Members

Church membership could be considered a relic of a bygone age. Many churches today have abandoned the idea and opted for a more informal association where those who attend a fellowship for any length of time are considered part of the church. This article seeks to demonstrate the case for membership from the Scripture. It is true that the way we do membership—membership class, elder interview, etc—is not explicit in Scripture but these are ways in which we seek to…

For a biblical presentation of church membership, click here. The True Church When a person believes the gospel—entrusting to Christ their life and death—they become part of the church. The church is the gospel made visible. The church consists of “the called-out ones” (this is the meaning of the Greek word ecclesia which is translated “church”). The members of a church are also called saints, meaning holy or set apart to the Lord. The church is Christ’s body, all its…

To be a member at Fairview Baptist Church you must be baptized as a believer. The New Testament pattern is faith and repentance towards Christ followed by being baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Spirit. For those desiring baptism, this is the procedure we follow at Fairview: Some Practical Considerations to Keep in Mind

At Fairview we practice the Lord’s Supper weekly. (You can read here for an explanation of this practice.) One question that we receive is, who can participate in the Lord’s Supper? Closed, Close, or Open Different churches have different stances on who can participate in the Lord’s Supper. Some practice “closed” communion which permits only those who are members in good standing of that church to participate. Some practice “close” communion which is similar to closed but also allows others…

Defending Sunday Worship? Imagine having to defend the practice of gathering together for worship (in song, Scripture reading, and preaching). How would you explain these practices to someone else? What if you also had to give good reasons for gathering together on Sunday to do these things? Would you look at church history? Your own church’s tradition? Would you use only the Bible? You would think that this should be a trivial task since the church has been meeting on…

The Marks of a Healthy Church These marks are based on Mark Dever’s book Nine Marks of a Healthy Church and the website 9marks.org 1. Expositional Preaching An expositional sermon takes the main point of a passage of Scripture, makes it the main point of the sermon, and applies it to life today. [churchpack_box color=”blue”]Expositional preaching is important because God’s Word is what convicts, converts, builds up, and sanctifies God’s people (Heb 4:12; 1 Pet 1:23; 1 Thess 2:13; John…

A testimony is an account of God’s work in your life. Everybody who has been born again and who is becoming like Christ has a unique, interesting, and powerful testimony, regardless of whether or not it appears spectacular. If you’re preparing to share your testimony you want to convey how you came to trust Christ and follow him. Your testimony should answer three questions: (1) What is the gospel? (2) How did you come to believe it? (3) How has…