I’ve recently finished reading Thabiti Anyabwile’s new book entitled What is A Healthy Church Member? The book was published by Crossway and has been branded with the IX Marks logo. Even though the book is fairly short and easy to read there is a lot of thoughtful and practical, biblically based, information on being a healthy church member. Going off of Mark Dever’s Nine Marks of a Healthy Church theme, Anyabwile has ten marks for a healthy church member.
• Mark 1 – A Healthy Church Member Is an Expositional Listener
• Mark 2 – A Healthy Church Member Is a Biblical Theologian
• Mark 3 – A Healthy Church Member Is Gospel Saturated
• Mark 4 – A Healthy Church Member Is Genuinely Converted
• Mark 5 – A Healthy Church Member Is a Biblical Evangelist
• Mark 6 – A Healthy Church Member Is a Committed Member
• Mark 7 – A Healthy Church Member Seeks Discipline
• Mark 8 – A Healthy Church Member Is a Growing Disciple
• Mark 9 – A Healthy Church Member is a Humble Follower
• Mark 10 – A Healthy Church Member Is a Prayer Warrior
I found his “A Final Word” section very edifying; here are some samples from it…
First, it is entirely possible to read this book and assess yourself while completely losing sight of Jesus Christ and the cross. That is, you may read this book and go away thinking “work, work, work” instead of “grace, grace, grace” or “trust, trust, trust.” Each of the chapters my have become for you a roadmap for self-improvement and self-effort, duty and perhaps drudgery. … However the Lord moves you to put the suggestions of this book into practice, I pray that you would do so with an increasing understanding of and reliance upon the life of Christ now at work in you and the Spirit who seals and empowers the Christian for every good work. (Page 115-116)
Second, it is entirely possible to read this book with the spirit of individualism. You may finish this book and think, “Let me get to work on me.” And to be sure, there is great deal of growth we all need to make, and by God’s grace will make, until Christ returns. But this book is about the church, the whole of Christ’s body in a particular place. (Page 116)
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to grow in becoming a healthy church member.
