Church Membership

Why Use an “In-House” Church Membership Directory?

By Deepak Reju | 06.12.2014

We have a “in-house” church data base that our staff manages so that we can regularly and often reproduce a church membership directory.  While I’m sure there are a lot … keep reading…

Evaluating Prospective Church Members Who Appear Unconverted

By Brian Croft | 06.10.2014

  How do you evaluate a prospective church member who appears unconverted? A dear pastor friend of mine contacted me recently with what he felt was this exact dilemma.  I … keep reading…

J. I. Packer On Why People Leave Churches

By Aaron Menikoff | 06.10.2014

I first read Knowing God in 1994. It was a real eye-opener. It was the first book on theology that I had been introduced to, but it was written with the expectation … keep reading…

Nine Marks of a Prosperity Gospel Church

By D. A. Horton | 9Marks Journal: Prosperity Gospel | 01.15.2014

A prosperity gospel church is a purely anti-nine marks church.

The Rise of a Parallel, Post-Biblical Christianity

By Grant Retief | 9Marks Journal: Prosperity Gospel | 01.14.2014

The fact that South Africa is a churched nation doesn’t mean it’s a gospeled nation.

Connecting Evangelism and Church

By Jonathan Leeman | 9Marks Journal: Evangelism - Part 1 | 09.09.2013

Evangelism is both an individual and a team sport. But it’s the latter we tend to neglect. Here are theological and practical steps toward a remedy.

Churches Cooperating in Pastoring

By Deepak Reju | 9Marks Journal: Church and Churches | 05.10.2013

Sometimes shepherds need to get on the phone in order to care together for straying sheep.

A Church and Churches: Independence

By Jonathan Leeman | 9Marks Journal: Church and Churches | 05.10.2013

To understand how local churches relate to each other we first need to ask, who holds the keys?

Book Review: The Creedal Imperative, by Carl Trueman

Review by Peter Hess | 9Marks Journal: Church and Churches | 03.22.2013

Trueman demonstrates both the value of creeds and confessions for the life of the local church and the serious consequences that follow if we refuse to make our doctrinal beliefs explicit in writing.

Book Review: Deep & Wide: Creating Churches Unchurched People Love to Attend, by Andy Stanley

Review by Zach Schlegel | 9Marks Journal: Lay Elders: A User’s Guide—Part 2 | 01.03.2013

A church that is unclear about “who belongs” in order to attract unbelievers may be “nice,” but they are also unloving.

Member Handout: Plugging Into Discipling Relationships

9Marks | 9Marks Journal: Discipling in the Church | 08.27.2012

Here is a sample church handout for teaching new members how to purse discipling relationships in the church.

How “Belonging Before Believing” Redefines the Church

By Michael Lawrence | 9Marks Journal: The Underestimated Doctrine of Conversion | 02.29.2012

When we begin to deliberately blur the line, we confuse Christians about what it means to be a follower of Jesus in the first place.

The Corporate Component of Conversion

By Jonathan Leeman | 9Marks Journal: The Underestimated Doctrine of Conversion | 02.29.2012

The corporate element of conversion must not come first, lest we lose the whole thing. But it must come.

What Makes a Church Reform Possible?

By John Folmar | 9Marks Journal: Revitalize: Why We Must Reclaim Dying Churches—and How | 10.27.2011

When a church is transformed, the gospel surges forward as the community is confronted with a genuine corporate witness for Christ.

Resources on Membership

9Marks | 9Marks Journal: Church Membership: Holding the Body Together | 05.01.2011

If you’re looking for some more practical resources on church membership, here are a few suggestions.