The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1961-10-27
Do | Belong?

and personal profession Of faith.
It makes no difference what kind
of church. what name it has, or
organization or special variety Of
Christian doctrine. People may
ask you the question, Are you
a Christian? and get a little
double talk-well, maybe I am.
maybe not. But if they ask you.
Are you a member of a church?
that calls for a black-and-white
answer. It isn't a question at
this moment, How good men,
Der are you? but, Are you q
member at all? If your name is
on any congregations list even
if there's a note after it that
reads Gone, left no address, .
even if there's after your
name that means inactive we
haven't seen him around in a
blue moon-even so, you're some
kind Of member and maybe the
one that most needs some friend
ly advice.
Ink-Mcmbers
Anybody is counted a full
or regular" member in most
Christian churches, who has de-
iberately and publicly confessed
his faith in the Savior and prom
Used allegiances Etc Him and His
church. But these members are
not always full, not always regu-
lar. We can see three levels Of
members" in the church; any
church at all has these three
levels. The point to be made is
first that sometimes, at the low
est level, belonging" does not
mean much, but that lin the Sec
on place. we are expected to
grow as church members all the
while as we grow in our personal
lives as Christians. The lowest
level of belonging is merely to
have your name on some church
roll, or card index in their
file somewhere. It's hard to see
why anybody should call this
belonging at all. If such a
member" disappeared from the
church entirely. swallowed up in
a crack in the earth like Dathan
and Abiram plumbers $3.50, no
one in the church would miss
them.
Present or Accounted For
On the level next above these
do-nothing. be-nothing "mem-
bers," are the bench-warmers
They keep a small section Of the
same pew warm for an hour
every Sunday well, every
Sunday when it doesn't rain or
when Cousin Becky doesn't bring
her children over to spend the
day. These members now are the
kind that would be missed il
they weren't there. Maybe they
even sing. But that's as far as
they will go. They are strong be-
levers in sitting for the Lord,
| but working for the Lord is
something they never got up the
nerve to try. If they leave for an
other town, they are dismisses
as lin good and regular stand.
ing" it might better read, "in
good and regular sitting"
Usefully Active Members
The top level of church mem
berShip is made of usefully &C
tive members. We put in "use.
fully" because an active mem
Der may be busy as a housefly
buzzing hither and yon but do
ing nothing that needs to be done
and getting in the way Of real
workers. Ausefully active work.
er is one of those who really are
1.-The church" when we say good
words about it. DO we call a
church friendly? These are the
members who make it so. Does
a church stand up for the under.
dog in the community? These
are the members who stand up
Is a churchs influence fell
around the world? These are
the members whose prayers
gifts ~ yes and children - have
been devoted to the service Of
God and man in what we call
mission work" Is the church
evangelistic? It is not alone the
pastor who wins new Christians
The other day a member of a
church was talking about a mar
who was husband of one active
member Of that church and
father Of several children in the
Bible school. He'd be a good
man for the new preacher to &c
after" he said. But why wouldn I
he be a good man for the mem
bers Of that congregation to &c
after? They know him a lot
better than any new preacher
would.
The reader can think of other
levels of church membership
But one point needs to be re.
membered: It is possible tc
change your level. In being a
church member, as in being a
Christian, if you are alive, you
can grow!
BASED on outlines copyrighted