“Charter”
and
“Membership”


CLICK HERE to view and read the Charter

Christ asks much of us.
 

October 23, 2005

          One of the things that make us human is “relationships” between brothers, between parents and children, between God and us.

          I’ve been thinking a lot about family relationships this summer.  I’ve given away a daughter in marriage and gained a son-in-law.  My son is making life-decisions about where he will be in his first congregational ministry as an ordained minister.  Where will he be and will we get to have our annual ski vacation if he is just beginning a new ministry?  My father is going through a transition time in a retirement center and is already asking when I can come and see him for a visit.  Suanne and I shared much about the struggles of marriage and family with Haitian pastors and laity in the Theological Seminary of St. Andrew.  Relationships are hard, and take commitment.

          Much about our relationships defines us – especially our relationships in the family of God.  Recently a large portion of our Leadership Ministry meeting was spent in thinking through how we define membership in Bread of Life Christian Church.  It was decided that this fall, that we invite those who are currently participating with us to be identified as “Charter Members” of the congregation.

          Charter membership is not a legal term, but rather an historical one.  In September and October, we had a document for participants to voluntarily sign that will be a record of their participation and intent to be a part of this new congregation.  At the “close” of the charter (October 23, 2005), we had a celebration, a reaffirmation of faith by the signers, and will notify the charter members’ home churches of this transfer of membership.

          In the future, I will ask those who want to place their membership in this congregation to do four things:

  1. read “Rocking the Membership Boat” by Jan Linn;

  2. attend an eight-week session of a Spiritual Life Group;

  3. attend a membership class that will include information about our congregation, our denomination, and “Covenant Discipleship;” and

  4. make a public confession of faith and baptism for new Christians (or reaffirmation of faith for those who are already Christians).
          I have said it many times: Christ asks much of us.  I do not want us to take our membership with Bread of Life Christian Church lightly.  I want those who unite with us to realize that church membership is a spiritual decision.  I want those who come to do so with open eyes and a willingness to participate in our ever-growing vision of what it means to be Christ’s living body on earth.

          This fall beginning September 18, I preached a series of six sermons on “covenant membership” as related to Charter Membership.  I hope that you’ll be doing some thinking about your relationships in the family of God.

          Yours in Christ’s service,

 

Michael

October 23, 2005


CLICK HERE to view and read the Charter

You can read that file online or you can download it for Get Acrobat Readerreading / printing offline at a later time.  You will need to have the Adobe Acrobat Reader program in your computer.  If you do not already have it, that program can be downloaded and installed FREE by clicking on the logo at the left.


You are referred by the following links to six sermons devoted to a more detailed and expanded discussion of the “Charter” and “Membership.”