What is membership?

Church membership is not about signing a contract or joining a club.

It is one thing to attend church, it is quite another thing to become a participating member of a local church. While the term 'church member' never occurs in the Bible, it is clear that Christians were committed to each other in local communities.  Christians met together for teaching, caring, sharing communion, mission and prayer. When Paul wrote letters it is clear there are local congregations of believers committed to each other because they are committed to God, and they met regularly together.
(Acts 13:1-3 and 1 Corinthians 16:2, 19)

How does the Bible define church membership?

The New Testament does not describe a local church full of attendees only, but rather describes a church of participating members using their gifts, talents and abilities for the glory of God.
(Romans 12:4-5, 1 Corinthian 12:12, Ephesians 4:16).

The moment we trust Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, we become members of the world-wide body of Christ, which is the church. To grow as a disciple of Jesus, believers should identify with a specific local church and actively participate in Christian ministry.

Membership Criteria

First and foremost you need to be a Christian.

A Christian is someone eho has made a commitment to accept Jesus personally as their Lord and Saviour and live in obedience to him (Acts 2:38). Accepting Jesus as Lord also means obeying His command to be baptised.

Members must be in agreement with Bethany's Statements of Faith and Values.

Members Covenant

• Love God - We need to love God with all our heart, soul and mind
  
  
• Love one another - Jesus said we would be recognised as Christians by the way we share fellowship and love each other
  
  
• Serve our community - We seek to reach our community so that we can share the message of Jesus with as many as possible.
   

ReMember

Each September we ask all our members to re-examine their commitment to Bethany as their local church. It's a time to think carefully about what is involved in being part of a fellowship. It is an opportunity to reassess what we are giving to God in terms of our time, talents and money and make any necessary changes.

What does membership mean?

Church membership is about involvement and activity. It is not passive. It means:

Protecting the unity of my church
By acting in love toward other members
(Romans 14:19)
By abiding by the terms of Bethany's Statements of Faith & Values
(1 Timothy 4:16 )
By cooperating with Bethany's leadership
(Hebrews 13:17)

Sharing the responsibility of my church
By praying for its spiritual and numerical growth
(1 Thessalonians 1:2-10 )
By inviting others to attend
(Luke 14:23)
By warmly welcoming those who visit our services
(Romans 15:7)

Serving in the ministry of my church
By discovering my gifts and talents and using them as directed by the Holy Spirit
(1 Peter 4:10 )
By being intentional in my personal discipleship and spiritual growth
(Philippians 3:12-14)
By developing a servant's heart and a teachable spirit
(Philippians 2:2,4,7)

Supporting the testimony of my church
By attending services faithfully
(Hebrews 10:25)
By living a prayerful and Godly life
(Philippians 1:27)
By contributing financially on a regular basis
(1 Corinthians 16:2 )
By making the most of every opportunity to communicate the gospel to others
(Matthew 28:19)

Baptism and Church Membership

According to the Bible, repentance and faith ought to be demonstrated by baptism (Acts 2:38). Jesus himself was baptised and He commands His followers to do the same (Matthew 28:18-20). Baptism is a sign of our commitment to Christ and to living a new life serving Him. It is for these reasons we encourage prospective members of Bethany Christian Centre to be baptised.
If you want to discover more about baptism there is a leaflet available from the Church Office or at the Welcome Desk.

The benefits of church membership

You receive care from other believers
(Galatians 6:10)
You receive teaching from God's Word
(Acts2:42)
You can develop and exercise your gifts
(1 Corinthians 12:7-27 )
You are encouraged in your faith by other believers
(Hebrews 10:24-25)
You develop accountability relationships within the church
(Proverbs 27:17; Ephesians 5:21)
You participate in church decisions
(Acts 6:5-6:2; 2 Corinthians 8:19 )
You are placed under the spiritual protection of godly leaders
(Hebrews 13:17)

How do I become a member of Bethany Christian Centre?

If you are enthusiastic about the vision of Bethany Christian Centre, believe the things we teach and wish to get involved we want you onboard! If you would like to become a participating member, ask one of the members of the Leadership Team and they can tell you more.

They can enroll you in a 'no obligation' membership course where we talk about membership and let you ask whatever questions you may have. Once the course is over, if you decide you would like to join us, you can complete a Membership Application Form and this will be followed by a short meeting with one of our Leadership team. New members are publicly welcomed into fellowship during a Sunday Morning Service.

Membership Classes are held on Tuesday nights at 7:30pm and the next three dates are 20th September, 1st November and 13th December.