Tuesday, July 15, 2008

What Is a Healthy Church Member


What is a Healthy Church Member?
By Thabiti Anyabwile
(Crossway, 2008), hb., 127 pp.

I received my copy of this book last Friday and read it over the weekend. It is excellent! I plan to buy several copies of this book to give away. This book will be immensely helpful to individuals and churches.

Anyabwile takes each of the 9 Marks (from Nine Marks of a Healthy Church, or the latest edition of this book, What is a Healthy Church?) and applies them to church members. He then adds a chapter on prayer. Whereas Dever’s book addressed what the church as a whole should look like, this book asks how individual members can pursue these goals? This is then an excellent complement to the Dever books.

The Chapters are (and you can browse the chapters by following the links):
1. A Healthy Church Member Is an Expositional Listener

2. A Healthy Church Member Is a Biblical Theologian

3. A Healthy Church Member Is Gospel Saturated

4. A Healthy Church Member Is Genuinely Converted

5. A Healthy Church Member Is a Biblical Evangelist

6. A Healthy Church Member Is a Committed Member

7. A Healthy Church Member Seeks Discipline

8. A Healthy Church Member Is a Growing Disciple

9. A Healthy Church Member Is a Humble Follower

10. A Healthy Church Member Is a Prayer Warrior

This is another great tool in helping people see where and how we need to change. It is profound but simply and clearly communicated. Give copies to your church members and fellow pastors.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for posting on this book, Ray. I will get one. I had seen notices but not the contents, so you post is very helpful. Sounds like a terrific book for use in local church training. I have a copy of his book on African-american theology, which is thought provoking. Grace to you this summer. Mary is doing very well at Wycliffe/Orlando HQ this summer, and has now become the women's Bible study leader for the Summer Program (Wycliffe and Crusade interns). I'm thrilled she's getting this outstanding experience.