The Identity of Belonging

Dear Younger Me,

Investing yourself in the local church not only requires effort and intentionality, but it will also require you to be “brave.” BRAVE is an acronym that describes the five essential elements of proper church membership (taken from Hebrews 10:24–25).

• B = Belonging
• R = Responsibility
• A = Availability
• V = Vulnerability
• E = Encouragement

Let’s talk about the first element of “belonging.” To belong to a local church goes far beyond attendance and mere membership. Belonging is about identity and possession. It is allowing your soul to finally find its true home among a specific people.

Your involvement in the life of a local church must go beyond mere membership. Being a member of a church is so much more than being a member of a gym or a country club. For many years, I’ve didn’t like using the term “membership” to refer to one’s commitment to a church. This was due primarily with the success and ubiquity of the corporate slogan of American Express credit card company. Their commercials filled the TV airspace with scenes of the lavish lifestyle of rich and famous who would get special treatment and access simply because they present a black Amex card to the concierge. The commercial closes with the tagline: “Membership has its privileges.”

These commercials connect the idea of being a member of an organization with a transactional mentality. That the primary reason to be a member of an organization is because you can get something out of it.

But membership in a church isn’t about privileges, it’s about belonging. When you’re a member of a church, you belong to a specific group of people who are to be your spiritually adopted family on earth. The idea of belong goes deep into our souls.

We all know what belonging feels like. Have you ever been somewhere new (maybe while visiting a different culture) and you sense people looking at you strangely? Through their sideways glances, eye-rolls, and body language, they let you know that you don’t really belong there with them. That you’re not welcomed there. That no matter how hard you try, you will never truly be one of them. On the other hand, have you ever had an experience of going someplace for the very first time and feeling like you’re being welcomed home? That’s what belonging feels like.

It’s not about a transactional relationship. It’s about committing to a specific group of people so that it shapes part of your identity. Belonging to a church is much more than belonging to a club or an organization. When you belong to a church, you belong to a family. You don’t just attend meetings and events. You become part of the very life of the church.

When you belong to a church family, attending a church service will no longer be like going to an event. It will be more like Thanksgiving dinner at your auntie’s house. What makes the event special isn’t the fancy food on the table, but the people around the table.

So, Younger Me, my advice is to always belong to a local church family. Always go beyond attendance and involvement. I want you to invest yourself into the life of a specific family of faith.

Follow the example of the Apostle Paul when he wrote the following to the Church in Thessalonica,

“…Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well” (1 Thessalonias 2:7–8).

Paul’s assignment was to spread the gospel as far and wide as possible. He traveled from city to city sharing the gospel. But when he came to the city of Thessalonica, he found a special group of people who loved him and welcomed him. He felt a sense of belonging that compelled him to go beyond just sharing the gospel. He shared his life with them. He gave them himself. He identified with them. They became his family. He belonged.

Follow that example. Don’t just find a church to go to. Find a church to belong to.

Trust me,

Your Future Self.