Signs of Life part 3: the partnership

Contributed by:
Eric Dunaway
small groups pastor

A few weeks ago I started a series of posts in which I'm taking a closer look at the values of PCC. We call them the four vital signs of life because we believe these are the four things that characterize a genuine and growing Christ-follower. So far we've look at the first two: living a transformed life, and included in authentic community. Make sure you check those out if you haven't done so already.
Here's the third:

If you've been around churches for any length of time, you're familiar with the concept of church membership. Unfortunately, in our culture this concept is often misunderstood, misapplied, or just outright abused. It's almost comical to me when I hear someone refer to moving their church membership, like it's a certificate housed in a vault somewhere. Or when someone says they're a member of a church, but rarely attend... or are attending a different church. What's probably the most disappointing misuse of church membership, however, is when we reduce our church membership to  merely a voting privilege. Is this an accurate, or even healthy, view of what it means to belong to the local church? I don't believe so.

Look at what Romans 12:4-5 says:

For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. (TNIV)

This is what church membership should look like. Paul refers to us as members of the body... let that analogy play itself out for a moment. What defines a member of your body as such? I've never been to medical school, but I would argue that two fundamental things must be true before something is considered a part of our body: 1) it must be attached to our bodies. 2) it must in some way contribute to the overall growth and function of our bodies.

What makes a hand and hand? Or an arm an arm? Or a stomach a stomach? Would your hand continue to be a member of your body if it suddenly became detached? (sorry for the graphic question... hope you're not reading this while trying to eat. Speaking of eating...) Would your stomach still be a member of your body if it stopped digesting food? In either scenario, the growth, function, and even the life, of the body are in serious jeopardy. I think you get where Paul is going with this. Members are only really members when they are attached to the local church and contributing to its overall function and growth. The point is, at the root of this idea of church membership is a believer who is committed to, and actively engaged in, a local church where they belong - not just to the organization - but to one another.

We feel very strongly that this principle is biblical, and evidence of someone who is genuine and growing in their relationship with Christ. However, we just don't think membership is the best way to verbalize it. So we're trying to get away from the term membership, and focus more on the idea of partnership.

Think of it this way: Membership is passive, while partnership is active. Members of an organization enjoy benefits and privileges that are perceived as rights owed to them. For example, our family has memberships to our local zoo, the wholesale store, and a video rental chain. Our membership status entitles us to services they offer... all I have to do is show up to enjoy the benefits. Honestly, I invest little else into those organizations. In fact, I've all but stopped using the video store... I rarely go there anymore. But I'm still a member. And if I show up at that video store - even if it's only once or twice a year - I still expect the same benefits as someone who's there once a week. It's fair to say that my commitment to those organizations is only as strong as the value they provide through their services and products. It's consumer driven.

Partners, on the other hand, are invested. They are committed to the success of the organization with whom they've formed a relationship. The only benefits and privileges are those attained through committed dedication and are only experienced as the organization flourishes. And partners understand their role in seeing that organization realize its mission and goals. Do you think my commitment to the video store would increase if my relationship went beyond membership to partner? Of course it would! Take that a step further... would my partnership be in good standing if I never visited the store, or made use of it's products? Absolutely not.

We believe that a more accurate depiction of a Christ-follower's role within the local church is that of a ministry partner. They don't just belong to a local church, they're invested in it. That's why we've included this as the third vital sign.

So what makes someone a ministry partner at PCC? Well, we take a very serious look at that in Access Pathway, which is one of our first step programs. To summarize, we state that a ministry partner is someone who gives their T4:

Time.
We ask our ministry partners to give at least 3 hours every week: One hour attending a weekend worship gathering. One hour serving at PCC. One hour in a journey group (our journey group usually goes two hours, but you know what we mean).

Talent.
This kind of goes hand-in-hand with the "one hour (per week) serving at PCC" statement above. We believe everyone has a unique SHAPE (Spiritual Gifts, Heart [passion], Abilities, Personality, and Experience) that enables us to serve within the body in unique ways. A ministry partner is someone who is using their SHAPE. And this isn't just about filling a need as much as it is helping our people experience the fulfillment of using the gifts God has placed within them.

Treasure.
A ministry partner at PCC is someone who is also contributing financially at PCC. To demonstrate the principle of tithing, some pastors here at PCC (including myself) did a special presentation a few weeks ago. Watch this video:



I don't know how to say it any better than that! The reality is that our money is really not ours... it's God's. He just asks for 10% back. And when we give to the church, it enable the ministry that God is doing through that local body to continue.

Touch.

One of the things that makes the local body at PCC a place where people feel loved and accepted is the personal touch we extend to others around us. A ministry partner is someone who commits to expressing that kind of love to others in all that they do at PCC and in their community.

As we developed the visual for this vital sign, we designed an icon that showed Christ-followers who are linked together in the unity of their community of believers. It demonstrates the power of community as we partner together to serve within our body, and outside. More importantly, it conveys the idea that our partnership isn't merely with an institution, but with those around us, and with God. The fact that there are four circles is representative of the 4 T's.

If you consider PCC your church home, and aren't yet a ministry partner with us, would you consider attending the next Access Pathway? Contact Melanie Perlich at the church office for information on when the next class will be offered.

Thoughts, questions, or comments? Share them with us!