I want to use this weeks Weekly Reflection to look forward (Does that make it a Weekly Preflection?) In a few weeks we will be starting small groups, Kids Zone, Youth, and Foundations Class. This Sunday there should be a little more information on what some of that will look like. In this space I want to draw your attention to the Foundations Class.
Over the last year we have continued to grow at Living Hope, and there are currently many believers who have been coming consistently who are not members of Living Hope. Now I’m guessing that the previous sentence about membership invoked a variety of thoughts and feelings depending on your experience. One of the ways I hope to help you understand what we mean when we say membership and why we feel it is important is by giving you the link and some notes to a message on church membership from a couple of years ago. (See below)
Foundations Class
People: Who is the Foundation Class for? The Foundations Class is for anyone who is attending Living Hope and not yet a member.
Purpose: One of the key purposes for the Foundations Class is to have a setting where those who are not yet members of Living Hope can learn more about who we are, what our vision is, and what we believe around some of the foundations of Christianity. The Foundations Class will be a space to help us know if we are on the same page. The class will not make you a member but will serve as a step toward potential membership.
Plan: The plan for the Foundation Class is that it will be 7 sessions meeting every other week. We are hoping to keep the groups on the smaller side so we can have more interaction and participation. We are anticipating having the Foundations Class more than once and hopefully it is something that is needed continuously. We will have a sign up sheet available for those who would like to sign up.
Notes and link to message on church membership:
Message link:
Church
- Is being a member of a local church biblical? Or does this idea of being a member only refer to the global church?
- Yes it is.
- The word for “church” in the original language of the New Testament is “ekklesia” which basically means…literally means, “called out ones”; those who would gather together in an assembly.
- That is the word the New Testament uses most often to refer to the church.
- In fact, throughout the New Testament, it is used 114 times. Now, here is the interesting thing, out of those 114 times, over 90 of them the New Testament is referring, not to the universal church, but to different local churches; over 90 out of 114, we are seeing the local church emphasized.
- Below I will list four reasons why we believe membership to a local church is biblical.
1) The church is called to discipline its members.
- Church membership is implied by the way the church is supposed to discipline its members.
- Consider the implication of Matthew18:15-17 where “the church” (ekklesia) appears to be the final court of appeal in matters of church authority as it relates to membership.
- Matthew 18:15-17 – “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. (16) But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. (17) If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
- If there is no church membership, how can you define the group that will take up this sensitive and weighty matter of exhorting the unrepentant person and finally rendering a judgment about his standing in the community?
- It’s hard to believe that just anyone who showed up claiming to be a Christian could be a part of that gathering.
- Surely, “the church” must be a definable group to handle such a weighty matter. You know who you mean when you “take it to the church.”
2) Excommunication exists.
- Church membership is implied by the simple fact that excommunication even exists.
- Paul implies this in 1 Corinthians 5:12-13 where he deals with the necessity of putting someone out of the church.
- He says, “What have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. ‘Purge the evil person from among you.’”
- There are two implications here: One is that there is an “in the church” group and an “outside the church” group.
- Being in the church is definable. The other implication is that a person can be removed from being “in the church.”
- Such a formal removal would not be possible if there were no such thing as a clear membership—who is an accountable part of this body, and who is not?
3) Christians are required to submit to their leaders.
- Church membership is implied in the biblical requirement of Christians to be submitted to a group of church leaders, elders, or pastors.
- The point here is that without membership, who is it that the New Testament is referring to who must submit to a specific group of leaders?
- Some kind of expressed willingness or covenant or agreement or commitment (that is, membership) has to precede a person’s submission to a group of leaders.
- Consider the way the New Testament talks about the relationship of the church to her leaders.
- Hebrews 13:17 – Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 (12) We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, (13) and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.
- How is this leadership and this submission going to work if there is no membership defining who has made the commitment to be led and who has been chosen as leaders?
- If we downplay the importance of membership, it is difficult to see how we could take these commands to submit and to lead seriously and practically.
4) Shepherds are required to care for their flock.
- Church membership is implied in the way the New Testament requires elders to care for the flock in their charge.
- Of course elders can extend their love to anyone and everyone, and should, within the limits of their ability.
- But the question is whether the Bible tells elders that they are to have a special responsibility and care for a certain group—a group of members.
- Consider Acts 20:28 where Paul tells the elders how to care for their flock.
- Acts 20:28 – Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.
- This verse does not say elders cannot visit unbelievers or those who are not yet members.
- But it does make clear that their first responsibility is to a particular flock.
- How are they to know who their flock is? Who are we as elders and pastors responsible for? For whom will we give an account to God?
- The way Peter speaks to the elders in 1 Peter 5 is even more clear on this point.
- 1 Peter 5:2-3 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; (3) not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.
- “Those in your charge” (your portion, your lot) implies that the elders knew whom they were responsible for.
- This is just another way of talking about membership.
- If a person does not want to be held accountable by a group of elders or be the special focus of the care of a group of elders, they will resist the idea of membership.
- And they will resist God’s appointed way for them to live and be sustained in their faith.
From the Leadership Team
The Leadership Team at Living Hope encourages all those who are attending Living Hope and feel even slightly that Living Hope is where God is calling you to serve to participate in the Foundations Class. We feel this is a way that God will continue to direct you where He desires you to serve.
Living Hope Ministries 