What I Learned from Two Failed Church Mergers

By Matthew Cunningham | 9Marks Journal: Church Mergers and Plants | 06.20.2017

I’ve attempted to lead our church toward two church mergers, but neither have worked out. Here’s what I’ve learned.

Planting Churches for Pleasure, Not for Profit

By Nathan Knight | 9Marks Journal: Church Mergers and Plants | 06.20.2017

What’s needed to plant a church isn’t the wisdom of Jim Collins, but the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Calculated Risks of Church Planting: Sending Your Best Members and Elders

By Juan Sanchez | 9Marks Journal: Church Mergers and Plants | 06.20.2017

No matter the costs and effects of church planting on the planting church, the Lord is always faithful.

Anatomy of a Church Merger

By John Folmar | 9Marks Journal: Church Mergers and Plants | 06.20.2017

Four things I learned from our successful and fruitful church merger—almost 20 years after it happened.

How to Merge Two Church Cultures

By Dave Russell | 9Marks Journal: Church Mergers and Plants | 06.20.2017

In a church merger, you must understand the two existing cultures and lead them to become one. Here are five ways to do that.

You Can’t Plant a Church If You Don’t Know What a Church Is

By Nathan Knight | 9Marks Journal: Church Mergers and Plants | 06.19.2017

Ecclesiology can’t be assumed nor should it be considered a distraction to the church planter’s “mission.”

The Danger of “Church Shopping”

By Brett McCracken | 06.12.2017

When a church becomes less about the demands of Scripture on our lives and more about our demands on the church to fit our preferences, it loses its power to transform us and subvert our idols.

Book Review: Sinai and the Saints, by James M. Todd III

By Paul Alexander | 06.08.2017

Do Old Testament laws apply to modern Christians? This book seeks to answer that question.

Persecution and the Wisdom of Church Polity

By Caleb Greggsen | 06.07.2017

Only a church in relative safety and comfort has the time to talk about polity. Right?

The Pastor’s Personal Life: A Source of Power in the Pulpit

By Conrad Mbewe | 06.01.2017

The day you lose your godliness is the day you lose your power in pastoral preaching.

Why You Will Join the Wrong Church

By Sam Emadi | 05.15.2017

Personal relationships were never meant to serve as the foundation for our sense of church commitment.

Nine Lessons for Pastors Facing Leadership Conflict

By Peter Hess | 05.08.2017

Two years into our church plant, we faced our first major crisis. Here are nine takeaway lessons on dealing with church conflict.

Lessons on Pastoring from Martin Bucer

By Eric Beach | 05.04.2017

Martin Bucer (1491–1551) isn’t as well known as John Calvin or Martin Luther, but during the 16th century Bucer’s writings and reform of the church in Strasbourg influenced many

No More Mr. Nice: Pastoral Reflections on Kindness

By Aaron Menikoff | 04.28.2017

Kindness may be one of the most overlooked pieces of the fruit of the Spirit. But it shouldn’t be, for it takes us to the very heart of the gospel.

11 Reasons For A Weekly Service Review—And 4 Cautions Once You Start

By Jeff Lacine | 04.26.2017

I’ve found a weekly service review to be one of the most effective tools in ministry for mentoring men and growing as a preacher.