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In my last post, I explained what I meant by the terms Church and Motorcycle Clubs (M.C.). Now, I want to dive into some of the specific things that I believe we can learn from each other.

I want to start with membership.

First, let me explain how one becomes a member of a typical motorcycle club. In most cases, it’s not an easier process. Before a club allows you to where their patch (also known as “colours” or “cut”), they want to make sure you fully understand the philosophy behind the club. Membership is something that is earned. The process is rarely easy. But in the end, I believe it’s one of the main reasons that most club guys value their membership above almost everything else. I know many guys who will refuse to take off their patch no matter who asks them to do so. It is their most prized possession.

There are a number of stages to club membership. It begins with a Hangaround stage. A Hangaround has no real status in the club. He is simply someone who, well … hangs around … at club events. He might hang out at the club house or participate in bike runs sponsored by the club. However, he isn’t unnoticed by the club. If someone in the club views the Hangaround as potential club material, he may be invited to move on to the next stage.

That next stage is the Prospect stage. In most clubs, you don’t ask to prospect, you’re invited to do so. If a club member thinks you might be a good fit for the club, he’ll “sponsor” you. As a prospect, you are at the bidding of all the members of the club. You work hard. You do whatever you are asked to do. Your the guy who is washing the floors, carrying food and drinks to the club parties, running errands for club members. The primary job of a prospect is to learn. He follows behind the members, watching them, learning from them. Many clubs have a rule that prospects are to stay quiet at public events. Speak only when instructed to do so by a member. In other words, stay in the background, work like a dog, and learn the ropes. The prospect stage can last anywhere from six months to a few years. Some never move past this stage. Some quite because they find being a prospect demeaning. It’s usually easy to spot a prospect in a club environment. He may be wearing a patch that clearly states he is a prospect. Or, he may be wearing part of the clubs colours (usually the club logo (or emblem) and one rocker (the rockers are the top and bottom patches. One usually states the name of the club, the other usually has the city or state the club resides in).

After a period of time, if the prospect’s sponsor (the guy who originally invited him to join the club) feels the prospect has earned it, a vote will be held by the members of the club. Most clubs require a unanimous vote in order to approve a prospect for membership. The vote is always private and no prospects attend the meeting where the vote is held. If approved, the prospect is granted full membership into the club.

When a prospect becomes a full member, most clubs hold a party to celebrate. After all, it’s a big deal for both the prospect and the club. They are telling this guy that he has worked hard, has proven his value, and is now part of a very close group of friends. He’s family. He now enjoys all the rights and privileges of membership.

Can a person ever move down the “ladder” from member to prospect. Absolutely. There are a few reasons why a member can be put back to prospect status, but I’ll explain those reasons in a later post.

Lessons Learned

So, what can the Church learn from the membership process of a Motorcycle Club? I believe a lot. However, there are a few challenges we must face when we compare the two.

First, most churches strive to be inclusive. In other words, churches want everyone to feel welcome. M.C.s don’t carry that same desire. While they want to be friendly with most people, M.C.s are very exclusive. Members are seen very differently than non-members.

In a lot of churches, there has been a movement away from membership. Again, it’s done out of a desire to make everyone feel welcome. But I think in the end, it hurts one of the very key principles that membership offers: value to the church. You see, in a club, members will do just about anything for the club because they have poured a lot of “blood, sweat, and tears” into the club. It’s difficult to have that same value in a local church if there isn’t an effort required to be part of any area of the church.

At Bikers’ Church, one of our key values is that you belong just by showing up. We want every person who walks through our doors to feel he/she is a part of the Bikers’ Church family. It’s important to us. However, that doesn’t mean that every person who comes through the doors at Bikers’ Church can dictate the direction of the church. Just because you attend a few weeks doesn’t mean you get to have a say in the philosophy of the church.

From the very beginning we felt it was important to have a membership. To be a member at Bikers’ Church, you are required to take a course that goes over the history of Bikers’ Church. It tells the story of how we began and why we do what we do. It explains our foundational beliefs and the core values that make us Bikers’ Church. If, after the course is completed, you want to become a member, then you are required to sign a paper committing to living out the core values. Membership is only valid for the calendar year, and every person, including staff, are required to make a fresh commitment each January. Each membership form is reviewed by the Servant Leadership Team (Church Board). Those approved are acknowledged during a service.

Even so, I’m not convinced that we value membership at Bikers’ Church enough. I wonder if there should be a minimum waiting period before one can become a member. We don’t require someone to be a member in order to serve in certain areas of the church, however we do ask people to attend a minimum of six months before they serve in any area (such as behind the bar, running a video camera, etc.). We want people to have a basic understanding of why we do what we do before they get involved in an area within the church.

I think membership should be something that we value much higher. It should be celebrated. Not so that we make a clear separation from members and non-members. I do believe that you can still make everyone feel like they belong and still celebrate those who commit fully to being part of the church family.

When you become a member of a motorcycle club, you are proud of that connection. It’s easy to spot a club member. They are almost always wearing their patch. They bike often has club images on it. Even their cars usually have club stickers. Heck, I’ve seen club members who even plaster the front door of their house with club logos. They get tattoos with the club’s name. They boast about their club to others. It would crush a lot of them to ever lose their membership within the club.

How many churches can boast that? Now, I do admit that Bikers’ Church has that kind of “loyalty.” Most of the members have a CCBC sticker somewhere on their motorcycle. Most wear Bikers’ Church t-shirts or sport the church’s logo patch on their vest. I don’t think anyone has tattooed the church’s logo on their bodies, but it wont surprise me if someone does.

I realize that there are many reasons why we don’t emphasize church membership the same way a club does. I understand that the focus of most churches is to life up the name of Jesus not the name of the church. What matters most is that God is honoured and glorified, not Bikers’ Church.

Still, I wonder if there’s something we could learn about how we view our local church from the way a club member views his club.

You turn. Comments?