Commitments's # 5 & 6

I have been extremely behind (see first post about being new to this blogging gig) but wanted to finish blogging on "I am a Church Member" by Thom Rainer. We finished our mini-series on the church at Antioch this past weekend while reading Rainer's work corporately.  Studying both together definitely was an eye opener that every church needs to go through.

Both commitments were very similar to each other.  Commitment # 5 essentially being about leading everyone in your household to be an active member and Commitment # 6 being about treasuring your membership.

I like how Rainer talks about leading your family to be healthy members.  He says, "Part of the opportunity and honor of being a church member is the teaching of our family to love the church.  And that teaching often begins by praying together as a family for the church where God has placed us."

Part if the temptation that has faced church members over he past few decades is to have the "leave it to the professionals" attitude.  Meaning, if your car breaks you take it to a mechanic, if you have home issues you call a plumber, electrician. If your children need education is has to come from a 'professional'….on and on the list could go.  The problem with this mentality is that it doesn't work with Christianity.  Sure, your pastor should know more about the Bible than you, but Deuteronomy 6 makes it clear that parents were to be the primary disciplers of their children.  This means that parents and not pastors will be the most spiritual influence on their children, no matter how much or little a family attends a church.

Simply put. For Revival to happen in churches, it must first happen in homes.

In the last chapter Rainer discusses the fact that church membership is a gift to be treasured.  Membership should't be seen as an obligation so much as should be seen as an opportunity. An opportunity to encourage other Christians, to serve, and to give out of the love an forgiveness that we have received. Membership in a local body is a gift from the Lord. Not a legalistic obligation to gain favor with the Lord.  Membership is a gift we should treasure.


First Baptist Church, Oak Ridge
Commitments 5 & 6
I Am a Church Member

       I will lead my family to be good members of this church as well.  We will pray together for our church.  we will worship together in our church.  we will serve together in our church.  and we will ask Christ to help us fall deeper in love with this church because He gave His life for her. 
      This membership is a gift.  When I received the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, I became a part of the body of Christ.  I soon thereafter identified with the local body and was baptized.  And now I am humbled and honored to serve and to love others in our church.  I pray that I will never take my membership for granted, but see it as a gift and an opportunity to serve others and to be apart of something much greater than any one person or member. 

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Sign and Date

"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all." 

2 Corinthians 13:14