It's time.

You've thought about it over the years. You've found lots of reason NOT to join the church (believe me... I've heard them!):

1. It's inconvenient (couldn't make the membership classes...)
2. Not sure about doctrinal issues (the "Jesus is Lord" thing, the strangeness of the Bible)
3. Don't want to give the church my money ('nuff said)
4. It's just personal (not really a "church person")

But it's time to join. Now. Let me tell you why.

The reason for joining a church is that by doing so, you say to the world "I AM IN." You are a part of this world--a meaningful part. You commit, in joining a church, to claiming your place in the interdependent community of humanity.

Is this convenient? No. Being a part of a church family brings expections and obligations. We expect to see you here... regularly! But you benefit from these obligations. You grow meaningful relationships. You learn about yourself and what's really important to you. You become a part of the family. That's not "convenient," but the rewards far outweigh the "inconveniences."

What about beliefs? While I love Jesus and will tell you about him whenever I can, at Marble we are much less concerned about WHAT you believe than THAT you are thinking about what you believe. We are a "process" church, not a "destination" church. We expect you to read the Bible, to think about God, learn about God, pray, shed old visions of God for new ones, and to encounter Jesus. But we will never confront you about what EXACTLY you believe. Our tent is big enough to hold multitudes.

What about the money? In short, if you love something, you will give it your money. Our money follows our values. We expect you to give to the church in proportion to your love for it and as an epxression of your love for God. Early on, this may be small. Over time, it might be every last penny you have. We welcome you to give as God gives you the spirit to give.

In the end, church membership is a "personal" decision. But I would say there is no such thing as a "church person" (or an "unchurched person"). We are only and always children of God... and we are diverse in all the ways that God has made us so. If it ever appears like there' s a "church type," it's because that church has effectivly excluded or made to feel unwelcome those who didn't "fit in." At Marble, we value you—just as you are. We expect that you will change us when you join us... and maybe you'll change a bit too, along the way.

And that's the final reason to join: when you join us, you have the power to re-form the church as you think God wants the church to become! In the Reformed Church, the members of the congregation runs the church. Members have the constitutional right to determine who their leaders are (the elders and deacons), the constitutional right to influence the choice of pastors, the right to nominate themselves for church leadership! Just as being a citizen of the United States means that you are part of a democratic system—and that "opting out" means that that you can be SURE you won't like the results—in the church, you are part of a system in which power is rooted in the people.

In the church, you have the power to make change... but only if you join. Membership at Marble begins Sunday, April 27th.