“If I had never joined a church till I had found one that was perfect, I should never have joined one at all. And the moment I did join it, if I had found one, I should have spoiled it, for it would not have been a perfect church after I had become a member of it. Still, imperfect as it is, it is the dearest place on earth to us.” - Charles Spurgeon

Mystery is convinced that there is a serious need to address church membership, specifically in our culture and time. It would not take much to convince us that we live in a very consumeristic culture, where we are raised to think that we are consumers who exist to be served, but this is not what the church was meant to be in Jesus’ mind. Jesus created the church, is head of the church and loves the church enough that he died for her. He calls all believers to commit to His church out of love for and desire to please Him, of which the only practical expression is to belong to and participate in a single, local church.

At Mystery, we also understand that several possible, even understandable, reasons exist for aversion to church membership, some of which include:

• We simply don’t think about church membership and just take it for granted.
• We have had a bad experience with church in the past.
• We have never been taught the value and importance of church participation.
• We are simply opposed to the idea altogether.

We’d like to help address these issues by offering five practical reasons to join a church:

• Join a church for non-Christians
• Join a church for weaker Christians
• Join a church to mature in Christ
• Join a church for leadership and pastoral care
• Join a church for God’s glory.

Our mission at Mystery is to build a community of gospel-centered people who love, live & enjoy Jesus, each other and our city. Only through the gospel can we be reconciled to God and our lives transformed for the glory of God. It is the gospel that we share with others and that we seek to apply to our lives. It is the gospel that shapes our relationships with others in the context of the local church.

As we have said before, our main concern is not whether you become part of a church called Mystery, but that you become a part of a church. Ultimately, this is not an issue of our personal preference or convenience, but of the glory of God. We exist for his glory, and Scripture is clear that God desires to make his glory known through the church. This is why the church is so dear to him and to us. We trust it will become dear to you as well.

To explore more about why all Christians should join a specific local church and elaborate on what it looks like practically to be an “Owner” at Mystery sign up for our Ownership Seminars scheduled throughout the year.

Ownership Seminar

Those interested in becoming Owners at Mystery need to complete the Ownership Seminar. This seminar reviews the gospel, basic tenets of the Christian faith, and beliefs at Mystery. It also serves as a formal orientation to the vision, values, and mission of Mystery, as well as what it looks like to be an Owner at Mystery. This class will be offered semi-yearly over the course of four weekends. Each weekend consists of a Friday evening and a Saturday morning session, for a total of eight sessions. Check the calendar to find out about the next date.