Rock Bridge Community Church
Membership Matters
Recently, several conversations have made me realize that I have failed to adequately teach and explain to our church family the importance of church membership and why it matters.
The New Testament was written to local churches to address issues going on inside those bodies of believers. We simply cannot escape the importance the local church has in the Bible. The biblical prominence of the local church implies that the local church has significance to God and therefore should to us as well.
While membership in a local church is not specifically commanded, it is definitely implied (The doctrine of the Trinity that God exists as Father, Son, & Holy Spirit is never specifically mentioned or explained in the Bible, but it is definitely implied.). We see this implication about membership in several ways in the Scriptures –
In the NT people were commanded to meet together on a regular basis. This implies a strong connection and commitment to a group of Christ-followers.
In the NT people in the church were subject to discipline by the church. If there is no commitment and no membership, how can the church carry out this command? For example, I discipline my children (not yours) because they are members of my family. I Corinthians 5 is all about whether or not the church should “expel” someone who is behaving immorally. These are specific instructions to a local church where someone inside that church, a member, is behaving inconsistently with the teachings of Christ (see I Cor. 5:12-13). The fact is we all need discipline from time to time but discipline cannot occur where there is no authority and membership to a local church places you under the spiritual authority of that church.
In the NT people in the church practiced accountability with each other. The early Christians were commanded to encourage each other to remain true to God, to go after wayward brothers & sisters, and to speak the truth in love. All of this implies that these people were connected in a way deeper than, “How are you today?” Fine. Thank you. How are you?” They had joined together and submitted themselves to one another to walk together as Christ-followers. This implies a strong and formal commitment to each other, to Christ, and to His church.
In the NT people were commanded to submit to church leadership (see Hebrews 13:17). This means that each believer was supposed to be part of a church and under the leadership of that church. I will add that this does not mean the church is a dictatorship but that leadership in the church is to be servant-based. However, we cannot ignore the fact that God appoints leaders to serve the church and keep her focused on God’s mission, AND those leaders will be held accountable according to Hebrews 13:17. Here is the question: if people are not formally committed to a local church then who is accountable for them and who are they accountable to? The answer: NO ONE and that is an unbiblical position.
Additionally, the NT assigns elders with the role of protecting the flock (see more below), and they are held accountable by God for doing so. How do the elders know their flock unless the flock is a “member”? (see Acts 20:28) and placed formally under the elder-shepherds of that specific church body? Once again the implication for formal membership in a local “flock” is very evident.
In the NT the spiritual leaders were charged with protecting their flock from false teachings (see Titus 1:9-11). The NT local churches had people other than just pastors and elders in teaching roles. After all, they met in homes spread out throughout a local community. To ensure that the “flock” was being taught correctly, the elders must ensure those entrusted to teach adhere to some core doctrines of the faith. Through membership, the church is able to ensure that people subscribe to the same basic beliefs, doctrines, and theology.
This is one reason we have for requiring that anyone who teaches or facilitates a Rock Bridge small group (children, students, or adults) be a member of the church. Our membership class covers our vision, values, and beliefs. This way we have some means of ensuring that anyone who teaches is on the same page in terms of what we believe about the Bible, Jesus Christ, and the church. In this way, membership serves a protective function over the local flock.
Common Questions:
Aren’t all Christians members of the church?
Yes. All Christians are part of God’s universal church. However, biblically we see that the church is both universal and local. The universal church is somewhat invisible and includes all believers throughout all time. The local church is designed by God to be the local expression (in time and context) of the universal body of Christ.
Does membership go against God’s radically inclusive grace?
While the church must be careful NOT to make membership legalistic, we cannot ignore that God intentionally places His children into a community of committed Christ-followers. Additionally, God’s grace is what produces within us a desire to obey and follow God. Part of obeying God clearly includes participation in and submission to a local church family. Therefore, we do not join a church to be accepted by God but we join because we are accepted by Him; therefore, we joyfully accept & obey His commands as part of His good and perfect will for our lives.
At Rock Bridge can I still serve if I am not a member?
YES! There are many ways to serve at Rock Bridge that do not require membership. However, for teaching/shepherding roles we do require formal membership.
Staff Transitions: Groups
One of my great friends and partners in ministry, Jay Ashlock, has decided to step down as our Pastor of Discipleship/Small Groups. After seeking God’s wisdom, he felt the best move for him and his family at this time in their lives would be to move out of vocational ministry and back into public education.
Jay will be missed on our staff. Personally, I will miss his friendship, advice, and encouragement that I was blessed to enjoy almost daily for over a year. His love for Jesus, passion for Rock Bridge, compassion for people, and incredible wisdom bring much glory to God. But Jay will continue to offer himself to God … just on a different platform. He will still serve as a volunteer and be an active part of Rock Bridge.
What is next for Rock Bridge groups and our staff?
We have moved immediately to begin seeking our next Discipleship/Groups Pastor. We have decided to partner with a ministry/church search firm, the Vanderbloemen Search Group, to help us find God’s person for this important position. All resumes will be submitted to them and they will help us identify a final slate of 4-6 candidates to pray over, interview, and hopefully call as our next Discipleship Pastor (email: resumes@vanderbloemensearch.com listing Rock Bridge Community Church).
In the meantime, Megan Pulver (megan@rockbridge.cc) will be the main “go to” and contact person for our groups ministry. Campus Pastors and others on staff will assist her and anyone seeking information about small groups. You can always find group information at lobby spaces before and after our services.
Monday is for Missions: the Unreached & Unengaged
In our world today there are some 12,000 distinct people groups. A people group is collection of people with similiarities such as language, culture, geography, etc through which the Gospel of Christ can spread easily.
6500 of these groups are “unreached” which means <2% of their members are evangelical believers in Jesus Christ. This effectively means that there is not an indigenous community of evangelical Christians with adequate numbers and resources to spread the Gospel within that particular people group. The total population of these unreached people groups represent 1.6 billion people or 25% of the world!! Many of these groups are also “unengaged”, meaning there is no church or organization actively working inside that people group to spread the Gospel!
To put it bluntly, almost every one of these people live and die without ever hearing the Gospel and there is currently no active work trying to change their situation!!
- Pray for these people groups.
- Pray for a new wave of missionary activity to come.
- Pray for an open and burdened heart as our church begins to wrestle with our responsibility regarding the unreached and unengaged.
- Visit www.peoplegroups.org or www.joshuaproject.net for more information.
Why We Cancelled Fall Festival 2010
Recently our leadership made a very tough decision to cancel our Fall Festival for 2010. This has been a very popular event both within our church and in our communities and has blessed many people so this decision was not an easy one. However, I am convinced that for this particular year it is the right decision (we may decide to do it again in 2011).
2010 is an unprecedented year for our church. We have opened a third campus and started a Thursday night service at our Dalton campus. We have added hundreds and hundreds of new people into our church. We have increased our missions giving (locally & globally) by a substantial amount. However, our resources are limited. Our budget income has not increased from 2009 levels, our Next Step Campaign is 30% behind projections, and our local economy is still struggling. Additionally, our staff is working harder than ever to lead, shepherd, and connect people to Christ at a time when we numerically need to add new staff. Several key ministries are in need of more volunteers.
Given those realities the wise thing for us to do is to focus our limited resources (staff & money) for the greatest impact. We have always tried to be a simple and intentional church. This means we deliberately choose to do only a few things and those few things must have an intentional or clearly defined purpose that aligns with our mission. The areas of greatest impact in this church are undoubtedly our regular large group and small group gatherings of adults, children, and teenagers. Our call during this season is to focus relentlessly and almost exclusively on these environments and the people they are impacting for the glory of God.
A common question is doesn’t Fall Festival impact thousands of lives and bring new people into the church? The answer is yes and no. Yes, on that one night thousands of people come out to the festival but we have never seen new growth in our church from Fall Festival.
Another question is what if someone donated the money for Fall Festival, could we have it then? If someone wanted to give the church money I would encourage them to give it where the church most needs it. Our staff and elders believe that the best place for God’s money to be leveraged right now is funding our core ministries (worship, small groups, children, students, and missions), adding new staff in response to our rapid growth, and continuing to pay off the Next Step construction loan to reduce future debt load on the church. We see this practice in the New Testament where people would give money to the church, and the church would distribute it where it was most needed (see Acts 4:34-35).
A similar question is since we have lots of people willing to volunteer at Fall Festival, can’t they carry the load? Fall Festival has typically had great volunteer support. But again the question is one of priority. Right now we need more volunteers in almost every area of our church, most especially small group facilitators/hosts and children’s ministry servants. Acts 6:1-7 shows an example of people being asked to serve where the church most needed it. Fall Festival is simply not the area of greatest need right now in our church.
I continue to ask for your prayers because we need God’s wisdom to navigate these waters of uncertainty. While we can never be 100% certain, we can be 100% clear. Our clarity comes from our mission of connecting people to Christ, our values that include being intentional, and our strategy of large groups and small groups.
Monday is for Missions
In 2011 we will have the opportunity to go on short-term missions trips with Living Water International. We are excited about this partnership with an amazing Christian organization seeking to bring physical and spiritual water (see John 4:14) all over the world.
These trips will involve both physical work (building or repairing a water well in a community) and relational/spiritual connections with the people. We will be getting more information out very soon about dates, costs, and how to sign-up. Please begin praying now for this trips and our long-term partnership with Living Water.
Monday is for Missions
As a church we have charted a course to be much more involved and intentional with mission work, both locally and globally. We are tripling our missions giving over the next 3-4 years, launching short-term mission trip opportunities within our congregation, and deepening our partnerships in our local communities.
We’re excited to announce a partnership with H.E.L.P — Help End Local Poverty. Through this partnership we are working to restore orphans in Zimbabwe affected by the HIV/AIDS crisis. There are over 15 million children who are orphans because of AIDS, and 12 million of them live in sub-Sahara Africa! We are supporting an orphanage in Zimbabwe. We directly support these 5 children through our church budget:
Tendai (18 months)
Karen (3 yrs) — loves to play with dolls and go to church
Luke (11 yrs) — favorite activities include school, soccer and other sports
Kudzanai (14 yrs) — likes soccer, learning English, and geography
Cynthia (17 yrs) — like to cook, sing, and play with younger children
Please commit to praying for these 5 children, the work in Zimbabwe, and the H.E.L.P. Team!!
A Theology of Technology in the Church
Guest Blogger: Brian Holt, Rock Bridge Technical Director
When I was in high school I worked sales at RadioShack in Xenia, Ohio. Although it was that long ago, I remember how easy it was to sell mobile phones. Very few people had them, but everyone wanted them. Fast forward a decade and it is hard find anyone without a mobile phone.
Technology in the church hasn’t been much different. I remember growing up in church using hymnals and overhead projectors. Church websites, video and lighting were not even in our vocabulary, much less a church hiring a {gasp} full-time Technical Director. Why in the world would a church waste money on that? And what would he or she do for the rest of the week?!? But looking at the Church in America now, it’s not uncommon at all to find churches using all sorts of technology, and (thankfully for me) it’s not uncommon to find full-time staff members devoted to managing that technology. But that question is still a good one to ask: Why spend the money on technology?
The answer is easy. Technology (specifically electronic technology) allows the Church to reach people in a way that it never could before. It gives us an opportunity and reach that would not exist without it. Here are just a few examples:
1. Technology lets us expand geographically. We can expand geographically (through multi-site) while still allowing for strong shared leadership and vision. In the same way the early church leaders sent letters to be read aloud by the local “pastors”, we are able to send video to multiple campuses. This is a very effective way to expand the reach of God’s Word. Here’s why:
It’s economical. The cost of a portable facility is a mere fraction of what it would cost to build a larger auditorium and start a church from scratch.
It’s more effective. People may drive a long way to go to church, but if they do they won’t bring their friends. Expanding geographically with technology means that we’re going to them, rather than them having to come to us. Sounds kind of like the Great Commission to me.
2. Technology lets us create an environment that reaches a person holistically. I could talk for hours on this alone. Growing up, church was mostly an intellectual task. Show up. Listen. Learn. Grow. Not a bad equation to be sure, but it left something out. Where was the emotional connection? Where was the creative artistry that inspired me to be in awe of the God who created all? Those things were missing. Technology allows us to create an environment that allows for those things through the use of creative lighting, video elements and moving music. All of these are based in the truth of God’s Word and support the message of the weekend, but communicate that truth in new and different ways. We can take the weekly message and expand how it’s communicated much like taking an object and looking at it from a different angle. It’s the same object, but we see it in a different way. Sometimes seeing something from a different angle helps us understand it – and helps us connect with it.
But where technology is an incredible tool that can be used to expand the reach of God’s Word to be sure; its use is limited. There are things that technology can do well, and things it simply cannot. Technology can’t comfort you when you’re hurting. Technology cannot hold you accountable or help you grow through a tough situation.
None of these technologies work without a physical presence. This is why we have campus pastors to love the people in a way that a video can’t. This is why we encourage people to live life in small groups, not just watch the message. Technology can present truth, but it can never LIVE truth … that’s what you’re for.
Does God Smile?
Guest Blogger: Greg Womack, Worship Pastor
A lifelong friend of mine used to say, “All I want to do is make God smile.” While that is a worthwhile goal, the truth is we don’t have to do anything to make God smile, He already smiles at the thought of us. Zephaniah 3:17 says it this way: “The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” Do you see that amazing truth? The God of heaven and earth delights in you, covers you with His love, rejoices over you! He smiles when He thinks of you! Isn’t that incredible!
Unfortunately, we often focus on God’s displeasure or disappointment with us rather than His delight in us. The thought that God rejoices over us is hard to comprehend. But it’s true!
What would our lives look like if we really believed God delighted, rejoiced and sang over us! What would our work routines look like? Our families? Our worship? The fact that God really desires to be with us should inspire, motivate and drive us to be with Him, to love Him, to worship Him! Do you want to make God smile? His truth declares He already is!
What’s Going On @RBCC?
People frequently ask me what is going on at church. It’s a great question and a BIG one too. Here’s a few things that are currently underway.
WEB SITE OVERHAUL: Our current website was not designed for a multi-site church and we’ve had some reliability issues. So we’re in a process to upgrade, overhaul, and redesign our site. Expect it to be more user-friendly, cover all 3 campuses, and look great!
JOEL TEAM II: 3 years ago a team of staff members, Elders, and church members developed a strategic plan identifying facility needs, ministry opportunities, and staffing needs. This team’s work laid the foundation for our multi-site strategy, new facilities in Dalton, and several critical staffing positions. Recently, the Elders commissioned a second Joel Team (from Joel 2:28) to look at our staffing & structure, ministries, and overall operations & leadership. This team’s work will be critical in laying the foundation for our future. One thing I have learned is that “what got you here (one place) won’t get you there (the next place).” We have to keep evaluating, keep learning, and keep working to be the church God wants us to be. This team’s work ensures we are thinking and moving in the right direction. Their work kicked off this past week.
MISSIONS: Last year our Elders approved a plan to make our church more “missional”. Part of this plan is to triple our missions budget over the next 3-4 years. A second part is to begin partnering overseas for mission work. Our first team heads to Haiti in April to look for ways we can partner and do Kingdom work in that nation. We hope this leads to a long term relationships in that country. Additionally, we will be working with Living Water International to build wells in areas where access to clean drinking water is limited. We hope to take a trip with them in 2011 to build a well.
PROCEDURES & CHECKLISTS: We discovered a few weeks ago that many of our procedures were out-of-date and ineffective for where our church is. Our staff is working to revise and upgrade many of the checklists, procedures, and guidelines for how we operate our church and ministries. For example, getting ready for a worship service is an extensive process that involves everything from children’s safety to having charged batteries in microphones to signs and campus security. One Sunday after numerous oversights we had each department develop a checklist to ensure that everything that needed to happen actually happened to ensure our services were executed properly. This simple but long checklist keeps us on our toes, eliminates people “assuming” things have been done, and brings level of consistency to how we get things done. {An excellent book called The Checklist Manifesto describes how check-list are simple but crucial to enhancing the quality of work while eliminating “preventable” mistakes … great read for managers and leaders!!}
There are a lot more things “going on” but those are some of the “biggies” that I think will make us a healthier church that is more prepared for what God has planned!
Why We Need Vision Services
During our March 18th and 21st services at all our campuses we will casting and renewing the vision of Rock Bridge Community. I think this is one of the most important services we do all year. Here’s why:
-1) An identity crisis can be fatal. Churches like people need to know who they are and who they are not. We must be both comfortable and clear about who God created us to be as a church. We are not trying to be any church but Rock Bridge Community Church. Our vision service reminds us exactly who we are (and who we are not!).
-2) Vision leaks. Over time vision becomes less clear, less apparent, and seemingly less important. Life and time are hard on visions. Interruptions, busyness, and urgent matters cause us to forget why we do what we do and what really matters most. Our vision service calls us back to the roots of why what we do is so eternally important.
-3) We’ve got lots of new people. There are hundreds of new people attending Rock Bridge compared to last year. They’ve gotten snapshots of the RBCC vision but never a full description, which they will hear during our vision service.
-4) The good is often the enemy of the best. A compelling vision gives focus and clarity, inspiring us to strive for the best instead of the good, the okay, or the “average”. True vision comes from God as revelation and calls us to pursue God’s best for our church.
“Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained …” [Proverbs 29:18a]
