We are not talking about lapsing memberships, just listing people as inactive. It may be seen as a step towards lapsing, but the goal is to avoid that. People are reluctant to even use the term inactive, which is not published with any names.
The issue is not about profession of faith being too much to ask. It is about what each of these events is really about. Profession of faith is not a ticket to the sacraments. The sacraments are open to all members. Profession of faith is not my becoming a member. Baptism is when I become a member (as stated in our forms for infant baptism). As a member at baptism, why would we not have the sacraments that come with that baptism?
The arguments against often seem to be about how this will take away from profession of faith. I believe that to the contrary it will strengthen profession of faith by making it mean what it is supposed to mean. It is my stating publicly, at that time and forever after, that I take this faith and the grace recieved at baptism and claim to live under it. It is my statement of faith. It is my witness to the world that I stand with the church in what it teaches. I accept the promises made when I was shown to be a member by God's action of grace at my baptism.
Posted in: What are people doing about declaring members "inactive" and ministering to them?
We are not talking about lapsing memberships, just listing people as inactive. It may be seen as a step towards lapsing, but the goal is to avoid that. People are reluctant to even use the term inactive, which is not published with any names.
Posted in: The Wait is Nearly Over
The issue is not about profession of faith being too much to ask. It is about what each of these events is really about. Profession of faith is not a ticket to the sacraments. The sacraments are open to all members. Profession of faith is not my becoming a member. Baptism is when I become a member (as stated in our forms for infant baptism). As a member at baptism, why would we not have the sacraments that come with that baptism?
The arguments against often seem to be about how this will take away from profession of faith. I believe that to the contrary it will strengthen profession of faith by making it mean what it is supposed to mean. It is my stating publicly, at that time and forever after, that I take this faith and the grace recieved at baptism and claim to live under it. It is my statement of faith. It is my witness to the world that I stand with the church in what it teaches. I accept the promises made when I was shown to be a member by God's action of grace at my baptism.