A Newly Updated and Rebranded Edition of The Deliberate Church
In the process of building a church, there are many things to consider—who will the elders be? How many seats should the sanctuary have? What type of music will the musicians play? Even more important—how do leaders ensure that the church is centered on the gospel?
In this practical guide, pastors Mark Dever and Paul Alexander have compiled a handbook for pastors and church leaders on how to build a healthy church grounded in the gospel. The authors offer a helpful framework for building this type of ministry: laying the groundwork (evangelism, new membership, church discipline), structuring the gathering (preaching, worship, ordinances), designating the elders (their importance, requirements, and installation), and encouraging devotion to prayer and God’s word. A companion resource to Nine Marks of a Healthy Church, this practical guide presents new and seasoned pastors alike with a vision of the church deliberately structured to display God’s glory.
304 pages.
Foreword
Introduction
Section 1: Gathering the ChurchÂ
Chapter 1: The Four Ps
Chapter 2: Beginning the Work
Chapter 3: Doing Responsible Evangelism
Chapter 4: Taking in New Members
Chapter 5: Doing Church Discipline
Section 2: When the Church Gathers
Chapter 6: Understanding the Regulative Principle
Chapter 7: Applying the Regulative PrincipleÂ
Chapter 8: The Role of the PastorÂ
Chapter 9: Evangelistic Exposition
Chapter 10: The Roles of Different Gatherings
Chapter 11: The Role of the OrdinancesÂ
Chapter 12: Loving Each OtherÂ
Chapter 13: Music
Section 3: Gathering Elders
Chapter 14: The Importance of EldersÂ
Chapter 15: Looking for a Few Good Men
Chapter 16: AssessmentÂ
Chapter 17: Why Character Is Crucial
Chapter 18: Getting Started
Chapter 19: Staffing
Section 4: When the Elders Gather
Chapter 20: The Word and Prayer
Chapter 21: The Agenda - What to Talk About
Chapter 22: Decision Making – How to Talk about It Â
Conclusion
