Nine Marks of a Healthy Church
What really makes a good church? In Nine Marks of a Healthy Church, Mark Dever gives basic biblical principles for assessing and strengthening the health of your church.
Preaching and Evangelism
Mark One has always been Expositional Preaching. Dever says that the main role of any pastor is expositional preaching. This makes the first mark far more important than the rest. Expositional preaching is preaching in service to the Word. It is making the main point of your sermon the main point of what God’s Word is saying. It is the central distinction of a healthy church.
In this new 4th edition, Dever has wisely revised his original to combine messages on biblical theology and the gospel (Ch. 2: Gospel Doctrine) as well as conversion and evangelism (Ch. 3: A Biblical Understanding of Conversion and Evangelism). He focuses on the core doctrines that the God of the Bible is a Creating God, a Holy God, a Faithful God, a Loving God, and a Sovereign God. He also helps us see that evangelism is not marketing – and only God can change our hearts.
Membership and Discipleship
Mark Four is A Biblical Understanding of Church Membership. Duties towards members and duties towards pastors are mentioned, and I found it especially helpful to hear how Dever’s Capitol Hill Baptist Church has special responsibilities for her members. Mark Five is A Biblical Understanding of Church Discipline, and Dever quickly examines eight passages that deal with this issue.
Mark Six is A Biblical Concern for Discipleship and Growth. Growth is a sign of true spiritual life, and Dever is not afraid, like the Apostle Paul, to shame seemingly “carnal” Christians. Mark Seven is Biblical Church Leadership, and he is quick to tie leadership together with the congregation as well as with God’s own character.
Healthy and Whole
Two new marks were included: A Biblical Understanding and Practice of Prayer (Ch. 8) and A Biblical Understanding and Practice of Missions (Ch. 9). Dever gives a rundown of how local church congregations can practice praying together, and details what churches should believe and do about missions. These two chapters are a fitting conclusion to find power in God for the local and global Kingdom-cause of Christ.
The world has seen the resilience of the Church in the midst of a global pandemic. This book is more than a handbook. It is a helpful guide, full of Biblical truth to help the Church shine brightly in our dark world. She points and reflects Christ – who gave his life to keep her healthy and whole.
I received a media copy of Nine Marks of a Healthy Church and this is my honest review. Find more of my book reviews and follow Dive In, Dig Deep on Instagram - my account dedicated to Bibles and books to see the beauty of the Bible and the role of reading in the Christian life. To read all of my book reviews and to receive all of the free eBooks I find on the web, subscribe to my free newsletter.