What Does Membership Mean?
From this weekend: What
does confirmation and church membership mean to you? It means many things to
many people:
• To some—it means that we have joined the "club"—and membership has its rights and privileges. We think that we can pay our dues, reserve our parking spot or favorite seat—and sit back as we consume the services that are provided for us.
• To others—it means we now have a place to come for Christmas, Easter and Mother's Day—and the high, holy ceremonies of life—to be hatched, matched and dispatched.
• To some—it is a testimony that they know they cannot and should not live life the Jesus way in isolation from others—and that we realize we need community to continue to grow in faith.
• To others—it provides a place where we can bring our hurts, habits and hang-ups to find healing, freedom and forgiveness. We know we are not perfect, but being with other believers helps us to become more like Jesus.
• To this congregation—it means that you are one of us, and we are ready for you to take your place in helping us fulfill our mission of developing FDFX—we exist for those who are not here yet.
• To your parents—it means that you are growing up—it is a time of transition from living in the shadow of your parent's faith—to standing on your own—from being spoon-fed the basics of faith—to learning to feed yourself—from being a consumer to being a producer—from being a spectator to being a participator—from being an apprentice in training to being a Christ-follower in living.
What does confirmation and church membership mean to you? At the very least, it means you are a church member—but God desires more than that—God’s desire is for you to be a disciple. Are you a CHURCH MEMBER or a GROWING DISCIPLE?
• To some—it means that we have joined the "club"—and membership has its rights and privileges. We think that we can pay our dues, reserve our parking spot or favorite seat—and sit back as we consume the services that are provided for us.
• To others—it means we now have a place to come for Christmas, Easter and Mother's Day—and the high, holy ceremonies of life—to be hatched, matched and dispatched.
• To some—it is a testimony that they know they cannot and should not live life the Jesus way in isolation from others—and that we realize we need community to continue to grow in faith.
• To others—it provides a place where we can bring our hurts, habits and hang-ups to find healing, freedom and forgiveness. We know we are not perfect, but being with other believers helps us to become more like Jesus.
• To this congregation—it means that you are one of us, and we are ready for you to take your place in helping us fulfill our mission of developing FDFX—we exist for those who are not here yet.
• To your parents—it means that you are growing up—it is a time of transition from living in the shadow of your parent's faith—to standing on your own—from being spoon-fed the basics of faith—to learning to feed yourself—from being a consumer to being a producer—from being a spectator to being a participator—from being an apprentice in training to being a Christ-follower in living.
What does confirmation and church membership mean to you? At the very least, it means you are a church member—but God desires more than that—God’s desire is for you to be a disciple. Are you a CHURCH MEMBER or a GROWING DISCIPLE?
(from Facebook,
5-21-12 – about 9:00 AM)
Jeff makes some great points about membership - and draws attention to some of the primary pitfalls, too, right? I mean, "membership" to some will simply imply "rights and privileges" - the almost inevitable "my church" syndrome.** I need a place to get married, baptize my kids (if I feel like having that done), and somebody to do my funeral. And I'll give up Christmas Eve and maybe Easter morning and a couple other times...maybe. Maybe not.
Yeah, LOTS of people are more committed than that - that's an extreme, almost caricature (but only "almost"). And, that raises a question to me (and lots of people won't like the question. "DOES IT MATTER?" In the church, the structure that we have as it is, membership being what it is, does it really matter?
So, what does membership really mean? In church, that is. Does it matter? I am far more concerned with growing disciples than I am with making members. But the two terms need not be mutually exclusive. In the United Methodist Church, there are a few things that only members can do - only a select few, mind you, but there are some things - like being on certain committees (not a big deal for many people, but for some...), like voting for church-wide things (what we call a "charge conference"), being a delegate representing the church at General Conference (I believe, I'll have to check on that one...but it would make sense, right?), becoming a lay speaker or a pastor (of course), etc. I mean, it's not like you can't worship, be deeply and radically involved in ministry, be a highly connected and devoted disciple of Jesus Christ and not be a member of the local church. We get that.
So...why become a member?
Is membership relevant anymore?
Time was people would join a club, a social organization because of peer pressure or social status and I believe the church capitalized on that attitude/image for several generations. Not true anymore.
Now people join causes. They adopt worldviews. They commit to revolutions.
And I don't just mean in a political sense.
'Cause church has been there done that, too. Doesn't work all that well, either...
We've completely lost any sense of the revolutionary reality that Christianity really is. Me too - as I sit in my office or on my couch or wherever and type my blog or sip my coffee or whatever.
Groucho Marx famously said, "I don't want to belong to any club that will accept people like me as a member."*** The church has too long been a club that has only wanted people like it as members...
Time to be a revolution again don't you think?
What does that make membership then?
I dunno. Let's find out...
*Former pastor and district superintendent here in the Western PA conference of the UMC...
**As opposed to, you know, Jesus' church. I'm just sayin'...
***Source here
Jeff makes some great points about membership - and draws attention to some of the primary pitfalls, too, right? I mean, "membership" to some will simply imply "rights and privileges" - the almost inevitable "my church" syndrome.** I need a place to get married, baptize my kids (if I feel like having that done), and somebody to do my funeral. And I'll give up Christmas Eve and maybe Easter morning and a couple other times...maybe. Maybe not.
Yeah, LOTS of people are more committed than that - that's an extreme, almost caricature (but only "almost"). And, that raises a question to me (and lots of people won't like the question. "DOES IT MATTER?" In the church, the structure that we have as it is, membership being what it is, does it really matter?
So, what does membership really mean? In church, that is. Does it matter? I am far more concerned with growing disciples than I am with making members. But the two terms need not be mutually exclusive. In the United Methodist Church, there are a few things that only members can do - only a select few, mind you, but there are some things - like being on certain committees (not a big deal for many people, but for some...), like voting for church-wide things (what we call a "charge conference"), being a delegate representing the church at General Conference (I believe, I'll have to check on that one...but it would make sense, right?), becoming a lay speaker or a pastor (of course), etc. I mean, it's not like you can't worship, be deeply and radically involved in ministry, be a highly connected and devoted disciple of Jesus Christ and not be a member of the local church. We get that.
So...why become a member?
Is membership relevant anymore?
Time was people would join a club, a social organization because of peer pressure or social status and I believe the church capitalized on that attitude/image for several generations. Not true anymore.
Now people join causes. They adopt worldviews. They commit to revolutions.
And I don't just mean in a political sense.
'Cause church has been there done that, too. Doesn't work all that well, either...
We've completely lost any sense of the revolutionary reality that Christianity really is. Me too - as I sit in my office or on my couch or wherever and type my blog or sip my coffee or whatever.
Groucho Marx famously said, "I don't want to belong to any club that will accept people like me as a member."*** The church has too long been a club that has only wanted people like it as members...
Time to be a revolution again don't you think?
What does that make membership then?
I dunno. Let's find out...
*Former pastor and district superintendent here in the Western PA conference of the UMC...
**As opposed to, you know, Jesus' church. I'm just sayin'...
***Source here
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