Active Church membership

[Salty]

On another thread, it was mentioned that Bellevue Bap has a membership of some 30,000, but only about 7,000 attend weekly.
(& that includes on-line) so that amounts to about only 23% of all members attending!

Granted, some are in nursing homes, some work on Sunday, ect -

So those who do not have a valid reason for missing, what action does the church take?
Inactive list, discipline list, other....

How about those attending college more than 1,000 miles from home?
How about those serving in the military?
How about those permeant in a nursing
How about those in jail (a year or less) or prison (a whole lot longer)
How about someone who starts another Baptist church? (but no letter is recd)
How about someone who starts a church of like faith and order.?

How long with no attendance before action is taken.

Other thoughts?

 

[JonC]

I think it depends. We think too much of "going to church" and too little of gathering as a church.

 

[Ben1445]

On another thread, it was mentioned that Bellevue Bap has a membership of some 30,000, but only about 7,000 attend weekly.
(& that includes on-line) so that amounts to about only 23% of all members attending!

Granted, some are in nursing homes, some work on Sunday, ect -

So those who do not have a valid reason for missing, what action does the church take?
Inactive list, discipline list, other....

How about those attending college more than 1,000 miles from home?
How about those serving in the military?
How about those permeant in a nursing
How about those in jail (a year or less) or prison (a whole lot longer)
How about someone who starts another Baptist church? (but no letter is recd)
How about someone who starts a church of like faith and order.?

How long with no attendance before action is taken.

Other thoughts?

We have a six month clause. It keeps things clean. There is allowance for pastors discretion. Not everything in life is cut and dried. We also don’t just erase names. We visit people. If you are out for two weeks, someone is looking for you if you are a regular. Someone is asking about you and probably will find you after one week.
If you are a hit and miss kind of member, you are less likely to be missed on account of your work schedule or whatever it is that people recognize as the reason you miss. Still, after some time, someone will be looking. We don’t just erase names. Shortness of the six months also gives reason not to let ourselves forget about people for years. So while I don’t like the six months in some respects, it has advantages in that it helps the church stay on top of its ministry.

 

[Silverhair]

My home church is 4421 Km [2747.08 miles] away give or take 1 k so a tad hard making it on a weekly basis or yearly basis for that matter..

We listen to two or three services a week as can't attend here in person due to health.

Other problem is we seem to be overrun with woke churches in our area.

 

[Reynolds]

On another thread, it was mentioned that Bellevue Bap has a membership of some 30,000, but only about 7,000 attend weekly.
(& that includes on-line) so that amounts to about only 23% of all members attending!

Granted, some are in nursing homes, some work on Sunday, ect -

So those who do not have a valid reason for missing, what action does the church take?
Inactive list, discipline list, other....

How about those attending college more than 1,000 miles from home?
How about those serving in the military?
How about those permeant in a nursing
How about those in jail (a year or less) or prison (a whole lot longer)
How about someone who starts another Baptist church? (but no letter is recd)
How about someone who starts a church of like faith and order.?

How long with no attendance before action is taken.

Other thoughts?

I am not a member of the church I now attend. I don't know if I will join. I can't see church rolls, church letters, or anything resembling such mentioned in Scripture.

 

[Salty]

I am not a member of the church I now attend. I don't know if I will join. I can't see church rolls, church letters, or anything resembling such mentioned in Scripture.

lots of things churches do are not mentioned in Scripture -ie pews and songbooks - unless prohibited - it is not a problem

 

[Reynolds]

lots of things churches do are not mentioned in Scripture -ie pews and songbooks - unless prohibited - it is not a problem

They sang and sat in Scripture. I just don't even see the concept of a membership roll supported by Scripture. It is a secular practice that we have applied to the church.

 

[Salty]

then we should sing like they did in the NT times - without songbooks - and are we sure they sat - maybe they stood. If they did sit - they probably sat on the ground - so we need to sit on the ground.
Now, the Bible does say to do all things decently and in order. Having a membership - with a by-laws, ect, is doing things decently and in order.