What is the Church?
1. Eklesia – (Greek) “called out ones”
- In classical Greek it referred to an assembly of citizens who were summoned so as to conduct the business of the city.
- The church therefore is not a building but the assembly of the citizens of the Kingdom of God for the purpose of doing the King’s bidding.
2. It is the body of Christ (Eph. 1:22-23)
What Are the Benefits of Being a Member of Christ’s Church?(Acts. 2:42-47)
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- God wants to use you to reach others for Him and your church family gives you the support and inspiration necessary to accomplish that.
- Evangelism helps us fulfil God’s Mission for your life.
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- When we get together one of our primary aims is to worship God. This helps you to lean on God’s power for your life.
- Worship helps us focus on God and His power.
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- You be sure that you’re fellowshipping with your eternal family members.
- Fellowship helps us face life’s difficulties.
- God not only wants us to believe but to belong.
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- God’s desire is that each of us become disciples of Christ and live by His principles.
- Discipleship helps us fortify our faith.
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- Every Member is a Minister! That means that God has something for you to do in the church.
- Ministry helps us find our talents.
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How Does One Become a Member of Church on the Rock?
1. You must be Born Again (Jn. 3:3; Ro. 10:9-10)
2. Be baptized by immersion in water (Mt. 28:19; Ac. 2:38)
3. Complete the Pre-Encounter Classes
4. Complete the Membership Seminar
5. Sign the Membership Covenant and fill out the Membership Profile
6. Have a Personal Interview with the Pastor
What Are the Responsibilities of Membership?
Though we’re all at different places in our spiritual development, the following responsibilities are things that every Member should have as priorities in their lives.
1. Seek the Lord (Worship)
- Be sure that you are born again and water baptized (Mt. 28:19; Ro. 6:4)
- Participate in The Lord’s Supper
- Develop a love relationship with the Lord through daily prayer, worship, reading the Bible and obedience.
- Be a participant in the services at the church.
2. Serve in the Church (Ministry)
- Be faithful in church attendance (Hebrews 10:25)
- Make a commitment to support the church with tithes and offerings (Malachi 3:8 – 10; Hebrews 7:1-7; Proverbs 3:9,10; Luke 6:38)
- Contribute your time and talent in building the Kingdom of God here at FCOTR (1Cor. 12:1-11; 1Cor. 12:12-28; Eph. 4:11-12; Prov. 3:27)
- Get involved in ministry.
3. Strive for Growth (Discipleship)
- To be committed to completing our “Pre-Encounter” classes.
- Be committed to attending an Encounter Weekend
- To be open to understanding and receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:11; John 14:16,17; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:28-29; Acts 19:1-7; Acts 2:4)
- Participate in the spiritual growth programs/groups provided by the church.
4. Shelter each other (Fellowship)
- Avoid gossip, strife, unforgiveness, receiving offence, jealousies, and attitudes which foster division in the body (Ephesians 4:1-6; 25-32)
- Love, honour, esteem, help, serve and pray for one another (Ephesians 6:18; Hebrews 13:1; 1Peter 2:17; Ephesians 4:1-3 )
- Make every effort to destroy division and promote unity (1 Corinthians 1:10; Proverbs 6:16-19; Ephesians
- Be connected through a cell group.
5. Share your faith (Evangelism)
- Tell others about your commitment to Christ (Matthew 28:18-20)
- Invite others to church
- Make visitors feel welcomed
- Become a stronger witness of Jesus by the way you live. (Matthew 5:14-16)
1. Lead
- Equip the saints for ministry (Eph. 4:11)
- Provide vision and direction for the body (Matthew 9:36)
- Provide counsel, correction and discipline (2 Tim. 2:25)
- Shepherd the flock of God (1 Peter 5:2-3)
2. Feed
- Preach/teach the Word (2 Tim. 4:2)
- Faithful in the Word and Prayer (Ac. 6:2-4)
- Study/handle the word correctly (2 Tim. 2:15)
- Disciple (2 Tim. 2:2)
3. Be an Example (1 Tim. 4:12; 1 Peter 5:1-3)
Relating To Your Pastor:
1. Get to know your pastor’s “voice” (John 10:2)
2. Partner with your pastor (Matthew 12:25)
3. Receive your pastor as a gift from Christ (Ephesians 4:11)
4. Esteem your pastor (1 Thessalonians 5: 12-13)
5. Submit and trust your pastor’s leadership (Heb. 13:17; Romans 13:1-6)
6. Recognize the greater degree of attack on him and his family (Matthew 26:31)
7. Pray for your pastor regularly (Acts 12:1-5; Ephesians 6:18-20)
8. Model your life after his godly character (Phil. 4:9; 1 Corinthians 4:16)
9. Sow into his life (Gal. 6:6)
10. Never entertain an accusation against him (1 Tim. 5:19)
The Next Step
Join a Cell Group: A Cell group is the best way to become connected in the church, grow spiritually and begin fulfilling your purpose in Christ.
Attend an Encounter Weekend: This is a main component of our strategy to develop disciples and includes several classes plus a life transforming weekend that is integral to your spiritual development.
Volunteer your time and talent: Each member is a candidate for ministry. Try out ministry opportunities even if you’re not sure what you are “called” to. Some ministry positions have additional requirements such as classes, training, personal interviews with ministry heads or maturity level.
Begin to Tithe and Give: We worship the Lord in the attitude of our tithes and offerings, which also come out of an intimate love relationship with the Father. We give of our time, presence, finances and self. (Malachi 3:8-12: “Will a man rob God?…”
The difference between TITHE and OFFERING
1. A tithe is 10% of your gross earnings.
2. An offering is anything you give in addition to the tithe. The tithe is given out of requirement; the offering is given out of relationship.
- 1Cor. 16:1 – weekly, to the church
- 2Cor. 8:1-17 – sacrificially, themselves first, expresses love, willingness
- 2Cor. 9:6-15 – generously, cheerfully, the promise, to the church.