WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A MEMBER
Although each Disciples congregation may differ in its understanding and expectations of it membership, in general we are guided by these three commitments:
1. We come as we are. There is no pretense when we affirm faith in Christ. We leave behind whatever masks and dispositions that have hindered relationship with God and with one another. Without anything to prove we are known and loved. Differences are mutually worked out. Without being cliquish we seek to create a community of care.
2. We encourage fellowship. Faith is not developed in isolation. Together, with the help of God's Spirit, we work toward creating a Christian community of openness, friendship, and love. Although we don't always succeed, we nonetheless keep working at it. Opportunities abound for us to know and be known, to listen and to share, to feel safe and at home, to have fun and to serve.
3. We journey in faith. All of us journey on the pathway of faith and discipleship. It is a life long pilgrimage where we learn as we go, mostly moving forward, but sometimes slipping back. But with one another's support, we keep moving. The purpose is for us to ground our life in Christ; to put God's reign first and to do God's will; to be witnesses of Christ's life; and to participate in the Spirit's transformation of the world.
We accomplish these commitments by adhering to these five disciplines:
1. We join one another in worship and prayer. The regular, corporate worship of God forms the center of our congregation's life. Here we are nourished for the life of faith and discipleship. Through praise, confession, and forgiveness, through affirming our faith together, through hearing scripture read and preached, through participating in the Lord's Supper, through our rededication to Christ as Disciples, we are refreshed and renewed to continue the journey. Corporate worship is undergirded by our private, personal devotional life where, as families, couples, or alone we take time to read, reflect, meditate, and pray.
2. We study to know God's Word. Through regular participation in church school, Bible study, and other Christian educational opportunities we grow in knowledge and understanding of God. We learn to build bridges between the Bible and life--from the riches of our heritage to contemporary concerns and tough issues. We read the Bible reasonably and responsibly as we discover God's Word for today.
3. We give to God and others. We believe that we are the caretakers of the beautiful gifts God has given us. We give thanks for these gifts and we honor them by using them with care. We choose to invest our time, talent, and treasure in ways that will make a creative difference. We serve both the community and the church. We pledge out of our financial resources a carefully considered proportion, "off the top," to be utilized for the congregation's ministry and mission. The standard to which we aspire is one tenth.
4. We invite people to know Christ. What we have found in Christ is too good to be kept quiet! Besides, as Disciples, we have been commissioned by Christ to "go, and make disciples..." We have a mandate to witness the good news of God's love in Christ and to invite others to experience it. We do not believe in manipulation or high pressure. In part, we witness by our actions, thus demonstrating how faithful people live. In part, we do this with words, informing others of our faith journey, sharing what our congregation means, and inviting people to visit us.
5. We go out to serve. Our congregation is not an end in itself. All our fellowship, worship, study, and stewardship prepares us for our life and work as Disciples in the community and beyond. Some of our ministry opportunities is through simple acts of friendship and care-listening, encouraging the sick, comforting the grieving. Others are more complex, like volunteering ourselves in community service. Our motivation is not self-centered. Instead, we are drawn by God's vision of a coming world where goodness, freedom, peace, and justice abound.
