Member Ministries

Member Ministries will be beginning in the Fall of 2007! 

The purpose of Membership Ministries is to coordinate several independent ministries into one seamless process that helps people discover the church and become integrated into the life and ministry of Riverpark Bible Church, the community, and the world.  Our goal is to move regular attendees and pew sitters toward being fully integrated, committed members of our local body of believers.

Membership Ministries EQUIPS:

E  - Exalt our Great God                                                        

Q  - Quicken your love for others                                          

U  - Unleash the Good News                                                

I   - Identify with Christ's Body                                              

P  - Practice obedience to the Word                                    

S  - Steadfastness to the Lord's work                                 

Exalting God is not something we do when we come to church on Sunday morning alone.  Our exaltation of the God who gave us life should occur 24-7- 365 or 366 depending on leap year.  We exalt God when we put a smile on His face.  Our very existence on this earth is for the praise and glory of God. 

Quickening our love for others.  If we truly love other people like we already love and pamper ourselves, then our lives will pour out in service for others.  Part of the goal of MEMBERSHIP MINISTRIES is to activate the Body of Christ in works of service that will edify the Body.  It means discovering our giftedness and our S.H.A.P.E. and fulfilling our purpose in the Body for the praise and glory of Christ who is the Head of the Body. 

Unleashing the Good News is a key ingredient of disciple-making.  Nobody is saved without a proper understanding of God's plan of salvation.  It is vital that we teach sin, righteousness and a coming Judgment.  It is biblical to use God's Law which is the schoolmaster that leads a person to Christ.  Membership at Riverpark Bible Church should never occur until there has been genuine membership in God's family.  The cross needs to be the focus of our message.

Identifying with Christ's Body is equal to identifying with Christ!  Baptism is the public proclamation that a person is a believer.  That's why it is a requirement for church membership and getting plugged into the process.  Part of the baptism process is identifying with the message of Christ and that's why we have people publicly proclaim what Christ has so wonderfully accomplished in their lives.  The picture of baptism illustrates that point in time when we were born again -- when we died to ourselves and God graciously raised us to newness of life and made us a part of Christ's Body. 

Practicing obedience to God's Word is the test of true salvation.   A genuine believer will bear fruit.  We have a biblical mandate to teach people to be "doers of the Word and not hearers only."  If our lives do not reflect the things we say we believe, what good is that?  To know what we believe we must be students of the Word.  Like Job we should be able to say, "I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread."  There needs to become a commitment among God's people to hunger for an understanding of God's Word. 

Steadfastness is another way of saying that we persevere.  There is beauty in one who is continuing in the faith and the work of the Lord.  They do not weary in well-doing.  They love Christ and his church and labor to see it flourish.  Their passion is for a healthy bride who will find herself pure and blameless at the soon-coming of the Bridegroom.