The church has a long history of tracking statistics. Those statistics have at times overshadowed not only the mission and vision of the church, but also the Gospel.

The temptation to confuse discipleship with membership is a temptation for individuals, congregations and the larger church. While disciples can be members and vice versa, they are not interchangeable.

Both linguists and psychologists have argued that the terminology we use influences our thought patterns. In light of this, do you think of yourself as a member or a disciple? How do you mentally classify your life as a child of God?

When we think of ourselves as "members," we are more likely to treat the church as a club and behave as consumers. In this model it is easy to compartmentalize our involvement to certain places o

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