DISCO D: BACKUP / TEOLOGIA / MINISTERIO CRISTIANO / IGLESIA

Thorough primer on nine characteristics of a healthy church. Warning! - there are not only 9 marks; these are simply the nine that - if they are in place - empower and enable all the other important traits of a fruitful and faithful church.

Great book to read with others who would like to be challenged to think deeply about the bride and body of Christ. ( )

As my family is between churches, I thought this would be a good read while we search for a new church to call home. Having finished, I can say that I think this is something that should be read by all Christians. Even if you're *not* in the process of looking for a church, the principles Dever writes about here serve as a good compass by which to judge the health of your church, and perhaps should point you to areas that need improvement - areas that you may not be consciously aware of. Dever's stresses repeatedly that size is not an indicator of success - "The purpose of too many evangelical churches has fallen from one of glorifying God simply to growing larger, assuming that goal, however achieved, must glorify God."

What constitutes a healthy church is not easily measured in numerical fashion (how many members, how much money, how many baptisms, how many converts, etc.) but instead by these nine marks which are neglected by many churches today :

Expositional Preaching
Biblical Theology
A Biblical Understanding of the Gospel
A Biblical Understanding of Conversion
A Biblical Understanding of Evangelism
Biblical Church Membership
Biblical Church Discipline
Biblical Discipleship
Biblical Church Leadership

Devoting a chapter to each of these nine crucial qualities, Dever explains why these should be the priority of the church, as well as what happens to churches that pay too little attention to these areas. ( )

If you're familiar with 9Marks, this won't be anything new. If you're not, then this is the necessary and wonderful introduction. Church leaders and church members alike need to read this book. ( )

Excellent Book! Was very encouraging to me. ( )