I just recently finished a three-part article series titled "Taking Church Membership Seriously.” You can read them by clicking the links below.
Part 1 — Do I Have to Go to Church to Be a Christian?
Part 2 — Is Church Membership Biblical?
Part 3 — Why Do I Need Church?
Today, I want to add an epilogue to the series. I have noticed a disturbing trend in church involvement over the last several years that reveals a serious heart issue.
I see many church goers today treat church like a lunch buffet. Now don’t get me wrong. Those of you that know me, know I love a good buffet. I like having multiple options each time I visit. And I certainly enjoy that I can go several different days and have a unique experience each time. But church is not a buffet! It is the body and bride of Christ.
Church Buffeting
Here is how “church buffeting” usually works. Person #1 is a member at Church A. But person #1 doesn’t particularly care for the music, or the preaching, or some other Sunday morning facet of Church A. In fact, Person #1 finds Church B much more exciting on Sunday morning. The songs maybe are more upbeat and make them “feel” something. The preacher tells finny stories as he encourages the congregation to have a better life.
But rather than joining Church B, Person #1 just attends on Sunday morning while maintaining “membership” at Church A. In fact, Person #1 still like their Bible study group and Mission Group at Church A. They have life-long friends at Church A, so they still attend other functions at Church A. But all the while they talk about how much they enjoy Sundays at Church B.
The Problem in the Buffet Line
Church buffeting reveals at least two misconceptions about church “membership.”
First, church buffeting is more a ME focus than a WE focus, or more importantly a HIM (Christ) focus. Since the New Testament refers the church as the Body OF Christ, we should understand body life to be first and foremost about Christ. And since the New Testament refers to the church as the BODY of Christ, we should understand it to be group dynamic and not an individual focus.
No church is a “total package.” I understand some churches are more attractive in some facets of ministry than others, but church membership is about belonging to a body. Imagine if your hand were to say to you one day, “I like you and all, but I think Bob has a better breakfast. So I’m gonna detach myself from you in the mornings, go have breakfast with Bob, and then I’ll be back later for lunch.”
I know that’s absurd, but so is a member of Christ’s body detaching itself to play with another body.
Second, church buffeting reveals a consumer rather than investor mentality. It used to be that the word “membership” denoted a certain responsibility. Membership in a civic club came with a commitment to attend meetings and participate in community projects. When one didn’t fulfill the membership responsibilities, they could have their membership revoked.
The average soft drink these days costs about $2. If you purchased a soda a day 5 days a week, you would spend $520 per year. A second option would be to save that soda money. At the ends of the year you will have amassed $520. BUT… if you invest your soda money at about 5% yield, at the end of the year you could have $533. A simple $13 may not seem like much. But it’s $1033 more than if you spent it.
When you project that same soda money investment over a 10 year period, $5200 becomes $6750. You have almost $12,000 more than if you spent it.
Think of those investment principles in spiritual terms. If you invest in your church rather than spend on yourself, you will reap incredible spiritual benefit! Galatians 6:7 reminds us that we reap what we sow. We reap what we sow, we reap after we so, and we reap more than we sow. When we spend, we have nothing to show for it once our expense is consumed. But when we invest, our investment grows perpetually and infinitely.
So, simply put, we grow more by investing in our church than using church experiences as currency to spend on ourselves.
Healthier “Churching”
As much as I love a buffet, I realize they do not offer the healthiest meal options for me. Likewise, church buffeting does not produce spiritual health and growth in Christlikeness.
So how can we be healthier in our church involvement? Let me offer a couple of answers.
1. Pick a local church and commit to it. Every church has its strengths and weaknesses. Not one is perfect. But we as individuals are the same, with our own strengths and weaknesses. When we pick a church and commit to it, God uses our unique strengths and overcomes our unique weaknesses.
When we invest in a church that doesn’t check every box on our favorites list, we say with our actions that HE and WE matter more than ME. If The worship style may not be my favorite, but I worship anyway, I prove that someone else’s preference is just as valid as mine (Philippians 2:3). If I invest in a church whose children’s or youth ministry is not as entertain as another church’s, I can commit to making those ministry’s stronger by offering my time and effort to serve. I invest in my church rather than consume another.
Stop the church hopping and give yourself to a local church body.
2. Reframe your concept of church membership. By default, our initial consideration in church is “what’s here for me and my family?” But what if we viewed our church participation as a partnership. Considering what the word connotes in today’s culture, I wish we didn’t even use the word “membership” to define our church participation.
Today, “membership” implies privileges. Members get preferential benefits. And many look at their church membership that way. Their seat. Their music. Their classroom. Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.
“Partnership” implies responsibility and cooperation. Membership focuses on me; partnership focuses on we.
I know people who no longer attend a church, but will not “move their membership.” Maybe because of family ties or other sentimentalities, they cannot bring themselves to break formally break away. But what good is a name on a church roll? It’s just ink on paper if the person represented by the name is not involved in the life of that church.
The Bible defines spiritual growth as becoming more like Jesus (Romans 8:29). Jesus said that He came to serve not to be served (Mark 10:45). So if we are growing spiritually, growing to be more like Jesus, we will grow in our desire to serve rather than be served.
If you don’t have a church home, pick one. Since you won’t find one that is perfect, find one that preaches and teaches God’s Word. Find one that loves and serves others. Find one that benefits from your input.
Be a spigot and not a drain!