What is church membership anyway?

You might have heard that we are having a congregational meeting this Sunday after our worship service, and that we are holding a membership class in the evening.  And right now, you might be thinking, if that’s what this little article is about, this is the easiest thing to skip since that Justin Bieber song came up on my Spotify (sorry, Biebs).  Hold up for a second- especially if you’re not yet officially a “member” of The Bridge Church but would call it your church home.

What membership in an actual local congregation like The Bridge does is that it gives real, concrete expression to that commitment. In that way, it’s like baptism. We believe baptism is the physical, public expression of what Jesus has done in someone’s life. And at least when it comes to baptism, it’s not an optional add-on either. Jesus instructs it. As I said last Sunday, the Christian story is meant to be shared. It’s meant to be public. That's a piece of what baptism is. Faith in Jesus is meant to be given physical expression. It doesn’t stay in a corner. And I believe neither is your status as a member of the body of Christ. It’s not meant to be this purely ephemeral, “spiritual” idea. It’s meant to find concrete expression in a local church.

If you want to dig in a bit more than what I've written above, you'll have to join us this Sunday night! If you’re not a member at The Bridge, why not attend this session? There's no obligation or pressure to take the next step after that. Come and explore the concept and learn more about our church. I’d even invite those who have been welcomed into membership, maybe a long time ago, but would like a refresher on what membership is about at The Bridge. I hope to see you there!