Membership Matters

We live in a disconnected and increasingly low-commitment culture. Unfortunately, that same thinking can creep into the church and work against God’s plans for His children.  The very word for church, ekklesia, means “called out ones” and reminds us that we think and behave differently than many around us who don’t follow Jesus.

There a number of biblical metaphors for the church – they describe us as Jesus’ bride, a body, a flock, a family, and a building. All of these suggest close connections and relationships where we live out the many “one another’s” of the New Testament such as the call to love one another, pray for one another, bear one another’s burdens, etc. While membership is never definitively described in the Bible, its reality is presumed. It’s pretty hard to have a body when you don’t know what body parts are attached. It's impossible for a shepherd to care for a flock without knowing which sheep he's responsible for. A building doesn’t exist when the bricks are unattached to one another.

While anyone is welcome to participate in worship and many of the ministries of Three Rivers Church, we place a high value on membership.

• We recognize that Three Rivers is just one expression of the church in St. Marys and we love brothers and  sisters in Christ who are committed to other churches, but we have a unique commitment to one another.  
• We recognize that we have a specific vision and plan for seeing it fulfilled that calls on all of us to work together.
• We recognize that people,  by nature,  are defined by what they commit themselves to and unapologetically call upon people to commit to this fellowship of believers.
• We recognize that members share the responsibility for the character and fruitfulness of the church.  
•  Membership is defined far more by what we do than what we declare.  
• We recognize that many who participate in the ministries of our church may not fully agree with our doctrine,  values, or ministry strategy and priorities.  

Anyone who calls upon the name of Jesus, shares our doctrinal beliefs and is willing to commit to participate in and follow the leadership of Three Rivers Church is welcome to join us in membership.

The process for membership begins with our New Members Class and culminates in a membership covenant agreement. Our New Members Class is a three hour class held on consecutive Sundays during the Sunday School hour taught by one of our pastors where he provides an overview of our beliefs, history, values, and unique ministry goals and strategy.

New Member classes are held throughout the year.  To sign up, give us a call at (912) 439-3282 or email our secretary at office@3rivers.life.