The Church, or the “Body of Christ” (Romans 12:5), is made up of people that have placed their faith in Jesus Christ, and local churches (like Springbrook) make up the larger global Christian Church. It is important to understand that although we each have a personal relationship with Jesus, we are called to make a commitment to one another in the context of a local church.
While the Bible does not formally address church membership, there are several passages that demonstrate its existence in the early church. There is also the Biblical model of elders and leaders responsible for overseeing, equipping, and shepherding the members of the local church.
When Acts 2:47 records “the Lord added to them day by day those that were being saved”, it indicates that saving faith was a prerequisite for being “added” to their number. One verse earlier, in Acts 2:41, it seems that someone was keeping a numerical record of those who were saved and joining this local assembly (church). Any church that requires saving faith before membership is simply following the biblical model.
There are other places in the New Testament that show the local church as a well-defined group with leaders and members. In Acts 6:3, the church in Jerusalem is told to hold elections: “Choose seven men from among you.” In Titus 1:5 Paul tells Titus, “I left you in Crete so that you would set in order what was unfinished and appoint elders in every town.”
Church membership is a statement of solidarity and like-mindedness (Philippians 2:2), it’s a visible reflection of who we are together as the Body of Christ (Romans 12:5), and a value at Springbrook that we trust you will find strengthens your walk with Christ and spiritual growth. If you have any questions, please let us know!
If you are interested in becoming a member, complete an online membership application today or download a PDF copy to mail in or bring with you Sunday! If you would like to talk with Pastor Rich or any of our elders, contact information can be found at www.springbrook.org/elders.