Why We’re Proposing This Change
Serving People, Not Policies
We want a membership policy that supports our community—one that helps us remember to care for those who find themselves on the fringes—not a structure we have to squeeze people into.
Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27). Sometimes a religious spirit can cause us to take blessings and tools, and turn them into something unhealthy.
We can see that the early church kept count of those they baptized and who were considered members of the Church. But the way they organized those churches evolved over time and looked different across various places and seasons. Our current policy, in several ways, doesn’t always seem to serve us well.
Many in our blue-collar context experience shifting seasons of stability:
- Some, after meeting Jesus through our church, enter a season of facing major family or financial responsibilities that have piled up.
- Some take jobs with long or unpredictable hours that make regular attendance difficult.
- Others are dealing with deep-rooted financial, health, or relational struggles that make a typical commitment to a church community feel out of reach.
While it’s never our intention, our current system can unintentionally label people as “inactive” or guilt them into attendance—instead of drawing them in with pastoral care.
Emphasis on Intentional Recommitment
Because we understand the rhythms of real life, our goal is not to enforce but to invite. As clergy, we annually renew our commitments—reaffirming our beliefs, availability, and calling. We want to offer our members the same: one intentional moment each year to say, “I’m still with you.”
This cultivates clarity, self-reflection, spiritual renewal, and a deeper sense of shared investment.
Our desire in this change is both the have grace for those who we still love as family, and fellow believers in the Lord, but at the same time, bring clarity for those of us who are deeply committed and ready to take on the serious responsibility of having a voice in the direction of the Church as the Spirit leads us together. We want to communicate that our church is a lot bigger than those who very actively engaged in the moment, and at the same time really push and normalize for those who are voting members, we really need to live like disciples, financially support the ministry consistently, show up regularly, serve on a team with others and keep a good witness in the world to our faith.
Our heart is to create a yearly check-in with everyone who is a member, while also offering a clear and accessible path for those who are interested in joining. The beginning of the school year—around mid-September—is a natural time for this rhythm. As new shepherding groups form, our leaders will be able to have meaningful conversations with every family to help them prepare for this annual recommitment.
Click here to view the proposed policy change to be voted on June 22nd after service.