Should you commit yourself to membership in a local church? Isnt just being a Christian enough? Anyhow, where does the Bible say that we have to become members of a churchwhy cant I just attend and get involved? These are very important questions that demand an answer, especially in the casual age that were living in. Dr. Wayne Mack brings his years of experience as a Bible teacher, pastor and counselor to this very controversial topic. His answers are straightforward and clear: YES! You must become a church member if youre to be obedient to Our Lord Jesus Christ and the clear teaching of the New Testament. NO! Being a lone wolf Christian is not enough, per se; you must join with a local body of believers in a church that teaches sound doctrine. NO! You cannot just attend and get involved without the benefit of church membership; you must have church elders that can guide you, and that you must submit to. Dr. Mack thus argues conclusively and clearly for church membership.

It is impossible to grow to spiritual maturity by yourself. You must be connected to the other parts of the Body. This wonderful little book explains the power of belonging to a church family.

Jonathan Leeman addresses the commonly asked (and often unanswered) question of, "Why should I join a church?" in a time when many are shunning the practice of organized religion. By offering a brief, straightforward explanation of what church membership is and why it's important, Leeman gives the local church its proper due and builds a case for committing to the local body. Church Membership is a useful tool for churches to distribute en masse to new and potential members of their congregation. This volume is part of the 9Marks: Building Healthy Churches series. Look for upcoming, quick-read formats of the following marks of a healthy church: expositional preaching, biblical theology, the gospel, conversion, evangelism, church discipline, discipleship and growth, and church leadership.

Now when it comes to women in the kingdom and their new standing in Christ Jesus. What was once true under the curse is now no longer true in Christ. A change has been made when we move from under the Law to now being under Grace. The curse is lifted! The status of women under the Law has changed. In Christ, believing women have moved out from under the Law into the kingdom. Paul states in Col.1:12-14 that a translation has occurred. The word translation suggests a change in position, status, and location. The New Covenant reveals that under grace the status or standing (position or rank) of believing women has now changed. Now, no longer under the curse of sin: and now finding a new status and a new identity in Christ Jesus! The old has given way to the new! The new has given new meaning to the old! Being translated out from under the curse into a new positon held in Christ Jesus. What God did only for a few, in times past, he will now do for all in the present time. What God did only for the Jews, under the Old Covenant, he will now do as well for the Gentiles in the New Covenant. What was once enjoyed only by the free, under the dispensation of the giving of the Law, is now enjoyed by all (slave and free) in the dispensation of Grace. What was once held only by men in the past (under the curse) is now held by all (both men and women) in the present and in the church through the power and ministry of the Holy Spirit.

Biblically and practically instructs church members in ways they can labor for the health of their church. What Is a Healthy Church Member? takes its cue from Mark Dever's book What Is a Healthy Church?, which offered one definition of what a healthy church looks like biblically and historically. In this new work, pastor Thabiti Anyabwile attempts to answer the natural next question: "What does a healthy church member look like in the light of Scripture?" God intends for us to play an active and vital part in the body of Christ, the local church. He wants us to experience the local church as a home more profoundly wonderful and meaningful than any other place on earth. He intends for his churches to be healthy places and for the members of those churches to be healthy as well. This book explains how membership in the local church can produce spiritual growth in its members and how each member can contribute to the growth and health of the whole.

Congregational authority is less about the meetings and more about the mission. Congregationalism has a bad rap for well-known reasons: inefficient meetings, upstart members, browbeaten ministers. But biblical congregationalism isn’t so much about the meetings. It’s about empowering the whole church to promote and protect the gospel. Pastors lead and equip. Members get to work strengthening one another and pursuing Christ’s mission in the world.

Can one be both an existentialist and a Christian? Existentialism is a philosophical school of thought unique in being based on feeling and experience rather than on the traditional foundations of philosophy. Many of its proponents have been atheists or can be considered opponents of religion. With this history, can there be such a thing as a Christian existentialism? Dr. David Moffett-Moore believes there can be. In this book he outlines the basics of existentialist thought and a path to a Christian existentialist viewpoint. This book is short, but challenging. It provides a starting point for an extended discussion.