“I Am a Church Member”

 Thom Rainer’s I Am A Church Member (Nashville: B&H, 2013) is a helpful little booklet that sets forth a healthy Christian attitude towards church membership.  It isn’t a detailed theological treatise about church membership, but it is a good and straightforward introduction to biblical church membership.  It is written in clear language, is quite short …

Cowboys, Detectives, and Loner Christians

In Habits of the Heart (2008 ed.) the authors brilliantly illustrate American individualism by examining American stories – specifically stories of the cowboy and the detective.  Even more interesting is what John Locke has to do with cowboys and detectives. “Individualism lies at the very core of American culture. …John Locke is the key figure …

Yes, I Believe that Jesus is Lord…

 Around 100 years ago, Abraham Kuyper wrote a book for those wishing to make public profession of faith in a Reformed church.  The book is called The Implications of Public Confession.  In this short book, Kuyper discusses the relationship of Baptism and the Lord's Supper.  He also talks about children praying, believing, repenting, and confessing the …

Church Membership – Really?

 Many people today have all sorts of memberships.  From monthly Netflix plans to smart phone contracts to fitness clubs to political movements, not many people hesitate to sign the dotted line that binds them to certain membership obligations.  However, when it comes to being a public, professing member of a local church, quite a few people hesitate and …

Belonging and Believing: Going to Church

 As I mentioned earlier, (with a few caveats) I enjoyed Belcher's book, Deep Church (Downers Grove: IVP, 2009).  One section I appreciated is where he discusses the Emergent emphasis on belonging before believing.  Many Emergent churches don't like the traditional way of first making someone believe x, y, and z before they join your church and experience …