Book of the Week: Membership Matters

This week’s book of the week is none other than Chuck Lawless’ Membership Matters.  I read this book because he required it for my next class time with him.  Dr. Lawless is the dean of my school, friend, mentor, and also an incredible writer.

But I also read it because Jeff and I have been doing a lot of talking as of late concerning whether or not we are doing the best job at connecting new members to the life of the church.  This book had a lot of great material to think over and how we could incorporate what other churches are successfully utilizing at their churches (and I’m not just brown nosing).

Top 5 Thoughts:

  1. “In this church, leaders emphasize a required membership class where prospective members learn that ‘uninvolved member’ is a contradiction in terms” (31).
  2. Concerning a church’s membership class’s emphasis, one leader stated, “I do want to get to know them (prospective members), but I also want them to get to know us and our vision” (54).
  3. “Most churches expect little from their members, and they usually get what they expect” (80).
  4. “One study has shown that on average, attenders come to church for eighteen months before they join” (95).
  5. To ensure that churches don’t merely make attenders into members without discipling them after the former process, Lawless stated, “As you make membership matter in your church, develop a clear disciple-making strategy” (145).