Church Membership
Mailbag #19: Baptismal Regeneration; What Makes a Legitimate Baptism; Relationship Between Baptism and Membership; Relating to a Registered Sex Offender
By Jonathan Leeman | 11.06.2015— What do you know about the Restoration Movement and their teaching on baptism? — When affirming someone’s baptism, what legitimizing factors do you look for in the baptizing church? — Is it wise to baptize someone without bringing them into church membership? — A registered sex offender wants to join our church. How should we respond?
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?
Mailbag #17: Renting Out Church Facilities; Too Busy to Elder; Transitioning to Closed Communion; Problems with Secret Societies
By Jonathan Leeman | 10.14.2015—How should we think through renting out our church facilities? —Is there ever a time when a man is too busy to be an elder? —Should ministry roles be restricted to members only? —As Christians, what should we think of secret societies like the Freemasons?
Mailbag #16: Dual Membership; Does Marriage Require State Involvement; How Much Agreement Among Elders
By Jonathan Leeman | 10.05.2015—What should I think about “dual membership”? —If marriage is created by God, does it require state involvement? —Must elders agree on every doctrinal matter? How much agreement is necessary?
22 Mistakes Pastors Make in Practicing Church Discipline
By Jonathan Leeman | 09.18.2015Church discipline should be practiced, but with care and a biblical focus.
Book Review: The Juvenilization of American Christianity and From Here to Maturity, by Thomas E. Bergler
Review by Guy Prentiss Waters | 09.16.2015Christianity—and, in particular, Christian churches—have been unduly influenced by the youth culture. Is there a cure for this problem?
Mailbag #15: Officiating Non-Christian Weddings; Meaningful Membership before Establishing Elders; Excommunicate for Not Giving Money; Transfer Membership
By Jonathan Leeman | 09.09.2015—Are pastors free to officiate a non-Christian wedding? —What should come first: meaningful membership or a plurality of elders? —Shouldn’t a refusal to give to your church result in excommunication? —Should a church accept transfer memberships from other churches at face value?
A Sample Statement on Regular Church Attendance
By Garrett Kell | 09.01.2015Faithful attendance honors Christ and builds up His church. Non-attendance moves in the other direction. It makes light of His name and harms His church in many ways and for many reasons.
Congregationalism Doesn’t Stop at 8 p.m.
By C. Greggsen, S. Emadi | 08.26.2015When you reduce congregationalism down to just members’ meetings, you deprive yourself of much of the blessing the Lord intends to grant his church through good polity.
Mailbag #13: Baptism before Communion; Moderating Members’ Meetings; Cooperating with Other Churches in Church Discipline; How to Transition to Elders and Deacons
By Jonathan Leeman | 08.24.2015—Is the Lord’s Supper only for those who have been baptized? —Who should moderate members’ meetings? —What do you do when someone wants to join your church, but they’ve been disciplined by another church? —How does a church transition to elders and deacons?
Mailbag #11—Why “Disowning” Family Members Isn’t an Option; Term Limits for Elders; Expedited Church Discipline; Can I Leave My Family’s Church?
By Jonathan Leeman | 08.07.2015—How should I treat my unrepentant father-in-law? —Should elders have term limits? —Is there ever a case where church discipline should be done immediately? —Can I leave the church I grew up in?
Mailbag #10—Lord’s Supper in Nursing Home; Christians Dating a Non-Christian; Role of Small Group Leaders; New Pastor in Need of Help
By Jonathan Leeman | 07.31.2015Lord’s Supper in Nursing Home » Christians Dating a Non-Christian » Role of Small Group Leaders » New Pastor in Need of Help » Mike, We get some version of … keep reading…
Book Review: The Prodigal Church, by Jared C. Wilson
Review by Alex Duke | 07.29.2015The Prodigal Church is more than just a demolition project. Atop the wreckage left by pragmatism and consumerism, Wilson attempts to rebuild scaffolding with different, yet more durable materials. In this, the book succeeds, though not perfectly.
A Conversation about Church Revitalization with Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman
By J. Leeman, M. Dever | 07.23.2015The more we reduce ministry to business, the more pastors are convinced to think like CEOs and less like shepherds.
Stop Launching Churches! Instead, Covenant Together
By Nathan Knight | 9Marks Journal: Church Mergers and Plants | 07.17.2015I think we should stop talking about “launching” new church plants and instead refer to them “covenanting” for the first time.
