Who’s in Charge of the Church (Part 4): What Can Members Do
Who is in charge of the church? We have already seen how Jesus is in charge and the members of the church also play an important role. We have also seen how God has given elders to the church. So, what can we do as church members?
What should I do as a church member?
This could be a question that you might have after learning about God’s design for the church. God has given the church elders, and also members responsibilities under the rule of Christ. For a start, here are at least 11 ways that we can live out this responsibility as members of this local church.
Gather regularly with the church.
Celebrate the ordinances together.
Know and be known by one another.
Open your life to the elders.
Get to know prospective members. Read their testimonies, which are distributed before Members’ Meetings and baptisms.
Be intentional about connecting with other members.
Disciple one another. Seek one another’s spiritual good.
Pray through the membership directory. Members, if you need a copy, reach out to the church office via info@gracebaptistchurch.sg.
Deepen discernment by growing in God’s word and sound doctrine, especially the gospel and conversion
Learn and affirm the Statement of Faith and Members’ Covenant (consider attending Church Matters, if you have not done so).
Be teachable. Cultivate humility to trust and follow godly leaders. Biblical polity strengthens our “submission muscles”.
Bring our concerns and questions directly to the elders.
Evaluate the issue of concern: How serious is it? What impact will it have on the church’s membership, discipline, and doctrine, as well as the church’s mission to make disciples?
Triage: A matter of conscience, conviction, opinion, or preference?
Do your best to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Attend members’ meetings to participate in the work of membership, disciple, and doctrine
Receiving and removing members.
Look out for true gospel confession.
Look out for biblical conversion.
Look out for a life that is consistent with the gospel (not sinless, but sincere and faithful).
Work with the elders to seek straying sheep.
Exercising church discipline.
Affirming and electing leaders.
Being involved in any significant decision that sustains or directs the church’s existence as a gospel-bearing witness, eg. the budget, planting, etc.
Hearing updates on the church’s ministries and work to grow the gospel.
So, for a start, here are these 11 ways. Many of them are not anything new or different, but are actually ordinary means of grace. And before we feel overwhelmed, let us also remember that we do so not based on our own strength, but because we who were once dead in our sins have been saved and made alive in Christ (Eph 2:1-8). As God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus, we now walk in the good works which God has prepared beforehand for us (Eph 2:10).
As we do so, we look forward to living out Ephesians 4:15–16, “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”
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