At the outset, it may be
helpful to acknowledge that there are no specific verses in Scripture
that require a church to conduct an interview before recognizing someone
as a member of its congregation. In the days of the New Testament, the
process for becoming a member of the church seems to have been fairly
brief and organic. A new member professed faith in Christ, was baptized,
and was added to the church (cf. Acts 2:41).
But for good reason many churches have found it helpful to set aside a
time to talk with a membership candidate before he or she joins the
church. In my experience, these interview sessions represent an
extremely valuable pastoral opportunity. It's a chance to ask questions,
provide pastoral care, and shape the candidates' understanding of their
role in the church.
The purpose of this article is to provide some practical guidance on
how to make the most of these interviews for the benefit of the member
and the health of the church. And while there's no one set way to
conduct a membership interview, I've found it helpful to try to achieve
three things in the course of a one-hour meeting:
- Get to know the candidate for membership.
- Help the candidate understand the church.
- Begin pastoral care for the candidate. Continue at Mike McKinley
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