Membership

Why is it important?

All of us have a need to belong... it's part of the way God has created us. Not only are we born into natural families where we can experience that sense of belonging, but also when we give our lives to Him we are included in His spiritual family, the church.

The church is described in the Bible as the “body” of Christ, and each of us as members of it. The image or word picture of the human body is used as an illustration of how the church should function. A healthy body is made up of hands and feet and eyes and ears, etc., all with their unique contribution and function. In the same way, the church is able to function in a healthy way as each member knows its place and does its part. Christ is the “head” of the church. We are dependent on Him and interdependent with each other. As we grow together in love and harmony, each member unique in his or her role, actively supplying what we have to contribute, we get to enjoy the experience of being part of the family of God. It is also the way we become an expression of the life of Christ to our world as His church. (Rom. 12, I Cor. 12, Eph. 4, John 15)

At the Vineyard we see each one of you as an important member of this family and encourage each one to participate with the unique gifts that you have.

As a Registered Canadian Charitable Society, the Abbotsford Vineyard is legally required to maintain a church membership list, however membership is not a requirement for participation in our church. Our hope is that each one of you will experience a sense of belonging here and will choose to give of yourself as an active member of this church family.

How do I know if I'm a member?

If you are a regular attendee and participant at the Abbotsford Vineyard, we consider you to be a part of this local church family. However, we strongly encourage all participants to become members.

Our members are required to live out the following:

1. Make a personal commitment to Christ as Lord and Saviour.
2. Take the step of water baptism as an act of commitment to Christ.
3. Make a priority of regular attendance at our weekly service.
4. Commit to involvement in a connecting group (ie. outreach, homegroups, prayer groups, sports
groups, etc.) in an ongoing way.
5. Contribute in ministry to others with your talents and spiritual gifts.
6. Financially support the mission of our church, moving toward 10% (Old Testament) and
beyond (New Testament).
7. Strive to maintain unity with fellow believers and embrace a teachable attitude.
8. Endeavor to grow in a consistent way in obedience to Christ and the Scriptures, living out a
Godly lifestyle.
9. Be outward focused by actively sharing the love of Christ with others. (ie. missions, outreach,
service, evangelism)