Dear Council,
I wonder if it's time to tighten up the Road Crew; mostly, I mean the mechanics of how we measure and maintain credibility around the idea of a membership covenant.
Like me, you experience tension and disappointment when new folks officially, publicly join our church, only to fade, disappear, or seriously draw back. As mature disciples, we give such people grace; we hope and pray they will return, or at least join another group of disciples. As leaders, we have a special role in challenging individuals, speaking the truth in love, to fulfill the covenant relationship entered into upon joining us. But sometimes, people just leave. As disappointing as that is personally, it adds to confusion when our membership list becomes inaccurate, and the level of accountability slips lower and lower for everyone.
Here's a proposal: we annually update our Road Crew list. Every year, probably in the early fall, we invite the whole church to renew the Membership Covenant, and this includes personal commitment to giving of ministry time and financial support of some sort. It doesn't need to look the same for everyone; we can acknowledge that people live in fluctuating circumstances and need to make adjustments. But it would guarantee that at least once a year, we would all be challenged to be honest about whether or not we are fulfilling the covenant we entered into, even if it was five or ten years ago.
In case you're wondering, below is an excerpt from the Milestones to Membership description on our EMMAUS ROAD CREW web page (a blog page linked to our main page).
"Road Crew" is the church's nickname for the membership body, a core group of folks who help Emmaus Road "stay on the road." The Road Crew nominates the leaders, helps make ministry decisions, and commits to carrying them out as a team. To our church, MEMBERSHIP MEANS MINISTRY.
Is Road Crew right for you?
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