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Why Church Membership Is Important
Crossings Family!
Sometimes people ask me, “Why does membership matter and why do you push it so much? Isn’t showing up for worship and giving generously good enough?” And listen I get it; formal church membership can sound old-fashioned or even unnecessary in our world.
But I promise you that membership is not about having your name on a roll or enjoying certain privileges, it’s about making a commitment to put yourself under the spiritual authority and accountability of a local church and its elders. It’s about making a commitment to actively serve, participate in, and financially support a local church in building up the kingdom of God both here on earth and in the ever after. It’s about following the scriptural mandate to “stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:24-25)
From the very beginning, God calls us not just to faith in Christ, but to membership in a local body (Romans 12:4-5; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27). In the early church, believers were “added to their number” (Acts 2:41), and each Christian was expected to worship, serve, give generously, and care together as one body. Membership is how the family of God takes tangible shape in the world.
Why does this matter? Because the New Testament is crystal clear: Christian life is not meant to be an individual sport. We need each other! Membership is really about covenant with each other. A joyful, mutual promise to love, pray for, and encourage one another in Christ (Hebrews 10:24-25).
Thom Rainer (in his book “I Am A Church Member”) reminds us that biblical church membership isn’t about having our preferences met. Instead, it calls us to be contributors, not consumers. Every member’s presence matters. When even one person is missing or not engaged, the whole body feels it (1 Corinthians 12:26). When we commit to a church, we are promising to:
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Show up regularly,
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Pray for our leaders,
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Serve the church and others in practical ways,
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Guard the unity of the church, and
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Live out our faith publicly and privately.
Research shows that committed church members are more likely to grow in their faith, have close friendships, and persevere through hard times. Why? Because they’ve invested deeply. They belong to something that matters.
At The Crossings, joining doesn’t make you “better” or more holy, but it does make you part of the team. It’s how we say: “I’m all in.” It’s how you move from being a spectator to being a spiritual family member with real responsibility and purpose.
Church family, let’s be the kind of people who take membership seriously, not in a stuffy, rulebook way, but as a loving expression of God’s family on earth.
If you’re not a member yet, I encourage you to take that next step. If you are, rejoice God has work for you here! Let’s be contributors, not just consumers, and build a church that shines with unity and love (Philippians 2:1-4).
Pastor Justin |
