Membership hardly feels meaningful when dozens or even hundreds of ‘members’ never show up. Now of course, some have good reasons for not attending church. The elderly, the sick, and those serving with the military or as missionaries are not the people I have in mind. Instead, i’m thinking of those on your membership rolls who long ago lost connection with your church. THese people should no longer be members of your church, for your sake and theirs. My own church went through this process of cleaning up our membership roll some time ago: two older women in the congregation spent nearly a year trying to locate the four hundred members who no longer attended. . . . And in one educationally lengthy members meeting, we voted each of the remaining people out of membership as an act of discipline. It was an act of discipline because as best we knew, they have failed to obey Hebrews 10:25, which tells us not to forsake assembling together. Before this meeting we had taught extensively about the importance of membership—and the importance of making membership meaningful. So the congregation was ready. But the process was painful nonetheless.” —Jamie Dunlop
