Ray is PCC’s Senior Pastor

Friends,

I’ve been getting a lot of questions recently about membership at Parkview, so I figured I’d write a little about it.

About 20 years ago, my father-in-law became a member of the Loyal Order of Moose. Why? Because the Moose lodge in town served great prime rib on Friday nights. And so, occasionally stopping by and eating steak was the extent of his Moose life.

A recent article in the Daily Herald reported how groups like the Moose and the Elks are finding it difficult to convince outsiders to join their organizations. It seems people in our culture are leery of joining, not only clubs named after large horned woodland creatures, but any organization in which membership is required. I found the article fascinating, not because Parkview requires membership, but because we do invite and encourage it. Therefore, understanding membership in the context of the local church is important. So, why membership?

It’s about Ownership.
At Parkview, becoming a member represents a significant shift in mindset — from “I attend this church” to “This is my church.” It means you are publicly identified with the family of God, both here at Parkview and the Church universal.

In some congregations, membership is merely a token expression that signifies a person regularly goes to a weekend service. Some administrative responsibilities may come with that (i.e.: voting for an annual budget), but the effect is basically nominal. The statement made by this style of low-commitment membership is, “I attend here.”

At PCC, however, we want membership to be more about how we loyally commit to care for and serve one another, in and out of weekend services. It’s a mutual dedication to a shared mission and a willingness to do life together along with the benefits that come in and through authentic spiritual community. This style of high-commitment membership says, “This is my family.”

It’s about Partnership
Membership is a means of giving yourself wholeheartedly [time, money, abilities] to something you believe in; to a cause bigger than yourself. It says, “I not only applaud what you are doing, but you can count on my active participation in fulfilling the mission of this church!”

It means you’re willing to serve in various ministry initiatives that are helping to equip Jesus followers in accomplishing our mission of reaching out to lost people who are looking to find their way back to God and guiding them into authentic Christian community. During the week, you may lead or participate in a small group fostering community and spiritual development in a more intimate venue. In everyday life, you represent Jesus by engaging the culture and investing in friendships with and serving unchurched people. The hope is to raise Jesus’ reputation through your life and eventually invite others to follow Jesus and, perhaps, join you in worship.

Membership also means that while you invest in the life of the church, Parkview strategically invests in you providing teaching, training, accountability, encouragement and opportunities to grow and apply your faith to real life.

It’s about Relationship
It’s a way of signifying that you’re giving yourself unreservedly to a living relationship; one that will have its ups and downs, much like a marriage. Saying “I’m fully committed” is a very counter cultural decision in a commitment-phobic world where “living together” provides you with an easy exit if the relationship no longer suits you.

God has created us for relationship. You are not alone. You should not be alone. Together we pursue Jesus in the context of loving, gracious and encouraging friendships in which Christ is our common bond.

Parkview is not a perfect place, and there will inevitably be growing pains and disappointments in our journey together. It’s at those moments when our mutual commitment to Jesus Christ and one another will pull us through the challenging times. Membership is a way of expressing and solidifying that kind of commitment.

Throughout the centuries, local church membership has remained an important aspect of Christian life and growth. If you’re not a member of Parkview, I invite you to become one, not because I’ll think more of you – I love and value all our people, but because it will represent an official statement of loyalty.

Unlike the Moose lodge, we don’t offer prime rib on Friday nights [or any other night for that matter], but we offer you the benefits of ownership, partnership and relationship in a spiritual adventure with God.

Ray