Frequently Asked Questions
Membership FAQ
Q. Is church membership important?
A. If you were to take a poll of what church membership means to the average Christian, you would hear a lot of different answers. For some, being a church member means little more than having their name on the church roll. For some, being a church member doesn’t even necessarily mean they plan to attend the church, except maybe for Christmas and Easter.
Church membership is really about committing ourselves as Christians to God and to each other within the context of a unique covenant community of believers. When we talk about church, we’re not talking about a building, we’re talking about people. The church is the people who have committed themselves to God and each other within the context of a unique covenant community of believers.
In his book entitled The Body, Charles Colson makes a statement about modern American Christianity that is both accurate and alarming. Maybe the reason it’s so alarming is that it’s so accurate. He says:
“Many Christians have been infected with the most virulent virus of modern American life, what sociologist Robert Bellah calls ‘radical individualism.’ They concentrate on personal obedience to Christ as if all that matters is ‘Jesus and me,’ but they don’t see the importance of being committed to active involvement in a local church.”
What we need to understand is that God never intended for us to live our lives as “lone ranger” Christians, living by what Charles Colson calls the “Jesus and me” syndrome. God intends for us to live in relationship with other Christians who are committed to God and to each other within the context of a unique covenant community.
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Q. What is expected of church members?
A. God gave us the church because He knows how much we need the encouragement and support of others Christians as we try to live a godly life in the midst of an unsympathetic and often hostile world. As one writer puts it, when we “neglect the assembling ourselves together,” we become like the soldier who gets separated from the rest of the men in his company, and becomes an easy target for the enemy. We need the encouragement and support that we can get from other Christians, and they need the encouragement and support that they can get from us.
All new members are asked to agree with the following membership covenant: “I will protect the unity of my church; I will share the responsibility of my church; I will serve the ministry of my church; I will support the ministry of my church.”
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Q. Do I need to attend any membership classes?
A. Yes. Several times a year, we conduct a class called Discovery 101. This class is a prerequisite to join the church, and explores our church’s vision, purpose, and goals. To find out when the next Discovery 101 will be held, please email us or call the church office.
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Q. What are the benefits of membership?
A. God has given us the church so that we don’t have to go it alone in a world that is hostile to our faith. Church membership doesn’t make you a Christian, any more than standing in a garage makes you a car. But it does make us part of a unique covenant community of believers who are committed to God and to each other. It does surround ourselves with other believers who can give us the encouragement that we need and who need the encouragement we can give as we try to live out our faith in a hostile world.
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Q. How do I become a member?
A. Several times a year, we conduct a class called Discovery 101. This class is a prerequisite to join the church, and explores our church’s vision, purpose, and goals. To find out when the next Discovery 101 will be held, please call the church office. Upon completion of the class, you will have the opportunity to be formally introduced to the rest of the church during a Weekend Celebration service.
Part of joining includes agreeing with the following membership covenant: “Having received Christ as my Lord and Savior and having been baptized and being in agreement with Cleveland’s vision, strategy, and structure, I now feel led by the Holy Spirit to unite with the Cleveland Church family. In doing so, I commit myself to God and to the other members to do the following: I will protect the unity of my church; I will share the responsibility of my church; I will serve the ministry of my church; I will support the ministry of my church.”
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