Why Should I ...?

There was a time when the question of church membership was not much of a question at all.  Jump back a generation or two, and nearly every church in the U.S. had a roster of members.  Now, the question, however, is much more persistent.  "Why should I join a local church?"  "Why should I bother with church membership?"  "So explain to me what membership is all about."  Many churches today have a membership process but don't place much emphasis on it.  Others don't have membership at all, encouraging their people to get involved and engaged without a more formal process. 

For many Christians, church membership sounds dated.  It's something you have at your bank, gym or the country club, but not your church.  Even if we agree that Christianity is not meant to be a lone ranger religion, that we need one another for prayer, support and fellowship, we still bristle at the thought of officially joining a church.  Mark Dever, in his book Nine Marks of a Healthy Church writes this about church membership...

"Church membership is our opportunity to grasp hold of each other in responsibility and love.  By identifying ourselves with a particular church, we let the pastors and other members of that local church know that we intend to be committed in attendance, giving, prayer, and service.  We assure the church of our commitment to Christ in serving with them, and we call for their commitment to serve and encourage as well."

Join us this Sunday at 9:30am, as we conclude our three week series called, Blueprints for the church.  In this series, we are pulling back the curtain and looking at how the New Testament church handled church polity (structure).  This week, we will focus on church membership.  Believers today want to go to church.  They want to attend church.  But they don't necessarily want to belong to a church.  The church was never meant to be a consumer relationship.  The local church is a body made up of many members.  This was how Paul described the early church in I Corinthians 12.  Take time this weekend to read I Corinthians 12:12-20, and join us this Sunday at 9:30am as we gather to Worship God Passionately, through singing, prayer, giving of our offering and the study of God's Word.  I hope you will make time to join us!

Speaking of church membership, this Sunday at 11:00am, all Parkside Fellowship church members are invited to our Annual Membership Meeting.  During this meeting, our church council will present the 2023 budget for your approval.  We will also provide an update on the transition to Calvary Parkside.  The 2023 proposed budget is attached to this email.

Upcoming Events:

Calvary Parkside Membership Class Part 2.  Sunday, March 5th at 11:00am.  This class is designed for both current members and those new to our church.  During this class, we will unpack our vision and mission, what we believe, how we function, and what it means to be a member of Calvary Parkside.

Praying for each other is a great way to begin "Connecting with one another authentically".

See you Sunday.

Doug