What's the Difference in Ownership and Membership?

The word member has interesting connotations in our culture. We are members of gyms, golf courses, alumni associations and other organizations. Membership implies a sense of belonging, which can be healthy. However, members frequently consume without contributing, and memberships are very often painless to get and even easier to discard. Identifying yourself as a member of a group can often portray exclusiveness to outsiders. At Vintage21, we have owners. An owner takes responsibility for the things under their care. Owners make things happen in their organizations, just as Jesus wants His followers to make the church happen. Becoming an owner of Vintage21 is an invitation to genuine intimacy, and to contribute your talents to the body of Christ.

The body of Christ has two meanings in the New Testament. In Luke 22:19, Jesus said, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” The sacrifice of Jesus’ body paid the price for our sins, and 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. Those who do follow Jesus form a community, called the church, and the main role of the church is to make Jesus’ love known to the world. Throughout the New Testament, followers of Christ are referred to as 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.

The challenge is to become an owner of Vintage21. Move from consumer to investor, and share your talents with the body of Christ and the community in which we live. Make Vintage21 happen.

Ownership Seminars

Ownership Seminars are held quarterly and consist of two sessions, each 45 minutes in length. In these seminars, we discuss the history, doctrine, beliefs and structure of Vintage21, as well as describe the tenets of ownership. We invite you to attend. Questions? Email info@vintage21.com.