Your church membership stinks. That's what Thom Rainer might say if you fit the profile of the average church in America. Rainer, president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources, believes the low levels of commitment in most churches can be traced to poorly crafted and communicated membership models. The book he wrote on the topic, I Am a Church Member, has been used by thousands of congregations to cultivate a more robust vision of what membership means. We talked to Rainer about why membership is important, the mistakes most churches make, and how they can fix them.

Many blame an increasingly secular culture for the declines we're seeing in the North American church. But you say we need to look in the mirror. Why?

If culture were the primary impediment, the early church would have never seen its profound impact and growth. The power of the gospel is always sufficient to penetrate even the most challenging cultures. The anemic power of local congregations is an obedience issue. ...