Church Membership: How the World Knows Who Represents Jesus by Jonathan Leeman is a short read, as is characteristic in the 9Marks: Building Healthy Churches series. Also, as is characteristic, it takes you out of the comfort zone and gives you things to to think about.
Leeman starts off by raising the question if our view of church membership and whether it is not just important but necessary in a Christian's life. He doesn't candy coat the subject; there are concepts that are, to be honest, jarring, such as the phrase "Submitting to the church". With authoritarian movements and cult groups, there is a reason for that distrust. On the other hand, some of that discomfort is that we are looking at things from our individualistic, materialistic, often hedonistic societal American worldview. (By the way, when you read the book, "submitting to the church" is not as scary as it sounds.
One question that is dealt with is whether there is a difference in dealing with a person who is a part of the "universal church" and one who also is a part of your local church. Another is whether where you live and work is your personal decision or whether one should consult the church in making these important choices. Like I said, this book will take you out of your comfort zone.
This book is to-the-point, but Leeman also gives some humor in the book to help make this an enjoyable read. I would suggest this as a book a new member of a church should read. Just as important, I would recommend reading with others, be it in a Sunday School class or a discussion group.
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