Let me begin here: There is no membership at First Lutheran, or in any other Christian church, without Baptism. A person who wishes to be a Christian must be baptized. That is the Lord’s own command. That’s what we do here. We baptize people, and then we feed and nourish those who are baptized (whether we baptized them or not), so that they grow as disciples, as followers of Jesus Christ, all their lives long, until they die.
Congregations such as First Lutheran exist to make disciples through Baptism and the Word of God. Discipleship is a big concept. Christian discipleship means following Jesus. It begins when a person comes to faith in Jesus, and continues for the rest of his or her life. Discipleship is what Baptism is all about. In fact, the life of discipleship, of following Jesus, is sometimes called the “baptismal life”. It is the life that grows from being reborn by faith. It is a life nourished with the Word of God and connected to other Christians.
Can you be a disciple, but not be a member of a congregation? Perhaps, if necessary. And a person can get through life with only a single leg also, if necessary. But this is not something a person would choose. Let’s talk about congregational membership, and why it is such an important part of being a disciple.
The best way to understand what membership is, is to understand first what it is not. A visitor attends or supports the congregation when they want, and if they want. A visitor makes no commitments to the congregation whatsoever. There is nothing wrong with that. Visitors are always welcome at First Lutheran, and there are lots of very good reasons why a person might want to visit, maybe even often, and yet make no commitment. A member, though, makes a commitment. That is essential to membership. It is also, by the way, essential to discipleship.
A commitment to what? Congregation members commit to the congregation’s Ministry of the Word. Discipleship is not something we do on our own, nor is it something that happens quickly. It is worked in us by the Holy Spirit, it is worked by the Word, and it is worked over time.
So first, membership means a commitment by the member personally to use the Ministry of the Word. That means, a commitment to hear the Word, and to “read, mark, learn and inwardly digest” the Word, as a famous prayer goes. At the barest minimum, this involves a commitment to learn the basics of the Word, and to attend regularly the worship services of the congregation. The result of this commitment: through that Word, and over time, the Holy Spirit deepens and strengthens the member’s faith. In addition, the member, over time, grows as a disciple, grows as a follower of Christ.
Second, membership involves accountability. While visitors might come or not come as they choose, or embrace what they hear in worship, or not, as it strikes them, members do not do that. Members are not just personally committed, but openly committed to the congregation and what is taught there. They want, and expect, to be missed when they are not present. The want, and expect, teaching and sermons which sometimes challenge their own beliefs, and when this happens, they adjust their lifestyle, their choices, and their beliefs according to the Word of God.
Third, membership involves expectations. That is to say, the relationship between the congregation and its members goes both ways. The congregation rightly expects its members to be committed and accountable. The members rightly expect preaching and teaching which is faithful to God’s Word. They also expect pastoral care in times of need. To meet those expectations, First Lutheran Church provides its members with the full range of preaching and teaching handed down from Christ Himself and His apostles, preaching and teaching for people of all ages, and of every condition of life. First Lutheran is also organized and committed to the regular administration of the sacraments according to Christ’s command, and to providing for the spiritual care of its members as well.
First Lutheran Church (Missouri Synod) 