What does your church require of church members?
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It is always surprising to me when people accuse Rick Warren of
teaching an easy believism. I have to conclude they just don't know what
he requires of church members. See how this compares with your church:
The Purpose Driven- Church: Growth Without
Compormising Your Message and Mission (Rick Warren)
On the other
hand, we require a major commitment from those who want to join our
church. I'll share these details in chapter 17. All prospective members
must complete a membership class and are required to sign a membership
covenant. By signing the covenant, members agree to give financially,
serve in a ministry, share their faith, follow the leadership, avoid
gossip, and maintain a godly lifestyle, among other things. Saddleback
practices church discipline--something rarely heard of today. If you do
not fulfill the membership covenant, you are dropped from our
membership. We remove hundreds of names from our roll every year.
New members also agree to take additional classes
where they will sign growth covenants that include tithing, having a
daily quiet time, and participating weekly in a small group. One of the
reasons Saddleback has not had a lot of transfer growth is because we
expect so much more from our members than most other churches do.
I've discovered that challenging people to a
serious commitment actually attracts people rather than repels them. The
greater the commitment we ask for, the greater the response we get. Many
unbelievers are fed up and bored with what the world offers. They are
looking for something greater than themselves, something worth giving
their lives to.
Asking for commitment doesn't turn people off; it
is the way many churches ask for it. Too often, churches fail to explain
the purpose, value, and benefits of commitment, and they have no process
to help people take gradual steps in their commitment.
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