by Tom Goodman
“Why do I need to become a member?”
I was recently asked that by someone who’s been actively
participating in the life of our church for several years. He’s been attending and
giving and volunteering on a level that matches—even exceeds—those whose names
are on the membership roll. So why, he wanted to know, was that not enough?
At Hillcrest, we have a high commitment to both informal belonging and formal belonging. If we only had one of
these things without the other, we wouldn’t be everything God wants us to be as
a church.
Informal Belonging
When I ask people what drew them to Hillcrest, one of the
most frequent comments I get is, “I felt like I belonged from the day I first
attended.”
It’s one of our highest values: No matter where someone is on
the spiritual journey, we want them to feel welcome in our fellowship.
I often use two phrases to communicate this value to our
leaders. The first one is, “Belonging precedes believing.” It’s in the context
of acceptance and friendship that people can consider Jesus and commit to him. I
also tell our leaders, “Practice the IPI Principle.” That stands for “Involve
People Immediately.” Don’t wait for baptism and church membership. Ask them to serve
as a greeter or take the offering. Persuade them to go on a mission trip. Inform
them about the causes we believe in and invite them to participate with us in
giving generously. Enlist them to sing in the choir or play a musical
instrument. Challenge them to volunteer. There are certain positions and
activities that require formal church membership, and I’ll explain why in a
moment. But as much as we can, we follow the IPI Principle at Hillcrest.
Formal Belonging
So, if we work so hard to create an environment where
people feel they already belong, why do we ask people to become a member?
It’s a public covenant.
In the step of membership, we’re formally announcing, “I’m responsible
for this group, and I’m letting them be responsible for me.”
Of course, we can start living like that during the stage I
called “informal belonging.” In fact, we should. But there should be a point at
which there is no question that you’ve entered into a covenant with a
particular group of people.
It’s like marriage. A couple’s love and loyalty for each
other doesn’t begin at the wedding
ceremony, but it is formally expressed
at the ceremony.
How do we fulfill Hebrews 13:17 without church membership?
That verse says, “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.”
“Obey your leaders.” Which leaders? Any Christian leader in
the city?
“They keep watch over your souls.” Who are they to keep
watch over? Any Christian in the city?
It’s only in the covenant of membership that we make
ourselves responsible for a particular group of people, and we let them take
responsibility for us.
As Rick Warren puts it: “Every team must have a roster. Every
school must have an enrollment. Every business has a payroll. Every army has an
enlistment.”
Conclusion
So, help us create a church culture where both informal belonging and formal belonging takes place. Welcome
people into the life of our fellowship in every way you can, but also call
people to the covenant called church membership.
