Membership – What and When?
For All the Saints – Week of Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Dear friends,
We offer membership classes at All Saints twice a year, in the fall and spring. The fall class
begins this Sunday, during the 10am hour between services. Membership in a particular
Christian congregation is an interesting phenomenon… Traditionally, it was a prerequisite
for basic participation in milestones of Christian faith and life, such as baptism of a child,
confirmation, partaking of Holy Communion, being married in the church, or Christian
burial. In recent decades, some church bodies have construed membership not as an initial
point of entry into the life of the congregation, but a point of deep commitment, undertaken
only when fully immersed in the life and leadership of the congregation. Some consider
membership essential to their Christian identity, and others consider “signing on the dotted
line” of membership completely irrelevant to their life of faith. While there is no single
Scriptural position on formal membership in a local church congregation, I offer here some
reflections on membership and how it can benefit our life together as Christians and as All
Saints Lutheran Church.
First, what does the Bible say?
The Bible doesn’t talk about membership in a local Christian congregation, though it
occasionally mentions people who are “members” of a synagogue, from which many of our
congregational customs are derived. More important in Scripture is the idea that all
Christians are “members” of the body of Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:12–13 reads, “For just as
the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are
one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews
or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.” From Scripture we
learn that we cannot function by ourselves as individual free agents, independent of the
rest of the Church, which is Christ’s body. This would be akin to an elbow deciding that it
doesn’t need to be connected to an arm in order to function as intended! Our very nature,
as baptized children of God – according to Scripture, is that we would be connected to
God’s people, who are connected to the “head,” which is Christ.1
1
Ephesians 5:23
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Second, how does our Biblical worldview inform us?
God has a habit of doing his work in our world through ordinary physical means: Jesus
comes in the flesh to give his life for us2 – suffering in the flesh on a Roman cross – in
order that we might be forgiven and made right before God.3 Just as the (very physical) rite
of circumcision set apart God’s people in the Old Testament, so baptism accomplishes this
purpose in Jesus’ new covenant, connecting us to Jesus’ death and resurrection and
claiming us as his children. God’s word is combined with ordinary water to accomplish this
miracle.4 Then Jesus gives his true body and blood to us in Holy Communion,5 so that when
we are taught that we are the body of Christ, we understand that we have indeed partaken
of his body, and participated together in a tangible way with his passion and resurrection.
All of this supports a Christian faith in which belief is undergirded by physical actions and
tangible stuff. God works faith through his word in the context of this physical world he
has created. Therefore it is consistent with our biblical worldview that our membership in
the invisible Church around the world, granted to us at baptism, would take tangible and
practical shape in the context of an actual, physical congregation in which we can receive
God’s Word and Sacrament, following Jesus as disciples together.
Third, what are some practical reasons for membership?
Of course, entering into a membership agreement with a congregation doesn’t make you a
Christian.6 It doesn’t even make you a better Christian. Only faith in Jesus Christ, freely
given by the Holy Spirit, makes you a Christian. But as soon as we look at the life to which
that faith calls us, it begins with baptism. And baptism, as we have seen, immediately
connects us, and calls us to nurture connection with, a local church.
a. Becoming a member of a local congregation is actually an affirmation of baptism… It
is affirming that God’s saving work through Jesus Christ has been applied, by faith,
in your life at baptism;7 and that you are now called by God to live out that faith in
the context of a particular local community.8 In fact, the rite of Confirmation –
typically part of the 8th grade faith journey – is technically called “Affirmation of
Baptism.” At this point, our confirmands have full rights and responsibilities as
voting members at All Saints. Our new members’ course essentially brings any
2
John 1:14
1 Peter 2:24
4
Ephesians 5:25-26
5
Luke 22:19-20
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Galatians 2:16
7
1 Peter 3:18-21
8
1 Thessalonians 4:1-2
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additional adults up to speed with our confirmands, ensuring that the same faith is
present and affirmed as you formally enter this community of faith. So practically
speaking, membership is an outworking of Confirmation, which is itself a response
to God’s grace in baptism.
b. A local congregation needs members to exist: The other practical application is that
membership is part of the legal identity of All Saints. In order to be an official
organization, one that is allowed to receive tax-exempt donations and disburse for
operations and for missions, there must be officers of the church. And the way we’re
set up, the members of All Saints are responsible to elect these officers. So
responsibility for the direction of All Saints is part of membership. If God has called
you to be a part of this community, membership permits you to participate in this
essential part of its existence.
Fourth, what are some incorrect reasons for pursuing membership?
a. You want to be eligible for the spiritual services offered by All Saints – Truth is, we
don’t limit participation in God’s gifts of grace to members only. At All Saints
baptism of young children is a matter of the parents’ commitment to raise their child
in faith, in the context of a local church. Baptism of older children or adults is a
matter of their affirmation of faith and desire to live out the promises made at
baptism. Membership is encouraged, but is not a prerequisite. We admit all baptized
believers to Holy Communion who share our trust in God’s promise. Confirmation
will result in the student becoming a member of All Saints, but parents are not
required to be members for their kids to be confirmed. So we hope that
participation in any of these things will help you recognize your need for
membership in a local church, but they are not prerequisites.
b. You need a place to get married – Weddings are less expensive for members, but it’s
much easier to rent a wedding chapel than to go through the process of joining All
Saints, making a commitment of faith, time, and treasure, and completing the
required pre-marital counseling if all you really want is a wedding ceremony! If you
want to get married at All Saints, our hope is that you will discover yet another
dimension of the joy of covenant commitment between God and his people in
marriage, which is a reflection of Jesus’ love for the Church.9 So marriage at All
Saints is far more than just a pretty space and a special day!
c. You want to make sure that you’re going to heaven – See above… Membership
doesn’t make you a Christian. It’s an expression of your faith, not what saves you!
Only Jesus saves – our trust is in him, and our confidence is in his death and
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Ephesians 5:21-32
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resurrection on our behalf, so that we might come to believe and be restored to
relationship with God.10
d. You want to exercise power and influence – Jesus teaches that whoever wishes to be
the greatest must be servant of all.11 As members of the body of Christ, our
opportunities to serve increase. The emphasis is not on power and influence, but on
obedience to Christ and service to others!
Fifth, is it the right time?
Membership is a way that we live out our baptism, and thus our new identity as members
of the Body of Christ, fully embracing the responsibility and mutual accountability that
comes with that identity. It’s a serious decision. So before joining, you should:
 Learn – Do you understand what All Saints teaches, and what we’re all about? (The
new members’ course is a great way to explore that, even if you don’t end up
joining!)
 Pray – Ask God if this is the local congregation to which he has called you. If it is,
then what are you waiting for? If not, then where IS he calling you? It’s important
that you be where God wants you to be, and rest assured that we will still love and
care for in this community of faith for as long as it takes you to figure that out.
 Decide – Are you willing to participate not only in All Saints’ worship, but by God’s
grace to grow in faith as a disciple of Jesus Christ? After all, that is our mission!
If and when you have satisfied these questions, I encourage you to follow the leading of the
Holy Spirit and become an official member of All Saints. It’s the practical way in which we
express our biblical and practical understanding of God’s work in our lives through
baptism, bringing us into the Body of Christ in a real and tangible manner. But if you are
still working through these questions, please do not hurry, and do not feel pressured. You
are always welcome here, as a part of our worship and our service. We are glad to come
alongside you on your journey of faith, and support you as you seek to follow Jesus!
Thanks, and God bless,
Pr John
10
11
Acts 16:31
Mark 10:42-45
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