Commit // M-Note 6.4.2021

“Jesus didn’t have members, so why do churches?”
 
I remember showing up to pastor my first church (in my early twenties) and someone asked me this question. A debate was going on in the church about membership. Should a church have members? It makes the church sound like a country club, where there are insiders and outsiders, those with special privileges, and those without them. One of my first jobs in that church was to figure out if membership is even relevant anymore. I decided that it is, and here is why.
 
While it is true that Jesus didn’t ask people to become members, he did invite people to greater commitment. He asked them to follow him, but along with that, he asked them to do it alongside one another. He didn’t want us to follow him alone but to find a community (a church) where we could follow Jesus together. At its core, that is what The Gathering is – a community of people who are committed to following Jesus together.
 
I know there are many of you that have been attending The Gathering but have not yet become a member. You haven’t yet had the chance to stand up and say, “this is my church and I commit to follow Jesus alongside all of you”.  If you have ever considered membership, been interested in getting baptized, or affirming your baptism because you were baptized a long time ago - then I have an invitation for you.
 
On Tuesday, June 15 we are having a special worship service to celebrate baptism and membership. At the service, I will talk a little more about what membership at The Gathering means. Then, all those interested in joining will have the opportunity to do so. If you have never been baptized, or want to reaffirm your baptism, we will be doing that, as well. If you have been considering any of these decisions, then I hope you will come.
 
You can register for the event on our website or app. Let us know what you are interested in, and one of our pastors will get in touch with you to talk about it before the service. If you have any questions, you can always reach out to me.
 
So many of you are committed to The Gathering in so many ways. For that I am extraordinarily grateful. Before you go, this weekend I will finish our series Heretic: Understanding Misguided Beliefs. I will be talking about the belief that “all that matters is if you are a good person”. It may sound surprising, but being a good person is not what matters most in the Christian faith! Join me Sunday to find out why.
 
Have a great weekend, and I will see you in church.
 
Peace,

P.S. We are excited to welcome our nursery and pre-k kids back to kids ministry this weekend! Gathering Kids offers a fun, engaging, love-filled experience where children ages 0 through 5th grade learn about Jesus. Pre-registration is no longer required, but we do ask kids ages 5 and up to wear their mask. If you have questions about our kids ministry, please feel free to reach out to one of our Gathering Kids staff. You can find their contact information here.