What are the Entailments of Church Membership?

R&B (Repentance and Belief)

  • The most important entailment of local church membership is a lifestyle of repentance and belief.  One must make a genuine commitment to consistently repent of known sin as it occurs, and to continually believe in Jesus' death and resurrection as the only basis of acquittal before God. 
  • More specifically, this lifestyle of repentance and belief should be evidenced in three concrete steps. 
  • Baptism.  This is the first way we are commanded to express our death and resurrection with Jesus Christ. 
    • Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you… (Matt 28:19-20). 
  • Statement of Faith.  The most important thing we unite around is the message we proclaim - the gospel. 
    • For this reason, it is healthy to require people to sign the church's statement of faith.  This way, everyone knows what the church is united around, and doctrinal division is less likely to occur.  See Sample
  • Church Covenant.  The second most important thing we unite around is the lifestyle demanded by the message we claim to believe.  For this reason, it is healthy to ask people to commit to the principles and priorities of a church covenant. 
    • This way, everyone knows what it means to be a member, what is expected of them when they join, and when they are falling short of fulfilling their covenant obligations as members.  See Sample