Belonging to a Local Church: The Marks of Healthy Church Membership

In last week’s editorial, Eld Chow Meng highlighted how healthy church membership begins with the Word of God and continues into visible belonging to Jesus Christ and His people. That the Christian faith, though personal, is never lived out privately. It is through the church, the body of Christ, that we hear God’s word preached and taught, and are converted. And it is to those outside of the church that we bear witness to Christ, sharing the gospel that we have heard and received from the Bible.

As we continue to consider what it means to be a healthy church member this week, I’d like to encourage us to see ourselves visibly belonging not just to any group of believers, but to a particular group of people. It is not just about living visibly as a Christian, but about being visibly part of a particular local church.

Many of us have attended school. Some of us even fret over what school to send our children to. I believe none of us change our schools on a daily or weekly basis. To have ever-changing curricula, teachers and classmates is highly disruptive to our learning, both academic and social. Instead, we remain in the same school, which offers time and space for us to adjust to the rhythm of lessons. We have prolonged interactions with teachers and classmates, which helps us feel more comfortable to express ourselves and ask questions. And it is in such environments that we grow and learn the most.

The same can be said for Christians. We grow and experience life as a member of Christ’s body the most when we are a committed member of one local church (as opposed to church hopping every few weeks). The local church is where we are taught God’s word and equipped for the work of ministry (Ephesians 4:11-12). It is within the local church that we get to know people at a deeper, more personal level; to become family. And when that happens, we learn accountability, stretch our spiritual discipline muscles, speak the truth in love, and grow in spiritual maturity. Just like how attending the same school is instrumental for growth, being plugged in to the same local body of believers is key for our spiritual growth. (We may, at different seasons of our lives, be called to different churches. But at any given time, we should be committed to a single local church and not be floating from church to church.)

So, a healthy church member is one who visibly belongs to one local church, who is committed to loving their fellow church members as family, and who in turn is loved by them. The next five marks of a healthy church member show us what this looks like.

6.  A Committed Member

A healthy church member is part of God’s people by living among God’s people. This means investing time and energy on Sunday and beyond to build spiritual friendships with fellow church members. It means actively participating not just in Sunday service, but in the church’s other activities like Ministry equipping sessions and community outreach programmes. It means contributing one’s self towards the vibrant health of the local church.

7.  Seeks Discipline

Because a healthy church member is gospel saturated, he or she does not shy away from the sanctifying discipline that exposes sin but also reveals the depth and breadth of God’s love. This means letting God’s word rebuke us, correct us and train us in the way of righteousness (2 Tim 3:16). It means being humble and open to loving correction from fellow members, that our lives may ultimately bring glory to a holy and merciful God.

8.  A Growing Disciple

A healthy church member is continually growing into a deeper relationship with God and His people in the local church. Yes, we all have dry spiritual patches, but the overall trend should be of growth rather than stagnation. This applies even to those of us who have been believers for decades! We should always be seeking to know God more intimately, enjoy His love afresh and be eager to journey alongside (disciple) our fellow members, that they may experience the same.

9.  A Humble Follower

A healthy church member humbly submits to the local church’s leadership and supports the leaders. This is not about blindly following church leaders. But, insofar as the church leaders submit themselves to the authority of God’s word and make gospel-centred decisions, we should support them practically (e.g., serving in ministry, providing financially) and spiritually (e.g., praying for them).

10.  A Prayer Warrior

A healthy church member prays constantly for the local church. For its leaders and all who teach God’s word and equip the saints. For the unity and spiritual maturity of the church’s members. For the church’s evangelism and testimony to a watching world. And that in all these, the Spirit of God will work through all things for His glory and our good. Deacon Samuel Chan

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Reference: 9Marks Journal, “Church Membership: Holding the Body Together,” May–June 2011.