In the Bible, the church is called the Bride of Christ. Jesus loves the church and gave His life for her. We believe that church membership is an important part of being a disciple. If you have been attending our church and are starting to feel at home, we invite you to join our family.

We will soon be having our next New Members Class. It will take place in two parts, a luncheon after church on Sunday, then a Saturday morning of orientation, relationship building, and teaching. If you are interested in attending, please call the church office or send me an email.

Why is church membership important? Theologians often make a distinction between the universal (invisible) church and the local (visible) church. “Ekklesia,” is the Greek word that is translated as “church” in the New Testament. The universal church is made up of all those who belong to Christ, both in heaven and on earth. Jesus spoke of the universal church when He said, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:18b)

When someone puts their trust in Jesus, they immediately become a member of the universal church and are adopted into God’s family. In addition, it is God’s plan for His people to be connected to a specific, local church. The word, “ekklesia” literally means “assembly.” Someday all believers will assemble before God’s in heaven. While we are on earth God wants all His followers to assemble in local churches where we worship Him together, learn His Word, love and encourage one another, serve our community, and proclaim the good news to our world.

Most references to “church” in the New Testament focus on local assemblies, like the church of God in Philippi or Corinth or Rome. The Bible is filled with instructions about how to live in God’s family. The Apostle Paul refers to a local assembly as the Body of Christ. Just like a hand cannot function unless it is connected to a body, so Christians cannot live out their faith without being connected to a local church. I would even suggest that we cannot obey about half the commands in the New Testament unless we make a commitment to a local group of believers.

If you are a follower of Christ and don’t have a church home, please pray about joining us for the upcoming luncheon and orientation for potential new members.