Membership at LCC

Meaning of Membership

You may have heard people talk about joining or becoming a member of a church and even may have considered what it means to be a member of Longview Christian Church. The elders are not pushy about membership since it is an important decision built on relationships and trust in the LCC elders who lead this local church.

A member of LCC has surrendered their life to the one and only REAL GOD demonstrated through water baptism, committed to living as a disciple of Jesus Christ. This person recognizes that because of God’s love, MESSY PEOPLE are rescued from the consequences of rebellion against our Father. This love relationship with God through Jesus is a lifelong journey in which we can experience CHANGED LIVES by the work of God’s Spirit in us. Convinced of these these truths, the disciple makes a commitment to be a part of the LCC family, discovering together what it means to live under Jesus’ direction.

So, what does it look like to be a disciple among other believers at LCC? The elders of LCC desire to see every person in the congregation lead lives filled with hope, joy, and an eternal purpose beyond themselves. The foundation of this kind of life is one’s obedience to God’s command to love Him first and to also love our neighbors. We also believe that growth in our love for God and for our neighbor comes as we are active members in His church. Recognizing spiritual growth to be a process, the elders of LCC desire its members to commit to ongoing participation and growth in these areas:

Growth Areas

WORSHIP Every Christian needs regular times of worship with other believers and in personal settings alone with the Lord. Worship is both an indicator and a stimulator of spiritual growth and weekly participation with the church should be the goal of the believer.

SMALL GROUPS Every believer needs other Christians for encouragement, support and accountability. This kind of fellowship is best found in the community of a small group of believers who trust and know each other well. Such a group should be more than merely a social gather, but include fellowship, prayer, service, and Bible study.

SERVICE Every Christian is gifted by the coming of the Holy Spirit with spiritual gifts to be used for the common good of God's people. Thus, discovery of one's spiritual gifts and of a way to use those gifts is another vital element of Christian life.

SHARING Every Christian shares the responsibility of God's mission for his church. He commissioned His church to make disciples committed to follow Jesus as Lord. We are individually responsible to use our abilities and resources to share Christ with the lost. We must learn to be a vessel through which God can pour His love into the lives of non-Christians.

STEWARDSHIP Each Christian is a manager of resources that belong to God which have been entrusted to us and to be used for His purposes. These purposes include taking care of our family’s needs, sharing with those in need around us, and supporting God’s church locally and cross-culturally.

HOME LIFE Each Christian has responsibilities toward those in his or her immediate family. All the aspects of life as the church family have corresponding application for the immediate family. Families should find ways to worship together, to encourage and nurture one another, to serve together, to seek to influence those outside of Christ to follow Him, and to manage resources so as to contribute to the ongoing and growth of God's kingdom.