What are the Essentials of the Gospel?

By Phil Newton | 02.26.2010

Unless Genesis 1:1 is true, then we will have problems convincing anyone that there is a problem with sin and a need for redemption.

Cleaning Up the Rolls

By Matt Schmucker | 9Marks Journal: Church Membership: Holding the Body Together | 02.26.2010

Bad records and outdated rolls trouble any faithful pastor’s existence. Yet before you sweep things clean, consider both why and how this should be done.

Cleaning Up the Rolls (Part 2): The Care List

By Matt Schmucker | 02.26.2010

Why go to all this trouble? Too many times, we had seen Satan exploit the newness or suddenness of a motion for discipline in our meetings.

Dealing with Bad Documents

By Greg Gilbert | 9Marks Journal: Confessions, Covenants, and Constitutions: How to Organize Your Church | 02.26.2010

Very often a new pastor will find a statement of faith like our church had—unclear at best and heretical at worst.

A Call To the Ministry

By Basil Manly | 02.26.2010

More ministers, and better ministers, are the great want of the Church.

Cultivating a Culture of Missions in a Small Church

By Tom Ascol | 9Marks Journal: Missions | 02.26.2010

Small churches are not exempt from the work of missions, nor should they want to be.

Cultivating a Culture of Counseling and Discipleship

By Tim Lane | 9Marks Journal: Counseling in the Church | 02.26.2010

When we live as children of light, we live a persuasive lifestyle that gets the attention of the non-Christian.

How My Mind Has Changed: The Centrality of the Congregation

By Mark Dever | 02.26.2010

Love is largely local. And the local congregation, then, is the place which claims to display this love for all the world to see.

WWJD – What Would Jim Do?

By Phil Ryken | 9Marks Journal: Young Pastors | 02.26.2010

I was privileged to serve with Jim Boice for five years at Tenth Presbyterian until his sudden death from liver cancer in 2000.

What Is this Thing, Anyway? A Multi-Site Taxonomy

By Greg Gilbert | 9Marks Journal: Multi-site Churches | 02.26.2010

Congregational?  Presbyterian?  Episcopalian?  Presbygational? Conbypalian? Epigregyterian?  I've heard them all (even made up a few myself).

"Its just as congregational as any other church," some argue. "We have a meeting of the whole church every quarter."

"No, it's Presbyterian" others say.  "You have a group of pastors that makes decisions for multiple congregations."

On Reading and Studying as a Pastor

By Ligon Duncan | 02.26.2010

But precisely because our people are bathed in trivial information in this day and age, they need a shepherd with real knowledge, much discernment, and a nose for truth.

What I Can and Cannot Live With as a Pastor

By Mark Dever | 9Marks Journal: Young Pastors | 02.26.2010

Something can be true, yet we can decide as pastors that our congregations are not ready to act tomorrow in a way they might be ready to act in a year.

A Passion for Reading and Learning (Part 1)

By C. J. Mahaney | 02.26.2010

Though I didn’t understand much of what I was reading I knew that I was reading “the words of eternal life.”

Theological Defense of Multi-Site

By Gregg R. Allison | 9Marks Journal: Multi-site Churches | 02.26.2010

How strong are the biblical, theological, historical, and missional arguments used by advocates of multi-site churches?

The Goals and Benefits of an Installation Service

By Aaron Menikoff | 9Marks Journal: Young Pastors | 02.26.2010

What were my goals for the day? I wanted to begin shepherding the congregation.