Membership
Three Encouragements for Pastors Pursuing Wandering Sheep
By Nick Gardner | 03.08.2022What should a pastor do when faced with wandering sheep, those who have left the safe pastures of the local church and found themselves in dangerous territory away from the herd?
Do Churches Really Discipline for Non-Attendance? A Brief History of Four Baptist Churches
By Caleb Morell | 01.21.2022Baptists disciplined for non-attendance because they believed attendance was part of the covenant obligations of church membership. Here’s a brief history.
What the Work of Christ Means for Your Church Membership Directory
By Sam Emadi | 9Marks Journal: Sound Doctrine: The Foundation for Faithful Ministry | 11.16.2021Your membership directory is more than a list of addresses and phone numbers. Each picture should represent Christ’s work, his priestly service of purification and redemption.
Church Membership Among Former Mormons? A 9Marks Mailbag
By Matt Emadi | 04.29.2021Church membership isn’t a control mechanism, it’s a barrier to authoritarianism.
Forbear with One Another
By Dan Miller | 9Marks Journal: How to Build Up Your Church: A Guidebook for Members | 03.30.2021Members of the blood-bought church of Jesus Christ have a holy calling to put up with one another.
Be Like Batman: Guard the Gospel
By Sam Emadi | 9Marks Journal: How to Build Up Your Church: A Guidebook for Members | 03.30.2021You don’t need a seminary education. You don’t have to be an ordained minister or a spiritual superstar. All you need is the Holy Spirit, and you have that! It’s time to suit up and start guarding the gospel.
Don’t Muzzle the Ox
By Ken Mbugua | 9Marks Journal: How to Build Up Your Church: A Guidebook for Members | 03.30.2021God’s Word languishes in the pulpit because churches have been taught to invest in buildings and projects, not men who have given themselves to the ministry of the Word.
Maintain a Good Relationship with Christians from Other Churches
By Jonathan Worsley | 9Marks Journal: How to Build Up Your Church: A Guidebook for Members | 03.30.2021When it comes to the Christian life, when it comes to how members of different gospel-preaching churches ought to relate to one another, we need to change our strategy.
Be a Good Witness in the Community
By Marwan Aboul-Zelof | 9Marks Journal: How to Build Up Your Church: A Guidebook for Members | 03.30.2021When we think of being a good witness, we should do so with other believers in mind so that our witness might be amplified.
Evangelize the Lost
By Eric Bancroft | 9Marks Journal: How to Build Up Your Church: A Guidebook for Members | 03.30.2021Do you remember what happened in the Garden of Eden after Adam disobeyed? He pursued him—and he’s has been doing that with sinners ever since.
Pray for Other Members
By Ty Gooch | 9Marks Journal: How to Build Up Your Church: A Guidebook for Members | 03.30.2021We all know how terribly trite it feels to ask God over and over again to help out your fellow church members with their health, safety, or money problems. So how do we pray without just repeating ourselves?
Pursue Wandering Sheep
By Jeff Lacine | 9Marks Journal: How to Build Up Your Church: A Guidebook for Members | 03.30.2021In Matthew 18:10–20 Jesus isn’t merely calling pastors or church leaders to corral wandering sheep. He’s calling every church member. In other words, he’s calling you.
Work for Unity
By Harry Fujiwara | 9Marks Journal: How to Build Up Your Church: A Guidebook for Members | 03.30.2021Go and make every effort to pursue unity. I know it’s hard. But it’s good for you.
Put Others’ Interests Above Your Own
By Brian Vickers | 9Marks Journal: How to Build Up Your Church: A Guidebook for Members | 03.30.2021Coming up with a list of what makes a good church member seems like an easy enough thing to do—until you try it.
Rejoice with Those Who Rejoice; Weep with Those Who Weep
By Paul Martin | 9Marks Journal: How to Build Up Your Church: A Guidebook for Members | 03.30.2021To really love another is a spiritual exercise. It requires massive internal commitment to kill every visible sin, to resist every temptation, to cling to every good, and to reject every evil.
