{"id":713731,"date":"2020-06-16T21:19:58","date_gmt":"2020-06-17T01:19:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/churchanswers.com\/?p=713731"},"modified":"2020-06-16T21:19:58","modified_gmt":"2020-06-17T01:19:58","slug":"10-findings-about-church-membership-classes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/churchanswers.com\/blog\/10-findings-about-church-membership-classes\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Findings about Church Membership Classes"},"content":{"rendered":"

Several years ago, I completed a study and wrote a <\/span>book<\/span><\/a> about church membership classes. Since that time, I\u2019ve continued to watch and listen as more and more churches develop a membership class. Here are several of the findings of that ongoing research:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Some folks will disagree with having a membership class. <\/b>Arguments vary from \u201cThere aren\u2019t membership classes in the Bible\u201d to \u201cThat\u2019ll lower our number of new members,\u201d but it\u2019s likely <\/span>somebody <\/span><\/i>will question the necessity of this class.<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Well-designed membership classes are worth the effort.<\/b> I\u2019ve talked with leaders who regretted some aspect of their class (poor leadership, bad scheduling, too long or too short, etc.), but I\u2019ve not heard a leader say, \u201cWe simply should have never had a class.\u201d Many leaders have said, \u201cWe should have done it sooner.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Some other activity may need to be shelved to make room for this class. <\/b>Because this class is important, it deserves priority of staffing and scheduling. Even if the church schedule is clear, involved staff may need to say \u201cno\u201d to something else to participate.<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Personally recruiting for the class is not a bad idea. <\/b>Some attendees will come because they are ready to make a commitment to the church. Other attendees who are, in Josh Harris\u2019 terms \u201cdating the church,\u201d may not take that step. Some of the same folks, though, will attend if they receive a personal invite from a church leader.<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. The pastor\/primary preacher needs to be involved. <\/b>Class attendees have told us repeatedly, \u201cWe appreciated the time with our pastor.\u201d In many cases, a membership class provides attenders the most intimate time they will have with their pastor. After that time, they will hear him differently in the pulpit.<\/span><\/li>\n
  6. Relationships developed are significant.<\/b> Think about it \u2013 several attendees who are considering the same membership decision (or who have made the decision already) come together during a similar part of their spiritual journey. Even a few hours together can help them develop lasting bonds.<\/span><\/li>\n
  7. The class must include a clear presentation of the gospel. <\/b>Don\u2019t assume all potential \u201cnew members\u201d are believers. Not only does a presentation make sure that all attendees have a chance to respond to the gospel, but it also helps them know how to present the good news.<\/span><\/li>\n
  8. Assuming rather than teaching doctrine in the class is risky. <\/b>We\u2019ve seen classes that focus well on the church\u2019s story and vision. They encourage involvement, stress giving, and talk about accountability, but give little attention to the church\u2019s doctrine. That omission may well lead to problems later.<\/span><\/li>\n
  9. Attendees should leave the class understanding both privileges and responsibilities of church membership. <\/b>They should <\/span>want <\/span><\/i>to be a part of God\u2019s local Body while also understanding that membership <\/span>requires <\/span><\/i>something. A lack of balance here can result in a distorted understanding of the church.<\/span><\/li>\n
  10. Follow up is imperative. <\/b>If the membership class exposes folks to ministry opportunities but no one helps them get connected, the class loses some of its punch. Likewise, someone must follow up after the class to enlist members for small groups, prayer teams, etc. (in fact, it\u2019s best to do as much as possible <\/span>during<\/span><\/i> the class itself).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    What other findings about membership classes have you discovered?<\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Several years ago, I completed a study and wrote a book about church membership classes. Since that time, I\u2019ve continued to watch and listen as more and more churches develop a membership class. Here are several of the findings of that ongoing research.","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":713733,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"publish_to_discourse":"0","publish_post_category":"1","wpdc_auto_publish_overridden":"","wpdc_topic_tags":"","wpdc_pin_topic":"","wpdc_pin_until":"","discourse_post_id":"","discourse_permalink":"","wpdc_publishing_response":"","wpdc_publishing_error":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[178],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-713731","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-membership-and-assimilation"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n10 Findings about Church Membership Classes | Church Answers<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"I\u2019ve continued to watch and listen as more and more churches develop a membership class. 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