Belonging and GCC: Membership

FAQs

Below are some questions you may have about membership at GCC. We’ve tried to keep the responses short and simple, but please remember these questions represent complex situations and so no full answer is ever really simple! Please speak to a member of the leadership team if you have any further questions or reflections having read over these or email office@gcchurch.org.uk.

Why membership?
Alongside vision and values, being open, clear and consistent about what it means to be part of GCC helps people to know what they’re joining. This is what we see membership being about. This helps protect against people misinterpreting or misunderstanding what it does and doesn’t mean to be part of GCC, and makes it easier for people to make a decision about whether or not they want to commit.

Once you understand the “what & why” of being/doing church, a simple, relational process to confirm your commitment is a good thing in our increasingly individualistic world! Our own experience is that change and growth into becoming more likeJesus isn’t easy, it requires us to be intentional about our life together. As Tim Keller summarises in The Prodigal God, “There is no way you will be able to grow spiritually apart from deep involvement in a community of other believers.”

Isn’t membership exclusive and/or legalistic?
We recognise it can be, and we are sorry if that has been your experience in another setting, but our intention is that at GCC it will not be. Instead we have been clear that this is an open invitation for everyone to consider and respond to. Rather than keeping people out, it provides an opportunity to draw people in, particularly those who might exclude themselves for some reason.

Looking specifically at the ‘Your Part (Section 9)’ of the membership document, it starts with this sentence: “Our heart is that GCC is a healthy community made up of thriving people following Jesus together. To help realise this, we anticipate that members of GCC will be seeking to:”

It is worth noting that the emphasis shows:

• This is a personal loving thing (“our heart”)
• This is intended to be life-giving, not life-sapping (“thriving people”)
• This is something we need one another for (“following Jesus together”)
• This is something we hope for, rather than require (“anticipate”)
• This is something people are aiming towards, rather than achieving perfectly (“seeking to”)

We are so happy that GCC is a place where people want to explore faith in community, and we’re clear that we want EVERYONE to feel welcome with us. However, we do see membership as a decision that comes after choosing to follow Jesus, as we can all only healthily live out our faith in community when it flows from a personal relationship with Jesus.

Can I keep leading/serving and not be a member?
Yes, probably! The key thing for those who are not members is to consider what it is that’s stopping you accepting the invitation. Out of care for yourself and the wider church family, it is likely that if you have significant issues with the vision and values of the church family (for example) this will affect your ability to serve healthily. An open conversation with the relevant team leaders would be expected before any decisions are made. As a church we are intent on becoming more diverse, yet at the same time it is important for us to be united around common vision and values.

How will members’ voices be heard?
The best conversations happen in relationships, so we encourage investment in hospitality and strong friendships! At the same time, we do expect there to be specific occasions when key topics will be discussed as a church, and it is our expectation that members would be prayerfully involved in these discussions while others in the church family would also be welcomed.

It is important to note that membership does not change the governance of GCC as a charity. Responsibility remains with the Trustees, working alongside the Leadership Team.

Will people know who is a member?
Yes. There will be a record of names of members available for those within the church family who would like to know, but this will not be displayed publicly.

How will the Sunday when people become members look?
We plan to make this a celebration for the whole church family, including cake and a shorter service. There won’t be any signing of documents or oaths pledged(!), but an opportunity for those becoming members to stand and join in prayer together.

For future recognition of new members, we would expect a short section in a Sunday service to acknowledge those joining and to pray for them together. We also see these as helpful opportunities for existing members to reflect and recommit.