Guest Post: Caring for Church Members

An Exert from Blank Long's New Book

This is a guest post from Blake Long. I’m grateful to share his thoughtful reflections on the importance of caring for fellow members in the local church. This is an exert from his new book you can find a copy here. You can subscribe to his Substack here.

Photo by Akira Hojo on Unsplash

The local church is part of God’s plan for our sanctification. Being actively involved in the life of your local church is integral not only to your walk with Jesus, but with other members as well. The problem, however, is that the church is made up of sinners. Even though we’ve been purchased by the blood of the Lamb (1 Cor. 6:20), we still reside in our flesh. And when Christians congregant together, we are all bound to rub each other the wrong way at some point. And yet, you still need the local church. And not only you, but the person sitting next to you in the pew. If unconditional election is true—and it is—then the person you find most annoying in your church was also elected by God in Christ before the foundation of the world. He or she is just as much a child of God as you. You are going to spend eternity with them. Of course, in eternity there will be no annoyances, but right now there are. But we must go out of our way to care for others in the local church, especially the annoying ones.

When we look at fellow church members in light of their election in Christ, it’s easier to look past their flaws and sins. In fact, it should cause us to get messy. Caring for church members involves knowing them—and knowing them well. Sometimes that is difficult not only because you perhaps are annoyed by the person, but you are an introvert. It’s not a sin to be introverted. However, there are many times when we use being introverted as an excuse not to care for church members. And that’s a sin.

So what are some practical ways to care for members of our local church? Call them. A 10-minute phone call is all someone needs sometimes. This simple act goes a long way in letting someone know they are cared for. Many are in a season of life that perhaps feels unbearable; but when they know they have a church that truly cares about them, it makes things easier. It’s one thing to get a call from a pastor; it’s quite another to get one from a fellow church member. It makes a difference. First Thessalonians 5:11 mentions, “Therefore encourage one another and build another up, just as you are doing.” Each time you call a brother or sister, do so with the intention of encouraging them.

Visit the elderly.

Many of those who are elderly in the congregation might be lonely. Reach out to them and ask if you can come visit for an hour or so just to talk. You don’t need to have a theological lesson but just go visit and pray with and for them. Simple gestures like this go a long way in letting someone know they’re cared for.

Bring food to new parents.

One of the biggest burdens, per se, when becoming a new parent is cooking. The last thing you want to do is cook dinner while caring for a newborn. Considering this, make it a point to tell—not ask—the new parents that you will bring them some dinner. Ask what they like and dislike. Make sure you bring food they’ll enjoy, whether homemade or not. My local church does a “food train” each time there’s a newborn for a family. Just make sure you get on the list for that and show those new parents they are loved.

Get to know them on a personal level.

Be close enough to them that you know what’s going on in their life. Many churches are full of surface-level relationships among congregants. We need to know the person next to us personally if we want the local church to thrive.

The Apostle Paul wrote, “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor” (Rom. 12:10). You can’t do that if you don’t know someone personally. Sometimes you need to have deeper conversations than the weather. Which leads to the final point.

Invite them into your home.

Romans 12:13 states, “Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.” I have found that it’s easier for me to invite someone (or a couple) into my home and get to know them than it is for me to do that same thing while members are mingling before and after service. Perhaps that’s to my own detriment, but that’s just how I naturally function. Invite them over for dinner. Pray before the meal and thank God for them. Dine together, go sit on the couch for an hour or so and just talk to them—about anything! If the opportunity arises to have an in-depth theological conversation, go for it! But the point is to get to know them. Be hospitable.

Being selfless.

In the end, if we desire to care for the brothers and sisters in our local church, we must be selfless, thinking of them more than we do ourselves. It is when the church functions this way that Christians flourish in their walks with Jesus.

Unconditional election is the bedrock of caring for church members because it reminds us that we’re all loved by God. We’re all in the same place—none greater than the other. And because that’s true, it’s easier to go out of our way to show your brother or sister that you care. If we want to care for our church members, we will think more of them and less about ourselves. And in that way, we are living as Jesus would want us to.