What Is A Healthy Church? (Non-fiction) 4Stars

 

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Title: What Is A Healthy Church?
Series: -----
Author: Mark Dever
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: Non-fiction
Pages: 128
Words: 25K
Publish: 2007

The Sunday church read this together in the various small groups they have a while back. Due to the groups meeting in the evenings, I just didn’t have the ooomph to go, as I would end up falling asleep part way through. That happened enough times in the previous year or so that I gave up going. So I didn’t read this book with the group. I think it would have been a fantastic book to read within a group though.

First thing to know is that Dever is approaching this from a VERY Evangelical viewpoint. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it is the lense through which he is viewing Scripture and how he interprets what it means. I don’t think I actually disagreed with a single point he made however.

This was written for Christians. Not necessarily for old or new Believers, but for anyone who calls themselves a Christian and wants to attend a church.

I thought the content was great. Like I said, I didn’t disagree with anything. But the reason this isn’t getting 5stars is because of how he laid things out. He would include snippets of Bible verses in italics and then include the actual reference, but in bold, to support the points he was making. It was incredibly hard to read through as I kept getting jogged out my reading flow by the setup. I guess it would be like I think, “therefore I am. But only on Tuesdays” (Bookstooge 1:47). So imagine each chapter being filled up like that. It was a big issue for me and I really noticed it. I feel kind of bad about dinging a whole star for it, but I was having to skip, hop and jump through the book instead of walking or even running smoothly. Maybe if you were taking one section at a time, like in a small group it wouldn’t be such an issue.

But to end, I am very glad I read this and would mightily recommend it

★★★★☆

From the Publisher & Table of Contents

What is an ideal church, and how can you tell?

How does it look different from other churches? More importantly, how does it act differently, especially in society? Many of us aren't sure how to answer those questions, even though we probably have some preconceived idea. But with this book, you don't have to wonder any more.

Author Mark Dever seeks to help believers recognize the key characteristics of a healthy church: expositional preaching, biblical theology, and a right understanding of the gospel. Dever then calls us to develop those characteristics in our own churches. By following the example of New Testament authors and addressing church members from pastors to pew sitters, Dever challenges all believers to do their part in maintaining the local church. What Is a Healthy Church? offers timeless truths and practical principles to help each of us fulfill our God-given roles in the body of Christ.

Toc:
Series Preface
Preface: A Parable 
Introduction: What Are You Looking for in a Church? 

Part 1: What Is a Healthy Church? 
Chapter 1: Your Christianity and Your Church 
Chapter 2: What a Church Is . . . and Isn’t 
Chapter 3: What Every Church Should Aspire to Be: Healthy 
Chapter 4: The Ultimate How-to Guide: How to Display God’s Character 
Quick Tips: If You're Thinking about Leaving a Church . . .

Part 2: Essential Marks of a Healthy Church 
Chapter 5: Expositional Preaching 
Chapter 6: Gospel Doctrine 
Quick Tips: How to Find a Good Church

Part 3: Important Marks of a Healthy Church 
Chapter 7: A Biblical Understanding of Conversion and Evangelism 
Chapter 8: A Biblical Understanding of Membership 
Chapter 9: Biblical Church Discipline
Chapter 10: Biblical Discipleship and Growth
Chapter 11: Biblical Church Leadership 
Chapter 12: A Biblical Understanding and Practice of Prayer
Chapter 13: A Biblical Understanding and Practice of Missions
Conclusion: Where the Rubber Meets the Road 

Appendix: A Typical Covenant of a Healthy Church
Special Thanks 
General Index
Scripture Index