What Is Membership?

Church membership in Solus is a process by which we formally receive people into our local body of Christ by their profession of faith and lead them toward faithfulness within the life of the church. This is rooted in our Statement of Faith regarding the church, where it says:

“We believe there is one church, the body of Christ, consisting of men and women from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation. We believe that each local congregation is an expression of that universal church. We believe that all born again believers are called to function as received, connected, submitted, and contributing members of local churches.” (1 Cor. 12:12-13, 27; Eph. 2:19, 4:15-16)

The idea of membership is present even in the Old Testament where God calls a special people for Himself and asks them to enter into a covenant with Him. Entrance into this covenant is defined by a set of beliefs and practices. Modern church membership mirrors this by committing members to God, to the local church body, and to one another.

We believe that Biblically, local churches are a defined groups of believers that are distinct from non-believers or casual attendees. Church membership provides clarity to both members and leaders about who is under the care and authority of the church.

Why Is Membership Important?

Ultimately, definable church membership tells us who we are shepherding. 1 Peter 5:2 exhorts elders and church leaders to “shepherd the flock of God that is among you”. It’s difficult to do this if you don’t know who the flock specifically is!

Galatians 6:10 also charges all of us to “do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith”. Parents are called to safeguard all children to a certain degree, but they are especially called to their own children, to teach them and raise them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. In the same way, church leaders are called to declare the Gospel to all people, but we are especially called to the members of our own church. The leaders of the church should know who the Christians are! Not everyone who walks into the doors of Solus is a member of the house of God.

In years past, we’ve presented the idea of “functional membership”: you’re a member of our church by functioning as one. But we’ve been convicted that this is a works-based system. Entrance into the body of Christ is based on faith, not function (Eph. 2:8), and this should be the same for the local body.

This also provides an incredible opportunity to disciple you better. If we know where you stand with Jesus, and what you believe about God and His word, we can better steward you into a closer relationship with the Lord Jesus. It provides clarity about what you believe, and also what we believe.

The main criteria involved with becoming a member is affirming your commitment to Jesus Christ as your Savior and the Lord of your life. But we’ll also provide the essential doctrines of the faith that all Christians should affirm, and this provides us an incredible opportunity to disciple those who become members. Knowing who you are and what you believe can help us steward you into a deeper relationship with the Lord Jesus.

How Do I Become A Member ?

As a church, we currently have three “windows” in which to pursue membership: one in the Fall, one in the Spring, and one in the Summer. This means there will be a time period of one month in which someone can submit a Membership Form, and this period will end with a Membership Sunday where we formally receive our new members into Solus.

The process of becoming a member at Solus is a multi-step pathway:

  1. Introduction — Attend a Welcome Weekend. Run several times a year, this one-day gathering is where you'll hear our story, explore our mission, and discover meaningful next steps into community, discipleship, and serving. It's especially important for anyone new, and the first step toward membership here at Solus.

  2. Exploration — Take a season to regularly attend our gatherings, get involved in community, and prayerfully discern if the Lord is calling you to make Solus your church home. We recommend up to three months before pursuing membership.

  3. Application — Submit a Membership Form. This is where you’ll share your story of coming to know Jesus, affirm the essential doctrines of our faith, respond to the convictions that shape us as a church, and commit to the expectations we hold one another to as members.

  4. Evaluation — Our elders review each membership form. If there's anything worth talking or praying through together, we'll reach out for a conversation. Otherwise, they'll affirm you're ready and you'll move to reception.

  5. Reception — We receive you! On a Membership Sunday, you'll make your membership vows and be formally received by our leaders and church members into the fellowship and care of our community.

Membership Application

  • Solus Church has existed for almost 8 years now, and with each passing year, we feel the Lord has further refined and clarified our church’s vision, mission, and values. Formal membership has been on our hearts for some time, and we believe this is the next step that allows us to faithfully shepherd the flock of Solus as best as we are able.

    Read the Why section above for more details.

  • For one, the Bible frequently uses the term “member” to describe our involvement with the people of God. For instance, 1 Corinthians 12:12 says “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.” (see also Romans 12) So the word “member” should be familiar to us.

    1 Peter 5:2 charges elders and pastors with shepherding “the flock of God that is among you.” How do leaders identify who is part of their flock? There’s a sense in which we are called to all people, but we are especially called to our own flocks, our own church.

    After Pentecost, Acts 2:41 mentions that “those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls”, so there must be some sense in which they kept track of who was added.

    In Matthew 18, Jesus outlines a process by which someone in the church is disciplined for unrepentant sin, and we see Paul carry out this process in 1 Corinthians 5 by commanding the church to “remove” this person. This means there is an “inside” and “outside” of a church body.

    There’s a number of other examples, so if you would like more explanation and discussion, don’t hesitate to reach out to a church leader!

  • Of course! Not being a member does not exclude you from gathering with us, joining our Connect Groups, serving in many capacities, or coming to our events. All of those normal church rhythms are still open to you.

  • So not being a member will mean there are a few things you cannot do, and one of those is serving as a leader, including leading a Ministry Team or a Connect Group. This is because we want to ensure that those who lead others in our church are fully aligned with the beliefs and values of our church, and that we of course know exactly who they are.

  • Yes, we believe communion should be open to all followers of Jesus, and don’t want to create a barrier where one is not needed. Before we partake in communion during our service, we always make sure to warn that this is only for followers of Jesus.

  • From the earliest days of the church, baptism has been a foundational step following a decision to place faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). The act of baptism (by immersion in water) outwardly expresses an inward change that has already taken place; the old life is over, your new life has begun (Colossians 2:12). It was also expressly commanded by Jesus for the church (Matthew 28:19-20). It’s an integral part of our discipleship. Jesus even set us an example by being baptized Himself (Matthew 3:16). So to neglect baptism is to neglect the command and call of Jesus.

    Baptism also identifies you with the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-13), which is why it’s an important step before joining the church.

    If you haven’t been baptized yet, we would be happy to do that with you! Just fill out this form and we’ll get back to you. If you have more questions around baptism (perhaps you were baptized as an infant or before you decided to follow Jesus), please reach out to us!

  • Nope, it won’t be required. If you’ve attended a welcome class or course in the recent past, you won’t need to attend Welcome Weekend to become a member. However, if you’ve been coming to Solus for several years, or you attended a welcome course more than four years ago, we’d highly recommend (not require) you attend Welcome Weekend to get refreshed on our vision and discipleship values as a church.

  • Our convictions are divided into two parts: the essentials and non-essentials. The essentials are things we believe every Christian should affirm, things like the authority of God’s word, the deity of Jesus, the necessity of His church, and much more. If there are things here you don’t agree with, this creates a big opportunity for discipleship! We may sit down for a one-on-one discussion or recommend you to the Foundations Course before pursuing membership.

    The non-essentials are convictions we may have at Solus, but other Bible-affirming, sound churches do not have, and if you disagree with these, that’s okay! That doesn’t necessarily prevent you from becoming a member. However, many doctrines, though non-essential for salvation, can still have a major impact on the life and ministry of a church. Therefore, we believe it’s important that you know where we stand on these issues before pursuing membership here at Solus. On the Membership Form, we will also ask you to affirm that despite these differences, you are able to submit to the leadership of Solus Church in good conscience and not make these differences a point of division or strife within the church.

  • There are no monetary costs, such as fees, to being a member of Solus.

  • There are two kinds of expectations for membership: expectations of members and expectations of leaders (who are also members). These expectations will be covered in detail in the membership form, where you will commit to them. But on a high level:

    • Member expectations

      • Submit to Scripture as the final authority on all issues

      • Seek to keep Jesus at the center through regular Bible reading, prayer, and fellowship

      • Follow the command and example of Jesus by practicing the ordinances He instituted (baptism and communion)

      • Participate in the life of Solus by attending Sunday gatherings and engaging in community

      • Steward your time, talents, gifts, and resources well

      • Walk in holiness by God’s grace by putting sin to death through confession and repentance

      • Submit to the discipline of God by His Holy Spirit through church disciplinary procedures or when receiving loving correction from another believer

      • Submit to church leadership and strive to maintain peace in the church

      • Notify leaders if you plan to leave the membership of Solus

    • Elder/leader expectations

      • Appoint elders and staff members according to the criteria laid out in Scripture

      • Prayerfully seek God’s will for Solus and steward God’s resources to the best of our ability, following Scriptural standards and the leading of the Spirit

      • Care for the church and seek her growth in grace, truth, and love

      • Provide teaching and counsel from the whole of Scripture

      • Equip members of the church for the work of ministry

      • Be on guard against false teachers and teachings

      • Lovingly exercise discipline when necessary for the glory of God, the good of the one disciplined, and the health of the whole body

      • Set an example for the church by fulfilling the expectations of church leadership listed in Scripture and membership listed above

    While it is our call to hold church members accountable to these expectations, it will also be the member’s call to hold our leaders accountable to their expectations!

  • We’re still working out exact details around this, but some potential privileges we’ve been building are:

    • Being more ingrained in a community. At some point we’d like to create a member directory/network, where church members can interact with one another to help each other. For example, giving a ride to a college student who can’t get to church, providing clothes or supplies to a new mom, connecting a member with a trusted mechanic/doctor/plumber, etc.

    • Voting rights. We would ask members to vote for potential elders and deacons, or other initiatives within the church.

    • Better discipleship. This was mentioned above, but by knowing you better and where you stand on certain doctrines, we can help you grow further into the life God has for you!

  • People move on from a church for all kinds of reasons. Some of these are Biblically legitimate, but some are not. Part of the reason we’re doing this is to prevent a casual relationship with Christ's body. If you’re a member and do feel it’s time to leave Solus for any reason, please reach out to one of our church leaders so we can speak with you for more details. And know that we care for you and want to do our best to make you into who the Lord designed you to be! We’re not going to shame you or guilt you, but have an honest conversation with you.

FAQ