- Preach the Gospel. Preach the holiness of God, the sinfulness of man, the substitutionary atonement and resurrection of Christ, and our need to repent of our sins and trust in Him. And make it clear that those who are not committed to one another in love have no reason to believe that, that they gave themselves to God in love (1 John 4:20-21).
- Use a statement of faith and church covenant. Require members to affirm that they agree with the church’s statement of faith (what the church believes) and church covenant (church rules).
- Create a training class for those who want to become members of the church. Help potential members understand what is expected of them and what they can expect from the church. Use this opportunity to show them what your church believes and what its rules are, explain the importance of membership, and give them practical information about how your church works.
- Set up interviews with pastors or leaders. During the interview, ask the person to share the Gospel, talk about their conversion and their life in Christ. This also provides an opportunity to get to know new people better and ask questions in a comfortable atmosphere.
- Stop baptizing children. A child can certainly become a Christian, but the church is not always able to assess whether the child has truly made this decision on their own, how deep and thoughtful it is. Children should be given time to mature and the opportunity to resist the influence of the world. We should not create misunderstandings by baptizing those whose faith the church cannot reliably assess.
- Present new members to the congregation for their approval for acceptance. Acceptance and expulsion from church membership are matters of the whole church (2 Cor. 2:6). Therefore, lead the church to clearly confirm each member it accepts and each one it expels.
- Regularly publish an up-to-date list of church members. Encourage members to use this list as a prayer list, supporting the church in praying for one another.
- Provide pastoral care to church members. Make sure each member has regular conversations with the pastor or minister. Be proactive in finding out what is going on in the lives of your members.
- Cultivate a culture of discipleship. Encourage young Christians to learn from older, more mature brothers and sisters in Christ. Encourage mature Christians to take less mature ones under their wing so that every member of the church is in spiritually wholesome relationships with their brothers and sisters.
- Designate certain activities and ministries as being for church members only. The church should consider restricting membership meetings, some ministries, and small groups (except evangelistic ones) to members of the local church only.
- Demonstrate the Need for Church Discipline. Once you have established a culture of biblical membership, begin to lead your church toward understanding the proper application of church discipline, including excommunication of those who continue to live in serious unrepentant sin.
About Марк Девер
Doctor of Divinity (Cambridge University), senior pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., author of numerous books and articles, and honorary president of the 9Marks organization.
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