The Impact of Joining Christian Church
Church membership formally identifies you as one of the flock which pastors and elders are charged to shepherd (1 Peter 5:2) and watch over (Hebrews 13:17). It’s hard for them to do that if they don’t know who is part of their church.
The good of joining Christian Church is that it helps the congregation grow. This is for your benefit as a believer, and for the benefit of those around you.
1. It’s a way to express your faith
One of the most important parts of Christianity is expressing your faith in daily life. This can be done in many ways, including volunteering at community functions and making charitable donations. It can also be done through your actions, such as encouraging other Christians, rebuking them with love, and serving others. But there is one particular expression of your faith that is especially important – joining church.
This is because Jesus established the church to be a public institution that would mark out, affirm, and oversee those who profess to believe in him (Matt. 16:18-19, 18:15-20). By formally identifying yourself with the church, you are publicly declaring your belief in Jesus and showing that you are part of his people.
Another reason why church membership is so important is that it allows the pastors and elders to shepherd you and watch over you (Heb. 13:17; 1 Peter 5:2). By committing to your church, you are letting them know that you belong to their flock and are theirs to care for. This is crucial because Scripture repeatedly commands Christians to submit to their leaders, and this can only be accomplished by committing to them.
Churches are not designed to be rigid and dogmatic, and they should always strive to adapt to the needs of their members. This is particularly true in millennial churches, which have to work with a younger generation that has little patience for tradition. But even older churches can adapt to make sure that they are meeting the needs of their members. By doing this, they can help ensure that their members are growing in their faith and connecting with other believers.
2. It’s a way to connect with others
In a world that emphasizes individuality and non-commitment, it’s no surprise that many Christians find church membership to be less important than it should be. While it is fine for Christians to attend a congregation without becoming a formal member, New Testament scripture assumes that all true believers are in some way a part of the local church.
When a Christian is a member of a church, they are formally committing to love and serve other members of the church. This can be done in a variety of ways, such as encouraging, building up, strengthening, serving, rebuking and praying for other Christians. Church members can also provide support and comfort to other Christians in times of trouble or distress.
This connection to other Christians is priceless for a Christian. Studies show that people who have strong personal connections experience lower rates of depression and anxiety, higher self-esteem and even longer longevity. This is because it’s good for our spiritual and emotional health to have others who care about us. By joining a church, we’re able to connect with others who share our faith and have similar interests. This can lead to friendships that last a lifetime and can be extremely helpful in difficult times.
Another benefit of church membership is that it allows Christians to edify other Christians through teaching, serving and exercising their spiritual gifts. This edification happens best in churches that are committed to loving, caring for and supporting one another. It is also a way for Christians to become mentors for other Christians by sharing their wisdom and knowledge. The Bible says that “everyone who is a Christian has an obligation to belong to and be actively involved in the local church” (Acts 2:47). In this way, Christians can encourage, build up and strengthen each other as they seek to grow closer to Christ.
3. It’s a way to grow in your faith
The Bible calls Christians to live together as a community, and this is best done in the church. Christian community requires people with different perspectives, cultures, and gifts to come alongside one another to build each other up and support each other. It also involves people willing to serve, edify, and encourage others as well as rebuke and admonish them in love. This can be difficult, but it is what helps to make the church thrive.
When a person becomes a member of the church, they commit themselves to this community. This means that they will attend weekly, pray for the church, support it financially, exercise their spiritual gifts, and help others to grow in their faith as well. In addition, members are expected to live in obedience to God’s Word. They must exemplify a godly lifestyle and faithfully participate in the New Testament church ordinances, such as baptism.
Many believers think that they can follow Jesus and the Bible on their own, but the reality is that it is impossible to do so without being part of a community of Christians. Being a member of the church helps to counteract the sinful individualism that is so prevalent among professing Christians, and it teaches them the importance of committing themselves to loving and serving other Christians.
It is important to remember that Christ commanded his followers to “not forsake the assembling of ourselves together.” This command can only be heeded by regularly gathering with other Christians in local churches. A Christian who refuses to join a local church is like an arm that has been violently detached from the rest of the body – it won’t survive long.
4. It’s a way to serve others
The Bible assumes some form of committed, accountable belonging as a reality for every true follower of Jesus. That’s why it’s inconceivable to allow people who do not submit to a church to serve in Christian ministry. Doing so sends the message that credible professions of faith simply don’t matter in the eyes of God.
By joining a local church, Christians commit themselves to love and serve other believers in the body. This serving can take many forms—babysitting for a young couple to give them a night out, cooking a meal for a family who has suffered illness or lost a loved one, or visiting an elderly housebound member of the church. But it’s not just about doing things for others; it’s about loving them—“serving one another humbly in love” (Galatians 5:13).
Joining Iglesia Cristiana Fort Worth also means committing to the leadership of that church and submitting to their authority as those who will be held accountable to lead their fellow members in holiness and discipleship. It does not, however, mean blind submission to leaders who ignore or violate Scripture. Instead, it entails the faithful exercise of discernment as church leaders strive to honor Christ in their administration of His Body.
Sadly, many professing Christians neglect membership and assembling together with a local church. When they do, they flounder spiritually and quickly make shipwreck of their souls. It is only in the church that those who believe in Jesus can find the strength to repent of their sin and grow in practical holiness. And it is only in the church that they will have brothers and sisters who will weep with them when they weep, rejoice with them when they rejoice, and walk side by side with them through the ups and downs of their Christian journey.
5. It’s a way to get involved
Often times, becoming a member of a church is a way for someone to get involved in the community and with its leadership. Churches have newsletters, study groups, and online forums where they promote upcoming events and requests for volunteers. This is a great way to spread the word about what the church believes and its mission.
In addition, many churches will allow members to join ministry teams and committees. This is a great way to get to know people and become a part of a team that works together to make the church run smoothly. It also gives people a chance to volunteer in the areas that are most important to them.
While the Bible doesn’t explicitly command that every Christian must join a church, it does assume some form of committed, accountable membership for all believers. This is why the New Testament uses words like “membership” and “belonging.” In fact, the New Testament assumes that each local church has a pastor or elder and under them that shepherds its flock.
It’s important for Christians to become members of their local churches because the Bible calls us to serve the church. This means that we must go beyond just attending worship services and studying the Bible in a group setting. We must actively become involved in the church. This can be done by getting involved in the community, serving on a board of directors, or even by taking over one of the responsibilities that an over-active church member has taken up. This way, the church can get back on track and focus on its true purpose – spreading the gospel. This is the best way to keep Jesus’s kingdom on earth alive.
Church membership formally identifies you as one of the flock which pastors and elders are charged to shepherd (1 Peter 5:2) and watch over (Hebrews 13:17). It’s hard for them to do that if they don’t know who is part of their church. The good of joining Christian Church is that it helps the congregation…