In ancient warfare, one of the most dominant tactics adopted by militaries through the ages has been to place soldiers side by side in one, unified formation known as a phalanx.[1] Instead of relying on the combat skill of individual soldiers, whole armies could combine their strength in one collective force as they “locked arms” together. While the phalanx was outsmarted as a military strategy, the basic premise rings true: an army is stronger than a mercenary. And the same is true in the Christian life.

In the Bible, there are no lone ranger Christians. When we are called to Christ, we are called to His body, “locking arms” with other believers in the local church (e.g., 1 Cor. 12:12–13). The way we formalize our commitments to one another is through church membership. At The Trails Church, we cherish church membership and have sought to cultivate membership that is deep, rich, and meaningful. But what is meaningful membership, why do we care so much about it, and how can we grow in it? To answer these questions, we can survey the contours of Ephesians 4:1–16.

WHAT? | WE TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ONE ANOTHER.

First, we must answer what meaningful membership really is. While there are more exhaustive definitions, here’s a simple answer: we take responsibility for one another. The Apostle Paul demonstrates this through his charge to the Ephesian church in Ephesians 4:1–3. He writes, beginning in verse 1: “I…urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.” The “calling” here is the calling to salvation; this is every Christian’s calling!

In what way should every Christian walk? Verse 2: “…with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Gospel unity is hard work. But what’s remarkable is who is given the responsibility to tend to this unity. The whole church is to be “eager” to cultivate a gospel culture. It’s as if Paul is telling the Ephesian church, “Building a gospel community is part of your job description!” Paul later explains that the leaders Christ gives the church are, verse 12: “to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ.” The leaders equip the saints…for the work of ministry! So then, ministry to one another in the local church is every member’s responsibility.

As church members, we have a role to play in one another’s spiritual growth. When you join a church, you are raising your hand and saying, “I’ll watch out for you if you’ll watch out for me! Let’s lock arms and walk toward Jesus together.” That’s what church members do; we take responsibility for one another.

WHY? | WE ARE UNITED TO CHRIST AND HIS BODY.

At this point, another burning question is, “Why should we take responsibility for one another?” Paul’s answer: We are united to Christ and His body. Or even more simply, the gospel creates a people, a community. This is exactly what Paul demonstrates in verses 4–6: “There is one body and one Spirit–just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call–one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all.” Seven times in two verses, Paul repeats “one,” underscoring that there is one gospel that unites us to one Lord, and all those united to that one Lord are one in Him.

Our union with Christ in the gospel, however, is invisible; it’s a work in our very souls. So where does the gospel’s community-creating power take on flesh and blood? In local church membership! When Christians declare their faith in Christ through baptism, publicly identifying with Him and His body, and covenant together in membership, the internal workings of God’s grace go public. Church membership is a living, breathing, glorious display of gospel power. We are accountable to and for one another in the local church because the gospel unites us to Christ and His body.

HOW? | WE INTENTIONALLY DO ONE ANOTHER SPIRITUAL GOOD.

How do we actually do this? Meaningful membership is a high calling, but it’s not complicated. So how can we be meaningful members? Stated simply: we intentionally do one another spiritual good.[2] And we do that by speaking and living the gospel together. This is exactly what Paul says in verse 15: “…speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into Him who is the head, Christ.” By speaking and living the gospel together, we do one another spiritual good so that we might grow in Christ. What does that look like in the everyday life of a member of The Trails Church? Here are a few examples:

• It looks like showing up on Sunday mornings and singing loud to encourage one another with the gospel in our songs.
• It looks like pulling up the membership directory on the Church Center app and praying for a few members every day, maybe even texting them to encourage them with gospel truth.
• It looks like sticking around after the Sunday morning worship gathering to connect with a brother you haven’t seen for a while, or to check up on a sister who you know is walking through hardship, and having a spiritually edifying conversation.
• It looks like having another family over for dinner, praying with one another, enjoying good fellowship, and sharing what you’ve been reading in God’s Word.
• It looks like being willing to pull a brother or sister aside to say, “I love you, and I’m concerned about this area of your life. Can I help you?”
• It looks like being willing to ask a follow-up question after someone shares a temptation, asking, “Can we explore what the Bible says about this and try to walk it out together?”
• It looks like meeting with another member, reading a passage of Scripture together, and discussing how to apply it to life.
• It looks like crying with one another, bearing one another’s burdens, and serving one another in times of loss.

In a nutshell, meaningful membership looks like joyfully committing to fulfill our Church Covenant, a summary of the New Testament's corporate commands. Brothers and sisters, it is a privilege and a profound blessing to belong to the body of Christ, to lock arms with fellow believers who take responsibility for one another’s spiritual good. So then, let us commit once again to speak and live the gospel together, that the Lord Jesus might be glorified in us as we journey toward Him together.

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[1] Britannica Editors. "phalanx." Encyclopedia Britannica, March 8, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/topic/phalanx-military-formation.

[2] Adapted from Mark Dever, Discipling (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2016), 13.