The Importance of Membership

Becoming a member is not necessarily the first step toward getting involved at New Mercy.  In fact, we recommend new congregants to get to know some of the pastors, to participate in the different programs and activities, and to check out small groups (a.k.a. family groups) prior to becoming a member so that they can get a feel for what New Mercy is about.

However, once you get a sense of what New Mercy is like and you do wish to get plugged in, the first important step is to become a member.  Membership involves taking one 1.5 hour class on a scheduled Sunday.  In this class, you are taught the vision and theology of New Mercy as well as the privileges and responsibilities of membership.  After taking this class and committing to membership, you are officially a member of New Mercy Community Church.

Register

The next membership class is June 2 at 12:15pm or 3pm. To register, please fill out the form below.

Membership Class Registration

The following is New Mercy's introduction to the membership class:

As Christians, we are members of God’s household (Ephesians 2:19) called to function, participate and minister in a particular place within the body of Christ.  A healthy body requires that each part does its role well.  A healthy church requires the same: members that are sacrificially committed and well–equipped to do the works of service that God has prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10; 4:12).  NMCC holds its members in high regard.  Members function as the primary missionaries of the gospel to the culture.  God, in His sovereignty, placed us in this geographic locale, among these people, in this century, for a reason (Acts 17:26–27).

The global church has a blemished track record of allowing members to become observers while the pastor and staff do all the work in the church and the community around it.  This is based on an egregious misunderstanding of God’s universal call to Christians – all Christians are ministers.  Pastors merely serve one function in a body of members ministering to one another and to others with their gifts.

“Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.  Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.  As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace…” –1 Peter 4:8–10

NMCC is committed to creating a model that reflects God’s heart for his children, an organic composition of hearts and hands living out the gospel with more than lip service.  Being a member is about more than having exclusive access to a website; it is not a status symbol or social club.  A member who acknowledges they are a part of the body of Christ and enters into a covenant with their local church is called to a higher degree of responsibility; conversely, the pastors, elders and deacons are covenanted to assist their members first and foremost, to provide counsel, service, and aid, as well as to pray, teach, and guide as necessary.