How To Join The Church Of Christ? The 7 Latest Answer

This article is about the denomination of Christians known as Christian Churches or Churches of Christ. For other uses, see Christian church (disambiguation)

The group of churches known as Christian churches and Churches of Christ are congregations within the Restoration movement (also known as the Stone-Campbell movement and 19th-century Reformation) that have no formal denominational affiliation with other congregations, but many nonetheless share characteristics of faith and worship. Churches in this tradition are strongly congregational and have no formal denominational ties, and as such there is no proper name agreed upon for the movement as a whole. Most (but not all) congregations in this tradition include the words “Christian Church” or “Church of Christ” in their congregation name. Official statistical data is lacking due to the lack of formal organization between communities, but the 2016 Departmental Directory documents approximately 5,000 communities in the US and Canada; some put the number at over 6,000 as this directory is unofficial.[who?]

These congregations share historical roots with other similarly named congregations within the Restoration movement, including congregations organized within formal fellowships such as the “Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)” or the “Churches of Christ”. However, the communities discussed in this article have chosen to remain fully autonomous. Another distinguishing feature of these congregations is their use of instrumental music in their worship, in contrast to the “Churches of Christ” which do not use instrumental music. The instrumental congregations discussed here and the a cappella Churches of Christ are otherwise very similar but have little contact with each other in most congregations, although there is some collaboration between some larger churches and also in some educational institutions.

Municipal nomenclature[edit]

The churches are independent congregations and usually bear the name “Christian Church” but often use the name “Church of Christ”. While there may be isolated exceptions, there is general agreement within the movement that no personal or family names should be attached to a church that Christ bought and established with His own blood, although geographic designations are acceptable. Thus, it is common for a congregation to be known as “[name of city] Christian Church” [3], but in some areas it may be known as “[The/First] Christian Church [of/at] [City, Community , or other place name].” In recent history, individual congregations have made decisions to change their formal names to break with traditional nomenclature and use more generic names such as “Christ’s Church [of/at] [City Name]”, “[City Name] Community Christian Church”. , or “[City Name] Community Fellowship”. The tendency in Restoration churches to choose names such as “Christian Church” and “Church of Christ” can create difficulties in identifying the affiliation (if any) of an individual church by name alone, and it is not uncommon for churches outside of the Restoration movement to use similar names (see Church of Christ (disambiguation)).

Separation from the disciples of Christ[edit]

The separation of the independent Christian Churches and Churches of Christ from the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) (DoC) took place over a long period of time. The roots of the split go back to a polarization that occurred in the early twentieth century as a result of three major controversies. These controversies concerned theological modernism, the influence of the ecumenical movement, and open membership (recognition as full members of persons who had not been baptized by immersion).

The Disciples of Christ in 1910 were a united, growing fellowship with common goals. The United Christian Missionary Society’s support of missionaries advocating open membership became a source of contention in 1920. Efforts to withdraw support for these missionaries failed at a 1925 convention in Oklahoma City and a 1926 convention in Memphis, Tennessee. As a result, many churches withdrew from the missionary society.

A new convention, the North American Christian Convention, was organized in 1927 by the more conservative congregations. An existing Brotherhood magazine, the Christian Standard, also served as a source of cohesion for these congregations. From the 1960s, newer independent missionary organizations such as the Christian Missionary Fellowship (now Christian Missionary Fellowship International) worked more on a national level to gather Christian congregations/Church of Christ congregations in international missions. By this time the division between liberals and conservatives was well established.

The official separation between the independent Christian Churches/Churches of Christ and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is difficult to date. Suggestions range from 1926 to 1971 based on the events detailed below:

1926: The first North American Christian Convention (NACC) in 1927 was the result of disenchantment at the DoC Memphis Convention.

1944: The International Disciples’ Convention elects a proponent of open membership as President

1948: The Commission on Restudy, appointed to avoid a split, dissolves

1955: The ministry’s register is first published, listing only the “independents” on a voluntary basis.

1968: Final editing of Disciples Year Book, removing independent churches

1971: Independent churches are listed separately in the Yearbook of American Churches.

Identity[ edit ]

As the Christian Churches and Churches of Christ are independent congregations, there is no fixed creed, but the Ministry’s register contains the following general description:

Members of Christian churches and Churches of Christ believe in the deity and lordship of Jesus Christ, the inspiration of the Bible, and the autonomy of local communities. According to the basic principles of the “restoration” movement, they accept and teach the baptism of believers by immersion in Christ for the remission of sins; They gather for worship on the first day of the week and make observance of the sacrament a central focus of that worship service. They seek the unity of all believers based on faith in and obedience to Christ as the divine Son of God and acceptance of the Bible, especially the New Testament, as their all-sufficient rule of faith and practice.

baptism [edit]

From the principles cited above, one of most Christian churches and Churches of Christ differs markedly from other modern evangelical Christian groups today. This is the teaching that a person receives forgiveness of sins during his baptism. Baptism is:

by immersion,

for publicly professing believers in Jesus Christ [Acts 8:37],

a work of the grace of God, not a work of man [Col 2:12],

a promise obtained through obedient submission [Acts 2:40, 41],

necessarily associated with confession of sinfulness and repentance [Acts 2:38; Acts 3:19; Rom 10:9,10],

the occasion when one receives God’s forgiveness for one’s sins [Acts 2:36-37; Acts 2:40-41],

the opportunity of calling on his name for salvation [Acts 22:16],

the occasion when the outfitting indwelling Holy Spirit is received as the seal and promise of heaven [Acts 2:38; Titus 3:5],

a “circumcision” or reshaping of the believer’s heart by the hands of Christ himself [Col 2:11-12],

indicated in the ceremonial ablutions of the Old Testament, now fulfilled in the believer’s common experience with Christ [Hebrews 10:22],

Participation in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ [Rom 6:4] and the only certainty of hope in the resurrection from the dead [Rom 6:5-7],

specially emphasized and commanded by Christ in his brief concluding remarks (“The Great Commission”) before ascending to heaven,

not just an external sign of an internal change, but both at the same time [e.g. “born again” John 3:4, 5],

indeed a baptism, both physical in water and spiritual in the blood of Jesus [Ephesians 4:5; John 3:5],

Entry into the Body of Christ as a whole, and therefore the only viable entry into membership of a local congregation of Independent Christian Churches and Churches of Christ (as in The Church of Christ (non-instrumental), a candidate for membership is not usually required to be re-baptized if previously “baptized into Christ” according to the above common understanding and/or guidelines) [Ephesians 4:5].

Educational institutions[ edit ]

The Christian Churches/Churches of Christ support a variety of Bible colleges and seminars. Because there is no official “denominational” structure in the movement, local colleges often serve as information centers and allow local churches to maintain links with one another.

India

Colleges and Seminaries Location Date of foundation India Christian Bible College Kerala, South India 1980

Canada

Colleges and Seminaries Location Founded Alberta Bible College Calgary, Alberta 1932 Maritime Christian College Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island 1960

Philippines

Colleges and Seminaries Location Date Founded International Christian College of Manila San Jose, Antipolo City, Rizal, Philippines 2005 Manila Bible Seminary Pablo Ocampo Street, Barangay San Bartolome, Novaliches, Quezon City, Philippines 1926

United States

Schools that no longer exist

Puget Sound Christian College, opened in 1950 but closed in 2007. [13]

Cincinnati Christian University opened in 1924 but closed in 2019.

Slogans[ edit ]

A number of slogans have been used in the Restoration movement to express some of the movement’s distinctive themes: 688 These include:

“Where Scripture speaks, we speak; where Scripture is silent, we are silent.”

“The Church of Jesus Christ on earth is essentially, willed, and constitutionally one.”

“We are only Christians, but not the only Christians.”

“Unity in essentials; freedom in opinions; love in all things.”

“No faith but Christ, no book but the Bible, no law but love, no name but the Divine.”

“Call biblical things by biblical names.”

See also[edit]

References[ edit ]

quotes[edit]

They are a place of religious authority, a Sunday ritual, and a home for people to come and worship.

For many participants, a big part of the church is the fellowship it offers—and establishing a solid church membership system will only help you strengthen that feeling.

A formal process helps engage your community, encourages members to get involved, and gives them the opportunity to try new things, such as B. Leading Bible studies or improving a musical talent on the worship team.

If you’re still debating establishing church membership, or currently have a more informal system, it’s time to settle into a more formal process – and see how it can benefit you!

In this article, we’ll go over everything you need to know about church membership programs, including:

Let’s start!

Why It’s the Best Time to Establish Your Church Membership

Let’s face it – large gatherings, including church services, have looked quite different in recent months. They probably won’t go back to “the old normal” anytime soon.

That’s why it’s so important that you establish your church membership now—it’s a way to keep your congregation strong even when you’re physically apart.

Through a more formal membership program, you can share various gospel readings with the community, post various links to favorite worship songs on YouTube, or email your community with Zoom links for your weekly virtual Sunday service. It will strengthen your fellowship while you are apart and give people a chance to pray with you as restrictions ease and some people are reluctant to return to large gatherings.

That is why many churches, including the Church of the Redeemer, have opted for this option.

By providing online services, they are able to maintain a connection with their members and other participants even when they are unable to meet in person.

And by encouraging site visitors to sign up for their newsletter, they open the door to building a deeper connection by letting subscribers know about their events and opportunities for further engagement.

Wondering if it’s the right time to start more online activities like this?

Now that most in-person events have been postponed, you also have the time to take the time now to get your church membership set up right the first time.

Take the time you would spend preparing for personal sermons or masses to research software options to help you manage your church membership plan and what you might want to include in it.

Making the right choices now will make it easier for you to manage everything when you return to in-person events, and can also help you generate more interest in virtual worship — it’s much easier for members of your congregation to participate participate if you can find all the information in one place.

Three benefits of formal church membership for participants

Now that we’ve addressed why this is the best time to start your church membership, let’s look at the fun stuff – the benefits!

1. Strengthen your sense of community

Church membership really helps your ministry grow beyond a fellowship that meets weekly within four walls. An online home for your community gives people a place to feel connected no matter where they are.

It also allows you to lead more intimate groups more easily. For example, check out what Randallsville New Life Church is doing with their Connect groups.

Creating smaller spaces can help members connect on a deeper level than services alone could—and it’s much easier to reach people who want to participate if you already have a formal membership process in place.

2. Helps members feel committed

Embracing something new can be a struggle—imagine how hard it can be for new members of your church to feel at home from their first Sunday.

It can be easy to drop out after a few weeks, but signing up for church membership can help them stay engaged.

An established process also makes it easier for church officials to communicate directly with them (think how far a personal email asking them about their past experiences would go) and allow for these direct conversations with new members support financially. This will help new members feel more engaged and likely to stay longer.

(And for more membership retention ideas, check out this post.)

3. Share ways for members to get more involved

One of the wonderful things about churches is that there are so many opportunities for members to get involved. From volunteering at childcare, performing at church, or serving as ushers during services, there’s something for everyone—and the establishment of church memberships makes it even easier for members to get involved. You can go straight to your membership page, see what’s available, and get started!

Wondering how to share all your opportunities with your members?

You could follow the lead of the First Universalist Church of Essex in sharing all opportunities to get involved by posting a calendar of events on their website.

This type of calendar could be publicly available on your website or members only if there are some events that you prefer to keep intimate.

Three Benefits of Formal Church Membership for Organizations

We’ve covered the benefits of church membership for your community—but what about your church?

Here are some of the top ways your administration can benefit from establishing a membership program.

1. Engage more volunteers

Remember how we talked about the benefits of sharing opportunities to serve church members?

This is also a great advantage for church organizations!

Recognize where you need volunteer support (perhaps you are hosting a bake sale to raise money for a missionary trip or need help conducting online Bible studies) and share these opportunities with your members.

It’s much more efficient than posting these opportunities on a bulletin board or end-of-service announcements. You can also connect directly with volunteers through your membership program, making it easier for you to organize and keep track of who is doing what.

2. Better attendance prediction

Being able to better predict attendance has positive applications to so many different aspects of the Church! From large masses, youth groups, or Bible studies, you always know exactly how many people you need to prepare for.

Aside from only being prepared with staff assistance or reasonable amounts of food, tracking attendance is especially important these days as COVID-19-related restrictions change and the number of gatherings fluctuates.

Knowing exactly how many people are coming to each event can help ensure you comply with government restrictions. Set event caps and let people register to keep everyone safe!

3. Easily communicate with your community

Are you trying to inform your convention about a new virtual youth group program?

Or maybe reach out to older members of your community to see how they are doing, or let your community know about an upcoming event they can attend?

All of this is made easy with a church membership program. When people sign up, you can collect their information (like email address and phone number) and easily sort them when you need to reach them.

This makes it easier for you to share your events with them and increase attendance. This live stream sermon from Sanctuary for Spiritual Living is a great example.

Just look at all the comments and views they received!

Even when members can’t be together in person, you can communicate and connect with them through the power of technology—something that’s a lot harder when you can’t reach them easily.

Should You Have Church Membership Requirements?

Now that you see all the benefits of church membership for both church officials and members of your congregation, we’re sure you’re excited to get set up!

However, at this point you may be wondering if you have any requirements for this membership.

Short answer?

It totally depends on your situation.

longer answer?

The decision on church membership requirements would be decided based on what they would be used for.

For example, your church may require new members to attend a series of Bible study courses or have an interview with a pastor or other church authority. In this case, you will want these requirements listed on the church membership forms. That way, new members know what they’re committing to when they sign up.

However, filling out a form or meeting specific requirements may not be required for all churches – there is no universal golden rule. You need to look at what’s really best for your business.

For example, The First Church of Christ, Scientist, Naperville offers events that are open to all, but the requirements for members are slightly stricter.

Keep in mind, however, that these different requirements don’t have to be unique to joining.

You can also use your membership requirements to filter out members who are excellent candidates to lead various programs or to be in positions of authority in your church.

For example, you may not want members who have only been with you a week to lead small group Bible studies. Only make this role available to members who have been with you for a long time, which is easy to track in a church membership program.

You should also consider the fact that you probably won’t have every member of every service as members (perhaps people will take a few visits to decide you’re the one!), but you might want to use the membership software to to keep track of who are members and to offer some events for members only, such as

Does that seem too complicated to you?

Remember there are great software options you can get – at an even better price! – this will do a lot of the heavy lifting. You can focus on building what you want your church membership to include and provide to your community and skip the technical parts.

There are so many great benefits for everyone once you have an active church membership program in place – and it doesn’t have to be a technical issue to get started!

With the right software and some time to set it up right, you can offer your members the best possible church experience, no matter where they happen to be worshipping from.

Does your church offer memberships? Let us know if there are any benefits we forgot to mention in the comments!

Read more: How to Set Up a Free Church Database Template Quickly and Easily

A person wonders, “Isn’t that just a formality? I mean, I’m here every week, I’m in a small group, I give… Why fill out an application, take a class, and meet with a pastor just to get on with the things I’m already doing?”

Another might ask: “Should we really be pushing for ‘membership’? After all, I don’t see any command in Scripture that says, ‘You shall become a member of the church.’ We don’t want to add anything to the Bible, do we?”

I heard these questions. To be honest, I asked myself these questions. But I would like to point out that church membership is not simply a formality, nor is it an alien category to the New Testament. I would like to suggest that whatever process it takes in your local church, membership is really important.

Here are four reasons why:

1. Pastoral Membership Matters.

… shepherd the flock of God that is among you. (1 Peter 5:2)

This verse calls on pastors to shepherd their “flock.” Shepherding is a difficult task that requires great care and has eternal implications (1 Corinthians 3:13-15). As a pastor myself, it is important that I answer the question, “Who is the flock of God that I am responsible for?” Is it everyone who comes through the church doors? Is it everyone in our town? Every person I ever meet?

How do we define “the flock”? The best way I know of to answer this question is to look at my church’s membership list. These are the believers who are committed to our local church. These are the believers I am most responsible for serving.

God didn’t call pastors to shepherd every person who attended our church last Christmas, or every person we meet at the local coffee shop, or every person who follows us on Twitter (hallelujah!). God has called us to shepherd the flock among us. Church membership makes it clear who these people are.

2. Membership is important to the community.

It is not just pastors who have a God-given responsibility to care for the local church; every believer has a part in it too. Throughout the New Testament we see commands to care for one another:

Carry one another’s burdens, fulfilling the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:2, emphasis added) Ponder how you can spur one another on to love and good works, not neglecting to meet, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and the more so , the more you draw the day see near. (Hebrews 10:24–25, emphasis added)

How do we define “each other”? Is God commanding us to carry the burdens of everyone everywhere? That sounds devastating! Is God asking us to personally meet and encourage every person we ever meet? That sounds exhausting!

Church membership helps us here too. Membership defines our local church fellowship and gives us a specific group of people that God has called us to live with and build up until the day of Christ’s return.

By making a commitment to membership, we are saying to the other members of our church, “I have a commitment to you, and I trust your commitment to me.” Membership is not a mere formality, it strengthens a true community.

3. Membership Matters for the Assurance.

Many Christians wrestle with questions of certainty. “How do I know I’m really saved?” “How do I know my faith is real?”

Let me be clear: Jesus Christ is the foundation of all true Christian assurance. We do not look to the strength of our faith, the quality of our holiness, or our status as a church member as the ultimate reason for the assurance of salvation; We look to Jesus Christ.

As Christians, we trust Philippians 1:6, which says, “Whoever has begun a good work in you will finish it in the day of Jesus Christ.” Jesus saved us, he works in us, and he will finish what he did has begun. It is the basis of our certainty.

However, with Christ as our foundation, we can build and strengthen our assurance in many ways. Exercising faith increases certainty. The pursuit of holiness strengthens certainty. And church membership strengthens the assurance.

When a church accepts you as a member, it affirms your testimony. They say, “We see the grace of God working in you in Jesus Christ,” and that will increase your confidence.

4. Membership is important to Jesus.

Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. (Ephesians 5:25)

We must always remember this: Jesus is not indifferent to the church. Jesus died for the church. He gave his life to redeem for himself a people of every tribe, tongue and nation on the planet (Revelation 7:9). The church is his body (1 Corinthians 12:27). The church is his bride (2 Corinthians 11:2).

We cannot overstate the extent of Christ’s commitment to the church. So why should we ever think lightly about our own involvement?

When we take the formal step of church membership, we affirm the truth of our belonging to Christ and His people, and we devote ourselves to caring for the people Jesus loves, which brings him great honor.

do you belong

So Christian, do you belong to your church? Have you taken this important step in demonstrating a Christlike devotion to His people?

If not, let me give you a simple encouragement: join your local church to help your pastor strengthen your church fellowship, build your confidence, and honor Christ.

Hello again sleeping eyes. My mother was raised strongly Catholic and my sister and I were baptized Catholics; My sister has always followed her faith through the Catholic Church and finds that she encounters God through the beautiful Latin script, liturgy and choral music, traditional hymns, Gregorian chants, etc. I don’t identify myself very well with the formal high church service, I prefer praise and worship in a more modern setting with drums, guitars etc (and so does my DC). But both my sister and I share the same core beliefs and feel privileged to know the love, presence and power of God in our daily lives, even though we have found vastly different ways of approaching and responding to God, and have very different spiritual bases. As I said before, I’m quite a chaotic person, so I prefer a more relaxed and informal service.

What I’m saying for a long time is that you can find God as you are, and in a church that suits you, you don’t have to change and be a different person first. I always think that Christianity is simply about having a relationship with God and not about following a set of rules, conforming or behaving in a certain way – although once you start, Him and His word getting to know your behaviors/attitudes/motivations etc. are most important will likely change in response to what you learn and discover. God loves you right now just as you are, but he wants each of us to respond personally to him and put our lives in his hands and start a new life with him. It sounds like you’ve already made that decision. Central to the Christian message is this individual need for repentance and receiving the gift of “new life.” Since you’ve studied the Bible, I’m sure you also understand that Jesus’ death and sacrifice are central to receiving God’s love, grace, and forgiveness. I’m sorry I rambled on about that a lot; I warned you that I live (and even write) in a bit of a mess most of the time!

On a slightly different note, I also studied religion before I became a Christian, but only up to O-grade (oops, my age gives it away!) and I knew the gospel of Luke inside and out from an academic perspective. However, when I reread Luke after becoming a Christian at 18, it was like I had never read it before! The Bible is God’s living Word to us, so to speak, not just a history book, and if you pick it up now to read it (just take small bites) and faith stirs in your heart, then I’m sure that God will speak to you through you it.

It is a real encouragement to hear God speak into your life and I pray that you will experience His peace, love and joy in increasing proportions in the days to come

The question of church membership can be approached from different angles: the theological, the legal, and the sociological. The theological approach to be emphasized here grows out of the biblical foundations of the Christian faith.

The “people of God” is identified with Israel as a people group and nation in various books of the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 7:7-8, Is 41:8, 51:2, etc.). At birth, the individual received the vocation to live up to the religious heritage of the people. Especially in Diaspora Judaism, non-Israelites who believed in the God of Israel were accepted into the ranks of the proselytes and could become Israelites in the full sense through circumcision and immersion. A person who was once an Israelite could be exiled or apostate, but could not cease to be a member of God’s people.

There is no discussion of church membership as such in the New Testament, but certain conditions of membership seem to be implied in metaphors such as the net, the flock, the vine and branches, the olive tree, and New Israel. At Romans 12:4-8 and 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 Paul likens the members of the church to whom he is writing to organs or limbs of a body. His letter to the Ephesians speaks of Christians as members of the body of Christ and of one another (Eph. 5:30, 4:25). In the New Testament, baptism is considered the fundamental sacrament of initiation and is regularly linked to the Christian profession of faith (Acts 2:38, 8:37, etc.). According to Paul, baptism makes one a son of God “by faith” (Gal. 3:26-27). The Eucharist further unites the community insofar as all partake of the one bread (1 Cor 10:17). All members of the community are perceived as active according to their personal spiritual gifts (Rom. 12:6-18, 1 Cor. 12:7, 1 Pet. 4:10).

The New Testament writers indicate in various ways that membership or some of its effects might end. For certain serious offenses, believers are ostracized (2 Thess. 3:14), shunned (Ti 3:10), shunned (1 Cor 5:11), treated as Gentiles (Matt 18:17), and excluded from it the houses of the believers (2 John 10). It is even taught that those who leave the Christian community could never have been true Christians (1 John 2:19).

Christian antiquity

Struggling with problems of orthodoxy and discipline, the early church made provision for the exclusion of heretics, schismatics, and other criminals. As the Roman Empire officially became Christian, church membership increasingly became a condition of citizenship.

The Greek Fathers associated membership with baptism and the Eucharist – sacraments which they believed brought about union with Christ and participation in His divine life through faith and love. These themes remain of vital importance, particularly in Eastern Christian churches, which emphasize chrismation as a necessary adjunct to baptism.

Augustine (d. 430) and the later Western Fathers, particularly Gregory I (d. 604), distinguished two aspects of the Church. On the one hand it is a fellowship of grace and spiritual gifts; on the other hand, a visibly organized society with doctrinal, sacramental and ministerial structures. For the followers of Augustine, the visible structures were a sign and a way of entering the invisible community, which was of primary importance. Against the Donatists, Augustine insisted that sinners were still members of the church, even though they belonged to it only outwardly. The church in its visible aspect, Augustine recognized, does not correspond entirely with the communion of the just or the predestined that constitutes the church in its deeper dimensions.

Early medieval theologians such as Bede the Venerable (d. 735), following Augustine, spoke of the universal Church as having existed since Abel and including the angels and the souls of the blessed. But they viewed the visible structures of the Church as essential to its current historical phase. Before the reforms of Gregory VII (d. 1085), the Church was closely identified with the Christian people, who were under two rulers, the secular and the spiritual. After Gregory VII a clearer boundary was drawn between membership in the church and membership in the state.

The great scholastic theologians of the High Middle Ages, including Thomas Aquinas, saw in the church above all a community of grace and consequently in membership above all a relationship of grace to Christ. Thomas held that all men except those already damned are united in one way or another to Christ as head (Summa theologiae 3.8.3c). Those gifted with faith and charity are the most perfect members of the Church on earth; those who have faith but not charity are imperfect members; and unbelievers are members only in force. Some scholastic theologians, such as Albertus Magnus, held that sinners are members of the church but not members of the mystical body of Christ.

Some in the late Middle Ages saw membership as a purely individual relationship with God and hidden from human eyes. John Wyclif (d. 1348) and Jan Hus (d. 1415) spoke of the Church as the “consecutive multitude” (numerus praedestinatorum) known only to God. To them, the damned (i.e., those not destined for glory) were only putative members.

Reformation and Counter-Reformation

The 16th-century Protestant reformers Martin Luther, Philip Melanchthon, and John Calvin held that while the church is visible through its functions of preaching the word of God and administering the sacraments, membership in the church is hidden. For practical reasons, they argued, we must treat as members those who profess belief in God and Christ, partake of the sacraments, and live as Christians. But God alone knows who belongs to him through sincere faith and election. Reformation theologians often declared that no one could be saved without belonging to the church, but by church in this context they meant the “communion of saints” rather than any particular socially organized institution. Repeating a well-known medieval axiom, they denied that God is bound by the means of grace He employs.

In response to the Reformers, Catholics emphasized the visibility of the Church and the guarantees of apostolic succession. For Roberto Bellarmino (d. 1621), church membership required three conditions: outward profession of true faith, sacramental communion, and submission to legitimate pastors, especially the pope as Christ’s vicar. One who has not been baptized, has been excommunicated, or is guilty of a flagrant heresy or schism is not a member of Christ’s church (De controversiis 4, De ecclesia, Bk. 3, chap. 2). However, Bellarmino recognized that non-Catholics and non-Christians, if they walked in the grace of God, could belong to what he called the “soul” of the church.

For Francisco Suárez (d. 1617), the Church had existed in some form since Adam. From the time of Christ, however, it was the “political or moral body of those who profess the true faith in Christ” (De fide, disp. 4, sec. 1, n. 3). While Bellarmino held that occult unbelievers were members of the Church, Suárez denied this – but the difference was not sharp, for even for Bellarmino such secret unbelievers were not “true” members (De controv. 4.3.10).

modern times

Until recently, Roman Catholic theologians essentially stuck to the positions of Bellarmino and Suárez. Bellarmino’s teaching had a great influence on Pius XII, who in his encyclical Mystici corporis Christi (1943) equated “genuine” (Reaps) membership in the mystical body of Christ with being Roman Catholic. The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) modified this attitude by avoiding the category of membership and instead speaking of degrees of kinship and incorporation. According to the Constitution on the Church (Lumen Gentium), non-Christians who live by the grace of God are positively related (ordinantur) to the people of God (n. 16). All baptized Christians are united (conjunguntur) to Christ and to Catholics (n. 15), as are the catechumens who expressly want to be incorporated into the Church (n. 14). However, to be fully received into the Church, one must accept the visible structures of Roman Catholicism, be in sacramental communion with the Pope, and be gifted with the grace of the Holy Spirit (n. 14). The Second Vatican Council therefore reserved full membership for Catholics who live up to their professed faith. The Council accepted the Augustinian theme that sinners are in the Church in the flesh, but not in the heart (n. 14). The Second Vatican Council Decree on Ecumenism emphasized baptism as the fundamental sacrament of initiation (nn. 3, 22). The 1983 Code of Canon Law returns to Bellarmine’s three conditions for full communion in the Catholic Church: the bond of professed faith, the sacraments, and ecclesiastical government (can. 205).

The concept of church membership in Protestantism has changed greatly since the Reformation. The “free churches” that arose in the centuries that followed were often non-aggressive sects or “denominations,” that is, voluntary, non-binding associations reflecting particular doctrinal, worship, or organizational preferences. Membership in a denomination is seen as a willingness to abide by the organization’s rules, even if one wishes to change some of those rules. Denominational membership is not to be equated with membership in the community of salvation. In some denominations, infant baptism is rejected in favor of “believer baptism” for young people. In such denominations, young children are not considered church members.

In 1961, the World Council of Churches recognized the mutual recognition of members as an essential part of Christian unity. Various ecumenical organizations have taken up this issue. In the United States, since 1974, the Consultation on Church Union has urged recognition that baptism in one of the participating churches brings about membership in the universal church. A few Christians have practiced or advocated membership in two or more churches to show that despite the diversity of denominations, the church is one.

Legal Aspects

The legal consequences of membership can be derived from examining the constitutions of individual church bodies. Some recognize more than one type of membership, distinguishing between communicative and non-communicative members, for example. To be a communicant (i.e. eligible to receive the sacraments) one must be of a certain minimum age (e.g. thirteen) and meet certain requirements such as church attendance and financial support. Most churches have procedures for excommunication or disqualification from the rights and privileges of membership.

To some extent enshrined in canon law, the legal implications of membership are theologically rooted in the status of being born again in Christ. Among the duties of members are generally mentioned the following: profess the true faith, participate in the worship of the church, obey the ministers, maintain fellowship with the church, defend the liberty of the church, support its officers, promote Christian unity, and promoting peace and justice in the world. Among the rights of church members are commonly asserted: to hear the word of God, to receive the sacraments, to exercise the apostolate, to freely ask theological questions, to have freedom of expression, association and assembly, to enjoy personal privacy and one good reputation and protection against arbitrary removal from office. Some of these “Christian rights” coincide with the human rights recognized in secular society.

sociological aspects

Sociologists generally recognize different types and degrees of membership, depending on the level of identification with, commitment to, and involvement by the individual in the church. Joseph H. Fichter, for example, distinguishes four categories: the core member, who is particularly active and committed; the modal that is ordinary; the marginalized who is somewhat alienated or dissatisfied; and the sleeper who does not believe or practice but has not defected positively. Insomnia, Fichter explains, is more a matter of religious ignorance or apathy than active denial.

These sociological considerations can be transferred to non-Christian or non-religious organizations such as political parties and do not focus on the specifics of the church as a mystery or sacrament of the divine. But the sociological analysis raises certain questions of a theological character – for example, whether dormant members should be considered members from a theological point of view.

present perspectives

Looking at the history of membership theology, the correspondence between changes in theory and shifts in the actual situation of the churches is striking. Organic membership models, developed from such vitalist metaphors as the body of Christ, had their strongest appeal when society was generally very organic and the individual had little autonomy from the group. Legal models that became fashionable in the early modern period corresponded to the fragmentation of Europe into highly organized competing groups such as nation states and confessional churches, in which the sovereign rulers exercised strong coercive power. With the cultivation of freedom and individuality, especially in the 19th century, voluntaristic membership theories prevailed. In a time like ours, when the social determinants of human existence are being strongly perceived, such religious individualism may seem inadequate.

Contemporary thinking about membership is likely to be influenced by the current situation of religious pluralism and rapid societal change, and by the fact that church membership and civil society membership are no longer interdependent in most countries. Many Christians, exposed to a variety of influences, seem only partially identified with their religious community, yet are unwilling to leave that community, which they value for its positive values. Some suggest that as secularization progresses, the Church will increasingly consist of a minority that has made an explicit choice, often against the tenor of society.

Forcing a new thinking about the idea of ​​membership, the current complex situation makes it clear that the notion of membership does not correspond to any single objective reality. The membership under analysis includes various components – for example, communion with God through grace, faith, hope and charity; relationship with fellow believers; share the ideals and doctrines officially professed by the community; right to sacramental life; and active participation. Members that are marginal by some of these criteria may be modal or nuclear by other criteria.

See also

community; denominationalism; Excommunication.

bibliography

Carrier, Herve. The Sociology of Religious Affiliation. Translated by Arthur J Arrieri. New York, 1965. A valuable, highly objective study of attitudes towards religious groups, conversion, integration and exit from a social psychological perspective. Requires some updates.

Congar, Yves. L’église: De Saint Augustin à l’époque modern. Paris, 1970. A history of ecclesiology from a Roman Catholic perspective, with informative commentaries on changing concepts of church membership.

Les droits fondamentaux du Chrétien dans l’église et dans la society. Proceedings of the Fourth International Congress of Canon Law. Edited by Eugenio Corecco, Nikolaus Herzog and Angelo Schola. Fribourg, 1981. An extensive collection (1,328 pages) of documents on the rights of Christians, mainly related to the canon law of the Roman Catholic Church.

Dulles, Avery. Church membership as a catholic and ecumenical problem. Milwaukee, 1974. A brief study attempting to relate theological and sociological aspects, considering Vatican II and the ecumenical movement.

Gassmann, Benno. Ecclesia reformata: The Church in the Reformed Confessions. Freiburg, Basel and Vienna 1968. A Tübingen dissertation on the ecclesiology of the Reformed Confessions, with comparisons between them and the Second Vatican Council. The question of church membership is dealt with appropriately.

International Catholic Magazine “Communio” 5 (May/June 1976). A themed booklet on church membership with contributions by Karl Lehmann, Matthäus Kaiser, Yves Congar, Joseph Ratzinger and Hans Urs von Balthasar.

Kilcourse, George. Dual Membership: Interchurch Families and Christian Unity. New York, 1992.

Moberg, David O. The Church as a Social Institution. Englewood Cliffs, N.J., 1962. A standard textbook on the sociology of religion in the American context, with several chapters dealing with church membership.

Belonging to the Church. Report of the Seventh International Conference on the Sociology of Religion, Königstein im Taunus, June 30-July 2, 1962. Edited by Walter Menges and Norbert Greinacher. Mainz, 1964. Essays by European scholars on various aspects of membership – historical, sociological, theological and pastoral.

Avery Dulles (1987 and 2005)

The question of church membership can be approached from different angles: the theological, the legal, and the sociological. The theological approach to be emphasized here grows out of the biblical foundations of the Christian faith.

The “people of God” is identified with Israel as a people group and nation in various books of the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 7:7-8, Is 41:8, 51:2, etc.). At birth, the individual received the vocation to live up to the religious heritage of the people. Especially in Diaspora Judaism, non-Israelites who believed in the God of Israel were accepted into the ranks of the proselytes and could become Israelites in the full sense through circumcision and immersion. A person who was once an Israelite could be exiled or apostate, but could not cease to be a member of God’s people.

There is no discussion of church membership as such in the New Testament, but certain conditions of membership seem to be implied in metaphors such as the net, the flock, the vine and branches, the olive tree, and New Israel. At Romans 12:4-8 and 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 Paul likens the members of the church to whom he is writing to organs or limbs of a body. His letter to the Ephesians speaks of Christians as members of the body of Christ and of one another (Eph. 5:30, 4:25). In the New Testament, baptism is considered the fundamental sacrament of initiation and is regularly linked to the Christian profession of faith (Acts 2:38, 8:37, etc.). According to Paul, baptism makes one a son of God “by faith” (Gal. 3:26-27). The Eucharist further unites the community insofar as all partake of the one bread (1 Cor 10:17). All members of the community are perceived as active according to their personal spiritual gifts (Rom. 12:6-18, 1 Cor. 12:7, 1 Pet. 4:10).

The New Testament writers indicate in various ways that membership or some of its effects might end. For certain serious offenses, believers are ostracized (2 Thess. 3:14), shunned (Ti 3:10), shunned (1 Cor 5:11), treated as Gentiles (Matt 18:17), and excluded from it the houses of the believers (2 John 10). It is even taught that those who leave the Christian community could never have been true Christians (1 John 2:19).

Christian antiquity

Struggling with problems of orthodoxy and discipline, the early church made provision for the exclusion of heretics, schismatics, and other criminals. As the Roman Empire officially became Christian, church membership increasingly became a condition of citizenship.

The Greek Fathers associated membership with baptism and the Eucharist – sacraments which they believed brought about union with Christ and participation in His divine life through faith and love. These themes remain of vital importance, particularly in Eastern Christian churches, which emphasize chrismation as a necessary adjunct to baptism.

Augustine (d. 430) and the later Western Fathers, particularly Gregory I (d. 604), distinguished two aspects of the Church. On the one hand it is a fellowship of grace and spiritual gifts; on the other hand, a visibly organized society with doctrinal, sacramental and ministerial structures. For the followers of Augustine, the visible structures were a sign and a way of entering the invisible community, which was of primary importance. Against the Donatists, Augustine insisted that sinners were still members of the church, even though they belonged to it only outwardly. The church in its visible aspect, Augustine recognized, does not correspond entirely with the communion of the just or the predestined that constitutes the church in its deeper dimensions.

Early medieval theologians such as Bede the Venerable (d. 735), following Augustine, spoke of the universal Church as having existed since Abel and including the angels and the souls of the blessed. But they viewed the visible structures of the Church as essential to its current historical phase. Before the reforms of Gregory VII (d. 1085), the Church was closely identified with the Christian people, who were under two rulers, the secular and the spiritual. After Gregory VII a clearer boundary was drawn between membership in the church and membership in the state.

The great scholastic theologians of the High Middle Ages, including Thomas Aquinas, saw in the church above all a community of grace and consequently in membership above all a relationship of grace to Christ. Thomas held that all men except those already damned are united in one way or another to Christ as head (Summa theologiae 3.8.3c). Those gifted with faith and charity are the most perfect members of the Church on earth; those who have faith but not charity are imperfect members; and unbelievers are members only in force. Some scholastic theologians, such as Albertus Magnus, held that sinners are members of the church but not members of the mystical body of Christ.

Some in the late Middle Ages saw membership as a purely individual relationship with God and hidden from human eyes. John Wyclif (d. 1348) and Jan Hus (d. 1415) spoke of the Church as the “consecutive multitude” (numerus praedestinatorum) known only to God. To them, the damned (i.e., those not destined for glory) were only putative members.

Reformation and Counter-Reformation

The 16th-century Protestant reformers Martin Luther, Philip Melanchthon, and John Calvin held that while the church is visible through its functions of preaching the word of God and administering the sacraments, membership in the church is hidden. For practical reasons, they argued, we must treat as members those who profess belief in God and Christ, partake of the sacraments, and live as Christians. But God alone knows who belongs to him through sincere faith and election. Reformation theologians often declared that no one could be saved without belonging to the church, but by church in this context they meant the “communion of saints” rather than any particular socially organized institution. Repeating a well-known medieval axiom, they denied that God is bound by the means of grace He employs.

In response to the Reformers, Catholics emphasized the visibility of the Church and the guarantees of apostolic succession. For Roberto Bellarmino (d. 1621), church membership required three conditions: outward profession of true faith, sacramental communion, and submission to legitimate pastors, especially the pope as Christ’s vicar. One who has not been baptized, has been excommunicated, or is guilty of a flagrant heresy or schism is not a member of Christ’s church (De controversiis 4, De ecclesia, Bk. 3, chap. 2). However, Bellarmino recognized that non-Catholics and non-Christians, if they walked in the grace of God, could belong to what he called the “soul” of the church.

For Francisco Suárez (d. 1617), the Church had existed in some form since Adam. From the time of Christ, however, it was the “political or moral body of those who profess the true faith in Christ” (De fide, disp. 4, sec. 1, n. 3). While Bellarmino held that occult unbelievers were members of the Church, Suárez denied this – but the difference was not sharp, for even for Bellarmino such secret unbelievers were not “true” members (De controv. 4.3.10).

modern times

Until recently, Roman Catholic theologians essentially stuck to the positions of Bellarmino and Suárez. Bellarmino’s teaching had a great influence on Pius XII, who in his encyclical Mystici corporis Christi (1943) equated “genuine” (Reaps) membership in the mystical body of Christ with being Roman Catholic. The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) modified this attitude by avoiding the category of membership and instead speaking of degrees of kinship and incorporation. According to the Constitution on the Church (Lumen Gentium), non-Christians who live by the grace of God are positively related (ordinantur) to the people of God (n. 16). All baptized Christians are united (conjunguntur) to Christ and to Catholics (n. 15), as are the catechumens who expressly want to be incorporated into the Church (n. 14). However, to be fully received into the Church, one must accept the visible structures of Roman Catholicism, be in sacramental communion with the Pope, and be gifted with the grace of the Holy Spirit (n. 14). The Second Vatican Council therefore reserved full membership for Catholics who live up to their professed faith. The Council accepted the Augustinian theme that sinners are in the Church in the flesh, but not in the heart (n. 14). The Second Vatican Council Decree on Ecumenism emphasized baptism as the fundamental sacrament of initiation (nn. 3, 22). The 1983 Code of Canon Law returns to Bellarmine’s three conditions for full communion in the Catholic Church: the bond of professed faith, the sacraments, and ecclesiastical government (can. 205).

The concept of church membership in Protestantism has changed greatly since the Reformation. The “free churches” that arose in the centuries that followed were often non-aggressive sects or “denominations,” that is, voluntary, non-binding associations reflecting particular doctrinal, worship, or organizational preferences. Membership in a denomination is seen as a willingness to abide by the organization’s rules, even if one wishes to change some of those rules. Denominational membership is not to be equated with membership in the community of salvation. In some denominations, infant baptism is rejected in favor of “believer baptism” for young people. In such denominations, young children are not considered church members.

In 1961, the World Council of Churches recognized the mutual recognition of members as an essential part of Christian unity. Various ecumenical organizations have taken up this issue. In the United States, since 1974, the Consultation on Church Union has urged recognition that baptism in one of the participating churches brings about membership in the universal church. A few Christians have practiced or advocated membership in two or more churches to show that despite the diversity of denominations, the church is one.

Legal Aspects

The legal consequences of membership can be derived from examining the constitutions of individual church bodies. Some recognize more than one type of membership, distinguishing between communicative and non-communicative members, for example. To be a communicant (i.e. eligible to receive the sacraments) one must be of a certain minimum age (e.g. thirteen) and meet certain requirements such as church attendance and financial support. Most churches have procedures for excommunication or disqualification from the rights and privileges of membership.

To some extent enshrined in canon law, the legal implications of membership are theologically rooted in the status of being born again in Christ. Among the duties of members are generally mentioned the following: profess the true faith, participate in the worship of the church, obey the ministers, maintain fellowship with the church, defend the liberty of the church, support its officers, promote Christian unity, and promoting peace and justice in the world. Among the rights of church members are commonly asserted: to hear the word of God, to receive the sacraments, to exercise the apostolate, to freely ask theological questions, to have freedom of expression, association and assembly, to enjoy personal privacy and one good reputation and protection against arbitrary removal from office. Some of these “Christian rights” coincide with the human rights recognized in secular society.

sociological aspects

Sociologists generally recognize different types and degrees of membership, depending on the level of identification with, commitment to, and involvement by the individual in the church. Joseph H. Fichter, for example, distinguishes four categories: the core member, who is particularly active and committed; the modal that is ordinary; the marginalized who is somewhat alienated or dissatisfied; and the sleeper who does not believe or practice but has not defected positively. Insomnia, Fichter explains, is more a matter of religious ignorance or apathy than active denial.

These sociological considerations can be transferred to non-Christian or non-religious organizations such as political parties and do not focus on the specifics of the church as a mystery or sacrament of the divine. But the sociological analysis raises certain questions of a theological character – for example, whether dormant members should be considered members from a theological point of view.

present perspectives

Looking at the history of membership theology, the correspondence between changes in theory and shifts in the actual situation of the churches is striking. Organic membership models, developed from such vitalist metaphors as the body of Christ, had their strongest appeal when society was generally very organic and the individual had little autonomy from the group. Legal models that became fashionable in the early modern period corresponded to the fragmentation of Europe into highly organized competing groups such as nation states and confessional churches, in which the sovereign rulers exercised strong coercive power. With the cultivation of freedom and individuality, especially in the 19th century, voluntaristic membership theories prevailed. In a time like ours, when the social determinants of human existence are being strongly perceived, such religious individualism may seem inadequate.

Contemporary thinking about membership is likely to be influenced by the current situation of religious pluralism and rapid societal change, and by the fact that church membership and civil society membership are no longer interdependent in most countries. Many Christians, exposed to a variety of influences, seem only partially identified with their religious community, yet are unwilling to leave that community, which they value for its positive values. Some suggest that as secularization progresses, the Church will increasingly consist of a minority that has made an explicit choice, often against the tenor of society.

Forcing a new thinking about the idea of ​​membership, the current complex situation makes it clear that the notion of membership does not correspond to any single objective reality. The membership under analysis includes various components – for example, communion with God through grace, faith, hope and charity; relationship with fellow believers; share the ideals and doctrines officially professed by the community; right to sacramental life; and active participation. Members that are marginal by some of these criteria may be modal or nuclear by other criteria.

See also

community; denominationalism; Excommunication.

bibliography

Carrier, Herve. The Sociology of Religious Affiliation. Translated by Arthur J Arrieri. New York, 1965. A valuable, highly objective study of attitudes towards religious groups, conversion, integration and exit from a social psychological perspective. Requires some updates.

Congar, Yves. L’église: De Saint Augustin à l’époque modern. Paris, 1970. A history of ecclesiology from a Roman Catholic perspective, with informative commentaries on changing concepts of church membership.

Les droits fondamentaux du Chrétien dans l’église et dans la society. Proceedings of the Fourth International Congress of Canon Law. Edited by Eugenio Corecco, Nikolaus Herzog and Angelo Schola. Fribourg, 1981. An extensive collection (1,328 pages) of documents on the rights of Christians, mainly related to the canon law of the Roman Catholic Church.

Dulles, Avery. Church membership as a catholic and ecumenical problem. Milwaukee, 1974. A brief study attempting to relate theological and sociological aspects, considering Vatican II and the ecumenical movement.

Gassmann, Benno. Ecclesia reformata: The Church in the Reformed Confessions. Freiburg, Basel and Vienna 1968. A Tübingen dissertation on the ecclesiology of the Reformed Confessions, with comparisons between them and the Second Vatican Council. The question of church membership is dealt with appropriately.

International Catholic Magazine “Communio” 5 (May/June 1976). A themed booklet on church membership with contributions by Karl Lehmann, Matthäus Kaiser, Yves Congar, Joseph Ratzinger and Hans Urs von Balthasar.

Kilcourse, George. Dual Membership: Interchurch Families and Christian Unity. New York, 1992.

Moberg, David O. The Church as a Social Institution. Englewood Cliffs, N.J., 1962. A standard textbook on the sociology of religion in the American context, with several chapters dealing with church membership.

Belonging to the Church. Report of the Seventh International Conference on the Sociology of Religion, Königstein im Taunus, June 30-July 2, 1962. Edited by Walter Menges and Norbert Greinacher. Mainz, 1964. Essays by European scholars on various aspects of membership – historical, sociological, theological and pastoral.

Avery Dulles (1987 and 2005)

Although the word is most commonly associated with members of a church, any gathering could be termed a gathering, including a gathering of animals. When I think about it, a gathering of church members is often referred to as a “flock.”

The Latin root of congregation, which is greg, meaning “flock,” easily becomes congregare, meaning “to gather together,” and finally congregations, giving the current meaning of “a group.” The meaning took on a religious quality when 16th-century Protestants used it to refer to the church itself and then refined it to refer to church members. If you’re not a churchgoer, you can still relate to your friends showing up as a congregation to watch football.

This ministry can be done through volunteerism, but there is no denying that in order for a church to function and serve others, it needs money. And unlike a private company or government agency, churches must generate that money from within.

This is where the concept of tithing often comes in (by definition, whatever you earn, the first 10% goes to the church and the rest is yours).

But what if you find that there are some families in your church who are struggling more than others? For these families, donating a percentage of their income to the church can mean they have trouble paying their electric bills or buying groceries.

If so, is it okay to encourage these families to give to the Church in other ways (by volunteering their time and services)? I asked this question to several church groups on Facebook and it seems to have struck a chord.

give to the church

Some people firmly believe that tithing is an obligation that comes before any other financial consideration. If you only have your last dollar, ten cents goes to the church and you settle for the other 90.

Another school of thought is to forgo the percentage rule and instead give whatever you can, even the change you found on the sidewalk. A wise soul on the Download Youth Ministry Facebook community shared the old adage, “Whenever I’m stressed about money…I give gifts.”

Others have taken a more progressive approach to the concept; One phrase that kept coming up in response to my question was “time, talents, and treasure.” If you’re lacking in one area (treasures), you can contribute in others (time and talent).

Image via Flickr

A real-life example: you have just enough money in your bank account to pay rent this month, so instead of paying your normal cash contribution to the church, you look after the children during Sunday services or use your artistic talents to to design a new logo for the summer children’s program.

I’ve received many great suggestions on how to encourage non-monetary giving to the church and have selected ten to share with you so you can give to your church members in need!

1. Teach a class

Your church followers undoubtedly have valuable skills to share (such as woodworking, painting, or podcasting). Encourage them to spend an hour teaching after church or on a weekday, and publicize the courses in your church bulletin or video announcements. Throw in a fundraiser and the classes might even generate donations from those who can afford to donate!

2. Cleansing and maintenance of the church

Cleaning and maintenance costs money, and those costs add up over the course of the year. Encourage parishioners to donate their time by vacuuming, mowing the lawn, or repainting the parish sign after Sunday service. These contributions can even enable a reallocation of funds from routine maintenance to essential outreach programs.

3. Transport assistance

If you have members who drive to church every Sunday with spare seats in their vehicles, this is a great (and relatively easy) opportunity to help others. Ask around to find members who lack transportation or who can no longer drive, then match them with willing drivers. You can also organize a carpool for children’s programs right away.

4. Technological Skills

Your church likely has members who are well versed in computers and other technologies and are willing to contribute with these invaluable skills. Who knows, you might even be able to help them build a career in church engineering! While church management software saves you a lot of time and energy, it still requires an operator. Hire talented volunteers to do tasks like updating the website, scheduling other volunteers, and managing the church calendar.

5. Guest Chefs

If your church doesn’t have its own chef, it needs someone to fry all those fish, flip all those pancakes, and grill hundreds of hot dogs at various events throughout the year. Give your parishioners a chance to get behind the grill and cook. Bring together community members who have a passion for cooking with these volunteer opportunities.

6. Childcare

We’ve all seen parents constantly walking in and out of church services to comfort an unhappy child. My future in-laws’ church in Durham, North Carolina avoids this by offering a separate children-only Sunday school during regular church services. When the volunteers return at the end of the service with a group of smiling children, they are considered heroes. Call upon such heroes in your own community! While you’re at it, don’t forget to use a child check-in system to streamline and protect the process.

7. Vehicle Donation

Some of your church members may have an old RV, fishing boat, or hovercraft that is gathering dust and costing them in insurance payments every month. Help them get rid of that bucket of screws by encouraging them to donate it. Even if your church has no use for it, you can sell it. As a bonus, the previous owner’s budget will be boosted by lower insurance payments and a tax write-off, which can allow them to get back on track with their regular financial contributions.

8. Home Visits

A 2016 study by Pew Research shows that just over a quarter of seniors — and nearly a third of older women — lived alone in 2014. It’s likely that this is happening in your own area, and that your church has some older members who could use a regular visitor. A study by the National Institutes of Health found that isolation can lead to cognitive, physical, and emotional decline in older people. Encourage all of your church members to help in this incredibly important ministry.

9. Photography

Your church probably has a decent camera in its audiovisual collection (and even if it doesn’t, any smartphone made in the last decade will do in a pinch). But finding someone to shoot with it is another story. Professional photographers can charge up to $100/hour, so let your church members help by taking church picnic or carnival photos for your website.

10. Social Media Management

Church social media accounts are notorious for making appalling mistakes. One of the most common (and easiest to fix) is rare – or non-existent – items. If you have social media enthusiasts in your church, let them donate their time by managing your church’s Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter account. You’ll help spread the word about your church (increase attendance), and the internet will have something new to read about your church for the first time since the 2012 Easter Egg Hunt.

What are your thoughts?

When times are difficult, do you think it is okay to give time or ministry instead of money to the Church? If so, what creative ways did you find it? Share them in the comments or tweet me @CapterraAC!

If you’re still thinking about church fundraising and volunteerism, check out these other articles from Capterra’s Church Management Blog: