Gary McIntosh and Charles Arn wrote a deeply insightful book several years ago titled What Every Pastor Should Know. As someone who values both research and real-life church application, I find the ...

There's a new debate among today's Christians. Does the New Testament require, suggest, even hint at local church membership? Are Christians required to belong to a local church, or is it an option?

I was a few months into my pastorate when a woman in a large SUV rolled down her window to catch me in the church’s parking lot. “Good morning, Pastor!” I said hello and introduced myself; she did the ...

Do people join a church because they share its members' beliefs? This has become the putative ideal, the only pure motivation for church affiliation. But I have seldom heard it voiced at our new ...