We requested Logos customers to share their go-to books about building healthy churches. A whole bunch of you gave your opinion by way of our social posts. Listed below are the highest six books on church well being, in response to Logos customers.
This listing contains a mixture of your top-voted titles, in addition to a couple of surprising additions for a touch of selection. Plus, we’ll offer you a brief scoop on what makes every one distinct.
A fast heads-up: Our Logos customers didn’t disappoint and talked about the Bible and particular books of the Bible typically! And truthfully? They’re completely proper. These books within the Bible are the foundational texts, the very blueprint for the way we must always take into consideration church well being. We’ve put these biblical texts on the high of our listing, then we transfer on to some extra-biblical voices searching for to encourage the church.
- Paul’s epistles
- Acts
- Nine Marks of a Healthy Church, by Mark Dever
- Letters to the Church, Francis Chan
- Slow Church, by C. Christopher Smith, John Pattison
- The Christian Ministry, by Charles B
What do you think?
1. Paul’s epistles
If you wish to perceive what makes a church wholesome (and to get a mannequin for learn how to appropriate unhealthy church buildings), Paul’s an authority on the matter. Writing someplace between the late 40s to early 60s, Paul’s letters—with particular emphasis on Ephesians, in response to those that responded—are completely foundational for greedy the theology, construction, and character of the church.
Paul pulls no punches in terms of church well being—he’s continuously pushing church buildings towards unity, non secular maturity, sacrificial love, and strong doctrine. Whether or not you’re studying 1 Corinthians, Ephesians, or 1 Timothy, Paul’s writings reveal what it really means to dwell because the physique of Christ underneath Jesus’s management.
… talking the reality in love, we’re to develop up in each manner into him who’s the top, into Christ, from whom the entire physique, joined and held collectively by each joint with which it’s outfitted, when every half is working correctly, makes the physique develop in order that it builds itself up in love. (Eph 4:15–16)
2. Acts
Wish to see what the early church appeared like instantly following Christ’s resurrection and Pentecost? Acts is your window into that world.
Possible written round AD 62, Acts captures the birth and expansion of the early church by the Holy Spirit’s energy. You’ll discover daring witnesses, deep fellowship, shared assets, and resilient religion by navigating the early church’s rising pains. Look to Acts as each blueprint and inspiration for any church that desires to be Spirit-led and mission-focused in the present day.
And so they devoted themselves to the apostles’ instructing and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came across each soul, and lots of wonders and indicators had been being performed by the apostles. And all who believed had been collectively and had all issues in widespread. And so they had been promoting their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had want. And day-to-day, attending the temple collectively and breaking bread of their properties, they obtained their meals with glad and beneficiant hearts, praising God and having favor with all of the individuals. And the Lord added to their quantity day-to-day those that had been being saved. (Acts 2:42–47)
3. 9 Marks of a Wholesome Church, by Mark Dever
Dever retains a laser deal with what really makes a church wholesome in response to the Bible’s perspective. He lays out 9 traits—issues like expositional preaching, biblical theology, and significant church membership.
His mission? Get church buildings to cease chasing after no matter’s stylish or consumer-friendly and get again to a God-centered imaginative and prescient that’s really rooted in Scripture. This e book is sensible with out being shallow.
The well being of the church must be the priority of all Christians, as a result of it does contain the non secular lifetime of everybody who’s a Christian and a member of a church, particularly of these known as to be leaders within the church. Our church buildings are to show the wonderful gospel of God to his creation in an incredible selection by all of the totally different personalities he places within the church and the methods he permits them to narrate collectively and to point out his glory. That’s what we’re known as to; we’re known as to show God and his character in a wonderful technique to his creation (Eph. 3:10). We’re to carry him glory by our lives collectively.
4. Letters to the Church, Francis Chan
Chan’s ardour shines by on this plea to the fashionable church. He challenges readers to fully reimagine what church may appear to be if we really took the unconventional, sacrificial love from the New Testomony significantly.
He will get private about his personal journey—leaving megachurch ministry to pursue one thing less complicated, extra relational, and far more depending on the Spirit. This e book is a clarion name to ditch comfort for the real church.
For many years church leaders like myself have overlooked the highly effective thriller inherent within the Church and have as a substitute run to different strategies to maintain individuals . In all honesty, we now have skilled you to turn into hooked on lesser issues. We’ve got cheapened one thing sacred, and we should repent.
5. Sluggish Church, by C. Christopher Smith, John Pattison
Ever really feel like church has turn into this frantic, fast-paced factor that feels extra like a franchise than a household? Smith and Pattison completely perceive that frustration—deeply sufficient to write down a e book about it.
They distinction all that hurried, business-paced Christianity with a imaginative and prescient that’s rooted, native, and extremely relational. Taking a web page from the “sluggish meals” motion, they’re inviting church buildings to really domesticate deep discipleship, genuine hospitality, and considerate presence inside their communities.
God’s plan has at all times been centered on the gathering of a peculiar individuals who will embody God’s reconciliation.
6. The Christian Ministry, by Charles Bridges
Don’t let the publication date idiot you: Although initially revealed in 1830, this traditional of pastoral theology continues to be extremely related. Bridges dives deep into the calling, tasks, and pitfalls that include ministry.
Despite the fact that he wrote this nearly two centuries in the past, his knowledge on prayer, preaching, and the spiritual health of leaders is timeless. Plus, he doesn’t draw back from exploring why ministry can turn into ineffective and learn how to get well that non secular energy.
We will discover that our most profitable hours of employment for our individuals weren’t these after we had been chatting with them from God, however after we had been talking for them to God.
The Christian Ministry, with an Inquiry into the Causes of Its Inefficiency, Vols. I & II
What do you suppose?
Do you agree with what different Logos customers have mentioned about their go-to books on constructing a wholesome church? What books are lacking from the listing?
Inform us about it on the unique Facebook, X, and Instagram posts. We’d love so that you can share your favourite books and writers on constructing wholesome church buildings.
