Church Planting and Revitalization

Be a Tortoise, not a Hare

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

Perhaps seminaries should offer a class in the exegesis of Aesop. Too often, pastors come to a new congregation and shoot off at a hare’s pace to turn the church around.

The Pros and Cons of Planting and Revitalizing

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

Church planting and church revitalizing share the same goal: to see a God-glorifying church established where it does not currently exist.

Why Revitalize?

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

If you don’t want to be a reformer, you don’t want to be a pastor.

The Bible’s Burden for Church Revitalization

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

Like Paul, we should have a burden to revitalize churches that are in various stages of sickness. And we’ve got no shortage of those churches, especially in America.

The Reform of First Baptist Church of Durham

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

On Sunday morning, August 19, 2001, I began corporate worship at First Baptist Church (FBC) Durham by calling on the members of the church to repent.

Book Review: Exponential, by Dave and Jon Ferguson

Review by Josh Manley | 9Marks Journal: The Pastor and his Staff, Part 2 | 08.29.2011

This book has a significant overarching weakness: pragmatism.

Church Planting and the Great Commission

9Marks | 06.28.2011

The Great Commission requires Christians to plant and cultivate healthy churches, says Mark Dever in this 2011 conference address.

International Church Planting

By D. Furman, J. Mack Stiles | 05.30.2011

Two founders of a bustling new church plant in the United Arab Emirates discuss how to create a culture for church planting, how to leave the sending church, and other lessons for new planters.

Implementing Membership in a Church Plant

By Mike McKinley | 9Marks Journal: Church Membership: Holding the Body Together | 04.28.2011

In order to have a church, you need Christians. So a planter . . . will need to be able to discern that there are people in his meeting who are genuinely converted.

Implementing Membership in an Existing Church

By John Folmar | 9Marks Journal: Church Membership: Holding the Body Together | 04.28.2011

We believe the most important question that should confront a new person attending any church is this: Where do you stand with God?

Church Membership and Contextualization

By Ed Roberts | 9Marks Journal: Church Membership: Holding the Body Together | 04.28.2011

Our doctrine of church membership should take us close to a universal biblical constant, but formulating how it is lived out introduces all kinds of particular expressions.

Book Review: When the Word Leads Your Pastoral Search, by Chris Brauns

Review by Jonathan Leeman | 9Marks Journal: Pastoral Moves | 01.21.2011

If you’re in between pastors, do buy the book and give it to your church leaders.

Book Review: Taking Your Church to the Next Level, by Gary McIntosh

Review by Matt Smethurst | 9Marks Journal: Book Reviews on the Mission of the Church | 10.27.2010

I doubt whether this book is a biblically faithful and therefore helpful book for pastors. I’d be more inclined to recommend it to a friend in business than to a pastor.

How can a young pastor know when to initiate new structural or institutional changes?

9Marks

A young pastor should consider several matters when considering when to initiate new structural or institutional changes in his church:

As a young pastor thinks about initiating change, why is trust such an important factor?