What's the Difference in Ownership and Membership?

The word member has interesting connotations in our culture. We are members at gyms, golf courses, websites, alumni associations, and other organizations. These memberships are painless to obtain and even easier to discard. The word member implies a sense of belonging, which can be healthy. However, being a member of a group can often portray exclusiveness to outsiders. Membership gives people access to an organization with limitations "authorized personnel only!" The idea of church membership is not a biblical mandate but rather a development in church tradition.

1 Corinthians 12:27 states that You are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. The body of Christ has two meanings in the New Testament. Jesus explained the most important understanding of His body to us at the Last Supper: "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me" (Luke 22:19). The sacrifice of Jesus' body paid the price for our sins and restored our relationship with God. If we accept this sacrifice we are ushered into His body.

The second understanding of "His body" is the universal group of people that follow Him: You are the body of Christ. Everyone who follows Jesus forms a community that is called the church. The main role of the church is to make known Jesus' love for the world. So what relationship does "you are the body of Christ" imply? Vintage21 believes that membership is not the most appropriate description for us in Christ's body. Being a part of a church is better comprehended with the word ownership. Throughout the New Testament, followers of Christ are called heirs or co-heirs to God's kingdom (Titus 3:7, Romans 8:17, I Peter 3:7). The Greek definition of heir is "to possess or to own". Therefore, each follower of Christ co-owns the church with and through Jesus Christ.

Why Become an Owner?

The challenge is to become an owner of Vintage21. A member of an organization uses the facilities, gains from its services, takes a shower, and heads about their business. An owner makes the organization happen. Jesus wants His followers to make the church happen--go out and love people, nurture each other, and serve with your whole life. Ownership is a higher calling than membership. If you are a follower of Christ, then you are a co-owner of His church. Make Vintage21 happen.

Becoming an owner of Vintage21 is a declaration that you are moving from being a consumer to being an investor--that you are joining not simply the community of Christ, but the cause of Christ as well. The motivation behind becoming an owner is not what can be received, but what can be given. And yet, on a deeper level, ownership is an invitation to genuine intimacy. When people become owners, they are declaring submission of their lives to the spiritual authority of this community and welcoming genuine accountability in their spiritual journeys. What once was the standard for leadership is now our standard for ownership.

Ownership Seminar

To become an owner, you must attend an Ownership Seminar. Held quarterly, the seminars consist of two sessions, each 45 minutes in length, held directly after the 11:15 service. During these sessions we go over the history, doctrine and beliefs of Vintage21, as well as describing the tenets of ownership in greater detail. After attending the Ownership Seminars, a covenant is signed to complete the Ownership Process, in which Owners agree to six points of building the local church. Questions? email info@vintage21.com