Own Your Community
Introduction
“You are a member of God’s very own family ... and you belong in God’s household with every other Christian.”
The word "church" has two meanings in the Scriptures. On four occasions, the word is used to refer to the universal Church (we like to call this the "Church with a capital C"), meaning every believer who has ever lived, past, present, and future, across a number of different churches and denominations. This is the glorious Church for whom Jesus died. This Church is comprised of all those who will have a home in heaven, and one joins this Church when one becomes a Christian. It's automatic.
Every other time the word "church" is used in the Scriptures (and there are many), however, it refers to a local group of believers that meet together regularly for Christian worship. We call this the "church with a little c." The Mill is one of these. To become a member of The Mill, or any other church, one must elect or choose to belong.
In summary, people become members of God's family—the "Church with a capital C"—by committing themselves to Christ. But people become members of a local church family—the church with a little c —by committing themselves to other Christians.
Why Membership?
It's an antidote to our society.
We live in an age where very few people want to be committed to anything: a job, a marriage, a nation. Unfortunately, this attitude has carried over into our churches, producing a less-than-healthy church culture as well. Membership swims against the current of America's consumer religion. It's an unselfish decision.
Commitment builds character.
Membership says, “I’m committed to a group of people rather than, “I’m just going to float around.”
It defines who can be counted on.
Every team must have a roster. Every school must have an enrollment, every business has a payroll, and every army has an enlistment. The federal government censuses and requires registration. Membership identifies our family.
Membership often results in spiritual growth.
The Bible places a major emphasis on the need for Christians to be accountable to each other for spiritual growth. It’s hard to be accountable to others when one isn’t committed to a specific and local church family. There are about 30 commands in the Bible, in fact, that cannot be accomplished unless one is committed to a local church family.
What is required of members?
At The Mill, we don’t ask our members to do more than what the Bible clearly teaches. These responsibilities are spelled out in our Membership Covenant & Orthodoxy.
How to Join
The only prerequisite to becoming a member at The Mill is taking a class entitled "Basic Process | Step 1," which we offer about every quarter. We generally provide a couple meals on both ends of the nearly three hour class and discuss topics such as salvation, communion, baptism, our church purpose, and membership. We then send you home with lots to think on and pray about. Rather than pressuring people with a short sales pitch, we want to make sure that The Mill is a fit for your family.
Questions?
Contact our church office via phone at 715-391-1010 or email at info@themill.church.