Why Membership?
It’s a matter of authenticity - Membership identifies you as a genuine part of the "household of faith" (Ephesians 2:19, Romans 12:5). God notes that believers were "added to their number daily" for teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayer (Acts 2:42,47, 4:4, 5:15, 9:31, 11:21, 16:5).
It’s a matter of association - Membership provides you with a spiritual family to relate to for support and ongoing encouragement (Galatians 6:1-2). It fulfills the very definition of the word "church" in its original form - "ekklesia". It means "the called out ones" denoting those who are being called out of something (the world) in order to be called into something else (the body, family, church).
It’s a matter of assignment - Membership gives you a place to discover and use your God-given gift-assignment for ministry and service to the body of Christ (I Corinthians 12:1, 4-27, I Peter 4:11-12).
It’s a matter of accountability - Membership allows the leadership and body to collectively help one another keep their commitments to Christ, each other and to His standards of holy living (Matthew 18:15-20).
It’s a matter of authority - Membership displays an attitude of submission to Christ and His godly and loving leaders who are commissioned to provide spiritual oversight and protection for proper spiritual development (Hebrews 13:7, 17, I Timothy 5:17, Ephesians 5:21).
It’s a matter of assimilation - Membership connects like-minded believers into a fellowship where commitments to Christ and one another can be measured and monitored for progress (Ephesians 4:11-16). The early church kept track of who was a part of its fellowship (2 Corinthians 3:3 -"letters of commendation").
It’s a matter of alignment - Membership aligns every believer with the church, which is the focus of Christ’s ministry and work in this world (Matthew 16:13-18) and the place He appointed His leadership to be exercised in (Acts 20:28-30).
It’s a matter of aim - Membership agrees to aim its efforts to "strive together for the faith of the gospel" (Philippians 1:27), "present every man complete in Christ" (Colossians 1:28-29) and to "make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19-20).
It’s a matter of adoration - Membership exalts our Lord Jesus Christ who is building His church (Matthew 16:18) and loved the church so much He willingly "gave Himself up for her that He might sanctify her" and "present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing" (Ephesians 5:25).