MEMBERSHIP

Church membership is buying into something more. It’s a formal commitment to one particular local body of believers: to worship God, serve one another, grow together, and proclaim the Gospel, building up the whole body of Christ. 

What is Membership?

We believe membership is the example we have in the New Testament of people joining arms together for the mission of God in local bodies of Believers for the glory of God (Acts 2:41-47).

<span style="color:var(--primary-color-bg)">Membership</span> is how we <span style="color:var(--primary-color-bg)">live out</span> the New Testament commands for the <span style="color:var(--primary-color-bg)">church</span>.&nbsp;

Membership is how we live out the New Testament commands for the church. 

Hebrews 10:24-25
24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day Approaching.

There are over 50 commands in the New Testament that have to do with “one-another”. Nearly every single time these commands are given to a local church. The picture of the New Testament is that we love one another (1 Thessalonians 3:12), welcome one another (Romans 15:7), have fellowship with one another (1 John 1:7), bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2) and much more, and these things take place in a committed local church of Christians. 

<span style="color:var(--primary-color-bg)">Membership</span> is how we know <span style="color:var(--primary-color-bg)">who to shepherd</span> and who to follow; it <span style="color:var(--primary-color-bg)">protects the flock</span>.

Membership is how we know who to shepherd and who to follow; it protects the flock.

Acts 20:28
28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.

Membership is how the church knows which leaders to follow and grow from, and it shows the leaders who to joyfully shepherd and care for (Hebrews 13:17). Membership is what connects us and forms us into a local church, where we are committed to using our gifts, and being led toward Christ. By coming together, we can guard each other from the deceit of the world. It is a way to protect good doctrine and ensure that the discipleship and leadership in the church is aligned on the most important things. Membership protects leadership from straying, protects the church from blending in with the world, and guards and encourages each person in the body.

<span style="color:var(--primary-color-bg)">Membership</span> is how we <span style="color:var(--primary-color-bg)">build</span> up the <span style="color:var(--primary-color-bg)">whole</span> <span style="color:var(--primary-color-bg)">body</span> of Christ.

Membership is how we build up the whole body of Christ.

Ephesians 4:15-16
15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Membership is how the saints build up the whole church. One church has many members, and together these members grow up into Christ, but only when each part is working properly, in its unique way. We need each other. The church needs to be growing and healthy, serving and caring for each other, bearing each other’s burdens, and growing together. We need membership in order to be all that God has called us to be and to use our gifts to build the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12).  

<span style="color:var(--primary-color-bg)">Membership</span> is how we <span style="color:var(--primary-color-bg)">live</span> out our <span style="color:var(--primary-color-bg)">mission</span> in the <span style="color:var(--primary-color-bg)">world</span>.

Membership is how we live out our mission in the world.

Matthew 16:18
18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

God does not call individuals to accomplish his mission - he calls individuals to link arms to accomplish his mission as his bride: the church! Membership recognizes that it’s not only about the benefits we receive from the church - it’s about enlisting together to expand the kingdom of God here in Missoula. Membership is about something much greater than ourselves. We are called to a great task, and God has designed the task to be done together (Matthew 28:18-20). Membership says “I will partner with you to pursue what God has called us to do. We can go further together than we can alone.”

What does the membership process look like? 

You can start the membership process at any time! Membership happens in two parts.

Learn

We want people to know what we believe, and what our vision is, so that they can make an informed decision about joining this church as a member. When you start the process, we’ll send you some information about our church that should take less than 2 hours to read and watch.

Meet

Once that is done, you’ll attend either a Membership Lunch or meet 1 on 1 with a Staff or Elder. During this time, the goal is to get to know you! We want to hear about your story of faith and baptism, talk about the Gospel, and give you a chance to ask any questions you have about the church or membership. After that, you are able to sign the Membership Covenant and join the church as an official member! 

Next Step!

FAQ:

Yes. We believe baptism is how the early church added people into local bodies of believers. Some things have changed since then, but we believe the principle is good and true! However, you do not have to be baptized at our church to become a member: any baptism that occurs in a Christian church, in the name of the Father, Son, & Holy Spirit, after coming to faith in Jesus Christ, follows what we see in the Bible. If you have not been baptized, or have questions about your baptism, you can still absolutely begin the membership process. Along the way, we’ll discuss baptism with you! Visit our Baptism Page for more information and FAQ’s about baptism.

We see membership as something that takes place once someone reaches adulthood, and is ready to claim a church as their own. This can happen as early as 16 years old, however, minors in families who are already members are considered to be a part of our church. We would encourage these individuals to seek membership for themselves after they turn 18, as a way to recognize their own spiritual journey, and commitment to the body of Believers not just for the sake of their family, but of their own desire. 

We look to our members to be leading the charge at our church. Members serve. They lead. They teach and disciple others. They give. They pray. They love. They build up the body. They use their giftings to glorify God and bless the body. They nominate elders and deacons and vote to affirm candidates for each. They vote to affirm the annual budget of the church. They provide accountability to the leadership. They ensure the church remains loyal to God’s Word. The members of the church are the church.

  • We commit to preach and protect the Gospel (1 Timothy 4:2, Acts 20:28-31).
  • We commit to equip the saints for the work of ministry (Ephesians 4:11-13).
  • We commit to pray for, pursue, and protect the sheep (James 5:14, Galatians 6:1, 1 Timothy 5:20-21).
  • We commit to lead through service and humility (Matthew 20:25-28).

There are some beliefs that we require members to affirm, and there are others that we clearly state, but allow members to hold different opinions. We do ask that members would not be divisive to the teachings of the church. We welcome genuine questions; all of us are growing and wrestling with things, being divisive would mean intentionally trying to undercut the beliefs of the church or to purposefully try to divide people. To see our statement of faith click HERE.

No. If you are coming from another church (local or otherwise) we hope that you would leave that church well, maintaining Christian unity where possible, but you do not need to have any formal transfer of membership. 

Life happens. We desire members to be committed to this local body for as long as God has you here. We understand that people move away, and that sometimes God moves people to a different body of believers. We simply ask that you let us know if that’s the case, so we can update your membership status as needed.

  • We are not done yet. 
  • We love our neighbors.
  • We practice uncommon hospitality. 
  • We are champions of the family
For more information about our marks and our vision for the church, check out our ABOUT page on the website.

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