Why a Sermon Series on Church Membership
January 8, 2026 | by: Dale Thiele | 0 Comments
Posted in: Pastoral Encouragement
My apologies to those who are looking forward to or expecting a return to the Genesis sermon series. We will get back to Genesis in March. In the meantime, I will be preaching a six-part series on church membership. Let me explain why I believe this is an important topic for a sermon series.
First, church membership is biblical. While the Bible never using the specific term “church membership,” the concept is ingrained in the New Testament vision for the church. From submission to church leaders (Heb. 13:17) to bearing one another’s burdens (Gal. 6:2) to using gifts to serve others (1 Cor. 12:7) to the practice of church discipline (Matt. 18:15-17), there is an implicit commitment to the church body that membership encompasses. Paul uses several analogies to describe the new community of the church: a body (Eph. 2:16), a household or family (Eph. 2:19; 1 Tim. 5:1-2), and a building (Eph. 2:21), all of which speak about the integral connectedness of the individual parts. The point is that when God saves us, we are not only saved from sin, but we also are saved into a new community. Our salvation and our relationship with God are not merely private, individual experiences. Church membership represents our understanding of and commitment to God’s saving work in building the church.
Second, church membership is counter cultural. We live in a culture that celebrates and even exalts the individual. Messages like “follow your heart” and “you can do whatever you aspire to” elevate the individual to the authoritative position. We can even contend that such a self-focus lifestyle transcends culture and is ingrained in sinful human nature. It is the water we swim in. Therefore, if we are going to “swim upstream” and live in community with and submission to others, we need regular reinforcement in the biblical call to the church membership. Being a good church member is not normal for human nature.
Third, the health of the church is directly proportional to the health of her members. The saints, the members of the church, are called to do the work of ministry in the church (Eph. 4:12). When the whole body and each part is working properly, the body grows so that it builds itself up in love (Eph. 4:16). I pray regularly that Oak Hills would be faithful and fruitful for the sake of the gospel. It takes all of us working together by the empowerment of the Spirit to be faithful and fruitful. I pray that this series would be an encouragement to our members to continue to support the church in her worship and work to the best of each one’s abilities.
Fourth, the elders admit that we can do better in training and reminding our members of their privileges and responsibilities. In welcoming visitors and introducing Oak Hills, we have sought to not overwhelm people with information and meetings. For those who take the next steps of becoming members, though, we want to take more time helping our people understand the responsibilities and privileges of membership. This series will walk through the five membership declarations and promises each member makes, highlighting the meaning and significance behind each one. For some of our members, this will be review and refreshment of the obligations they have assumed. For others, this may be the first in-depth teaching on the topics. Both are worthwhile for our current members. And moving forward, we will ask all prospective members to listen to or watch this sermon series, thanks to our modern recording technology. The significance of your membership in a church is worth the time to learn and understand.
I pray this sermon series will bless our church as we consider God’s call to the new community. We are “members one of another” (Rom. 12:5). We have obligations to one another. And our members have assented to declarations and promises to the church body. As we each work properly in the body, may God be pleased to build us up in love. May we make known God’s astonishing grace in this community while serving together.
