Mailbag #30: Non-Members Serving in Church; A Prospective Elder Who Doesn’t Regularly Attend; The Problem with Contemporary Christian Music; How Younger Members Can Serve Older Ones
By Jonathan Leeman | 02.18.2016— Is it wise to let non-members serve in behind-the-scenes ministries? What about children and teens who aren’t members but profess to be believers? — Should regular attendance be an implicit qualification for elders? — It appears my church enjoys shallow and theologically suspect songs. What should I do? — What are some ways that a younger church member can positively influence older members with regards to sound doctrine?
The Worth of Waiting: A Word to Aspiring Elders
By Johnny Antle | 02.08.2016Don’t set your hope fully on being an elder. Set your hope fully on Jesus—he’s definitely coming back, and he’s definitely better.
Three Pastoral Reminders From Three Dead Guys
Review by Nick Roark | 01.25.2016Sometimes the lessons we need the most are the reminders of glorious truths that you already know (2 Peter 3:1). I am grateful to the Lord for his grace in the lives of men like Edwards, Newton, and Bavinck.
Pastoring Dementia Patients
By Lewis Allen | 01.21.2016Here are 15 things to remember when pastoring folks through the difficulties of dementia.
Book Review: Spurgeon’s Sorrows, by Zack Eswine
Review by Bob Johnson | 01.20.2016Zack Eswine is not a stranger to sorrow and it shows. The tenderness in his heart has spotted and exposed the tenderness in Spurgeon. May God use this book to help all of us pastor more like Jesus.
Jesus’ Discipleship Program for Your Church
By Jonathan Leeman | 01.15.2016When Jesus and the apostles talked about church government, it wasn’t just a discussion of bureaucratic decision-making. It was most fundamentally and importantly a matter of discipleship!
Mailbag #25: Thinking through Church Budgets; My Congregation Demands an “Altar Call”; Tricky Membership Situation
By Jonathan Leeman | 12.22.2015— How do you lead a church through thinking through the budget in a way that obeys God? Further, how do you do this in a way that is “above-reproach” when leading the overall church through polity change? — My congregation begs for me to do a weekly “altar call,” but I am opposed to them. What should I do? — An elderly couple with health problems wants to join our church—but they won’t ever be able to attend. What do you think?
5 Ways Your Church Can Get Involved in Global Missions Starting Tomorrow
By D. Platt, P. Akin | 9Marks Journal: Missions: Adding Wisdom to Zeal | 12.21.20152.8 billion people have little to no access to the gospel. What can we do about it, starting tomorrow?
One-on-One with the International Mission Board’s Executive Vice President
By 9Marks, S. Traeger | 9Marks Journal: Missions: Adding Wisdom to Zeal | 12.21.2015Over the last few years, a lot has changed at the IMB. 9Marks sat down with Sebastian Traeger to talk about it.
Your Bad Ecclesiology Is Hurting Us
By Mark Collins | 9Marks Journal: Missions: Adding Wisdom to Zeal | 12.21.2015When you send missionaries and when you partner with others to do so, you are exporting a doctrine of the church. Unfortunately, far too often we are exporting a bad and unbiblical one.
4 Practices of a Great Commission Church
By Mark Dever | 9Marks Journal: Missions: Adding Wisdom to Zeal | 12.21.2015Too often, a grotesque competitiveness marks evangelical churches. But a Great Commission church does not compete with other gospel-preaching churches.
7 Things Your Church Should Not Do in Missions
By Zane Pratt | 9Marks Journal: Missions: Adding Wisdom to Zeal | 12.21.2015Modern technology and transportation makes direct engagement overseas so much easier. But just as important as deciding what to do is deciding what not to do.
Mailbag #23: Giving Feedback on Bad Sermons; Ratio among Staff and Non-Staff Pastors; Church Covenants and the Regulative Principle; Difference between “Pastors” & “Elders”?
By Jonathan Leeman | 12.07.2015— How do you give your pastor feedback for his sermons, particularly when they are bad? — Jonathan, why did you recommend that your church eliminate the requirement that there must be more lay elders than staff elders? — Wait a second! You’re saying you won’t do baby dedications because of the regulative principle. And then right after that, you talk about reading the church covenant together as a church. Isn’t that a violation of the regulative principle, too? — Does it create two tiers of leadership to always call staff pastors “pastors” and lay elders “elders”?
Mailbag #22: Thinking Through Pastoral Transitions; Loving Those Who Repeatedly Commit Sexual Sin; Declaring Membership Bankruptcy
By Jonathan Leeman | 11.30.2015— What are some best practices for thinking through pastoral searches? — If someone is repeatedly falling into sexual sin, yet repeatedly professes repentance and sorrow, is there ever an occasion to disbelieve them? — I’ve heard of churches deleting their membership rolls so that they can start over and have a membership that better reflects attendance. What do you think of this practice?
Mailbag #18: Dealing with Anxiety; Lord’s Supper Question; Christians & Multi-Level Marketing; When A Church Member Moves Away
By Jonathan Leeman | 10.30.2015—How do I battle anxiety in my life? —Is it permissible to take the Lord’s Supper in small groups? Wednesday night Bible study? —Should Christians be involved in multi-level marketing organizations? —When a church member moves away, should they automatically be taken off the membership roll?
