Membership with Expectations and purpose

“ But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but 
an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.
”
— James 1:22-25

Membership

We are called to be obedient followers of Christ. Being part of a church family is essential to this calling. We emphasize the word family because a church as we find in scripture should be more than joining a religious organization. John 1:12 tells us “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:”, in 2 Corinthians 6:18 we read “I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty.” and in Romans 8:17 we are called “heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ”. We are not called to merely attend “church”, we are COMMANDED to BE THE CHURCH, the body of Christ and family of God. Being part of a family comes with responsibilities. We are given a mission in Matthew 28:18-20. In 1 Timothy 3, we are given instructions as to the character of those in leadership- high standards. Galatians 6 calls us to be accountable to each other. 1 Corinthians 1 calls us to unity centered on God’s standards. And of course, we are called to love each other and look after each other like family would (1 Corinthians 16:14; 1 John 3:18). Being a child of God- and being His Church- we take our family responsibilities seriously which is why we gladly obey when we are told to do things in an orderly fashion (1 Corinthians 14:40) and when we are commanded to meet together often (Hebrews 10:24-25).

As His church- as His family- we are called to carry on the single most important task in history, claiming Jesus to the lost. One of the greatest blessings of answering this call is that we were called to do this together. At First Baptist Church of Freer, we take being family seriously. We love all our neighbors in Freer, but there is something special about being part of this family. We are a multi- ethnic, multi-generational and multi-gifted family of faith. We recognize that the head of our church is Jesus, and we seek to serve Him and to serve others in His name. Our love for God compels us to maintain doctrinal integrity so that we may always embrace the enduring and unchanging message of Christ Jesus. We also remain deeply committed to the basics of the Great Commission by making disciples while continuing our own pursuit of living a missional life for Christ. We welcome accountability and encouragement alike in living this life of service. As part of of our accountability process, the journey to become part of this church family has several steps and as part of the journey, members of this family will encourage you as we walk the journey with you.

doctrinal integrity making disciples missional life

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What does church membership mean?

As a church family we are committed to these ten practices;

  1. Personal walk - Every follower of Christ is called to be in a personal walk with Christ spending time each day in personal Bible study, prayer, obedient practice, and worship as they grow in their obedient relationship with Christ.

    Mankind, He has told you what is good
    and what it is the Lord requires of you:
    to act justly,
    to love faithfulness,
    and to walk humbly with your God.

    Micah 6:8 

  2. Family walk - Every follower of Christ is responsible for passing the truths of Christ to their family. We are called to teach by word by sharing and by example. This is a daily experience and one that is part of our highest calling.

    Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

    Deuteronomy 6:5-9

  3. Scripture Memory- We are committed to God’s command to truly know His word. We believe that in depth study is essential but memorization is not only a command but a privilege.

    This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to recite it day and night so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do.

    Joshua 1:8 

  4. Bible Study- We believe we must thoroughly study Scripture in order become disciples and eventually disciple makers. We believe that the more we study the Bible, the more we will grow to love the Author.

    Pay close attention to your life and your teaching; persevere in these things, for by doing this you will save both yourself and your hearers.

    1 Timothy 4:16

  5. Prayer- Prayer is our first act of true worship and an opportunity to come to the presence of God.

    You will call to Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.

    Jeremiah 29:12

  6. Missions Cooperation- Every follower of Christ is responsible for living a life on mission for God but we are also called to work with other believers on a global scale to proclaim the Gospel of Christ to a lost and dying world.

    Declare His glory among the nations,
    His wonderful works among all peoples.

    Psalm 96:3

  7. Evangelism- As followers of Christ we deeply believe in a real heaven and a real hell and we understand the eternal consequences of dying without a relationship with Christ. Our hearts break for those who yet to know Christ and we are compelled out of conviction and obedience to Christ to share the hope that lives within us.

    Proclaim the message; persist in it whether convenient or not; rebuke, correct, and encourage with great patience and teaching.

    2 Timothy 4:2

  8. Giving- As followers of Christ, we obediently offer our tithe and offerings, giving back to the Lord a small amount of all He has given us to fuel the mission of the church.

    Honor the Lord with your wealth,
    with the firstfruits of all your crops

    Proverbs 3:9

  9. Service- Every follower of Christ is responsible for service within the church. We are more than a team of believers, we are siblings in God’s family and seek to edify, encourage and support each other by serving those within our local church family and carrying out our role in the mission of the church.

    And He personally gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, for the training of the saints in the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into a mature man with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness.

    Ephesians 4:11-13

  10. Corporate Worship- Every follower of Christ is responsible for coming together with the church body to worship God. Worship is not simply music but any activity that is generated by the adoration and love for God. Service, proclaiming, singing, and sharing of God’s Word are all part of true worship.

    What then is the conclusion, brothers? Whenever you come together, each one has a psalm, a teaching, a revelation, another language, or an interpretation.All things must be done for edification.

    1 Corinthians 14:26

““Those who walk with God, always reach their destination.” ”
— Henry Ford