Membership Update - May 2010

Posted by Randy | Labels: , , , , , , , , , | Posted On Tuesday, May 4, 2010 at 9:16 PM

Welcome to your journey and our first Membership Update. We believe membership at Gateway is a partnership you choose to make with us to help you on your spiritual journey. Being a member means, in part, that you want your church to encourage you and help you be accountable to the faith entrusted to us by Jesus Christ.
Earlier this year several of us on the staff here at Gateway realized we needed to offer more that was unique to our members to help them on their journey. A significant part of this needs to be a growing role of accountability. When I say that, I don't mean becoming legalistic, but regularly reminding all of us in settings beyond Sunday morning about the importance of the commitment we've made to Jesus Christ. Starting with this Update I’ll be posting monthly updates (early each month - and perhaps additional ones from time to time as circumstances warrant) on my blog to help and encourage you on this journey.
This month we're sending out an email to all our 2010 members, as well as those who were members in 2009 but haven't reaffirmed membership in 2010. We've already heard that some folks just haven't gotten around to formally reaffirming their membership, so this will serve as a reminder.  However, starting in June, this monthly email reminder will only go out to those who have let us know their desire to reaffirm membership in 2010. These blog entries remain accessible to everyone, but only our currently affirmed members will receive an email reminder linking to them.
This month I want to begin with a simple reminder. At Gateway we believe God has given us the mission of “leading everyday people to become fully devoted followers of Christ.” To help us know what a “fully devoted follower” looks like, and also, therefore, how to get there, we use the GUIDE.
The GUIDE (which we spell out in our Membership Covenant) is an acronym for the biblical disciplines and practices below that God has given us to help guide us in our spiritual growth. All of these areas generally serve more than one purpose in God’s Kingdom, but they all serve as means of grace to help us experience and grow in God’s grace. Also, it’s important to understand that all spiritual growth is ultimately a work of the Holy Spirit – we’re just preparing ourselves for when the Spirit does move so we can respond to Him and grow.

I’m going to quickly review the Guide below, and then in coming months I’ll spend more time in each of these areas.
G            Growing in my relationship with Christ – I will pursue a growing relationship with Christ through scripture, prayer and the spiritual disciplines. Spiritual growth is not an accident – it’s disciplining ourselves through spiritual disciplines and practices that help us to be prepared when the Holy Spirit works in and through us. As we prepare ourselves, God uses things we read, circumstances, speakers, programs, relationships, and even (actually, quite often) struggles to grow our relationship with Him.
U            Using spiritual gifts to serve – I will seek opportunities to serve my church family utilizing my gifts, talents, and time. Jesus explicitly said he came to serve and not be served. Serving is not only a way we live out the love of Christ, but it’s also a way His love grows in us and transforms us. As James says, “Faith without works is dead.” Serving is not an option for those committed to Jesus Christ - it is the crux of how we live out the Bible's command to "love our neighbors."
I              Involved in biblical community – I understand that membership means that I am part of the Gateway church family. As such, I will participate in biblical community through worship services, life groups, and ministry teams. To be a follower of Christ is to be a part of his body, and every part of the body is necessary and important. Community helps us grow and live out our place, as well as love one another.
D            Dedicated to reaching others – I will seek opportunities to develop relationships with everyday people, recognizing my role as an ambassador to the life-changing message of Jesus Christ. Every ONE matters to God, and He calls us to love them all and work for their good. Coming alongside those who don’t have a church home (and especially those who haven't put their faith in Jesus Christ), loving them, mentoring them, encouraging them, and inviting them to opportunities to experience Christ are part of every Christ follower’s spiritual growth journey and mission. This isn't a program but a lifestyle for Christ followers.
E             Exercising stewardship – I recognize that everything belongs to God, and with God’s help, I commit to follow biblical teaching on giving back to God in regards to my time and attention, as well as my biblical tithe. Stewardship is always a spiritual issue about how much we trust and follow Jesus Christ as well as the opportunity to express gratitude to God for all He has done for us through Jesus Christ. If we believe him and trust him, we’ll also do what he says and seek to be good stewards or managers with all he has entrusted to us, for the sake of the Kingdom of God.
To help you assess your growth in each of these areas, we provide an online assessment that you can download and use as you think through and plan your spiritual growth in the coming months and years. I'll also be sharing additional thoughts here in my blog for our journey with Christ.
Sometimes the hardest part in our spiritual journey is simply taking the next step. Use the GUIDE and the assessment and conversations with other Christ followers to figure out and take that next step. As my mother always said, “By the yard it’s hard; by the inch it’s a cinch!”