Membership

What to Say to Non-Committal Church Attenders

By Jonathan Leeman | 08.21.2014

Joe has attended your church for about a year. He says he’s a Christian. But he has not joined. Should you encourage him to join? How? If you don’t think … keep reading…

Book Review: Why We Belong, multiple authors

Review by Matt Felton | 08.18.2014

This book was written to demonstrate Christians can maintain their distinctive doctrinal beliefs through denominations while giving real expression to our cross-denominational unity.

Historical Reflections on Baptism and Church Membership

By Aaron Menikoff | 06.18.2014

Maybe it simply worth noting that there is a long history, first in England, then in the States, of Baptists addressing the question of whether the unbaptized should be accepted into the … keep reading…

The Logical Fallacy of Centered-set Churches

By Jonathan Leeman | 06.12.2014

Everyone puts up boundaries. The inclusivist mindset of our day likes to think it doesn’t, but it does. It just excludes those who hold a little too strongly to something … keep reading…

Why Use an “In-House” Church Membership Directory?

By Deepak Reju | 06.12.2014

We have a “in-house” church data base that our staff manages so that we can regularly and often reproduce a church membership directory.  While I’m sure there are a lot … keep reading…

Evaluating Prospective Church Members Who Appear Unconverted

By Brian Croft | 06.10.2014

  How do you evaluate a prospective church member who appears unconverted? A dear pastor friend of mine contacted me recently with what he felt was this exact dilemma.  I … keep reading…

J. I. Packer On Why People Leave Churches

By Aaron Menikoff | 06.10.2014

I first read Knowing God in 1994. It was a real eye-opener. It was the first book on theology that I had been introduced to, but it was written with the expectation … keep reading…

Membership

9Marks | 05.15.2014

What is it? According to the Bible, church membership is a commitment every Christian should make to attend, love, serve, and submit to a local church. Where is it in … keep reading…

Nine Marks of a Prosperity Gospel Church

By D. A. Horton | 9Marks Journal: Prosperity Gospel | 01.15.2014

A prosperity gospel church is a purely anti-nine marks church.

A Church and Churches: Independence

By Jonathan Leeman | 9Marks Journal: Church and Churches | 05.10.2013

To understand how local churches relate to each other we first need to ask, who holds the keys?

Book Review: Deep & Wide: Creating Churches Unchurched People Love to Attend, by Andy Stanley

Review by Zach Schlegel | 9Marks Journal: Lay Elders: A User’s Guide—Part 2 | 01.03.2013

A church that is unclear about “who belongs” in order to attract unbelievers may be “nice,” but they are also unloving.

How “Belonging Before Believing” Redefines the Church

By Michael Lawrence | 9Marks Journal: The Underestimated Doctrine of Conversion | 02.29.2012

When we begin to deliberately blur the line, we confuse Christians about what it means to be a follower of Jesus in the first place.

The Corporate Component of Conversion

By Jonathan Leeman | 9Marks Journal: The Underestimated Doctrine of Conversion | 02.29.2012

The corporate element of conversion must not come first, lest we lose the whole thing. But it must come.

Resources on Membership

9Marks | 9Marks Journal: Church Membership: Holding the Body Together | 05.01.2011

If you’re looking for some more practical resources on church membership, here are a few suggestions.

What Does the Regulative Principle Require of Church Members?

By Terry Johnson | 9Marks Journal: Church Membership: Holding the Body Together | 04.28.2011

The regulative principle, properly applied, means that church members are free from the threats of idolatry and weirdness, heresy and tomfoolery.