8 Reasons Why Church Membership Matters
Church membership can honestly sound a bit stodgy these days. Isn’t membership something you do at the local Country Club? But church membership isn’t about status, it’s about transformation, commitment, and obedience to King Jesus. Here are 8 reasons to consider becoming a church member.
1. Church is the strange way God transforms you.
Let’s start with the facts: churches are full of selfish, unkind, unmerciful, impure, immoral, gossipy, angry, controlling, dishonest, envious, power-hungry people. We call them “sinners.” You are one of them. So am I. There is no such thing as perfect church. If I found one, I’d ruin it the moment I walked in. The early church was no better. If you doubt me, just read 1 Corinthians 5:1 (it’s about a guy sleeping with his stepmom in church). But that’s the strange beauty of church—Jesus uses the conflicts, difficulties and rough edges to sanctify us (Col. 3:12-14). It’s easy to think you’ve got it all together if you’re not in community. Or if you’re not in community long term. But when you’re in community long term you have to work through conflict, practice humility and, in the end, become more like Jesus (Phil. 2:1-3).
2. God’s worldwide mission needs a body, not just you.
Do you want to be a part of God’s world-shaping, world-changing, world-reaching program? Do you want to use and develop the gifts God’s given you? Then you’ll need to find some friends. In Romans and 1 Corinthians, Paul reminds Christians that we are part of a body (Rom. 12:4-5; 1 Cor. 12:12-27). Not just any body, but the body of Jesus. We are literally his hands, feet, eyes, and organs in the world. A hand is useless without a body, but with a body, it can do extraordinary things. Jesus wants to use you in the world, but you aren’t much use to him alone.
3. You, by yourself, are not a Christian.
Jesus did not die to rescue you and then give you a church to help you along. Jesus died for the church, and he invites you to be part of it (Eph. 5:25). Remember, Jesus came from a collectivist culture – they would think our individualism is selfish, proud, and a bit laughable. Instead, we are actually commanded to gather together regularly as a collective church (Heb. 10:24-25).
4. Commitment shocks and attracts outsiders.
In our world, most commitments are optional. We may promise faithfulness—“Til death do us part”—but the reality is that it takes far less. This is because we live in a highly individualistic society, where commitments matter so long as they serve my interests. So it is shocking to non-Christians when we lay down our self-interest to commit to love and serve others. It attracts non-Christians when they see a community that works through its differences rather than allowing them to separate. In short, it reflects the sacrificial love of Jesus (Mk. 10:38).
5. Accountability is good for you.
A few weeks ago, a friend gently warned me that words were getting sharp and careless. I know it wasn’t easy for him to confront me. And I knew it was a gift. Why? Paul is clear that every human will be held accountable for his or her actions before God (Rom. 3:19). One gift the church gives us is accountability before that day as we encourage one another to walk in holiness (2 Cor. 13:11; Heb. 3:13). If you are a husband, wife, dad, mom, or living single, you need accountability to be the kind of parent, spouse, coworker, friend you’re called to be. Without it, you’ll be blind to your shortcomings, and those shortcomings will strengthen their grip on your life.
6. Church isn’t a service provider, it’s a family.
People talk about “church shopping,” which makes church sound more like a mall than a missionary outpost. Jesus did not die to give us a holy food court, where we explore options until we find one that fits our tastes. He died to create a family that serves each other and the world. Membership communicates that we are aligning ourselves with Jesus by joining his family.
7. Obeying God’s will for your life isn’t possible without a church.
The New Testament has 21 letters. Do you know how many were written to individuals? Four. And three of those four were instructions to pastors on how to run their churches. What does that tell us? The vast majority of the New Testament’s commands were written to communities and could only be fulfilled by communities. There are 59 “one another” commands that flatly require a community for obedience.
8. It’s good for your spouse, kids, and friends.
Becoming a church member is a public declaration of your allegiance to King Jesus. The simple fact is that your kids, your spouse, and your friends won’t take your commitment to King Jesus seriously unless you’re seriously committed.
To many, church membership and attendance has become optional since the COVID-19 pandemic hit our country. Click below to read more about whether church is essential or non-essential in our current cultural climate.