Mailbag #84: I Live too Far from A Healthy Church. What Should I Do? . . . Among Baptists, What’s the History of a Plurality of Elders?
By S. Emadi, S. DeMars | 05.31.2019— I live in an extremely rural area where we have many churches but none that are healthy. What should I do? — Many Baptist churches now have multiple elders. I understand the biblical case for this, but what’s the history of a plurality of elders among Baptists?
Raising Up Leaders in the Schemes of Scotland
By Andy Prime | 05.23.2019As guys come out of chaotic and addictive backgrounds, our investment in discipleship that moves toward leadership isn’t going to be a two-year process, but way longer than that.
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.
Meaningful Membership & Shepherding the Saints
By Jason Seville | 9Marks Journal: Church Membership: Following the Lord Together | 05.07.2019Church membership isn’t just a useful tool in the pastoral tool belt; it’s the tool belt itself.
How Church Membership is Misunderstood, Misapplied, and Abused
By Juan Sanchez | 9Marks Journal: Church Membership: Following the Lord Together | 05.07.2019Pastors committed to the importance of church membership need to be cautious. In our righteous zeal to address deficient views of the church, we may be tempted to an unrighteous zeal.
Considering 7 Membership Exceptions
By Bobby Jamieson | 9Marks Journal: Church Membership: Following the Lord Together | 05.07.2019So what do you do about people who either are members or want to join, and are willing to attend regularly, but are not able?
How Does the Authority of the Congregation Work Together with the Authority of Elders?
By Eric Bancroft | 05.01.2019Elders are to oversee the flock, but that doesn’t override the congregation’s responsibility in affirming truth.
Mailbag #82: How to Confront Those Who Rarely Attend Church . . . How Does 1 Timothy 5:17’s “Double Honor” Apply to Non-Staff Elders?
By A. Duty, J. Rinne | 04.26.2019— How should pastors confront members or regular attenders who are mere consumers or whose attendance is inconsistent? — How do you apply 1 Timothy 5:17’s “double honor” to non-paid elders? Is it even right to use this passage when determining paid elder compensation?
Mailbag #81: Helping a Church Grow in Discipling . . . How to Receive Members Who Left a Former Church Poorly.
By B. Johnson, J. de Koning | 04.19.2019— How can I help my church grow in discipling? — Receiving members who left their former church on bad terms.
On Cultivating the Discipline of Listening Well
By Paul Martin | 04.17.2019Because words are a window into the heart, pastors must learn to cultivate the discipline of listening well.
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.
The Role, Requirements, and Reward of a Deacon
By Nathan Rose | 04.05.2019Let’s consider the deacon’s role, requirements, and reward.
Book Review: Preaching that Moves People, by Yancey Arrington
Review by Adam Triplett | 04.04.2019Arrington suggests that preachers use videos, props, and interviews to make your sermons more engaging and exciting. But God’s Word alone ought to compel our listeners to respond, not gimmicks and fluff.
Episode 82: On How Your Budget is a Spiritual Issue (with Jamie Dunlop)
By J. Dunlop, J. Leeman | 04.02.2019If you want to see your church move toward health, the church budget has to move toward health.
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?
