Members only?
We enjoyed our camping trip around B.C. and Alberta this summer and at one location I discovered that we were at a campground that hosted members, guests and non-members. We learned first-hand of some of the challenges facing the camp because of the three-tiered system.
Members paid a significant amount of money to be members along with annual fees and occasional cash-calls for special projects. In return there was an expectation of elevated service levels and unique access to the camp with all it had to offer. Members also got a vote in the leadership, direction and business of the camp.
Members could also invite guests. As guests, we were able to stay for a reduced fee, and the members showed us around and helped provide us with a sense of the rules and expectations of the place. They set the tone for us to follow.
The third group, Non-members, pay fees of a high-end campground and enjoy the beautiful spaces and amenities there. The current leadership of the camp has been pursuing increases in Non-members to help generate more revenue for the camp.
But that’s where things get sticky…
There is a growing tension between members and non-members. The line between the two is getting blurry. Often, members have been part of the group for several years and have invested much in the camp, whereas non-members are coming on a "pay to play" basis. The non-members don’t always follow the rules, which can cause damages that require funds and resources contributed by the members. This can lead to the members resenting the non-members.
A similar thing can happen in a church.
People who have been part of the church for a long time and perhaps who have given significant amounts of money through the years can feel like they’ve paid for their membership. They know the culture, the unwritten rules and expectations and may even feel that their “membership” should provide them with perks.
The Church is called to be different.
For the Church, there is a mission set by Jesus, that calls his disciples to love one another, to be an attractive, flavourful, example to others of the difference Jesus makes in a life when we live for him (salt and light), and to make disciples of Jesus throughout the world. There is a goal of expansion.
The Church “member” is one who has acknowledged their sin and need for Jesus as saviour from that sin - they are “members” of the Body of Christ, part of the universal Church, because of that salvation. The Holy Spirit resides in them, forming them into the fullest expression of who they were made to be as a man or woman created in God’s image as they submit to the Spirit’s guidance. As such these “members” will grow in their understanding of the mission that includes expansion. The purpose of the church has never been to just provide services for “members.”
To be sure, there are benefits to being a “member!” But those benefits arise first and foremost from knowing and walking with Jesus, from the rewards that come in obedience to Christ, not from insider perks that come to those who “paid their dues.” The “member” benefits from community that is formed around the shared worship and obedience to Jesus, which God uses to love us with support, education, service & testing. Together, we, the Church, learn to live out the HOPE of Jesus that the world is searching for.
I’m proud to say that visitors in our midst continually appreciate how welcoming our “members” are. I offer these observations as a way of saying, “keep up the good work,” and as a caution to us that we must continue to let the mission of Jesus Christ shape our attitudes and actions as a church family so that we can successfully fulfill the mission we’ve been called to engage in together.
In the strong name of Jesus!
Pastor Nate