Hello Grace Family!

It's time for our next Resource of the Month!  

We recently began a sermon series called "Life in God's House." It's about aspects of a healthy church. One book that has shaped my thinking on this subject is What is a Healthy Church? by Mark Dever, pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. 

What is a Healthy Church? is a condensed version of Dever's lengthier book, Nine Marks of a Healthy Church (which I also recommend).

Dever breaks down several aspects of a healthy church. His list is not exhaustive, but it's a great start for any church looking to grow in faithfulness and godliness.

He includes the following marks of a healthy church:

- Expositional Preaching

- Gospel Doctrine

- A Biblical Understanding of Conversion and Evangelism

- Biblical Membership

- Biblical Church Discipline

- Biblical Discipleship

- Biblical Leadership

- Biblical Prayer

- Biblical Missions

Of course, the list could be lengthened. We might ask about stewardship, hospitality, pastoral counseling, care for the poor, and more. The book's aim is not to list every single aspect of a healhty church, but rather to hit on several of the essentials.

If I could summarize the book's impact in three sentences, it would be these: God hasn't left us in the dark concerning what a healthy church is, or how to pursue it together. Rather, his Word––the Bible––answers these questions with authority and sufficiency. The Bible tells us what a healthy church is, and how to pursue it together.

You may have noticed the repetition of the adjective "biblical." That's very intentional. One of Dever's aims is to bring churches back to the Bible for their understanding of who, and what, and how they are. I am grateful for this!

Each chapter is short, digestible, and very practical. If you are interested in seeing what the Bible has to say about these topics and their place in the church, I encourage you to pick up a copy. 

In fact, we now have a copy on our Resource Wall at Grace (for display only). Please take a look this Sunday!

I would love to hear from you! What books or resources have shaped your understanding of the church?

Email me: tom@gracestamford.org

Thank you for reading the Resource of the Month email! If you have any questions about these resources, please reach out. Look for our next recommended resource in a few weeks.

Sincerely, your brother in Christ,

Tom Hansen, Senior Pastor