We live in a culture where church membership is a moving target. Those considering the move from guest to member may join the church for any number of reasons. Before joining any church, there are some questions a prospective member needs to ask (and answer). For instance, it’s important they feel comfortable with and are willing to support the church’s DNA: its mission, values, and vision.
Of course, those questions presume that the church can articulate the answers to these questions and has communicated them clearly.
But there’s more to being an effective member than giving a nod to where the church is going. Members need to understand that membership has its responsibilities and expectations. For instance:
- Effective members are ultimately responsible for their own spiritual growth and nurturing.
- They embrace and share the four Ts: time, talent, treasure, and testimony.
- Effective members care about and for one another.
- Effective members pay attention, and if someone is missing, they don’t just ask where the person is; they pick up the phone and find out.
- They’re connectors who go out of their way to make time to connect with guests, visitors, and those on the fringes of their church community.
Tweet ThisHaving effective members is not only important to the growth of the church, but to the members themselves. Churches with effective members have a foundation for change-making and community-reaching that too few congregations enjoy.
For more information, we developed the Church-Talk episode Effective Church Members as a resource that can be used in pre-membership classes, church introductory sessions, or as a go-to resource to help prospective members make the most of their membership. You can view the episode here: https://churchtalk.tv/effective-church-membership/
Question: How do you encourage your members to practice effective membership? Share your thoughts and ideas in the Comments section below.
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