Meaningful Membership Workshop

BACKGROUND

Do not have long to speak because the bulk of the night will be spent in discussion and prayer and we are limited on time.

I do want to take just a couple of minutes to let you know why we are here though.

Meaningful Church Membership is the issue we are dealing with.

Some call this regenerate church membership.

Regenerate is a word we use to refer to someone who is born again.

So the idea of regenerate church membership is that the church roll is made up of people who are born again.

More than that, the church knows they are born again.

How do they know? Because they have been baptized and have continued to come to the Lord’s Supper table to show they belong to Christ’s body.

They have upheld the Church Covenant by growing in Christ like character in their attendance of worship and a small group of some sort.

They read their Bibles and pray.

They work to protect the unity of the church by working hard at having harmonious relationships. They meet the needs of other believers. They use their words to build others up.

If there is conflict, they seek reconciliation.

They live out the implications of the Gospel toward the world by serving, giving and sharing their faith.

They participate in the ministry of our church by using their spiritual gifts, sitting under teaching to be equipped for service and developing a servant’s heart.

We currently have around 200-230 members that probably fit this description and uphold this covenant.

However, there could be as many as 1390 names on our church roll.

In light of that, you can see there is some reconciling that needs to happen if we are going to practice healthy, meaningful church membership.

I say meaningful membership instead of regenerate membership because this is bigger than whether or not the individuals on the roll are believers.

We want membership to matter and be a gateway to spiritual growth and service, so that the Great Commission can be fulfilled.

I began preaching about this in 2015. I laid it down and picked it up again in 2020—but then COVID came.

In 2022, we felt sure the time had come to tackle this.

The pastors came to the deacons as asked for men who would be willing to help us with this task.

Michael Holloway, Wayne Powell and Dave Kramer were the men who came forward.

PROCESS

If I could briefly explain the process thus far, then I will pray and we will begin the workshop.

Wayne Powell and Dave Kramer painstakingly went back through old business meeting notes to construct a list of names who could possibly be members of this church.

Then those deacons went through names and to the best of their ability, marked whether or not someone has been active.

The pastors came behind and looked at that work to see if they could shed light on anyone’s whereabouts and speak to the good standing of members these three deacons might not have known.

We also asked some of the staff members who have been in the church for years about some names to see if they rang any bells.

At this point, we have a spreadsheet of names that represents those who could be members of this church and we have notated our understanding of whether or not they have upheld the Church Covenant.

The intention of your pastors is to propose a comprehensive effort in which we update our membership roll and attempt to discover who is truly a part of Seaford Baptist Church.

Through this process, I believe we will become more healthy and be more equipped to reach people

We may gain back some folks we have not seen in a while

We will also implement certain checks to make sure this doesn’t happen again

With God as our Strength, your pastors are going to make an effort to lead the way in keeping track of our members so we don’t get in this situation again.

As things currently stand, we are unable to care for many people because we simply don’t know them.

This will help us pastor.

That is as much as I will say for tonight. I don’t have the nuts and the bolts of the effort we will undertake for you tonight.

That is because this workshop is a part of figuring out what nuts and bolts we need.

We want to hear from you tonight.

WORKSHOP

For tonight’s workshop, here is how things will go.

We have five case studies. We are going to walk through the first one from the front.

You will go through each of the other four at your tables with your table leader.

Please appoint someone to take notes at each table, because the we would love to be able to see and hear your feedback.

Read the scenario out loud to the group.

Discuss the scenario together, agree on an appropriate response and record it.

If there is not agreement, feel free to record the different responses at the table.

PRAYER

English Standard Version Chapter 1

James 1:5

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

English Standard Version Chapter 3

James 3:15

15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.

English Standard Version Chapter 3

James 3:17

17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.

English Standard Version Chapter 5

Revelation 5:12

12 saying with a loud voice,

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,

to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might

and honor and glory and blessing!”

English Standard Version Chapter 1

Proverbs 1:7

7  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge;

fools despise wisdom and instruction.

SCENARIO 1

LEAD THROUGH IT

English Standard Version Chapter 14

Acts 14:22

22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.

Pray for the homebound to be strengthened in their souls, pray they would be encouraged to continue in the faith and help us to reach out to them to encourage them and meet their needs.

SCENARIO 2

English Standard Version Chapter 22

Luke 22:26

26 But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves.

Luke 22:27

27 For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves.

Pray for those who are not serving to find their place of service in the church body. Pray the Lord would help them see the joy of serving and pray that the church will be faithful to utilize the spiritual gifts of the members.

SCENARIO 3

English Standard Version Chapter 4

Ephesians 4:2

2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,

May our gentleness and patience communicate love to those that have left and not come back after many years

We rejoice if they are walking with you and connected to another church

We pray we can help connect them to a local church if Seaford is not going to be their church home

We pray that any communication we have with these folks will come off as loving and kind and winsome.

SCENARIO 4

English Standard Version Chapter 18

If Your Brother Sins Against You

15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 18 Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

Pray that when people in our church are caught in fault they would repent

Pray that most church discipline never makes to the pastors because it is dealt with one-on-one in love

When we do have hard discipline cases, give us wisdom and give us repentant hearts

SCENARIO 5

English Standard Version Chapter 10

24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Pray these people will see how they are not being stirred up and they are missing out on stirring others

Pray they repent of giving up their place at the Lord’s Supper Table and in His body

Pray that the Day drawing near would motivate them to seek the encouragement of the local church

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Note-Burning this Sunday at 6:30pm

New Members Class on Sunday, April 23rd

CLOSING PRAYER

Piercing Heaven: Prayers of the Puritans (No Will but Yours)

NO WILL BUT YOURS

Jesus, it is our holy aim, to have no will but yours. Let us covenant with you, and be Yours forever. This our prayer, and this alone: Savior, let your will be done! To love You and live for You: this our daily portion. We can’t give you anything we have not received. Lord, for us your blood was spilled. Lead us, guide us , as you will. All that is opposed to you, however dear it be, tear those idols from our hearts. You shall have no rival there. Find only Your throne in our hearts, Lord. Savior, let your will be done. Will you, Lord, in us fulfill All the pleasure of your will. Yours in life, and yours in death. Yours in every fleeting breath. You are our hope and joy alone. Savior, let your will be done.—Octavius Winslow