Church membership is the commitment to the local body of believers expressed throughout the New Testament by example and command. It is the metaphor used by Paul to describe individuals in the church: "Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it." (1 Corinthians 12:27). It is a covenant (promise/agreement) between us and God in the context of a specific local body of believers.
The church is the instrument Jesus built to carry out the mission of God and is the context in which the commands of God are practiced as recorded in the Epistles. Exhortations such as: "Pay careful attention to yourselves and all the flock" (Acts 20:28), "Obey your leaders and submit to them" (Hebrews 13:17), and "Encourage one another and build one another up" (1 Thessalonians 5:11), are not possible or practical outside of the local church.
Members of Alamo Ranch Community Church are believers who have shared a testimony of faith in Christ, an understanding of the gospel, and a desire to join. They have agreed to our doctrine and understood our distinctives, and have made five commitments:
1) Pray for the church body and elders for the sake of unity. (Colossians 1:3-14)
2) Serve the church in a volunteer position. (1 Corinthians 12:12-31)
3) Give as an act of worship and obedience. (2 Corinthians 9:6-15)
4) Join a Gospel Community to grow and minister. (Acts 2:42-47)
5) Attend regular gatherings to encourage one another. (Hebrews 10:25