We’re stepping into our eleventh month as Compassion Church, and in just a couple of weeks we will hold our first annual church business meeting—Sunday, November 16th, right after church.  Everyone is welcome to join us.

It’s going to be a celebration: 

  • we’ll look back at the highlights of this past year (God has been so good!)

  • walk through where we are financially,

  • share the “3 P’s,” 

  • And (drumroll please …) welcome our very first group of official Compassion Church members.

But let’s be honest—church membership can be an interesting (and controversial) topic.

Many of us in this community have had complicated relationships with the church. Some of us used to be what church lingo calls dechurched—we left for a while and eventually found our way back. Others might resonate more with a term I recently came across and instantly understood: overchurched. And still others are unchurched—brand new to faith  or to the idea of church at all. And of course, some of us have been long-churched, those who’ve been in church as long as they can remember and wouldn’t trade it for anything.

That mix of backgrounds means we come to the conversation about membership with a wide range of experiences and assumptions. We’ve seen membership done well—used to empower people, build community, make healthy decisions, and guide healthy leadership. But we’ve also seen it misused—wielded like a weapon to control, exclude, force conformity, and manipulate.  

So, it can feel a bit like we’re walking into a field of landmines.

Let’s talk about what we actually mean—and the why—when it comes to church membership here at Compassion Church.

So What Do We Mean by Membership?

So what do we actually mean when we say someone is a member? And why are we making membership part of our church?

Let’s start with the practical.

  • To be an established church—with all the benefits and responsibilities that come with it—we are required under our bylaws to have a membership structure. We want to honor the laws of our land (unless they contradict God’s laws) and make full use of the benefits currently afforded to churches, such as tax-exempt status.

  • As we move forward, there will be times when we need to vote on important matters as a community. While I, along with our elected board, will make many decisions, we never want to operate as a dictatorship or without accountability. Having an official membership helps ensure our voting process is fair, representative, and used wisely.

In short, membership helps us function legally, logistically, and with integrity.

But there’s also the relational and spiritual side of this conversation.

Membership—as we practice it today in America—did not exist in the early church. But the heart behind it absolutely did. The first followers of Jesus had rhythms and practices—both structured and organic—that helped them make decisions, hold one another accountable, teach the faith, serve, and care for others. They belonged to one another in a deep, covenantal way.

Membership doesn’t make anyone “more spiritual” or “elite.” It’s not a badge of honor or a mark of maturity. But it can be a meaningful step of intentional connection—a way to say, “I’m in. I’m part of this body, and I want to keep growing with these people.”

In that sense, membership is a reminder of Paul’s words to the church in Rome:

“We belong to one another.” — Romans 12:5

We won’t always agree or get it right, but we commit to move toward Jesus together—to know Him, become like Him, and live like Him. And it’s in that spirit that you’re invited to join us, to help hold one another—and our leaders—accountable to our calling, and to dream boldly about what it could look like when we truly live it out: to love God with all that we are and to love others as Christ has loved us.

In Short

When you become an official member of Compassion Church, you’re saying that you want:

  • Not just to attend, but to belong.

  • Not just to believe, but to become.

  • With others, for others, with Christ at the center.

And of course—you can absolutely live that out without officially joining. You’ll be welcomed, treated just like everyone else, and invited to love, serve, and grow as the Spirit leads you.

But if you’re ready to say publicly—as we like to say around here—“Whatever God is doing, I’m all in with y’all,” then we’d love to welcome you as part of our first group of Compassion Church members.

What Do You Have to Do?

  1. Complete the form.
     You can download and print it at home or fill it out online—whichever works best for you.

  2. Review who we are.
     If you haven’t already, take a look at our Big Idea, Our Hope, and Who We Are (or are trying to be) here.

  3. No class required (yet!).
     You’re officially exempt from a “Membership Class”—that’s something we’ll add later as we continue to grow.

  4. Share your story.

The spiritual journey section is optional but highly encouraged. You don’t need to write a college essay or share every detail of your life. It’s simply a tool to help you express your faith story and to help me, as your pastor, get to know you better. There’s no right or wrong way to do it,  If you’ve already read and can affirm the commitments on the other side of the form, you won’t be excluded from membership if you choose not to fill out this section. It’s a tool for connection, not a test of qualification.

Whether you’re curious, ready to make it official, or planning to keep worshiping with us without signing on the dotted line, know this:

you’re loved, you’re welcome, and you matter here.

Pastor Jess