FOURTH FLOOR

Guide to Fourth Floor Membership

Fourth Floor membership is a formal commitment someone makes to to be a member of Rooftop Church. It also includes other members who have made that commitment to God and each other. We call it the “Fourth Floor” because getting involved in a church usually happens in a series of steps:

First Floor - Come
Second Floor - Connect
Third Floor - Contribute
Fourth Floor - Commit

The following is a manual for our Fourth Floor members to understand what is expected of them and what they should expect from their church.

FOURTH FLOOR MANUAL -DOWNLOAD PDF

Why is Fourth Floor membership important?

It’s not required that people at Rooftop make a commitment to be a Fourth Floor member. We know that commitments can be difficult; everybody’s situation is different. We certainly don’t think that being an official church member has anything to do with salvation. At the same time, we believe there are good reasons to become a Fourth Floor member.

Commitment is Christian. All Christians should be committed to the body of Christ, and making a commitment as a Fourth Floor member at Rooftop is an opportunity to do that. God’s people should be loyal to Jesus and His body. Paul writes in Romans, “Be devoted to one another in love” (Rom. 12:10).

Commitment helps people grow to be more like Jesus. Trees and plants grow best when planted in one spot. The same is true for people: growth happens best when we stay in one place with people who can get to know us and help us grow to be more like Jesus. Moving around a lot from church to church isn’t healthy. As Paul writes to the Ephesians, “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work” (Eph. 4:15-16).

Commitment fosters community. Just like in dating relationships, it can be difficult to get to know someone if you’re not sure how long they’re going to be around. The commitment of marriage allows people to get to know each other. Something similar happens in church membership: Our community grows as we devote ourselves to each other. As Luke writes in Acts, “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles” (Acts 2:42-43).

FOURTH FLOOR MANUAL - DOWNLOAD PDF

IMPORTANT QUESTIONS

Here's some important frequently asked questions about our Fourth Floor Membership.

Do members have to agree with everything Rooftop believes and does?

Of course not. God gives each of us lots of perspectives and opinions. Rooftop focuses on Jesus and tries to not disagree or divide over “non-essential matters.” The elders and staff have to make decisions and we value your input and perspectives, even if it’s different from ours.

What’s most important is that you agree with our purpose as a church, and our basic theological beliefs. Members don’t necessarily have to agree with every part of our “Elder Statements” (on Baptism, Gender and Sexuality), because we know those aren’t necessarily central to the message of the gospel. However, if you would like to be a leader or teacher at Rooftop, it’s important that you do agree with those Statements, so that we’re teaching the same message. And whatever your beliefs, we expect that you will share them with respect and humility and not undermine the beliefs and opinions of your leaders, or other members.

What’s required for a member to be on the Rooftop Voting Roster?

Rooftop is an elder-led church, which means that we are overseen by a team of godly, qualified men appointed by the congregation to “shepherd the flock” (1 Peter 5:2). These elders are voted on by the Voting Roster. The Voting Roster also approves the proposed budget and any bylaw changes. In order to be on the Voting Roster, people must be members who “have made a public commitment to Rooftop as their exclusive church home and are living in a manner consistent with the goals, practices, values, and beliefs of the church, as defined by the Church elder team” (Rooftop Bylaws, Article VIII – 8.1). Any Fourth Floor member can apply to serve on the Voting Roster, and are approved by three-quarters of the elder team. (This also requires people to attend our spring and fall State of the Roof meetings.) People can also be removed from the Voting Roster, by three-quarters of the elder team.

What does it mean to be “living in a manner consistent with the goals, practices, values, and beliefs of the church? It means to be living as an active church member as described in this manual! Here are some things that would disqualify you from serving on the Roster, or would warrant continuing as a member:

· Living in unresolved conflict with another Christian or Rooftopper without making an effort to resolve it;
· Not giving or serving Rooftop, and not being connected with its people or ministry;
· Stirring up division in the church in a way that compromises our peace and unity as the people of God;
· Being stuck in a sinful lifestyle and being unwilling to repent and get the help you need;
· Attending another church and not being fully invested in Rooftop as your home church.

To apply for the Voting Roster, fill out an application online, and plan to attend the next State of the Roof meeting.

Can a member be removed from the Fourth Floor?

Yes. In many churches the membership rolls consist of a long list of people who have attended or given to the church but might not be involved anymore. We don’t want the Fourth Floor to be that. We want it to be a meaningful community of people.

This is why the pastors and staff occasionally ask members to recommit to membership or follow up with someone who hasn’t been around. Perhaps a member wants to take the opportunity to plug back in. Perhaps their life circumstances have changed and they can no longer be that involved. Regardless, if someone isn’t in a place to remain committed as a member and don’t foresee that changing—or if they’ve moved on and we don’t hear from them—we remove them from the roster.

There’s nothing to prevent anyone from rejoining the Fourth Floor if they were previously removed, though.

How and when should people leave the Fourth Floor?

There are lots of reasons people leave a church. Some reasons are good and some are bad:

Good reasons - Maybe you take another job and move away. Maybe you’re called into the mission field. Maybe you can no longer support the teaching or leadership or Rooftop. Maybe you want to be part of a new church plant somewhere.
Bad reasons - Maybe you get bored at Rooftop. Maybe you find a cooler church down the road. Maybe you’re offended by something challenging a leader says. Maybe you’re in conflict with a fellow Rooftopper, and just want to avoid the situation.

Many people have joined and left the Fourth Floor over the years as their lives have taken different directions. Leaving a church can be an important and difficult transition. If you ever feel like that’s something you need to do, we understand! We just ask that you give us the chance to talk and pray about it before you decide, so that we can help you make such an important choice. Leaving a church can also be painful, and the leaders of Rooftop want to help you make that transition in a healthy and loving way.

Occasionally, someone chooses to leave the Fourth Floor but remain at Rooftop. We think that’s fine! We’d rather have someone step back from the Fourth Floor while remaining connected to Rooftop than stay on the Fourth Floor roster without meeting their commitments.

How does someone join the Fourth Floor?

If you’re ready to take the next step, here’s how you join!

1) Let a Rooftop pastor know that you want to make the commitment.
2) A pastor will then meet with you to get to know you and make sure you understand what’s involved in a Fourth Floor commitment.
3) Next, you’ll meet with some church Elders so they can get to know you and affirm your commitment.
4) Finally, we’ll introduce you on stage to the Rooftop church family, so they can meet you and so we can pray for you as a new member.

Because church membership is such an important commitment, there’s always a chance the your pastors or elders might not think you’re ready. But that’s only because we want to help you get ready! We’ll have recommendations for you and will check in to see how you’re doing.

Email Pastor Josh Nix at josh@rooftop.org to talk about committing to the Fourth Floor.