The Church is not a club you join—it's a body you belong to. Not a place to attend, but a people to whom you're connected. Discover what the Bible says about meaningful membership and how it embodies God's love.
The Church as a Living Body
United in Purpose
Though many members, we form one body in Christ, working together toward spiritual maturity.
Growing Together
Growth happens when every part shows up, serves, supports, and submits to one another.
Embodying Love
As biblical elders proclaim God's love and transformed families reflect it, meaningful membership embodies it.
Biblical Foundation: 1 Corinthians 12
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
Paul uses the metaphor of a physical body to illustrate how the Church functions—diverse parts with unique purposes, yet unified in Christ. Each member is essential, arranged by God Himself.
Local vs. Universal Church
Universal Body
All believers throughout history united under Christ as head (Colossians 1:18)
Local Expression
Practical implementation of body life happens in specific congregations
Practical Reality
You serve, follow elders, and grow in a specific local body, not an abstract universal one
Baptism: The Entry Point
The Bible presents a clear pattern for how people come to faith and join the church:
Conversion by the Spirit
The journey begins with the transforming work of the Holy Spirit in a person's heart.
Belief in the Gospel
Accepting the good news of Jesus Christ's death and resurrection for our salvation.
Repentance from Sin
"Repent and be baptized." (Acts 2:38)
Public Profession
While salvation is possible without baptism (like the thief on the cross), baptism is a biblical prerequisite for local church membership.
Membership: Embodiment, Not Entitlement
Not a Country Club or Wholesale Club
Unlike social and wholesale clubs, memberships that bring entitlement with no responsibility, church membership is about cooperation, like members of a body.
Body Membership
Members of your physical body don't just "come along for the ride"—they have specific functions and purposes.
God's Purpose in Placement
1
Divinely Arranged
"God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose." (1 Corinthians 12:18)
2
Purposeful Positioning
Your placement in a local body is intentional—God has specific ways He wants to use you there.
3
Mutual Knowledge
Early churches knew who belonged to them, worked together actively, and were shepherded by elders who knew them.
Protection Through Partnership
The "Partner With Wildwood" process creates informed decisions on both sides.
Protection of the Flock
The membership process helps protect the church community, just as a shepherd guards the sheep.
Mutual Understanding
Potential members understand the church and the church knows them—creating informed decisions on both sides.
The Partnership Journey
The "Partner With Wildwood" process is a meaningful journey toward full integration into the church body.
Growing Together in Maturity
1
Mutual Care
"If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together." (1 Corinthians 12:26)
2
Unity in Faith
"Until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God." (Ephesians 4:13)
3
Spiritual Protection
"So that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine." (Ephesians 4:14)
4
Growth in Christ
"Speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ." (Ephesians 4:15)
The Invitation to Belong
When you commit to membership in a local church, you're not just joining an organization—you're entering into a partnership. You're saying, "This is where God has placed me, and I'm ready to serve, grow, and love alongside these people."
We invite you to partner with us, to step into the fullness of what God has for you, and to experience the joy of belonging to His body. Together, let's embody His love, build His Church, and make His name known.
Partner With Wildwood