Membership
Committed to Christ and to one another
Church membership is how Christians publicly commit to one another in following Jesus. It is a joy, not a formality, and it is central to the Christian life.
Why it matters
Not an optional add-on
In the New Testament, Christians always belonged to a local church. The apostles wrote to congregations that knew who their members were, chose leaders together, and could remove someone from their fellowship.
Membership means care, accountability, and shared responsibility for one another’s walk with Christ. It is how we keep the command not to give up meeting together but to encourage one another.
The keys of the kingdom
Jesus promised to build His church, not only to save individuals but to gather them into a people. He gave the church the keys of the kingdom: authority to affirm a person’s profession of faith and welcome them in, and, when someone persists in unrepentant sin, to lovingly put them out in hope of their return. Membership is how a local church uses those keys.
The local church
How God uses the local church
God grows His people in the ordinary life of a local congregation. These are the means He uses, and membership is how we commit to receiving them and giving them to one another.
The Word preached
Sunday by Sunday the Scriptures are opened and explained, and God feeds His people through His Word.
Baptism and the Lord’s Supper
Baptism marks a believer’s entry into the visible church, and the Lord’s Supper is the meal of those who belong to Christ and to one another.
Shepherding
Christ gives elders to know, feed, and watch over the members entrusted to their care.
Care and accountability
Members spur one another on, carry burdens, and lovingly call one another back when someone strays.
Serving with our gifts
Every Christian has been given gifts to serve the body, and the local church is where they are put to use.
Loving discipline
When needed, the church lovingly corrects a member who persists in sin, always aiming to restore them and guard the church’s witness.
Joining
How to become a member
These steps come from our bylaws. Ask an elder whenever you’re ready to begin.
- 1
Profess faith in Christ
Trust in the atoning work of Jesus Christ for salvation.
- 2
Be baptized as a believer
Baptism follows a credible profession of faith in Christ.
- 3
Take the New Members Class
Four weeks together: Preaching and the Gospel, Conversion and Evangelism, Membership and Discipline, and Discipleship and Leadership.
- 4
Affirm our beliefs and covenant
Affirm the Statement of Faith and the Member Covenant below.
- 5
Meet with the elders
A conversation about your testimony and any questions you have.
- 6
Be welcomed by the church
The elders recommend you for membership and the congregation affirms you by vote.
Our covenant
NewSong Church Member Covenant
Having been brought by God’s grace to repent of our sins and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and having been baptized as believers upon our profession of faith in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we do now, relying on His gracious help, joyfully enter into covenant with one another as members of NewSong Church.
Commitment to Worship and Fellowship
We will faithfully gather with our church family for worship, recognizing that we come not merely to receive blessing but to glorify God together. We will not forsake assembling together, understanding that regular attendance is essential for mutual accountability and the health of Christ’s body.
Commitment to Unity and Love
We will work and pray for the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. We will walk together in Christian love, exercising care and watchfulness over one another, faithfully encouraging and, when necessary, lovingly confronting one another in accordance with Scripture.
Commitment to Prayer and Spiritual Growth
We will be faithful in prayer for ourselves and for one another. We will pursue personal holiness through God’s Word and by the power of the Holy Spirit, remembering that our baptism signifies our death to sin and our new life in Christ.
Commitment to Discipleship and Evangelism
We will seek to make disciples by nurturing those under our care in the faith and by sharing the gospel with our families, friends, and neighbors. We will support one another in this calling, remembering that our love for each other serves as a witness to the world.
Commitment to Bearing Burdens and Rejoicing Together
We will rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. We will bear one another’s burdens with tenderness and sympathy, while also celebrating each other’s blessings with genuine joy.
Commitment to Church Leadership and Ministry
We will support our elders as they shepherd our congregation according to Scripture, and we will aid our deacons and deaconesses as they serve our practical needs. We will use our spiritual gifts to serve the body and participate actively in the mission of the church.
Commitment to Stewardship
We commit to faithful, regular, and sacrificial giving of our time and finances for the support of:
- NewSong Church’s ministry
- The benevolent care of our members
- The advancement of the gospel locally and globally
We recognize that all we possess belongs to God and is to be stewarded for His glory.
Commitment to Biblical Living
We will seek to live carefully in the world, turning away from sin and worldly desires. We will strive to reflect Christ’s character in our homes, workplaces, and communities, understanding that our conduct affects the testimony of our entire church.
Commitment to Church Discipline
We will submit to the loving discipline of the church when we fall into sin, and we will participate in the restoration process with those who repent. We understand that discipline is an expression of love aimed at restoration and the glory of God.
We realize that our natural human response to correction often is to hide or run away from accountability. To avoid falling into this age-old trap and to strengthen our church’s ability to rescue us if we are caught in sin, we agree not to run away from NewSong Church to avoid corrective discipline. Therefore, we waive our right to withdraw from membership or accountability if discipline is pending against us. Although we are free to stop attending the church at any time, we agree that a withdrawal while discipline is pending will not be given effect until the church has fulfilled its God-given responsibilities to encourage our repentance and restoration, and to bring the disciplinary process to an orderly conclusion.
Commitment to Future Church Membership
When we must depart NewSong Church, we will do so under the guidance of the elders and unite with another gospel-preaching church where we can continue in faithful living and grow in faith while pursuing membership with that congregation, recognizing that church membership is not optional for the believer.
Benediction
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all.
We make this covenant not in our own strength, but trusting in Christ’s power to help us honor these commitments for His glory and the good of His church.
Next step
Ask about the next New Members Class
If NewSong has become your church home, we’d love to walk through membership with you. Call 513-202-0654, email admin@newsongharrison.com, or talk with one of our elders on Sunday.