Paul teaches in 1 Corinthians 12 when a person trusts Jesus Christ for salvation, he or she is made a member of the body of Christ. For a church body to function properly, all its “body parts” need to be present and working. If all you do is attend church, then you’re missing out on one of the greatest blessings that God gives to believers. God grants each person with unique spiritual gifts in order that they might experience the joy that accompanies participation in the building up of the body. We believe that in order for Reach Church to accomplish all that God has in store for us, we need those He sends to be committed family members, willing to share their gifts, abilities, personalities, and experiences.
We believe church membership is an essential and important step for every believer because it demonstrates dedication to our Lord and a commitment to His plan for individual believers and the local church.
Reach Church Paola 3 Step Membership Process
Step 1. Conversation > Step 2. Commitment > Step 3. Celebration
Step 1. Conversation
The membership conversation consists of an opportunity for you to schedule a time to meet with one of our pastors and learn about the church. Church membership is an important decision and one of the goals for this meeting is to provide you with as much information about our church as we can. These are just a few of the things you’ll learn about:
- Our church history and our vision for the future
- Church staff/leadership
- Doctrine & core beliefs
- Ministries and discipleship opportunities
- Local/National/Internation Mission partners
- Opportunities for you to get connected, serve, volunteer, and go on mission trips
- Our expectations for you as a member of the church, and what you can expect from us as your pastor(s)
And we’ll also take time to answer any questions you might have along the way. But the membership conversation is more than just you learning about the church, we want to hear your story as well! You’ll have an opportunity to share your testimony, and we’d love to hear more about what the Lord is doing in your life.
Step 2. Commitment
Once you’ve had an opportunity to have a membership conversation with one of our pastors, the next step, should you choose to take it, is a membership commitment.
This step is between you and God.
This often surprises people when we say it, but, if God doesn’t want you here, then we don’t want you here. Don’t take this the wrong way…We believe God wants all believers to be connected with a local church, but we recognize that Reach Church may, or may not be the right church for you. Our prayer for you is that you would be obedient to God’s call on your life, and that you would follow God’s plan wherever it takes you.
So, during this step we ask you to pray. Take all the time that you need, but pray that God would reveal to you where He wants you to be. Pray that God would reveal areas where you need to grow in your faith. Pray that God would guide your steps and reveal any commitments you need to make. Seek God’s guidance and wisdom, and we’ll be praying that God blesses your obedience to follow His lead.
Step 3. Celebration
If you’re here, then it means you’ve already had an opportunity to meet with a pastor and you’ve completed the membership conversation. Then, you completed step 2 by devoting specific time to prayer, and having sought God’s direction for your life you’re now ready to step forward in faith and commit to God’s plan by joining the Reach Church family. Your final step is the membership celebration.
The membership celebration is simply an opportunity for our church family to be informed of your decision and to celebrate with you. All we ask from you in this step is that you select a Sunday morning of your choosing, and come forward to make your decision during our normal time of invitation. The pastor will pray for you and at the conclusion of the service he will introduce you to the congregation and announce your decision to make Reach Church Paola your official church home.
