The Authority of the Local Church

The church is called the Body of Christ, and therefore represents Him on earth. Every local congregation is an embassy of the Kingdom of God—a great privilege and responsibility that rests on every member of the community. Yet we are not left alone with this great task. Jesus promised to be with His church always, to the very end of the age. He has also sent the Holy Spirit, who works in every born-again believer. The Spirit does this not only for the individual’s benefit but also for the building up of other members. The ministry of the church is therefore the shared work of the whole congregation. It carries the authority of the Lord Jesus, is led by the Holy Spirit, and is guided by elders who equip the rest of the body for service.

Every member of the church carries real responsibility and cannot simply shift it onto others—for example, onto the leaders who have been chosen. Each member of a local church is personally responsible for proclaiming the gospel themselves, and also shares responsibility for ensuring that the congregation continues to faithfully proclaim it. This responsibility includes both guarding the church’s teaching and making sure that its members live in faithfulness to it. Every believer should test what is taught and respond to sin within the church. While each member has different opportunities to influence teaching and encourage others, God has given everyone a role. If we neglect our role, the whole church suffers.

What does membership mean?

To live out this responsibility, every Christian should be part of a local church. Membership is not about signing up for an institution—it is about belonging to one another as members of the same body (Romans 12:5).

• Recognizing a Person’s Conversion
  The church does not cause a person to be converted; it recognizes conversion. Just as a court gives a verdict based on existing law—without changing reality but declaring it—the church, too, makes a judgment. Christ has given His church the authority of binding and loosing (Matthew 18:18). On this basis, the church may affirm that someone has truly been converted (Acts 16:15) or, conversely, that a person still remains in their sins (Acts 8:21–23; 1 Corinthians 5:4–5). Such recognition is based on both a confession of faith and the testimony of a person’s life.
• Fulfilling the Great Commission
  It is in the local church that disciple-making takes place through baptism and the teaching of obedience to all that Jesus commanded (Matthew 28:20). Many New Testament instructions speak of the responsibilities believers have toward one another within the church. For this reason, the Great Commission is carried out through local churches.
• Serving One Another
  Every Christian is called to care for the church—that is, for the brothers and sisters with whom they form it. To this end, God has given every believer the Holy Spirit, so that each may serve for the common good (1 Corinthians 12:7). No Christian can say that they do not need the other members, nor that they themselves are unnecessary (1 Corinthians 12:12–27).
• Discipleship Under the Authority of the Church
  The members of a local church bear responsibility for one another’s spiritual growth. They are to instruct one another (Romans 15:14), admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, and support the weak (1 Thessalonians 5:14). When a member persists in unrepentant sin, the church is called to urge repentance (Matthew 18:15–18) and, if necessary, remove that person from fellowship (1 Corinthians 5:5, 12–13). In Corinth this was done by the majority vote (2 Corinthians 2:6). This shows that the number of members in the church was known, and it was clear who did and who did not belong to the congregation.
• The Responsibility of Elders for the Church
  Leaders of the local church must know for whom they are responsible (Acts 20:28; Hebrews 13:17). They are not accountable for every person who merely attends the church’s gatherings, but specifically for the members entrusted to their care.

How to Become a Member of „Źródło Życia” Church

New members are received into the church during a Church Conference, where the congregation welcomes the candidate into membership.

Candidate:

• They begin by filling out a membership form, which is available from the Church Council.
• They meet with a representative of the Church Council, who introduces them to the meaning of membership and walks them through the Confession of Faith.
• If the candidate agrees with the Confession of Faith, they share the story of their conversion at a members’ meeting, where the congregation votes to welcome them into the church.
• If the candidate has not yet been baptized, a baptism is arranged, which officially brings them into the fellowship of the church.