Why Membership?

Weekly Update – September 17th, 2026 

Typically, when the average church goer thinks of membership, it is usually with the idea of having your name put on an official roll at the church in which you attend. Some would agree that it is necessary, whereas others would see it as something completely optional. There seems to be a sense among Christians (and rightly so) that being a part of a church is good, but as long as you are somehow attached to a church, whether committed or not, that is what matters. This week, we hold another membership class for those who are interested in becoming members of First Baptist Church. Not only is this a sort of exploratory class, where newcomers can learn the ins and outs of our church, but this class is a requirement for anyone who wishes to covenant with us. The question I want to answer for you this week is, “why?”. Why is membership taken seriously here and why do we believe we need a class for everyone who desires membership?

Our thought here must begin with a proper understanding of what the local church is. Let me quote Jonathan Leeman from his book titled Church Membership here. He says, “The local church is the authority on earth that Jesus has instituted to officially affirm and give shape to my Christian life and yours.” We see this definition take center stage with Matthew 16:18-19 where it says, “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” The debate that always takes place here is what “this rock” is?  Is it Peter or his confession of Christ given earlier in verse 16 where he says, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” The problem with this debate is that Peter and his confession cannot be separated. This means then that it is only right to say “this rock” that Jesus says he will build his church, is the confession from verse 16 that Jesus is the Christ. It is this confession that forms the foundation of those who profess to believe and follow the truth of Jesus Christ. 

Therefore, what we have here is the proclamation from Jesus Christ that his church will be built through the confession of true believers. In other words, the church is composed of only those who are truly believers in Jesus Christ. Then through these true believers, we apply what Jesus says in Matthew 16:19 about the church holding the “keys to the kingdom.” What this means is that the church is given the authority to hear a person’s confession of faith, examine their deeds in line with that confession, and either affirm or deny the truth of what they proclaim. (By the way, I think this is why two chapters later we have Jesus again talking about the church for the second and final time in the gospels, mentioning it in the context of church discipline.) What all of this means is that according to Jesus in the gospel of Matthew, the church is meant to be a representation of the kingdom of God. The church holds the keys to the kingdom and this kingdom is to be composed of those whose lives attest to a right confession of Jesus Christ. 

So then, if the church is meant to display the kingdom of God on earth, there are many, many implications to this. This ought to affect how we view worship, how we unite together to serve, how we teach and how we care for one another. But in the context of membership, this ought to attest to the priority that we place upon our members. If we allow members to walk away and live a life contrary to the claims of the gospel, then we misrepresent the kingdom of God. Likewise, if we don’t take the time to get to know prospective members then we mishandle our duty as kingdom members before our King. There is a seriousness placed upon membership here that we as the church representing the kingdom of God ought to take heed to. 

As we look to hosting our fall membership class, let’s remember why we do so. Membership in the local church is not an optional add on to the Christian life, where a Christian decides the amount of commitment they want to have. On the contrary, membership is a necessity because the local church is the earthly representation of God’s kingdom. Let us then, as Christ’s church, place a necessary seriousness on how we represent his kingdom.    

Serving Him with You,

Pastor Michael Nelson

Written by Pastor
Michael Nelson

Fighter Verse for the Week

"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work."
2 Corinthians 9:8

Announcements:

All Church Picnic: Our end of summer church picnic is scheduled for 5pm on Sunday, September 27th, at Mapleview Park. Truw Oquendo will be smoking brisket for us. Bring a side or dessert to share.

Ladies’ Night: On September 29th, from 5:00-9:00pm the ladies will be having dinner and attending Beholding Christ, with Nancy Guthrie at Ascend Church in Olathe, KS. Tickets are $10. See the bulletin board in the hall to sign up.

Missouri Missions Offering: Every year, along with nearly 1,800 other churches, our church partners to pray and give concerning the Lord’s work in our state. The statewide goal is $825,000 this year. Our church goal is $1500. I hope that you will consider praying and giving to this effort throughout this month. As with your normal offering, you can give in person, by mail or online. Just mark MMO when you do give. Check out more information about this effort HERE.

Family Discipleship Guides: These guides are designed to help equip parents further engage with what our children and youth are learning. You can find a guide for AWANA, HERE and for our Youth, HERE.

Discipleship Training: There is a new adult study on Wednesday nights. The study is over the topic of Christian Ethics. Join us from 6:45-8:00pm

Ladies’ Bible Study: There will be a 9-week study of Romans by Courtney Doctor starting on September 8th. Morning and evening sessions are each Tuesday for 9 weeks.

Men’s Study: Our Men’s study meets on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday nights at 8:00-9:15pm. The book for this study will be The Case for Christ. See Matthew Klika for more information.

Building Remodel: If you would like to give to our remodel fund, there are commitment cards available in the welcome center. Feel free to pick up one and return it to one an available basket. If you would like to give a one time or a reoccurring gift, you can do so HERE and select “building remodel.” You can also give through one of the offering boxes at church. Be sure to mark your envelop, “building remodel.” Check out a video highlighting the work done so far.

Food Pantry: The food pantry is currently in need of some food items. For a complete list of food pantry needs, click HERE.

Awana Bible Club

Awana Clubs are held on Wednesdays throughout the school year. Dinner is at 6:00pm with Awana Clubs starting at 6:30pm. Children can be registered HERE.

Equipping Hour

We have three classes held at 9:15am on Sunday mornings. “A Survey in Church History” meets in the Sanctuary, a study in Isaiah in the Fellowship Hall, and a Ladies’ class studying the Old Testament meets in the classroom next to the nursery. You can find more information HERE.

Giving

To Give Online, Go HERE. 

You can also mail your offering to: 1416 Main Street, Grandview, MO. 64030

Home Groups

Home Groups typically meet on the first and third Sunday of each month. Please contact Pastor Michael if you would like to join a Home Group. You can find more information HERE.

Prayer

An updated Prayer Guide can be accessed HERE.

Prepare for Sunday

Guide for Worship can be found HERE. 

Wednesday Evening Activities

Awana, Youth Group, and Discipleship Training are on Wednesday evenings. We will share a meal in the Faith Center Gym at 6:00pm before heading to classes at 6:30pm.