Mailbag #42: Hypocritical Church Discipline; Pre-Marital Counseling for Two Unbelievers?
By Jonathan Leeman | 11.18.2016—Why do churches discipline for sins like homosexuality and adultery but not other sins like gluttony or vanity or greed? —Would you do pre-marital counseling for two unbelievers? If so, what would you cover?
Mailbag #41: When the Church Votes “No” on a Clear Discipline Case; The Biblical Case of “Lay Elders”
By Jonathan Leeman | 11.11.2016—What if the congregation votes “no” in a clear case of discipline? —Are “lay elders” a biblical category?
Mailbag #40: Too High a Standard for Church Membership; Where Are Churches Commanded to Gather Weekly
By Jonathan Leeman | 11.04.2016—You say the standard for church membership is nothing more than simply “being a Christian.” But that’s not entirely true, is it? —Where in Scripture are local churches commanded to gather every week?
25 Years Ago, “Nine Marks” Was Born
By Mark Dever | 10.28.2016On October 30, 1991—25 years ago this Sunday—Mark Dever wrote a letter to a church in Massachusetts. They needed a new pastor and wanted to know what they should be looking for. Mark responded with a list of nine must-haves—a list that has since become known as “nine marks of a healthy church.”
Mailbag #39: Turning Elder Training into a Program; Divorced, Repentant, but Not Seeking Reconciliation?
By Jonathan Leeman | 10.28.2016—Is it wise to turn elder training into a program? —Can a divorced member of the church be repentant without seeking reconciliation with their spouse?
Is There Such a Thing as Church Authority?
By Greg Gilbert | 9Marks Journal: Authority: God's Good and Dangerous Gift | 09.30.2016Here are seven points regarding the keys of the kingdom, and how local churches exercise authority through their use.
A Healthy Church Member Is a Humble Follower
By Thabiti Anyabwile | 9Marks Journal: Authority: God's Good and Dangerous Gift | 09.30.2016Leadership in the local church is established by God for the blessing of his people. However, for leadership to be effective, it needs to be encouraged and supported by the members of the church.
Church Membership: A Single Woman’s Perspective
By Chelsea Patterson | 9Marks Journal: Authority: God's Good and Dangerous Gift | 09.30.2016When I first began attending my church, I’d never given much thought to church membership. And if I’m honest, it all sounded a bit dull to me.
A Pastoral Response to Millennial Autonomy
By Kevin McKay | 9Marks Journal: Authority: God's Good and Dangerous Gift | 08.15.2016The church gives millennials the joys of intimate relationship and meaning, but not in ways most might naturally think.
Twelve Steps to Regain Meaningful Membership
By Mark Dever | 08.12.2016Pastors must again meditate on Heb.13:17 and consider the seriousness of the accounting to God we are to give for those to whom we have given assurance of their salvation. Continued membership in our congregation is giving such assurance.
The Compelling Community: What to Do Next?
By Jamie Dunlop | 08.04.2016Periodically, pastors read The Compelling Community, and then ask us where to start in putting its ideas into practice. Here are three thoughts for your consideration.
When Do You Practice Church Discipline? And How Do You Confront the Sin?
By Jonathan Leeman | 06.01.2016What sins should result in public church discipline? And how should we confront brothers or sisters in sin?
Mailbag #38: How to Shepherd Every Member; Shepherding by the “Parish Model”; What’s the “Church” in Matthew 18?
By Jonathan Leeman | 05.20.2016— How can the elders of a large church ensure every member is both known and cared for? — We’d like to divide our church members by families and individuals and then designate them to a particular elder. What do you think of this approach? — In Matthew 18, what does Jesus mean when he says “tell it to the church”?
Book Review: Why Bother with Church?, by Sam Allberry
Review by Casey Hough | 05.12.2016I can hardly imagine a pastor or church member that would not benefit from reading this wonderful book.
