do, it is our intention to do for everyone, regardless of membership. There is really only one reason to become a member at Mosaic.

Don't mean to be mean, but tomorrow we'll look at what that reason is. How is membership handled at your church?