EVENTS | COUNCIL OF REPRESENTATIVES
November 5, 2011 Council of Representatives Meeting,
Westwood Community Church, 401 Westwood Drive, Winnipeg
9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
At last year’s CR Meeting, Pierre Gilbert, Associate Professor, Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary, led the CR delegates in a biblical overview and discussion of Christian Baptism and how it relates to church membership. The CR delegates who participated requested a follow up CR that would deal more specifically with how we practice church membership.
Membership practices and understandings vary from church to church but it is safe to say that ‘ambivalence’ is a good descriptor for how many leaders view membership. The word “Membership” has so much baggage, including institutional, club-like connotations. The whole notion of being “in or out” is not very popular in the church today. Church leaders gravitate more towards a “centered set” understanding of faith commitment rather than a “bounded set”. Church discipline is also unpopular and defining active membership and holding people accountable to it is a nightmare. The need to “belong” is huge but how do you do that in a meaningful way in the church of today?
This half day of study, reflection and discussion is intended to generate new thinking and maybe new practices of belonging to a community of faith in Jesus Christ. Gerry Ediger, member of McIvor Avenue MB Church and recently retired professor of Historical Theology, will frame the issue by a biblical and historical look at church membership. A roundtable discussion on current membership practices will get us to hear each other. May God’s Holy Spirit guide us as we prepare for this important day!
CR Schedule - November 5, 2011
9:00 AM – 9:20 AM Gerald Dyck – Conference Vice-Moderator
- Welcome and worship
9:20 AM – 10:45 AM Gerry Ediger
- Presentation on the historical and biblical understandings of church membership
- ‘Case studies’ or examples of church membership practices
- Q&A
10:45 AM – 11:05 AM Break
11:05 AM – 12:30 PM Keith Poysti
- Current membership practices – ‘Case studies’ or stories
- Round Table discussion:
“What are some basic human needs that church membership addresses?”
“What are some critical components of church membership?”
“What are the benefits/liabilities of church membership?”
“What would you do to make church membership more meaningful?”
12:30 PM – Lunch
1:30 PM – Elton DaSilva
- Results of conference survey
- Challenges facing our churches – Church health
- Round Table Discussion:
3PM - Dismisal