Membership
Why Membership?
At Hopewell, we recognize the need for membership, or what we call partnership.
We refer to it as partnership in light of Paul’s statement in Philippians 1:5.
Therefore, membership is important for four reasons:
1) It’s Biblical The Bible makes it clear that Jesus Christ is committed to the
church. In Ephesians 5:25, the Apostle Paul said that “…Christ loved the church, and
gave His life for her.” Membership in a local church is, therefore, an important step
in demonstrating commitment to Christ.
2) It’s Cultural We live in a time when more and more people shy away from commitment. Membership cuts across the grain of our consumer oriented culture by emphasizing giving and serving. That means membership is not all about what kind,
and how many benefits we will receive, but it’s about counting somewhere. At
Hopewell, we are less concerned about counting members, and more concerned about
having members who count.
3) It’s Practical Every team must have a roster. Every army has an enlistment. Therefore, church membership identifies the community who can be counted upon to
act for the cause of Christ.
4) It’s Personal The New Testament places a major emphasis on the need for
Christians to be accountable to each other for spiritual growth. Therefore, you cannot
be fully accountable if you are not committed to any specific local church community.
As you visit at Hopewell, our hope and desire is that you will consider the benefits
and privileges of membership, and join us in this all important journey as we seek to
impact the world for the cause of Christ.
Pursuing Partnership is a workshop designed for those who are interested in
officially "partnering" with us through membership. You can pick up a Pre-Membership
packet either at the Information Center or download the Letter and Pre-membership Information. Please contact the church office if you are interested in attending our
next Pursuing Partnership workshop on Wednesday, November 11, 2009 from 7:00 - 9:00 pm. Call the church office at 610.286.6308 ext. 111 or email Anita at anitaw@hwcf.org. Also available via download is Common Questions about Baptism.