Discipleship
Book Review: Unreconciled
Review by Jeremy Meeks | 07.18.2019Jeon’s short book has some helpful insights on community and reconciliation based on principles found in Philemon. It may provide thought provoking material for those who desire to see reconciliation take place in their own relationships or in their church in general.
Mailbag #86: Considering the Danger, Should Muslim-Background Believers Be Baptized . . . My Friends Who Want to Be Pastors Think Polity Is Boring. How Can I Help Them?
By A. Menikoff, A. Duty | 07.12.2019— Should we encourage Muslim-background believers to be baptized, even when it endangers their lives? — My friends want to be pastors. But they have no interest in polity. How can I help them see its importance?
7 Well-Meaning Objections to Church Discipline — And How Pastors Ought to Respond to Them
By C. Greggsen, S. Emadi | 07.05.2019Let’s briefly consider some of the “good-faith” objections to discipline we’ve encountered and how we try to help church members understand the theological principles undergirding discipline.
Two Reasons a Church Shouldn’t Have Multiple Gatherings
By Kyle Schwahn | 07.01.2019I’ve pastored my church for over twelve years. We’ve always had two morning services, and I never gave them much thought. Until . . .
Mailbag #85: Should I Baptize Young People in My Congregation? . . . Is Intinction a Biblical Practice?
By B. Johnson, J. Rinne | 06.28.2019—How should pastors think about baptizing young people? — Is the practice of intinction biblical?
Mailbag #83: Protecting the Sunday Gathering by Limiting Reasons to Be Out of Room . . . Caring for Over-Worked Children’s Ministry Workers
By D. Russell, J. Leeman | 05.13.2019— To what extent should the church protect the Sunday morning gathering by limiting reasons for members to be “at church” but out of the room? — What do you do to care for the spiritual health of your children’s ministry leaders?
Youth and Church Membership—Or, Stop Baptizing Children into the Ether
By Alex Duke | 9Marks Journal: Church Membership: Following the Lord Together | 05.07.2019A church should not baptize young people apart from church membership. To do so is unbiblical, unhelpful, and unloving.
Without Exception: How to Handle Exceptions to the Statement of Faith
By Michael Lawrence | 9Marks Journal: Church Membership: Following the Lord Together | 05.07.2019What do we do when someone takes exception to our church’s statement of faith?
How Long Should A Membership Process Take?
By Allen Duty | 9Marks Journal: Church Membership: Following the Lord Together | 05.07.2019Your membership process—whether shorter or longer—is a tool for discipleship, usually one of the first ones people come in contact with.
How to Conduct a Membership Interview
By PJ Tibayan | 9Marks Journal: Church Membership: Following the Lord Together | 05.07.2019The two-pronged goal of an interview is to (1) disciple the person, and (2) discern whether their profession of faith in Jesus is credible. You want to disciple and discern.
Book Review: Side by Side, by Ed Welch
Review by John Joseph | 05.02.2019Welch teaches us how to become more skillful at greeting others, at asking thoughtful questions, at drawing out people’s stories, and how to be present during suffering and prepared to talk about sin.
Episode 84: On Church Buildings
By J. Leeman, M. Dever | 04.23.2019We know the church is comprised of the people, not the building. And yet, church buildings can be extremely valuable, useful, and vital for the health of long-term Christianity.
Book Review: God’s Country, by Brad Roth
Review by Cheston Pickard | 04.11.2019In the same way that God values the populations in cities, God values the populations in rural areas. In the same way that God calls men and women to serve in the cities, God still calls men and women to faithfully serve in rural areas. The two areas could not be more different, but Christ builds his church in cities and rural areas alike.
3 Reasons We Ought to Corporately Lament
By Mark Vroegop | 04.08.2019Corporate lament is a unique voice that empathizes, models, and unites a body, especially when tension fills the room.
Mailbag #79: How Should Vocational Pastors Approach Their Own Giving to the Church? . . . How Do Deacons Relate to Elders?
By J. Dunlop, J. de Koning | 03.29.2019— Should vocational ministers tithe? Should a church then count on 10% of that staff member’s salary toward the budget? — Are deacons there just to “do what they’re told” by the elders? Should deacons be used as a means to develop future elders?
