Photo by Nico Smit

Membership

Why Does Church Membership Matter?

We live in an anti-institutional age, where commitments are low and authorities are questioned. In a time when contracts are despised and covenants are unheard of, why would a local church hold something like church membership in such high regard? Is signing on the dotted line really that necessary?

We think church membership is so important because we believe the Bible teaches it is the normal expectation for a healthy Christian.

In God’s Word Christians are called to many things, but a few important ones include:

  1. To meet together regularly to build one another up in Christ (Hebrews 10:23-25),
  2. To encourage one another regularly (Hebrews 3:12-14),
  3. To work together to get the gospel to lost people around the world (Matthew 28:18-20),
  4. To protect one another from sin (James 5:19-20),
  5. To guard the church from fall doctrine and hypocrisy (Matthew 18:15-18),
  6. To be built up by the regular teaching of God’s Word through gifted teachers (Hebrews 13:17).

We find in order to faithfully follow these commands, the Christian should bind together with other followers of Jesus in a local body that fosters deep, authentic, God-glorifying, sin-fighting relationships. As a church, we take membership seriously and with a lot of gravity. Committing yourself to a body of believers is a big commitment. But it’s also a wonderful commitment.

As you think about making a decision to join Waverly Place, we currently offer our 6-week Foundations Class to help you in this process. These classes cover what it means to be a member, as well as our mission, and basic beliefs. We want you to know exactly what it means to join yourself with us and what is required when you do, before asking you to make that decision.

If you are interested in learning more, join us on a Sunday morning, where you can speak with a pastor about signing up!