Membership is first and foremost a Biblical conviction. It is clear from scripture that mutual submission, accountability, vulnerability, and service all happen within the context of one's local church. Each believer is called to connect, invest, and do life with other believers in a christian community over a long period of time. For a brief outline of membership philosophy within Soma please click here.
At Soma membership is seen as a process and should not be taken lightly or quickly. The following is the path we use for anyone new or old to Soma who would be considering membership to our body. There are three phases of time that we recognize for anyone undertaking this process. These periods of time are not specific in length and will differ for every individual.
Participation Membership
Leadership is called to equip and invite the church into a closer walk with God and His people. For this reason eventually a leader may have a membership discussion with you. This is not because we want to make more disciples of Soma Community Church, we want to see you become more like Jesus and we want to be able to lead you better into a fuller walk with Christ.
This is a time in which individuals attend a large gathering or check out a house church. In this stage people are listening and watching others interact with one another. Typically this is a stage for people seeking information. We'd encourage you to start here and to feel free to identify this as a phase in which you find yourself.
This is a time in which people begin to involve themselves repeatedly in the things which they have been observing. This could be seen as continual sharing in house church, a desire to volunteer, new relationships with people, and personal investment. Typically this is a stage for people seeking trust. This can be a fun time of exploration and growth in a persons life. Unfortunately many people simply stop here. They enjoy participating and like the freedom to come and go if they please. This is a valid time in the process of church membership but it is not the last stop to which the Bible calls disciples.
Membership is the result of God's call on someone's life to make Soma Community the church in which they desire to serve, grow, and be held accountable. These individuals have read the "philosophy of membership" and understand the joys and responsiblities that come with joining a local body. Typically this is a stage for people seeking growth. When an individual or family decides they want to take this step there are three things we ask that you do.
Once these three things have been completed there will be a time of introduction and prayer for you.
Overall Soma leadership wants to equip you to lead yourself and those around you to look like Jesus. We believe healthy disciples are the best influence for God and the gospel where they live, work, and play.
The following is what we as leaders strive to serve the members of Soma. Leadership Goals
We want to provide an opportunity to explore our new space together and get a feel for what to expect week to week. For this reason we will be setting up together and participating in a trial run. We will begin regular use of the YMCA in the month of June. Please see the calendar below for gathering information. While some people have specific... continue »
