By the way, have you ordered your copies of
Do Hard Things and
Spiritual Discernment. I’m afraid that when the initial push goes away, too many people miss out on reading really important and helpful works. These are two–go buy them.
As you might guess from the title, it is a companion volume to What Is A Healthy Church by Mark Dever. Both books are in the Crossway series of 9Marks titles.
BOOK DESCRIPTION
While 9 Marks of a Healthy Church was written primarily with pastors in mind, What Is a Healthy Church Member? is written for the average person sitting in the pew who wants their church to be as strong as possible and to play their part in it. It’s a primer on contributing to church reform for the church member (or prospective member). I try to answer the natural question: “What does a healthy church member look like in the light of Scripture?”
What faithful pastor doesn’t wish he had an army of members (every member!) “being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose” (Phil. 2:2)?
Because Phil. 2:2 is the Lord’s heart for the church, I honestly think this is the most important book I’ve had the opportunity to write. To my knowledge, most books either target pastors when it comes to thinking about the church, or they target laypeople with books focused almost exclusively on individual devotion. Few books target individual laypeople with the aim of focusing them on the church, trying to center their spiritual lives in the corporate life of the body.
The health of the local church should be an every member concern (1 Cor. 12:25), not solely a pastoral concern. And the personal spiritual life of the Christian is inseparably connected with the life of the church as a whole (Eph. 4; 1 Cor. 12). I pray this books helps some Christians shift their thinking to combine concern for their personal spiritual health with concern for the collective health of the church.
ENDORSEMENTS
I’m thankful for the endorsements the book has received:
“In an era when Christians seem confused about what kind of community the church ought to be, here’s a helpful handbook outlining the church’s true biblical priorities, especially as they apply to individual church members.”
John MacArthur, President, Grace to You
“Given the state of so many of our churches today, this book arrives not a moment too soon.”
R. Albert Mohler Jr., President, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
“This book provides an excellent and much-needed focus on the individual church member.”
R. C. Sproul, Chairman and President, Ligonier Ministries; Senior Minister of Preaching and Teaching, Saint Andrews Chapel, Sanford, Florida
CONTENTS
Foreword by Mark Dever
Introduction
1. A Healthy Church Member Is an Expositional Listener
2. A Healthy Church Member Is a Biblical Theologian
3. A Healthy Church Member Is Gospel-Saturated
4. A Healthy Church Member Is Genuinely Converted
5. A Healthy Church Member Is Biblical Evangelist
6. A Healthy Church Member Is a Committed Member
7. A Healthy Church Member Seeks Discipline
8. A Healthy Church Member Is a Growing Disciple
9. A Healthy Church Member Is a Humble Follower
10. A Healthy Church Member Is a Prayer Warrior
A Final Word
Scripture Index
Each chapter concludes with a short list of questions for further reflection and recommended books for further study.
USING THE BOOK
My hope is that What Is a Healthy Church Member? would be the kind of book that pastors and church leaders would want to see in the hands of every person they contact. Here are a few ways I pray the book proves useful:
1. Small group study.
2. New member orientation.
3. Gifts to Christian friends who uncertain about church membership.
4. One-on-one discipleship.
5. Gift books to visitors searching for a church to join.
6. Training elders, deacons, small group and other ministry leaders.
7. Sale through your church bookstore.
8. Share copies at your ministers’ association.
ORDER Healthy Member ONLINE
