Paul says in Ephesians 4:25 that we are one body, yet “members one of another”. So, think of church membership not so much as “membership in a club” and more as an expression of commitment to the people around you. The Bible is full of “one anothers” - commands toward believers to act in godliness toward other people. What Scripture makes clear is that these “others” refer to a specific group of people and not all people generally. These others are the men and women identified in a particular local church. As members of Cross of Grace Santa Ana, we have the privilege of living out the Christian life with one another. We celebrate and grieve with one another. We build deep relationship with one another. We join arms to advance the joy of Jesus in a particular neighborhood with one another. We help one another pursue holiness. We remind one another of the sweetness of the Gospel.
In light of this, we praise God for the new members, Jared & Tracie Oda, we had the joy of introducing this last Sunday. As you celebrate this expression of God’s grace among us, read the encouraging testimony that Jared & Tracie shared this Sunday:
For those who we haven’t met, we are Jared and Tracie Oda. A little background on us, we both grew up going to our previous church since we were babies. Last August, we felt that it was time to leave our old congregation, and we embarked on what turned out to be a 9 month church-hopping journey. Out of 25 different churches, God sovereignly led us here to Cross of Grace Santa Ana.
The amount of love and hospitality you guys show us is unlike anything we have ever experienced at a church. After every interaction with Cross of Grace, we got into our car, sat there a few moments in silent bewilderment, then ask each other, “How is everyone at Cross of Grace so nice?” And it’s a genuine question. Not like an, “Oh wow they are nice,” but an amazement and confusion where we genuinely want to know how a church could be so loving. It has quickly become apparent that your ability to love us is a direct overflow of knowing Jesus and experiencing a radical transformation through His Gospel. Just as God brought you into His family despite being strangers to Him, so too have you extended the same kind of grace to strangers like us. Though we barely knew you, you welcomed us into your homes, shared testaments of God’s grace in your lives, and encouraged us to lay our spiritual baggage at Jesus’s feet. The scripture that comes to mind is John 13:35 which says, “by this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” I hope it serves as an encouragement to you, Cross of Grace, knowing from our perspective, it is so strikingly evident that you are Jesus’s disciples by the way you loved us and love each other.
We are beyond grateful that today we get to officially join Cross of Grace as members with you and pray that God would use all of us to reflect His love to each other and to bring the good news of Christ to our neighbors in Santa Ana.
We look forward to joining our new members in spreading the joy of Jesus in Downtown Santa Ana!
