Annual Membership
On Loyalty Sunday we invite people to claim their baptismal covenant as members of the church on an annual basis.
Annual Membership intends to strengthen the baptismal covenant we all make when we join the church when we say:
"As members of this congregation, we will faithfully participate in its ministries
by our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our service and our witness."
The difference between Annual Membership and typical membership practices is that Annual Membership makes this covenant annually, where typical practice is usually done only once when a person joins a local church. Sometimes we recite it again in worship when, and if, we use Wesley’s Covenant Service that intends to reclaim and recall our Covenant of Baptism. We also do it at Confirmation, or a Transfer of Membership. Most of us don’t remember the original Covenant of Baptism that brought us into the life of the church. Because our parents and sponsors made it for us when we were infants.
Our Mainline Church tends to have little or no expectation of what it means to be a member. And, people have usually risen to meet those low expectations. One thing that is troubling about the church is that our words often don't match our actions. In addition, I don't believe Jesus is satisfied with our notion of membership. I think he wants disciples.
Annual Membership places the burden of who decides who a member is on the shoulders of the individual. It asks, "Are you willing to faithfully own what you say when you claim the sacred oath of the Covenant of Baptism with your prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness?"
Annual Membership moves us away from the notion of membership toward the practice of discipleship.
On Loyalty Sunday we invite people to claim their baptismal covenant as members of the church on an annual basis.
Annual Membership intends to strengthen the baptismal covenant we all make when we join the church when we say:
"As members of this congregation, we will faithfully participate in its ministries
by our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our service and our witness."
The difference between Annual Membership and typical membership practices is that Annual Membership makes this covenant annually, where typical practice is usually done only once when a person joins a local church. Sometimes we recite it again in worship when, and if, we use Wesley’s Covenant Service that intends to reclaim and recall our Covenant of Baptism. We also do it at Confirmation, or a Transfer of Membership. Most of us don’t remember the original Covenant of Baptism that brought us into the life of the church. Because our parents and sponsors made it for us when we were infants.
Our Mainline Church tends to have little or no expectation of what it means to be a member. And, people have usually risen to meet those low expectations. One thing that is troubling about the church is that our words often don't match our actions. In addition, I don't believe Jesus is satisfied with our notion of membership. I think he wants disciples.
Annual Membership places the burden of who decides who a member is on the shoulders of the individual. It asks, "Are you willing to faithfully own what you say when you claim the sacred oath of the Covenant of Baptism with your prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness?"
Annual Membership moves us away from the notion of membership toward the practice of discipleship.
