Assimilasie van lidmate in die plaaslike geloofsgemeenskap

Abstract

The assimilation of church members into the local faith community In this article, the assimilation of members into the faith community is discussed. When a church has found its identity in being a ‘missional faith community’, the outcome is growth. Growth cannot take place if the church is unable to assimilate new members into church life. People are only assimilated into the faith community when they are interconnected through relationships, and experience a fundamental sense of belonging. This article discusses aspects of membership assimilation, namely intention, active participation, and culture. A model is proposed whereby leaders can evaluate the functional worth of people for the faith community at any level of assimilation. This model can also assist leaders in creating processes to assimilate members more effectively.

Hierdie artikel handel oor die problematiek van die assimilasie (oftewel opneming) van nuwe lidmate in die plaaslike geloofsgemeenskap. Assimilasie verwys na die geloofsgemeenskap se vermoë om nuwe lidmate by die gemeenskap te integreer, en hulle in liefdevolle verhoudings aan mekaar te verbind. Dit dui dus op ‘n verskeidenheid formele en informele prosesse wat mense in staat stel om deel te word van die geloofsgemeenskap (Dudley 1998:114). Wanneer ‘n geloofsgemeenskap ‘n missionale identiteit ontdek, is groei die uitkoms (Basson 2006:37). Groei kan egter nie doeltreffend plaasvind as daar nie ‘n effektiewe assimilasieproses in die geloofsgemeenskap bestaan nie (Ford 2007:49). Hierdie artikel wys op verskillende noodsaaklike aspekte ten opsigte van die assimilasie van nuwe lidmate, en stel ‘n model voor wat die grondslag vir toekomstige assimilasieprosesse in geloofsgemeenskappe kan uitmaak.