A New Book!

I just started reading the book 9 Marks of a Healthy Church by Mark Dever. I'm excited to see what he has to say about a healthy church. The introduction really wet my appetite; maybe it will prompt you to read it too - or at least start thinking about what a healthy church really looks like when one uses the Bible as your measure of health instead of our own subjective opinions. Here's an excerpt from the introduction:

"How is a church supposed to act? What does it mean for a church to be faithful? And how can you tell whether or not you're succeeding? Is the fact that a lot of people are attending the proof that what they're doing right and blessed by God? It's hard to argue with numbers. Faced with attendance in the tens of thousands, mega complex buildings and budgets bigger than those of small countries, its not easy to question whether this is really a good idea. 'Of course it's a good idea!' the evidence seems to scream. 'Look how BIG it all is!'

"But is size the measure of success? We all know the right answer is no, but I wonder how many of us truly believe it deep down – or how many of us know what to sue to measure success in its place? Maybe you're uneasy about the shallowness of the modern church. Maybe you're looking for another measuring stick for true health. But whether you're a pastor looking for a blueprint to build your church or simply a Christian asking what matters most in a church, I believe this book can help you."

I'm excited to read Mark Dever's analysis of church health. My lofty plan is to summarize each of the nine marks detailed in this book in nine different posts, so be looking for more to come!