therefore do very little to nurture the believers committed to their care.)
Billy Graham writes: "The church is primarily the body of Christ. . . . The Bible says . . . that it was Christ's love for the church that caused Him to go to the cross. If Christ loved the church that much . . . I must love it too. I must pray for it, defend it, work in it, pay my tithes and offerings to it, help to advance it, promote holiness in it, and make it the functional, witnessing body our Lord meant it to be. You go to church with that attitude this Sunday, and nobody will keep you away the next. . . . The family of God contains people of various ethnological, cultural, class, and denominational differences. I have learned that there can be minor disagreements of theology, methods and motives, but that within the true church there is a mysterious unity that overrides all divisive factors."
Helping Strategy
1. Commend the inquirer for his or her interest in the church. We are being obedient to God when we identify with the local church. In church we are seeking the opportunity to worship, fellowship, evangelize, study the Bible, pray, and participate in the Lord's Supper.
2. Becoming a member of a local church does not save us. We identify with a church because we are saved and desire to be obedient. Jesus said, "I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved" (John 10:9). Ask the inquirer if he or she has received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Share "Steps to Peace with God," page 11.
3. After trusting Christ, the inquirer should seek to identify immediately with a local church. Suggest that he or she pray for God's guidance in finding the right church, one which exalts Christ, preaches and teaches the Bible, and evangelizes the lost.
4. Once the person becomes a member of a church, faithful attendance is very important.
5. He or she should seek a place of service in the church. Opportunities are always available if we offer ourselves in service to God.
6. Encourage financial support of the church. Other Christian causes and ministries are worthy of our giving but in order to function and grow, the local church should receive a substantial part of its members' tithes and offerings.