Why is membership important?
While your relationship with God is personal, He never intended for it to be private. When you are in God's family you are connected to every other believer, and we belong to each other for eternity. At Riverview, we believe formal church membership is important for several reasons. First, it’s biblical – Christ is committed to the church. Ephesians 5:25 says Christ loved the church and gave His life for her. Membership in a local church is an important step to demonstrating your commitment to Christ.
To follow Christ means not only to believe, but also to belong. We are all members of his Body - the church. The Bible says we are put together, joined together built together, members together, heirs together, fitted together, held together and will be caught up together. As a Christian, you are not on your own anymore. We believe, just as Paul did that being a "member" of the church means being a vital organ of a living body, an indispensable, interconnected part of the Body of Christ. The church is a body, not a building. It is an organism, not an organization.
Secondly, there is a personal reason why membership is important. For the organs of your body to fulfill their purpose, they must be connected to your body. The same is true for you as a part of Christ's body. You were created for a specific role, but you will miss this if you're not attached to a living, local church. You discover your role in life through your relationship with others.
The Bible teaches that each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. The body we're talking about is Christ's body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of His body. But as a chopped off finger or cut off toe we wouldn't amount to much, would we? Disconnected and cut off from the lifeblood of a local body, your spiritual life will wither and eventually cease to exist.
Finally, church membership is practical because it provides spiritual accountability, as well as identifies our community and family. The New Testament places a major emphasis on the need for Christians to be accountable to each other for spiritual growth. A person cannot be accountable when they are not committed to any specific church family. Membership also defines who can be entrusted with positions of service and leadership within the church.
Who can join Riverview?
Membership is open to anyone who has made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ. Believing that all members play a vitally important role in our church body, there are four ways in which you can become a member of Riverview Baptist Church:
How do I join Riverview Baptist Church
Candidates for Church Membership are required to complete our New Members Class which outlines our fundamental beliefs as Southern Baptists as well as basic ministries available at Riverview Baptist Church. The class consists of 5 sessions and is offered during the 9:30 am Sunday School hour several times throughout the year. After completion of the 5 sessions, our pastor will schedule an individual meeting with each candidate before presenting them to the church for membership approval. Once affirmed by the church body, candidates are granted full membership in the family of faith at Riverview.
Membership Classes are held on as needed basis for anyone interested in joining the family of Riverview. Classes are held on Sunday mornings @ 9:30. Click here to sign-up for the next class.
While your relationship with God is personal, He never intended for it to be private. When you are in God's family you are connected to every other believer, and we belong to each other for eternity. At Riverview, we believe formal church membership is important for several reasons. First, it’s biblical – Christ is committed to the church. Ephesians 5:25 says Christ loved the church and gave His life for her. Membership in a local church is an important step to demonstrating your commitment to Christ.
To follow Christ means not only to believe, but also to belong. We are all members of his Body - the church. The Bible says we are put together, joined together built together, members together, heirs together, fitted together, held together and will be caught up together. As a Christian, you are not on your own anymore. We believe, just as Paul did that being a "member" of the church means being a vital organ of a living body, an indispensable, interconnected part of the Body of Christ. The church is a body, not a building. It is an organism, not an organization.
Secondly, there is a personal reason why membership is important. For the organs of your body to fulfill their purpose, they must be connected to your body. The same is true for you as a part of Christ's body. You were created for a specific role, but you will miss this if you're not attached to a living, local church. You discover your role in life through your relationship with others.
The Bible teaches that each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. The body we're talking about is Christ's body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of His body. But as a chopped off finger or cut off toe we wouldn't amount to much, would we? Disconnected and cut off from the lifeblood of a local body, your spiritual life will wither and eventually cease to exist.
Finally, church membership is practical because it provides spiritual accountability, as well as identifies our community and family. The New Testament places a major emphasis on the need for Christians to be accountable to each other for spiritual growth. A person cannot be accountable when they are not committed to any specific church family. Membership also defines who can be entrusted with positions of service and leadership within the church.
Who can join Riverview?
Membership is open to anyone who has made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ. Believing that all members play a vitally important role in our church body, there are four ways in which you can become a member of Riverview Baptist Church:
- Profession of Faith and Baptism – If you are a new Christian, you may join by making a public profession of faith in Jesus Christ and as a candidate for baptism by immersion in obedience to our Lord.
- Believer's Baptism - Individuals who have received Christ as Savior, but have not been baptized may present themselves for baptism and membership. We ask you to participate in baptism by immersion.
- Transfer of Letter - Those who are members of other Baptist churches may unite with us upon a transfer of their membership. Our church will gladly tend to the details and correspond with your former church.
- Statement - Those who have accepted Christ and have experienced Believer's baptism by immersion from another church or person whose membership records are not available, may be received upon their statement of prior experience.
How do I join Riverview Baptist Church
Candidates for Church Membership are required to complete our New Members Class which outlines our fundamental beliefs as Southern Baptists as well as basic ministries available at Riverview Baptist Church. The class consists of 5 sessions and is offered during the 9:30 am Sunday School hour several times throughout the year. After completion of the 5 sessions, our pastor will schedule an individual meeting with each candidate before presenting them to the church for membership approval. Once affirmed by the church body, candidates are granted full membership in the family of faith at Riverview.
Membership Classes are held on as needed basis for anyone interested in joining the family of Riverview. Classes are held on Sunday mornings @ 9:30. Click here to sign-up for the next class.
