A Superlative Guide to All 15 Elder Qualifications
          
        
      
    
    
      
        
  
    David Mathis
  
      
    
    
    
      
        
As Christians, we have our conflicts and controversies to grieve about our leaders, but the risen Christ has not left us to confusion about what to expect, pray for, and hold our leaders to account for.
      
    
  
    
  
     
      
  
  
    
      
        
          
            What Does It Mean for Jesus Christ to Be the Head of the Church?
          
        
      
    
    
      
        
  
    Dustin Benge
  
      
    
    
    
      
        
The phrase "head of the church" is not employed to identify Christ as the head of a company or the head of some earthly organization.
      
    
  
    
  
     
      
  
  
    
      
        
          
            What Is the Job of the Pastor?
          
        
      
    
    
      
        
  
    Collin Hansen, 
  
  
    Jonathan Leeman
  
      
    
    
    
      
        
Your ability to do your job as a church member depends on pastors or elders doing their jobs.
      
    
  
    
  
     
      
  
  
    
      
        
          
            7 Tips to Help Introverts Connect at Church
          
        
      
    
    
      
        
  
    Megan Hill
  
      
    
    
    
      
        
In our individualistic, consumer-minded culture, it can seem acceptable to conclude that, if you’re an introvert, church just isn’t your thing. But the Scriptures tell a different story.
      
    
  
    
  
     
      
  
  
    
      
        
          
            How to Pray for Your Pastor’s Family
          
        
      
    
    
      
        
  
    Jani Ortlund
  
      
    
    
    
      
        
Would you like to show your pastor your appreciation but are unsure what might be most helpful to him? More than any other gift you could give your pastor, he will treasure your prayers for his family.
      
    
  
    
  
     
      
  
  
    
      
        
          
            3 Tips for Starting a Bible Study
          
        
      
    
    
      
        
  
    Jen Wilkin
  
      
    
    
    
      
        
If you're hoping to start a Bible Study, always incorporate these three vital aspects: structure, accountability, and predictability.
      
    
  
    
  
     
      
  
  
    
      
        
          
            Help! I Have a Problem with My Pastor
          
        
      
    
    
      
        
  
    Brett McCracken
  
      
    
    
    
      
        
Don't let your pastor be the only thing that connects you to your church.
      
    
  
    
  
     
      
  
  
    
      
        
          
            Should the Church Operate Like a Business?
          
        
      
    
    
      
        
  
    Matthew Emadi
  
      
    
    
    
      
        
How we think about the church will affect how we think about our service in the church.
      
    
  
    
  
     
      
  
  
    
      
        
          
            10 Reasons Pastors Should Study the Bible in Its Original Languages
          
        
      
    
    
      
        
  
    Peter J. Williams
  
      
    
    
    
      
        
Every pastor—as time and opportunities arise—should study the Bible in its original languages. Yes, it's that important.
      
    
  
    
  
     
      
  
  
    
      
        
          
            What Is a Healthy Way to Leave a Church?
          
        
      
    
    
      
        
  
    Edward W. Klink III
  
      
    
    
    
      
        
Leaving the church is painful for Christians and pastors, and we've seen a lot of it over the last couple of years through COVID, election crises, and racial crises.
      
    
  
    
  
     
      
  
  
    
      
        
          
            The Trinity Transforms the Church into a Community of Love
          
        
      
    
    
      
        
  
    Dustin Benge
  
      
    
    
    
      
        
Just as the church is the glorious gift of love from God the Father to Christ the Son, so the church, as the body of Christ, reflects that Trinitarian love and beauty outwardly to the world.
      
    
  
    
  
     
      
  
  
    
      
        
          
            What a Church Is . . . and Isn't
          
        
      
    
    
      
        
  
    Mark Dever
  
      
    
    
    
      
        
The church is not a place. It’s not a building. It’s not a preaching point. It’s not a spiritual service provider. It’s a people—the new-covenant, blood-bought people of God.
      
    
  
    
  
     
      
  
  
    
      
        
          
            5 Myths about Being Called to Ministry
          
        
      
    
    
      
        
  
    Bobby Jamieson
  
      
    
    
    
      
        
Are you called to the ministry? How can you tell if you’re called to ministry? What should you do to find out?
      
    
  
    
  
     
      
  
  
    
      
        
          
            Pastor: Could Your View of Scripture Be Too Low?
          
        
      
    
    
      
        
  
    John MacArthur
  
      
    
    
    
      
        
Pastor, your preaching will be a direct reflection of what you believe about the Bible.
      
    
  
    
  
     
      
  
  
    
      
        
          
            What Songs Will Our Children Be Singing All Their Lives?
          
        
      
    
    
      
        
  
    Dan Kreider
  
      
    
    
    
      
        
Songs that come and go are a reminder that, while culture and creative expressions are perpetually changing, Christ’s plans for his church will never fade away.
      
    
  
    
  
     
      
  
  
    
      
        
          
            5 Questions about the Sacraments
          
        
      
    
    
      
        
  
    J. I. Packer, 
  
  
    Joel Scandrett
  
      
    
    
    
      
        
What is a sacrament and what is its purpose in the church? Learn answers from To Be a Christian: An Anglican Catechism.
      
    
  
    
  
     
      
  
  
    
      
        
          
            The Awkward and Essential Challenge of Christian Community
          
        
      
    
    
      
        
      
    
    
    
      
        
This new book calls us to embrace the uncomfortable aspects of Christian community, whether that means believing difficult truths, pursuing difficult holiness, or loving difficult people.
      
    
  
    
  
     
      
  
  
    
      
        
          
            Dear Pastor . . . Your Shepherd Doesn’t Care How Big Your Church Is
          
        
      
    
    
      
        
  
    Jared C. Wilson
  
      
    
    
    
      
        
What the Lord requires of us is faithfulness. And while it’s perfectly normal for every pastor to want his church to grow, it’s also idolatrous to marry our validation and our justification to our attendance.
      
    
  
    
  
     
      
  
  
    
      
        
          
            Church Membership Is Not a One-Way Street
          
        
      
    
    
      
        
  
    Alex Duke
  
      
    
    
    
      
        
What is church membership? It’s the commitment Christians make to keep one another accountable for regularly gathering and centering their lives together on the gospel.
      
    
  
    
  
     
      
  
  
    
      
        
          
            5 Questions about the Local Church
          
        
      
    
    
      
        
  
    Edward W. Klink III
  
      
    
    
    
      
        
Ultimately, the local church makes visible what is invisible, and reflects in words and deeds the kingdom life that is to come.
      
    
  
    
  
     
      
  
  
    
      
        
          
            Feeling Alone in a Crowded Congregation
          
        
      
    
    
      
        
  
    Jeremy Linneman
  
      
    
    
    
      
        
We are social beings, and human connection is essential for our brain functioning, physical health, and emotional well-being. Loneliness is the unsurprising symptom of an individualistic society.
      
    
  
    
  
     
      
  
  
    
      
        
          
            We’re a Modern Church, So Why Do We Need a Hymnal?
          
        
      
    
    
      
        
  
    Jordan Kauflin
  
      
    
    
    
      
        
We live in a world of projection screens, band arrangements, Planning Center, and chord charts. Why should we care about a new hymnal?
      
    
  
    
  
     
      
  
  
    
      
        
          
            5 Stumbling Blocks to Pastoral Honesty
          
        
      
    
    
      
        
  
    Paul David Tripp
  
      
    
    
    
      
        
Why isn’t humble candor more of a regular part of our ministry leadership culture? Why aren’t we more ready to confess spiritual discouragement or struggle?
      
    
  
    
  
     
      
  
  
    
      
        
          
            What Are the Limits of a Church’s Authority?
          
        
      
    
    
      
        
  
    Jonathan Leeman
  
      
    
    
    
      
        
Christians today tend to give little attention to the idea of church authority, just like we give little attention to church membership and discipline.
      
    
  
    
  
     
      
  
  
    
      
        
          
            10 Disciplines of a Godly Pastor
          
        
      
    
    
      
        
  
    R. Kent Hughes
  
      
    
    
    
      
        
As we sweat out the disciplines of a godly pastor, remember, with Paul, what energizes us to live them out.
      
    
  
    
  
     
      
  
  
    
      
        
          
            What Is the Church?
          
        
      
    
    
      
        
  
    Jonathan Leeman
  
      
    
    
    
      
        
People throw the word church around quite a bit, and often they have different things in mind.
      
    
  
    
  
     
      
  
  
    
      
        
          
            10 Things You Should Know about the African Church
          
        
      
    
    
      
        
  
    Conrad Mbewe
  
      
    
    
    
      
        
It is said that the number of Christians in Africa at the beginning of the twentieth century was about 9 million and that by the end of the twentieth century it was about 380 million.
      
    
  
    
  
     
      
  
  
    
      
        
          
            Why Do Most Christians Gather on Sunday Instead of Saturday?
          
        
      
    
    
      
        
  
    Guy Prentiss Waters
  
      
    
    
    
      
        
According to the New Testament, the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is a dividing line in human history. As such, it cannot but have implications for the Sabbath.
      
    
  
    
  
     
      
  
  
    
      
        
          
            Don’t Make Church About You
          
        
      
    
    
      
        
  
    Erin Wheeler
  
      
    
    
    
      
        
Our church’s gatherings are ultimately about God. We worship according to his desires, not ours. When we gather we should be governed by God’s word, not our preferences.
      
    
  
    
  
     
      
  
  
    
      
        
          
            Dear Pastor . . . You’re a Shepherd, Not an Entrepreneur
          
        
      
    
    
      
        
  
    Nathan Knight
  
      
    
    
    
      
        
If we plant churches as pastors, not entrepreneurs, whose aim is to love Christ and feed and tend the sheep of Christ’s reward, then we can sleep well knowing our work will endure.