Official Membership

The Membership Commitment

1. I will protect and maintain the unity of my church
   • ...by acting in Christ-like love toward others
     "Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love. Always keep yourselves united in the Holy Spirit, and bind yourselves together with peace" (Ephesians 4:1-3; cf. 1 Peter 1:22, NLT).
   • ...by being slow to take offense and quick to pursue reconciliation
     "My dear brothers and sisters, be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Your anger can never make things right in God's sight" (James 1:19,20; cf. 1 Peter 4:8, NLT)
   • ...by lovingly confronting and correcting for the purpose of restoration
     "If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the fault. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses. If that person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. If the church decides you are right, but the other person won't accept it, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector" (Matthew 18:15-17; cf. Galatians 6:1,2, NLT).
   • ...by refusing to gossip or slander
     "Don't use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them...Get rid of bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of malicious behavior" (Ephesians 4:29,31; cf. Galatians 5:26, NLT)
   • ...by being submissive to the authority of church leadership
     "Obey your spiritual leaders and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they know they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this joyfully and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit" (Hebrews 13:17; cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:12,13, NLT)
2. I will support the mission and outreach of my church
   • ...by personally sharing the gospel of Christ with family, friends, acquaintances and neighbors
     "Jesus came and told his disciples, 'I have been given complete authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:18-20; cf. 2 Corinthians 5:20, NLT)
   • ...by inviting people to attend its ministries
     "Philip went off to look for Nathanael and told him, 'We have found the very person Moses and the prophets wrote about! His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth.' 'Nazareth!' exclaimed Nathanael. 'Can anything good come from there?' 'Just come and see for yourself,' Philip said" (John 1:45,46; cf. Luke 14:23, NLT)
   • ...by warmly welcoming all who come
     "My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim that you have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people more than others? For instance, suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in shabby clothes. If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, 'You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor'-well, doesn't this discrimination show that you are guided by wrong motives?" (James 2:1-4; cf. Romans 15:7, NLT)
   • ...by teaching the next generation about the Lord
     "But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you. You have been taught the Holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 3:14,15; cf. Ephesians 6:4, NLT)
   • ...by faithfully giving my tithes and offerings for advancing its ministries
     "On every Lord's Day, each of you should put aside some amount of money in relation to what you have earned and save it for this offering..." (1 Corinthians 16:2; cf. Malachi 3:8-10, NLT)
3. I will serve the ministries of my church
   • ...by discovering and using my spiritual gifts and God-given abilities
     "God has given gifts to each of you from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Manage them well so that God's generosity can flow through you" (1 Peter 4:10; cf. 1 Corinthians 12:4-7, NLT)
   • ...by developing a servant spirit
     "Don't be selfish; don't live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself. Don't think only about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and what they are doing. Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had...he took the humble position of a slave..." (Philippians 2:3-5,7; cf. Matthew 20:24-28, NLT)
   • ...by allowing myself to be equipped for service
     "He is the one who gave these gifts to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God's people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ" (Ephesians 4:11,12; cf. 2 Timothy 2:2, NLT)
   • ...by maintaining a joyful attitude toward Christian service
     "In everything you do, stay away from complaining and arguing, so that no one can speak a word of blame against you. You are to live clean, innocent lives as children of God in a dark world full of crooked and perverse people. Let your lives shine brightly before them" (Philippians 2:14,15; cf. Nehemiah 8:10, NLT)
   • ...by remaining devoted in my service
     "So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and steady, always enthusiastic about the Lord's work, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless" (1 Corinthians 15:58; cf. Galatians 6:10, NLT)
4. I will uphold the testimony of my church
   • ...by living a Spirit-filled holy life
     "But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control" (Galatians 5:22,23; cf. 1 Peter 1:14-16, NLT)
   • ...by resisting ungodly practices and worldly passions
     "We should be decent and true in everything we do, so that everyone can approve of our behavior. Don't participate in wild parties and getting drunk, or in adultery and immoral living, or in fighting and jealousy. But let the Lord Jesus Christ take control of you, and don't think of ways to indulge your evil desires" (Romans 13:13,14; cf. Colossians 3:5-10, NLT)
   • ...by giving up personal liberty to avoid being a stumbling-block to others
     "Don't tear apart the work of God over what you eat. Remember, there is nothing wrong with these things in themselves. But it is wrong to eat anything if it makes another person stumble. Don't eat meat or drink wine or do anything else if it might cause another Christian to stumble. You may have the faith to believe that there is nothing wrong with what you are doing, but keep it between yourself and God" (Romans 14:20-22; cf. 1 Corinthians 10:23,24, NLT)
   • ...by living a godly life before the unsaved
     "In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father" (Matthew 5:16; cf. 1 Peter 4:14-16, NLT)
   • ...by being honest and above reproach in my dealings with others
     "But whatever happens to me, you must live in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ, as citizens of heaven" (Philippians 1:27; cf. James 5:12, NLT)
5. I will grow and mature in my personal relationship with God
   • ...by striving to live by His Will for my life
     "And you won't spend the rest of your life chasing after evil desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God" (1 Peter 4:2; cf. John 17:3,4, NLT)
   • ...by developing and maintaining consistency in prayer
     "Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere" (Ephesians 6:18; cf. James 5:13-16, NLT)
   • ...by devolping and maintaining consistency in Bible study
     "And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul's message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to check up on Paul and Silas, to see if they were really teaching the truth" (Acts 17:11; cf. 2 Timothy 2:15, NLT)
   • ...by faithfully attending my church for worship, prayer, communion and fellowship
     "And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of his coming back again is drawing near" (Hebrews 10:25; cf. Acts 2:42-47, NLT)
   • ...by holding firmly ot the authority and teaching of God's Word
     "I am warning you ahead of time, dear friends, so that you can watch out and not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people. I don't want you to lose your own secure footing. But grow in the special favor and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be all glory and honor, both now and forevermore. Amen" (2 Peter 3:17,18; cf. 2 John 3, NLT)

** Additional information relating to the organizational structure and operation of SLCC may be found in the complete, official church documents upon request.