Nine marks of a healthy church

You don't need to listen long to find someone--be it an author, a speaker, a pastor, or a professional consultant--with a ten-point plan for increasing effectiveness and growth within your church. Pastor Mark Dever, however, believes that the purpose of too many churches has fallen from glorifying God to growing larger. We must realize that the size of a congregation is rarely a good way to estimate the greatness of something in God's eyes. To that end, Dever challenges you to recover what the church is meant to be. He suggests nine marks that distinguish a healthy, biblical church from its less healthy sisters. These characteristics do not include everything one would want to say about a church; instead, they focus on certain crucial aspects that have grown rare in today's churches. Whether you are a pastor, lay leader, or involved member of a congregation, you can help cultivate these elements in your church, bringing it new life and health for God's glory. And as you work to reclaim the true purpose of the church, you will see and be a part of all that God intended the body of Christ to be. A powerful and passionate call for congregations to take seriously their responsibilities, for the glory of God and the saving of lost souls. -Timothy George, Senior Editor, Christianity Today All who are interested in the well-being of the church should read and put into practice the counsel of this invaluable book. -John H. Armstrong, President, Reformation and Revival Ministries The future of biblical Christianity in the Western world is inextricably bound to the future of the local church. Mark Dever knows this, and his Nine Marks of a HealthyChurch is a biblical prescription for faithfulness. -J. Ligon Duncan III, Adjunct Professor, Reformed Theological Seminary