Membership Commitments
“…shepherd the flock of God that is among you…” (1 Peter 5:2)
At Clover Hill, we take church membership very seriously. In our bible belt culture, there’s a tendency to view church attendance as a casual event. But God’s Word gives us a high view of the significance of belonging to a local church, not as a casual attender, but as a committed member. As we saw a few months ago in 1 Peter 5:1-7, the church is Christ’s flock and the elders are His under-shepherds, and we all commit ourselves to one another.
To help our church emphasize the importance of membership, and to encourage us to live that commitment out in practice, the elders of Clover Hill are putting forward some Membership Commitments that would be made when new members come into the fellowship of our local church. We want this to be done in unity as a communal decision, so the current members of Clover Hill will vote to adopt these commitments at the next scheduled Family Meeting on August 10th.
Please read through these commitments, and reach out to myself or the other elders if you have any questions!
Membership Commitments
We deeply value church membership here at Clover Hill, because belonging to a church really matters. We don’t want to treat church like window shopping, where we just hop around to different places. Instead, we want to be committed to a particular local church, serving our fellow members, using our God-given gifts, and finding safety under the care of its shepherds.
Since committing to the local church is significant, we’re going to ask a series of questions to the new members, the elders, and the congregation.
First, the new members. Please respond to each question with “I do”.
1. Do you acknowledge yourselves to be sinners in the sight of God, justly deserving His wrath, and without hope except in His mercy and grace?
I do.
2. Do you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God, the Savior of sinners, and do you receive and rest upon Him alone for salvation as He is offered in the Gospel?
I do.
3. Do you now resolve, in humble reliance upon the grace of the Holy Spirit, that you will endeavor to live as a follower of Christ?
I do.
4. Do you commit to support and serve the church in its worship and work to the best of your ability?
I do.
5. Do you submit yourselves to the leadership and discipline of the church, and will you pursue its purity and peace?
I do.
And now for the elders of Clover Hill, please respond to each question with “I do”.
1. Do you commit to lead, feed, teach, and protect the church of Jesus, which he purchased with his own blood, specifically these new members?
I do.
2. As an under-shepherd appointed by Jesus, the Chief Shepherd, do you resolve to care for these members of Christ’s church, exercising oversight, not under compulsion but willingly; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over them, but being an example to them?
I do.
3. Do you commit to joyfully and lovingly keep watch over their souls, as those who will one day give an account?
I do.
And finally, to the whole church, please respond to each question by saying “We do”.
1. Do you, the members of River Oaks: Clover Hill, acknowledge and publicly receive these brothers and sisters into the membership of this church?
We do.
2. Do you commit to love them, pray for them, support them, and pursue unity with them, for the building up of the church, the advancement of the kingdom, and the glory of God?
We do.
Church, let’s follow the Chief Shepherd together as His flock!
“Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another…” (1 Peter 5:5)