Welcome to OneLife Fellowship Church, church membership training online. The following information is designed to assist you on your journey to church membership with OLFC .
Our Mission and Vision
Share the Gospel message of Christ
Love others no matter who they are or where they come from
Be bold in our witness, without fear
Strong in our purpose
Equip, train and provide resources to help the lost and hurting
Pray for the needs of individuals
Be a light that shines in dark places
Lead the lost into a relationship with God through Christ and....
Make disciples
At One Life Fellowship Church, there is One God, One savior, One way to Heaven and only One way to be savedAt One Life Fellowship Church, there is One God, One savior, One way to Heaven and only One way to be saved.
Fellowship Church is a growing community of believers and a place of worship where people from all walks of life are attending and experiencing the love of God through biblical teaching and fellowship.
We teach the Bible, love all individuals, no matter where they come from, what they may be going through, or their specific struggles. Our desire is to be like Jesus, love like He loved us and passionately share His Gospel message of hope, love, life change and salvation.
The following information is designed to familiarize you with what we believe as a church and membership requirements.
Most of what is contained here is general biblical instructions for all Christians in a local church.
We are to follow the scriptural guidance in how we relate to one another. Paul would tell us in Ephesians 5:21 “…submitting to one another in the fear of God.” And Peter said in 1st Peter 5:5 “Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility…”
We also are told to in Galatians 6:2 “Bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.” and in Colossians 3:12-14….
“Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.
Remember the words of Jesus Himself in John 13:34-35
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
WHY MEMBERSHIP?
WE BELIEVE THERE ARE AT LEAST THREE REASONS for having formal church membership.
1. First, membership in a local church is a biblical concept. While you won’t find the term “church member” in the New Testament, you will find that believers clearly identified themselves with a specific local church where they were called to become committed participants.
2. Second, having a formal membership core helps the pastors and other leaders in their God-given task of shepherding.
By design, OneLife Fellowship Church attracts some people who are uncommitted- seekers, observers and guests. May this always be the case!
In this case church members can be instrumental in helping those who are new in the faith, those with no exposure to church and those seeking to know more about God
3. Third, membership benefits you as an individual. Recognizable membership in the church can be an important step that moves believers from the haziness of good intentions to clear, committed participation and mature disciples of Christ.
To neglect—or to refuse—to join a church as a formal member, however, reflects a misunderstanding of the believer’s responsibility to the body of Christ. And it also cuts one off from the many blessings and opportunities that flow from this commitment. It is essential for every Christian to understand what church membership is and why it matters.
Church membership is a biblical concept where believers formally commit to a local body of Christ for accountability, protection, and shared ministry.
The Bible does not directly address the concept of formal church membership, It reflects a commitment to loving others and serving Christ together and there are several passages that strongly imply its existence in the early church.
“And the Lord added to them day by day those that were being saved” (Acts 2:47). This verse indicates that salvation was a prerequisite for being “added” to the church. In Acts 2:41, it seems that someone was keeping a numerical record of those who were saved and thus joining the church.
There are other places in the New Testament that show the local church as a well-defined group: in Acts 6:3, the church in Jerusalem is told to hold elections of some kind: “Choose seven men from among you.”
The phrase among you suggests a group of people distinct from others who were not “among” them. Simply put, the deacons were to be church members.
Church membership is important because it helps define the pastor’s responsibility.
Hebrews 13:17 instructs,
“Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account.” Whom will a pastor give an account for, except the members of his own church? He is not responsible for all the Christians in the world, only for those under his care.
Likewise, he is not responsible for all the people in his community, only for believers under his leadership—his church members. Membership in a local church is a way of voluntarily placing oneself under the spiritual authority of a pastor.
Church membership is also important because, without it, there can be no accountability or church discipline. First Corinthians 5:1–13teaches a church how to deal with blatant, unrepentant sin in its midst.
In verses 12–13, the words inside and outside are used in reference to the church body. We only judge those who are “inside” the church—church members.
How can we know who is “inside” or “outside” the church without an official membership roll? See also Matthew 18:17.
Although there is no scriptural mandate for official church membership, there is certainly nothing to prohibit it, and it seems the early church was structured in such a way that people clearly knew if someone was “in” or “out” of the church.
Church membership is a way of identifying oneself with a local body of believers and of making oneself accountable to proper spiritual leadership.
Church membership is a statement of solidarity and like-mindedness (see Philippians 2:2).
Church membership is also valuable for organizational purposes. It’s a good way of determining who is allowed to vote on important church decisions and who is eligible for official church positions.
Church membership is not required of Christians. It is simply a way of saying, “I am a Christian, and I believe this church is a good church.”
Key Biblical Foundations for Membership
One Body (1 Cor. 12:12-27): Believers are called "members" of one body. Just as physical members (hand, ear) belong together to function, Christians are designed to function within a local assembly.
Church Discipline (Matt. 18:15-17): Jesus instructed to bring unrepentant sin before "the church." This assumes an identifiable, finite group of believers, not a vague universal body.
Shepherd’s Oversight (Heb. 13:17; 1 Pet. 5:1-5): Leaders are tasked with giving an account for the flock. This implies that they (and the church) know who is under their spiritual care.
Orderly Community (Acts 2:41-47; 6:1-6): The early church was a distinct group that was added to, and they held organized, accountable ministry roles (e.g., electing deacons)
Reasons for Local Church Membership
Obedience and Commitment: It acts as a visible demonstration of one's commitment to Christ and His followers.
Accountability and Growth: It provides a safe community for growth, protection from error, and accountability in faith.
Effective Service: It allows for better stewardship of spiritual gifts and opportunities to serve other believers.
Spiritual Protection: It places believers under the covering of pastoral leadership and ensures regular assembly with other believers
Consider the following Questions
How does the "body" analogy in 1 Corinthians 12 influence how you view your relationship with other Christians?
What is the difference between simply attending a church and being a member of one?
How does Hebrews 13:17 (submitting to leaders) challenge or encourage your view of church authority?
Why is formal accountability (church membership) beneficial for personal spiritual growth?
Scripture presents church membership as joining a local body of believers to submit to leadership, practice church discipline, and utilize spiritual gifts for mutual growth.
The Definition of Church Membership
When an individual is saved, he becomes a member of the body of Christ. Because he is united to Christ and the other members of the body in this way, he is therefore qualified to become a member of a local expression of that body.
To become a member of a church is to formally commit oneself to an identifiable, local body of believers who have joined together for specific, divinely ordained purposes.
In addition, when one becomes a member of a church, he submits himself to the care and the authority of the biblically qualified elders that God has placed in that assembly.
In summary, while not a "membership card" system, the biblical model encourages believers to be clearly committed to a local community of believers under spiritual leadership.
What does it mean to be a member of OneLife Fellowship Church?
When you join our church, you formally agree to live by our covenant, and you embrace our core convictions, values, mission and our statement of belief.
A biblical Covenant
As disciples of Jesus Christ our Lord, we agree to follow him in reverent obedience. We shall love one another, pray for each other, share in one another’s joys and support each other in sorrow, acknowledging that each has received spiritual gifts from God, we shall seek to serve one another accordingly.
We shall strive to be responsible members of this church in meeting together, studying the Scriptures, giving, submitting to the leadership, sharing the good news of Christ with others, and giving and praying for the missionaries at home and abroad. We shall make every effort to maintain the unity of the body.
We accept responsibility to correct one another and submit to correction.
Remembering that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble, we shall do nothing out of ambition or conceit but shall seek always to consider other’s needs.
In our daily living we shall seek to so yield to the Spirit that his presence will be manifest in our lives.
Conduct
What does it look like to be a true follower of Christ and how should we conduct ourselves as member of the body of Christ and OneLife Fellowship Church? God asks us to live a certain way as we are now His children. We are not a legalistic fellowship and will not be sending out our elders to track you down to make sure you are living up to some standard.
This is the job of the Holy Spirit. But, as the writer of Hebrews 10:24 says, “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works.” We are to help one another achieve that place that God wants us to be as in Romans 8:29 “conformed to the image of His Son.”
The best way we can do that is to be an example! Strive to live out the scriptures in your life. Allow the Holy Spirit to form you and change you. All we can do is encourage one another to do just that.
So, to follow Jesus and be a productive agent for the kingdom of God means that we refrain from certain worldly things that affect our witness, or cause someone to stumble.
Some examples would be:
Abstaining from worldly vices and habits such as the use/abuse of alcohol, illegal drugs, viewing pornography, entering into adulterous/sexual relationships, attending events that are sinful, do not honor God and attending places of influence that can affect your witness as a follower of Christ and member of OLFC.
Timothy was encouraged in 1st Timothy 4:12 “be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” How much more should we?
We would do well to heed what Paul said in Ephesians 4:17-18
“This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart”.
Remember that when the bible says “walk” it means to live a “lifestyle according to”. There is a way that a Christian is supposed to live, and we are here to encourage each other and help each other to achieve that.
Church Discipline
In Matthew 18:15-17, Jesus outlines the way the church is to seek the restoration of a believer who has fallen into sin—a four-step process commonly known as church discipline.
First, when a brother sins, he is to be confronted privately by a single individual (v. 15).
If he refuses to repent, that individual is to take one or two other believers along to confront him again (v. 16).
If the sinning brother refuses to listen to the two or three, they are then to tell it to the church (v. 17).
If there is still no repentance, the final step is to put the person out of the assembly (v. 17; cf. 1 Cor. 5:1-13).
The exercise of church discipline according to Matthew 18 and other passages (1 Cor. 5:1-13; 1 Tim. 5:20; Titus 3:10-11) presupposes that the elders of a church know who their members are.
Bound together in a fellowship of faith with all who confess Jesus Christ as Lord, we shall pray and labor for a spirit of unity among all Christians. Believing that our call to be a church is a call to witness to the world, we commit ourselves to the proclamation of the gospel and to the support of our co-laborers everywhere.
Admitting our weaknesses, we recognize that the Christian life is a life of repentance. We confess our need for the Scriptures, for the Holy Spirit, for the encouragement and help of the church family. We commit our lives, and families and our church to Jesus Christ and to the care and mercy of Almighty God.
OLFC adopts the following as our Statement of Faith and Beliefs:
The Scriptures
The Holy Bible is divinely inspired, error-free, and the ultimate authority for Christian faith and practice.
The True God
There is one true God, JEHOVAH, the Maker and Supreme Ruler of heaven and earth. The Godhead consists of three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, equal in divine perfection.
The Fall of Man
Man was created holy but fell from grace through voluntary transgression, resulting in all mankind being sinners by choice and inherently inclined to evil.
The Way of Salvation
Salvation is solely by faith, confession and belief in Jesus Christ. This includes confession of sins, asking for forgiveness with a repentant heart and receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior. Jesus took on human nature, obeyed the divine law, and atoned for our sins through his death and shed blood on the cross. He is now at the right hand of the Father in Heaven and perfectly qualified to be a compassionate and sufficient Savior.
Justification
We believe that Justification includes the pardon of sin, and the promise of eternal life on principles of righteousness; that it is bestowed, not in consideration of any works of righteousness which we have done, but solely through faith in Christ’s blood; by virtue of which faith His perfect righteousness is freely imputed to us of God.
The Freeness of Salvation
We believe that the blessings of salvation are made free to all by the gospel; that it is the immediate duty of all to accept them by a cordial, penitent, and obedient faith; and that nothing prevents the salvation of the greatest sinner on earth, but his own inherent depravity and voluntary rejection of the gospel; which rejection involves him in an aggravated condemnation.
Sanctification
We believe that Sanctification is the process by which, according to the will of God, we are made partakers of his holiness; that it is a progressive work; that it is begun in regeneration; and that it is carried on in the hearts of believers by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, the Sealer and Comforter, in the continual use of the appointed means, - especially, the word of God, self-examination, self-denial, watchfulness and prayer.
Gifts of the Spirit
We believe in the gifts of the spirit freely to those who desire it and are willing to receive them. They include words of wisdom, words of knowledge, faith, gifts of healing, working of miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, speaking in different kinds of tongues, and the interpretation of tongues.
Water Baptism and the Lord’s Supper (Communion)
We believe that Christian Baptism is the immersion in water of a believer, into the name of the Father, and Son, and Holy Spirit; to show forth in a solemn and beautiful emblem, our faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Savior, with its effect, in our death to sin and resurrection to a newness of life.
Note: water baptism does not save you it is a command and an outward expression of an inward change in the life of the follower of Christ
Communion: We believe that Communion is an ordinance given to the church by Jesus Christ to remember His sacrifice on the cross and shedding His blood for the remission of our sins. Communion is for all born again followers of Christ living in fellowship and obedience to Him.
The elements of communion are the wafer, bread, or cracker, which represents the broken body of Jesus and the juice, represents His shed blood on the cross.
The World To Come – Rapture of the Church
We believe that the end of the world is approaching; that at the last day Christ will descend from heaven, and raise the dead from the grave to final retribution; that a solemn separation will then take place; that the wicked will be adjudged to endless punishment, and the righteous to endless joy; and that this judgment will fix forever the final state of men in heaven or hell, on principles of righteousness.
Marriage
We believe that the term 'marriage' has one and only one meaning which is marriage sanctioned by God which joins one man (born and remaining a male) and one woman (born and remaining a female) in a single, monogamous, exclusive, lifelong union, as delineated in Scripture. This meaning of marriage is a deeply held religious conviction, central to the core value and exercise of our faith.
Human Sexuality
We believe that God has commanded that no sexual activity including verbal, visual, or physical stimulus should be engaged in outside of a marriage between one man (born and remaining male) and one woman (born and remaining female).
We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, pedophilia, adultery, pornography, transvestitism, deviant gender or transgender identity, or any other deviant sexual behavior are sinful perversions of God's gift of sex.
The Exhortation to Mutual Edification
The New Testament teaches that the church is the body of Christ, and that God has called every member to a life devoted to the growth of the body. In other words, Scripture exhorts all believers to edify the other members by practicing the “one-another’s” of the New Testament (e.g., Heb. 10:24-25) and exercising their spiritual gifts (Rom. 12:6-8; 1 Cor. 12:4-7; 1 Pet. 4:10-11).
Mutual edification can only take place in the context of the corporate body of Christ. Exhortations to this kind of ministry presuppose that believers have committed themselves to other believers in a specific local assembly. Church membership is simply the formal way to make that commitment.
Conclusion:
Living out a commitment to a local church involves many responsibilities: exemplifying a godly lifestyle in the community, exercising one’s spiritual gifts in diligent service, contributing financially to the work of the ministry, giving and receiving admonishment with meekness and in love, and faithfully participating in corporate worship.
Much is expected, but much is at stake. For only when every believer is faithful to this kind of commitment is the church able to live up to her calling as Christ’s representative here on earth. To put it simply, membership matters.
Click here to review the OneLife Fellowship Church Membership Covenant. A hard copy will be provided for you to sign and submit to the church secretary.
