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I Am A Church Member Series What Is Membership and What are the Expectations?

I Am A Church Member Series What Is Membership and What are the Expectations? 1 Corinthians 12:12-13:13. CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources. 2/3 of Builder generations (those born before 1946) are Christians.

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I Am A Church Member Series What Is Membership and What are the Expectations?

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  1. I Am A Church Member Series What Is Membership and What are the Expectations? 1 Corinthians 12:12-13:13

  2. CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources

  3. 2/3 of Builder generations (those born before 1946) are Christians. • 9 out of 10 churches in America are declining or growing at a pace that is slower than that of their communities. • Simply stated, churches are LOSING GROUND in their own backyard. • 15% of the Millennials (those born between 1980 and 2000) are Christians. (They are the largest generation in America’s history with 80 million. And we have all but lost that generation).

  4. Here are some other church statistics we’re refreshing your mind about: The latest research on church attendance can be found in The American Church in Crisis by David T. Olson, with research based on data from 200,000+ churches. And, the U.S. Religious Landscape Survey by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, has analysis based on interviews with 35,000+ American adults. In America, 3,500 – 4,000 churches close their doors each year. (Some estimate it may be as high as 7,000 churches) Half of all churches last year did not add one new member through conversion growth.

  5. 1,500 pastors in America leave the ministry monthly.

  6. Who is to blame? Rainer states that instead of blaming it on secular culture,godless politics of our nation andeven on churches, the uncaring pastors and even hypocrites.

  7. Rainer says take a look in the mirror Congregations are weak because many of us church members have lost the biblical meaning of what it means to be a part of the body of Christ. Notice................................ We join churches expecting others to serve us, to feed us, and to care for us. We don’t like the hypocrites in the church, but we fail to see our own hypocrisies.

  8. God did not give us to local churches to become country clubs, where membership means we have privileges and perks. He placed us in churches • to serve, • to care for others, • to pray for leaders, • to learn, • to give, and, in some cases, • to die for the sake of the gospel

  9. Many churches are weak because they have turned the meaning of membership upside down. It’s time to become a church members as God intended. It’s time to give instead of being entitled. To be successful on this journey we are about to embark upon, you will need two things: 1. Develop a new or renewed attitude about church. You will learn the joy of being last instead of seeking to be first. Instead of being a whiner complaining about what’s wrong with your church, you will be a unifier seeking what’s best for your church.

  10. 2. Springvale will begin to change. It will become healthier because one of its members is healthier. And as the church gets healthier, we will have greater impact on our community and the world. The reason why our nation is sick is because our churches are unhealthy. Nine out of ten churches are no longer reaching their communities.

  11. What Is Membership It is Biblical The term member is not used in the Bible (neither is trinity) but the concept of commitment certainly is. The word partnership is used and that is a very good way of understanding membership. In Philippians 1:5 Paul wrote, "I thank my God for your partnership in the Gospel." He knew Philippi's committed people were what caused the church to succeed. Throughout the Bible believers were identified with a local church whether in Corinth, Ephesus, Colossae or other cities. One of the major themes of the Bible is commitment and there is no better way to commit than becoming a member of a church.

  12. What Is Membership It Gives Stability A church is on the front lines of the spiritual battle. It faces opposition in many ways and needs to have a solid core of people who support it with their time, talent and treasure. For a church to be successful, people need to step up to higher levels of commitment. Membership is a high level of commitment and the more members in the church the more stable and secure the church will be. The stability of the church allows it to take the risks necessary to make an impact in their community.

  13. What Is Membership It Provides Accountability Being a church attender is not the same as being a church member. Attending allows you to be a part of a church without necessarily being known by the church. When you become a member you are making commitments that you are then held accountable for fulfilling.

  14. What Is Membership It Benefits You Becoming a member of a local church is a defining moment in your Christ followership. It is a statement that you take your commitment to Christ seriously enough to make a commitment to Christ's church in a local place. Membership is making a commitment and communicating it in a public way. Like the case with any commitment, successful people are just ordinary people who make commitments others are unwilling to make. Your membership also allows the opportunity to help make key decisions affecting the church's future.

  15. THE CHURCH BODY IS A DIVERSITY IN UNITY (vv. 12-13) • 12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews • or Gentiles, slave or free— • and we were all given the • one Spirit to drink.

  16. 2) EVERY BODY IN THE CHURCH BODY HAS A FUNCTION (vv. 14-20) 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell

  17. 2) EVERY BODY IN THE CHURCH BODY HAS A FUNCTION (vv. 14-20) be? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body. 

  18. 3) THERE ARE NO NOBODIES IN THE CHURCH BODY (vv. 21-26) 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so

  19. 3) THERE ARE NO NOBODIES IN THE CHURCH BODY (vv. 21-26) that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

  20. 4) EVERYBODY NEEDS TO LOVE EVERYBODY TO BE A HEALTHY CHURCH BODY (vv. 27-31) 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28 And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? 31 Now eagerly desire the greater gifts.

  21. WILL YOU BECOME PART OF THE BODY? WHAT PART ARE YOU? 

  22. HANDS • Work with building and repair needs in community. • Volunteer to help with maintenance around church (washing windows, changing light bulbs) • Address needs of widows in our church. • Help with yard and landscaping. • Help maintain church signage. • Help with setup and takedown in fellowship hall. • Ushers • Security

  23. MOUTH • Prayer Leaders. • Greeters. • Choir Members. • Praise Team. • Soloist. • Note Senders and Encouragers. • Bible Study Leaders • Teachers for Children and Youth • Social Media • Website

  24. FEET • Prayer Walkers. • Mission Projects and Trips. • Evangelism and Outreach Leaders. • Food and Clothes Closet Ministry. • Lydia’s Helping Hands. • Women’s Mission Organizations • Men’s Ministries

  25. EARS • Sound and Media Team. • Prayer. • Listeners for AWANA. • Divorce Ministry. • Mentoring. • Recovery Ministry. • Bereavement Ministry • Senior Adult Ministry – Tweenagers

  26. HEART • Vocational Ministry: Pastor, Youth, Music, Missionary. • Sunday School Teacher • Springvale University Teacher • Disciplining • Nursing Home Ministry

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