Misconceptions about Church Membership
We live in a highly individualistic culture that is averse to commitment of any kind! Here are just a few common objections one may have towards church membership:
Is Church Membership really that important?
Belonging to a church is an important gospel issue because the work of Christ creates a new humanity. God “has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.” (Col 1:13 CSB) Community life then is an outgrowth of the gospel, which reconciles us vertically to God and horizontally to one another.
Why do I need to join a church if I have a personal relationship with Jesus?
While salvation and following Christ is a relationship between you and God, it is also very much a corporate thing. You simply won’t find the modern category of a solo Christian who is disconnected from the local church anywhere in Scripture. There is indeed an important communal aspect to following Jesus, and that is doing so within the context of a church.
What do I even gain from church membership?
In our culture, membership is a contractual agreement. However, the Bible speaks of membership as a limb connected to a body. It is being interdependent and intricately involved with one another. While there are certainly benefits you get from church membership, it is also about what you contribute to the community in helping us display a fuller picture of Jesus to the world!
Joining Our Church
You certainly don't have to join our church, but if you're a Christian, you should definitely join a church. We are grateful to be just one of the many unique church expressions throughout Tampa Bay. You should be prayerful and selective about which church you join. And if you want to join ours, here is our process:
- Attend Connect Class. Connect class usually happens once a month after our Sunday morning service.
- Submit a Membership Application. This is so that we can hear your story and how God has worked in your life.
- Meet with our pastor. After submitting an application, we’ll schedule a time to get to know you and for you to get to know us.
- Commit to our Membership Covenant. Our covenant is drawn from the Bible and is simply a mutual commitment to Christian community that our members make to one another.