A GUIDE FOR CHRISTIANS SEEKING A DEEPER LIFE IN CHRIST
How do Methodists see membership? What are the requirements of membership? Is being a born again, saved Christian enough? These are questions we often hear from those considering membership in the church. This pamphlet is intended to give you an overview of how we see you growing as a Christian in the life of the church.
As you read, remember that we cannot really do much without the work of God’s grace in us. Grace is the power of God working in the world through the Holy Spirit which gives us what we need to come closer to God. You can think of grace as a bridge from where ever you find yourself across a deep valley to where God is inviting you to be. Or, you can think of grace as a very strong big brother who does all the heavy lifting for you. You involvement is to say yes to God.
The Way of Salvation
Becoming a Christian is not like being a finished product at the end of an assembly line. Becoming a Christian is entering upon a journey with God and toward God. Methodists understand this as The Way of Salvation.
It begins with a person coming to awareness of God and the person’s own brokenness, un-wholeness, and penchant for doing bad things. God’s grace works in us even before we know God to help with this. When we realize that we need God and our life is not working the way we have lived before, we have a choice to confess this and ask Christ to take over. This is a moment when God’s grace takes a new form, and we find that we are free from eternal separation from God. It is a moment that sometimes we sense instantly and sometimes only gradually recognize. We call this being saved or justified.
But the Way of Salvation moves from this place to what we call regeneration. This is like the plant that has died back in the winter, being renewed and growing again in the spring. The difference is that what grows is far better than the old. The grace given by the Holy Spirit enables us to gradually become formed in the image of God as we were originally created to live. Regeneration means that we change; we are formed into new and more complete persons.
As we experience this new growth, we become closer to God and live more in the ways God intends for us. We call this becoming more holy, or sanctified, or becoming perfected in love. These terms mean simply that we become more and more completely in tune with God. This is possible only because of the Holy Spirit’s work and our responsive and active cooperation. All Christians are called by God and the church to grow in this manner. This is not an optional part of God’s plan for the world, the church or the Christian.
The Journey to Holiness
Methodism has always welcomed persons into the fold for care, nurture and encouragement. We have very low barriers toward others. The Lord’s Communion Table is open to those who truly seek to turn from sin and to live in peace with others in the church. We do not wish to place any obstacle before those who are called by Christ through grace. In other words, we let most anyone who wants to connect with God through the church into our fold.
But this comes with the expectation that each person will respond to God’s grace and take the journey on the Way of Salvation. This journey is both inward and outward. Inwardly, we are invited to give up doing life as we did before, relying on our own wits, strength and tricks. We are invited to lay down our strengths and accept the power, love and wisdom of Christ working in us instead of our old ways. As we do this, we find ourselves becoming transformed, and restored to the holy image of God that was planted in the first people.
Membership in the Church
A person can come into the Methodist fold if that person is old enough to seek the Way of Salvation, or as a baptized child. We open the doors for all who have the grace of God working in them to draw them along the Way. A baptized child is given special grace to grow into a disciple, but that does not mean the child is saved. This happens only as grace within the child enables the child to confess need for Christ and place trust in Christ. Confirmation is the name we give this moment. A person who affirms their rejection of evil, accepts the power of God working in them and places their trust in Christ is called a Professing Christian. Prior to this, we refer to such folks as probationary members of the church. Afterward, they are full members when they take vows of membership to participate in the church’s ministries by prayer, presence, gifts, service and witness. Full membership carries with it the commitment to press on toward holiness while participating in the life of the church. It means giving one’s self to Christ’s mission for the church interiorly and in active service. Holiness occurs through the work of the Holy Spirit in regeneration, as we more and more fully re-orient our lives to the will and purposes of Christ. Since Christ has a will and purpose for the world through the church, we find our inner quest for holiness filling us with a passion for the work that Christ has given the church.
The Mission of the Church and Christians
Our Book of Discipline states that “the mission of the Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ.” Para. 120. We do this through proclamation of the Gospel and welcoming persons into the Body of Christ, leading them to commit their lives to God through baptism and profession of faith in Christ Jesus, nurturing them in Christian living through the means of grace and sending them forth to serve as witnesses of Christ. Para 122.
All Christians are called to this ministry and mission. “The heart of Christian ministry is Christ’s ministry of outreaching love. Christian ministry is the expression of the mind and mission of Christ by a community of Christians that demonstrates a common life of gratitude and devotion, witness and service, celebration and discipleship. All Christians are called” to this ministry. Para. 125. Our goal is “that all persons will be brought into a saving relationship with God through Jesus Christ and renewed in the image of their creator.” Para. 126. This is both gift and task; the gift being “unmerited grace and the task is unstinting service.” Para. 127. Paraphrasing John Wesley, the Discipline states: “the people of God, who are the church made visible in the world, must convince the world of the reality of the gospel or leave it unconvinced. There can be no evasion or delegation of this responsibility.” Para. 128. This translates into the privilege and obligation of every Christian—privilege as the work of grace in and through us, and obligation as our engagement with the world for Christ. Para.133-35.
The Way of Discipleship
The Holy Spirit working in Methodism has taught us that the way of discipleship relates to all aspects of human life, not just beliefs, or styles of worship, or feelings. The way of discipleship is an “extreme makeover” in which our minds, hearts, relationships and actions are changed by grace. So, we stress the need to dedicate ourselves to Christ in each of these areas. To do our part in this, Methodists have submitted to a disciplined life, like that of serious athletes. From the early days of the Methodist movement, we have followed a discipline that is now called Our General Rules.
These General Rules first set out a relationship. Each Christian is to live in relationship with the whole church through a small accountability group, in which the Christian commits to truthfully report on the status of his or her soul by reporting on the actions taken to live a Christian life. These are to do the good which one can do, to avoid the evils by which one is most tempted, and to regularly and fully take advantage of the means of grace offered through Christ in the church, the sacramental life, Scripture study, prayer, sharing of resources and self, service, worship and praise of God. These are means by which the Spirit transforms the willing soul as it engages with the world around.
Therefore, each Christian is expected to be accountable to the church, through its leadership or small groups for the practical acts of doing good and avoiding evil, as well as attending to the means of grace which Christ has given the church. The church, in turn, wants to cultivate this growth, so maturing Christians are asked to become accountable for their inner life. Are they paying attention to the movement of God? Are they resisting God’s direction? Are they availing themselves of the means of grace to become more pliable in the hands of God? These sorts of questions become the basis for deeper levels of cooperation with God’s regeneration of us. As a person of Christ cooperates more and more deeply with God, the holiness of Christ shines through and the church looks to confirm this growth and movement by recognizing the callings of each person to particular forms of ministry within the life of the church for the world. In this, the Way of Salvation produces Christian leadership in holiness.
Practical Actions for Discipleship Growth
We are assured through Scripture, that grace works clearly in us in several known pathways: 1. Doing every sort of good that is within our means; 2. Resisting tempting evils, and 3. Practicing the Scriptural means of grace: prayer, public worship, communion, personal devotions, scripture study, giving alms, and serving the needy, as well as other prudent means of opening one’s self to grace as might arise. These, then, are the practical means of growing in faith that God has given to us to use. Our task is to do so conscientiously and consistently.
We have then the following regular and practical steps to take in the journey toward holiness and full discipleship:
- Undertaking to regularly engage in a ministry of assisting others in a Christly way, especially those in need.
- Practicing temperance in avoidance of known evils
- Praying and engaging in private devotions
- Personal Bible study
- Participation in education in Bible study and Christian living
- Thankful participation in public worship and communion
- Tithing and extra giving of resources
- Making discipleship the priority in daily life.
- Being regularly accountable for each of the above.
Your Discipleship Covenant
You are invited to covenant with God and the church to live out these practical actions of discipleship, summarized as “participating in the ministries of the church through prayer, presence, gifts service and witness” in our membership vows. Our Member Covenant addresses each item in concrete ways. See Deeper in Our Covenant to understand how we apply these principles.