We believe that together we are stronger! The Bible likens the church to the human body, which is made up of many different parts or members, each with their own place and purpose.
In the same way, Christians are part of a body, the church, each of us with our own place and purpose, with a part to play but all working together. The truth is we all need one another, especially if we are to grow in our faith. (1 Corinthians 12:18, 27, Ephesians 4:13-16 and Ephesians 5:30).
We are all under the headship of our Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:22-23), and according to Ephesians 4:9-12 and Hebrews 13:17 we should all be part of a local body of Christians, and under the leadership of a local church.
Why is membership important?
Membership is not about having a membership card. The church is not a club or an organisation; it’s so much more than that. Like a body, it’s a living organism both in a spiritual sense and a practical sense.
A person who chooses to follow Christ becomes part of the spiritual body of Christ. In this sense, every Christian on the planet is part of one body. We all work together to serve Jesus Christ. Becoming a Christian should be followed by water baptism. We also believe that all Christians should seek the baptism in the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). Just as these things were an integral part of membership in the early church, so are they in membership at The King’s Centre today.
Besides the spiritual aspect, there must also be a visible and practical expression of membership. This means that there should be a public acknowledgement and acceptance of those who believe God wants to place them in a local expression of the universal church. It’s important because for leaders and pastors to rightly fulfil their role they need to know those who are fully committed to the local church.
On several occasions in the book of Acts we see how disciples were numbered and counted and how in 1 Corinthians 5 they clearly had a recognised membership. You can’t disciple, support, encourage, guide and lead people properly unless you know they are truly with you.
So, membership is essentially making a commitment to a local church and its leaders, and the blessings and benefits of doing so are huge!
What does membership involve?
If we want to receive all those blessings and benefits, we must be committed to the responsibilities of membership. The early church provides a great example to us of what true membership looks like…
Gathering
Being part of a church requires attending that church. Regularly gathering for the teaching of God’s word, to worship Him and share Communion are absolute essentials. In Acts 2:42-46 we see the early church members met in the temple courts and in homes at every opportunity. That regular, consistent, weekly community time is a distinguishing mark of a true member.
We can’t do life alone and that’s why Sundays and midweek groups help us to connect and do life together.
Learning
The desire and dedication to listen and learn are real hallmarks of membership. In the early church we see that as they gathered to hear God’s word they were learning how to live according to it.
That commitment enabled them to be brought to a real place of unity, a place where as a body of believers they were ‘perfectly joined together in the same mind’ and so spoke the ‘same thing’. The Bible says they were in ‘one accord’, literally meaning they shared a “one mindedness’.
Giving
Supporting and strengthening the work of God is really important (1 Corinthians 16:2). We see in the Bible that membership involves us laying aside 10% of our income (called ‘our tithe’) and bringing that and our offerings into the ‘storehouse’ (Malachi 3:10).
The beautiful thing is Malachi 3:10 teaches us that as we do, God pours His blessing over our lives!
Serving and caring
Membership means involvement. 1 Corinthians 3:9 says “we are co-workers in God’s service.” Ephesians 2:10 and 1 Corinthians 12:14-31 help us to understand that as members and parts of a body, we each have a God-given part or role to play.
Just as each part of your body has a function, it’s the same in the church. We all have a role in which we can serve, whatever that might be. It is only because of the willingness of our members to serve that we can do what we do.
Another aspect of our commitment to our local Christian community is that we want to love, care for and serve one another. 1 John 2:3-5, 3:10-24 and John 13:34-35 help us to see how our love and practical care for one another heal any divisions and show the world what Jesus is like.
Covering
The Bible instructs us to honour those who are over us in the Lord. Hebrews 13:17 says “Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you”.
The pastors and elders here at the King’s Centre want to make themselves available to give godly direction and oversight because they want the best for you. It’s with that in mind, that we encourage our members to seek their counsel, especially when they are taking major decisions in their lives. See Proverbs 11:14. This enables members to find God’s will and blessing in whatever direction they may feel God is leading them.
Our leaders’ desire is to help, pray for and counsel each member to find their role in the body of Christ. There are things we can all do and there are things we have been gifted by God to do. Here at the King’s Centre, we want your God-given potential to be released for Him and His glory!
Integrity
The church should, by its definition, be separate from the world. The Greek word for ‘church’ is ‘Ecclesia’ which means to be a ‘called out’ people. The church is called to be light in a dark world (Ephesians 5:8).
Our loyalty and lifestyles should display our calling. As Christians – “followers of Christ” – loyalty, love, honesty and integrity should always be seen in our lives. Gossip and evil actions and speaking against others in and outside the church will affect the whole testimony of the church.
Let us follow the encouragement of God’s word. Philippians 2:4, James 4:11 and Colossians 4:5.
We believe it is very important that each Christian knows where their spiritual home is so that they can put down their roots and grow. So, if you are interested in becoming a member or have any further questions please don’t hesitate to contact us. You can find our details here.