The Membership Directory: How It Helps Me Care for the Church
I heard someone say that everyone’s favorite word is their name. Although that may or may not be true (because some don’t like their name), learning and using someone’s name is indeed a fantastic way to start and grow relationships.
My family and I were previously members of Hope Chapel in Hermosa Beach, CA. Our pastor there was incredible at learning and using people’s names. He was the senior pastor there for over 30 years, and I would see him use name after name. He reminds me of some Grace Rancho members. At the time, I was not good at remembering names, with the common excuse, “I am just bad at it.” One day I asked my pastor how he did it. How was he able to remember so many names? And he said to me “You just have to care enough.” Well that stuck with me for years and I have shared that story many times. Last summer, my family and I went to a 50th anniversary celebration at Hope Chapel, and I shared that story with a few old friends. One of my friends who leads worship for the church laughed and said “No way man, he just memorizes the faces and names in the Membership Directory!”
Grace Rancho is a special place, different from the five other church es I have attended in my adult life. The attention given to the Membership Directory is just as special. Before my wife Keri and I became members, I remember hearing Pastor Eric say “The Membership Directory should be your second most important book.” The first time I heard that, I didn’t understand why. As I’ve learned more about what membership is and how we are to hold each other accountable, care for each other, and lift each other up, I’ve realized this was a great place to start. In a church without a published and promoted directory, how would you know who you are responsible for and to whom? The Membership Directory gives us a perfect place to start fulfilling what Romans 12:10-13 says, to “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor… Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.”
I can think of two specific times this past year when I received a text message, just a simple reminder that another member cared for me and was praying for me and my family. And each time it was exactly what God knew I needed. His timing is miraculous. What an amazing yet simple reminder of how church membership ought to work. Since then I have tried to reciprocate with other members. While not perfect by any means, I intentionally keep my copy of the membership directory in my copy of God’s Word. It’s a gentle reminder to look through and pray for anything that comes to mind, or to send a text of encouragement.
One of my favorite specific uses for the directory is using it to get to know everyone at Grace Rancho. I have been a member since November 2020, and still, there are a few names I’ve yet to meet. I’ve actually marked all the names I have met, and I hope to get it 100% marked up soon. My 9-year-old daughter has looked through it and recently counted every face in the entire list. It was interesting to see who she knew, who her friends were, and who their parents were. I would encourage you to look through it with your family and see who you can pray for together.
As part of Men’s Equipping, our monthly ministry assignment was to pray through the entire membership directory in our small groups. May be it’s just my personality but I didn’t want to let anyone slip through the cracks. We have members whose last name starts with Z, and I wanted to make sure we got all the way through. So I numbered each entry and divided it by the number of days in the month, texting out the names each night to our small group. It was a joy to pray systematically through the entire directory, to bring specific prayer requests to God, and to praise Him for the work He is doing in others’ lives. Many of the prayer requests come from our Sunday night gatherings. The directory is a great place to write down a simple note of how we can pray for one another.
Praise God for the church members of Grace Church of Rancho Cucamonga. Lord, help us to serve one another with humility, giving undeserved care, grace, and mercy to each other just as you have given so generously to us.