Membership Matters

I’m currently leading a two session “Membership Matters” class at our church.  I’ve done this before and think it is a needed way to help folks understand the need for church membership, what it means, and who we are as a church.

I’ve written often about the struggles in American church life.  I believe this is a positive approach (not because I’m doing it) that can help churches with church health.

Some traditions have organized new membership classes that integrate folks into the church.  Baptists have done this poorly. Often in Baptist churches folks would walk an aisle, pray, be baptized and that’s it.  Then they would be asked to serve in jobs and little attention was given to membership.

This approach is a step that comes even before the decision to join happens.  This is a time for folks to explore what and who we are before they do join.  It’s a time to see what this is about.  Then if they join they better understand their decision.

Somebody’s daughter

OPINION: Somebody’s daughter (Originally in the Religious Herald)

By Derik Hamby

Friday, January 20, 2012

0digg I was at my daughter’s school when her teacher asked, “Did you see what your daughter wrote? All the teachers are coming down to read it.” My daughter is 7 years old and in the first grade and anything she writes is a work of art, but this time I was very curious. I immediately walked out into the hallway outside her classroom. On the wall a sign read, “I have a dream.” Children had created artwork describing their dreams. Here is what my daughter wrote: “I have a dream that I will be a preacher and I will preach about God. And I will preach about Jesus. I will work at a church. I will preach on a stage. I hope my dream will come true.”I realize she loves her daddy and if I were a cowboy she’d probably want to be one, too. I realize her career ideas will change a million times. A few years ago she wanted to be a butterfly and then it was a mermaid. I know all this, but I still cried. And yet I also know it is at this age that kids really are thinking about what they want and desire from life. It’s obvious to me that my kids are blessed to be in a loving church environment that is nurturing them to be the person God has made them to be.