I Am a Church Member

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Thom Rainer’s I Am a Church Member is a great read for anyone who desires a biblical look at what church membership should look like practically.

Favorite Quotes

  1. I am suggesting that congregations across America are weak because many of us church members have lost the biblical understanding of what it means to be a part of the Body of Christ (5).
  2. The concept of an inactive church members is an oxymoron (16).
  3. And few things can destroy the unity of a church like gossip (25).
  4. We will never find joy in church membership when we are constantly seeking things our way (36).
  5. It means that the devil sees the pastor as a threat, and one of his highest priorities is to take him down and take him out (49).
  6. It’s a lame and invalid excuse to say you will limit your involvement to the universal church.  The Bible is clear that we are to be connected to a specific church in a specific context (72).
  7. When we have an attitude of entitlement, we have a lousy attitude (74).

Book Overview

Best-selling author and ministry leader Thom S. Rainer drew an exceptional response when he posted a 500-word declaration about church membership to his daily blog. “I Am a Church Member” started a conversation about the attitudes and responsibilities of church members — rather than the functional and theological issues — that previous new member primers all but ignored.
Thoughtfully expanded to book form, I Am a Church Member begins to remedy the outbreak of inactive or barely committed church members, addressing without apology what is expected of those who join a body of believers. When a person’s attitude is consistently biblical and healthy, matters of giving, serving, and so forth will fall into place more naturally.

Six intentional chapters with study questions guide this rising discussion:

1. I Will Be a Unifying Church Member
2. I Will Not Let the Church Be About My Preferences and Desires
3. I Will Pray for My Church Leaders
4. I Will Lead My Family to Be Healthy Church Members
5. I Will Be a Functioning Member
6. I Will Treasure Church Membership as a Gift