How many of Paul’s letters were written to individuals? Only a handful. Most of his letters were written to a local body of believers.
In the New Testament, believers belonged to churches. There were no “just me and Jesus” Christians. The disciples found it necessary to establish a governing structure in the local churches. They did this to maintain order, instruct new believers, and ensure the integrity of the gospel message (Titus 1). As new people came to faith, they joined the local church and voluntarily submitted themselves to the authority of the church leaders. The people in the church were committed to caring for one another and to helping other churches in need.
This is the model of membership we find in the Bible. It offers a strong reason for making a formal commitment to serve in, and be served by, a local church.
This commitment also makes a countercultural statement to our low-commitment society. It encourages spiritual growth and provides the opportunity to develop spiritual gifts. It helps keep us accountable to the faith. We offer ourselves to one another to be encouraged, corrected, and served. We place ourselves under church leadership, demonstrating that we are here to stay, wanting to help others grow in godliness and be encouraged by others to do the same.
Lastly, being a member provides the opportunity to vote on church business. Bethel Grove Bible Church uses a congregation-based model of government where members vote on all major decisions. Only formal members can vote.
Interested in church membership? Join us today and next week at 11:15 am for sessions led by Elders John Sanderson, Yrjo Grohn, and Jeff Ives. We meet in the church library (back of the wooden pew section). Below are the topics for each week:
Sunday, February 15th
Church Leadership, Governance, and Structure
Sunday, February 22nd
The Articles of Faith
Lunch and discussion with Pastor Raley at 12:30 pm.