PBC is a group of people committed to live out the way of Jesus together in order to bring hope and justice to our neighbours and our world. Membership at PBC is a covenant commitment to partner with God in what He is doing in us and through us.
Membership is not essentially about what we can get, but about what we can give.
"Covenant is a biblical concept. In the Ancient Near East, covenant was a binding agreement in which covenant members had certain obligations to keep and expected certain benefits in return. What makes a covenant different from a simple business agreement is that a covenant is based on a meaningful relationship between the two parties. Examples of covenant include the covenants God made with all creation in the time of Noah, with Abram and his descendants, and eventually with the people of Israel at Mt. Sinai. To the prophets of the Bible, this covenant was a marriage between Yahweh and his people. Another example of covenant is the commitment between Jesus and people everywhere to follow him. We believe that to commit our lives to God, one another and the world in meaningful relationship is what it means to be the church." - Rob Bell
Membership in summary
o PBC is committed to serving and giving - it requires people of commitment and partnership.
o 'Membership', however, has lost some of its usefulness in our culture. One can be a member of the YMCA, the gym and a fan club, etc. Membership is often about discounts or priority bookings, not about a declaration of commitment
o Covenant - covenant is based on a meaningful relationship between the two parties.
o Membersip requires a personal faith in Jesus
o Membership requires you have the values and vision of PBC in your DNA and heart
o Membership means you are committing to regular attendance at corporate church on Sundays, in Small Groups, church meetings
o Membership means you are committing to giving time, talents and treasure to what God is doing in us and through in order to bring hope and justice to our neighbours and our world.
Next course - Tuesdays 11th and 18th May with Membership Welcome Meal on Thursday 27th May 2010
The Membership Course runs twice yearly for three tuesday evenings, beginning at 8pm. The third Tuesday evening is a welcome meal with the Elders and Staff Team. It also involves a conversation with an Elder or Pastor. We ask you to be present at each of the three evenings. For more information, or to book your place, please click here and fill out the online form.
