I don't worry about it too much. Some of my bosses care about seeing growth in church membership, but most believe the better indicator of a healthy church is probably worship attendance and ministry participation.
For those readers who haven't been a part of a United Methodist Church before, let me tell you about the process for becoming a member. Every church does things a little different. Larger churches may have a membership class you take for 3 or 4 weeks before you join. In smaller churches, like mine, you might meet with the pastor in your home or at the church office to talk about what it means to be a member. Many churches simply give an invitation at the end of every service and anybody interested comes forward and takes the vows of membership (I think that's a little lazy and leaves room for lazy membership, but that's another post for another day).
Vows? I'm glad you asked...
In any United Methodist Church, the pastor will ask those who wish to join two very simple questions. First, do you confess Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? Second, will you be loyal to the United Methodist Church by your prayers, your presence, your gifts, your service, and your witness? If you can answer yes to both questions, you're in. No hot iron branding. No selling your soul. No gauntlet to survive. And you don't have to sign away all of your earthly possessions.
So what's the importance of these vows? Glad you asked that question too... (play along)
Right now, Mt. Bethel is in a 40-day study of John Ed Mathison's Treasures of the Transformed Life. It's our "stewardship campaign", but don't tell anybody. In these 6 weeks of study, the devotional and Bible study topics are on our prayers, presence, gifts, and service. More importantly, how those things that you pledged to the church when you joined are the things that nurture and transform your life as a Christian. If you pray, avail yourself to God, give generously, and serve others, you will have a meaningful relationship with Christ. If you have a meaningful relationship with Christ, your life will bear fruit that will lead others to that same relationship for themselves.
In other words, in pledging your loyalty to the church, you pledge loyalty to your own relationship with Jesus, which benefits you personally. The side effect of that loyalty is a healthy church. Interesting, huh?
When churches are full of loyal people - people who live their vows in public and in private - those churches spend less time and effort on themselves, hoarding their resources for their own members. Instead, churches full of loyal people are leading transformation of their communities. They're spending their time, money, efforts, and talents on people that still need to meet Jesus. They are meeting people where they are, becoming the answers to their own prayers and the prayers of others, and expanding the Kingdom of God.
If you're a member of a United Methodist congregation, have you ever stopped to think about what it means that you're a member? Have you ever given serious thought to what you vowed? Have you come to comprehend the depth of that commitment and what kind of fruitful life it brings when we are faithful to it?
If you're part of another denomination or a non-denomination, what kinds of things are expected of you as a member? How does your faithfulness actually nurture you and define your life?
Comments: alex.stroud (at) ngumc.net
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