This is further development of the last point. As in any civil government, the right to vote is pointless unless there are significant issues to decide. And if decisions are made, there must be people to execute them. So with the church. At Sellwood Baptist, only members can be elected to hold offices and positions of leadership.

Perhaps you have no present intent of becoming so deeply involved at Sellwood. Let us assure you that we are not anxiously trying to saddle every visitor with a job. Yet again we believe the Bible is clear in teaching that every believer has been given certain special abilities to use in serving others (spiritual gifts). This little message has been prepared to help you determine if it is God's plan for you to use your gifts within our organization.

At Sellwood we feel that anybody who attends is part of our congregation. We also feel obligated to help anyone in need in any way that we can, even if they have never attended our church. However, the Bible teaches that our first responsibility is to those who belong to the "household of faith". If you are a member of Sellwood Church it will be our obligation to assist you whenever possible, especially as you grow in Christian maturity.

We do not want to deceive you. Joining our church, or any church, does incur obligations. After all, the Lord Jesus established the Church, in part, to reach a sinful world for Himself. And that takes time, money, and abilities from people like yourself. But be certain that we do not want these things from you unless you, like us, are concerned in sharing the Good News with the thousands of people who live in our area. God's work is not to be supported by charity, gimmicks, or high pressure, but only by loving gratitude. The Bible says that God loves a "cheerful giver". Should you join us, only you can determine the when, where, and how of applying your resources to our situation.

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