Those of us who take the step to become members of Kampong Kapor Methodist Church make a vow before God and in front of the congregation to “faithfully participate in its ministries” through prayers, presence, gifts and service. The church library has selected these books that we hope will help all of us play our part as members of our local church.
1. What Is a Healthy Church? by Mark Dever
Author Mark Dever seeks to help believers recognize the key characteristics of a healthy church: expositional preaching, biblical theology, and a right understanding of the gospel. Dever then calls us to develop those characteristics in our own churches. By following the example of New Testament authors and addressing church members from pastors to pew sitters, Dever challenges all believers to do their part in maintaining the local church. What Is a Healthy Church? offers timeless truths and practical principles to help each of us fulfill our God-given roles in the body of Christ.
2. I Am a Church Member: Discovering the Attitude that Makes the Difference by Thom S. Rainer
I Am a Church Member begins to remedy the outbreak of inactive or barely committed church members, addressing without apology what is expected of those who join a body of believers. When a person’s attitude is consistently biblical and healthy, matters of giving, serving, and so forth will fall into place more naturally. Six intentional chapters with study questions guide this rising discussion:
1. I Will Be a Unifying Church Member
2. I Will Not Let the Church Be About My Preferences and Desires
3. I Will Pray for My Church Leaders
4. I Will Lead My Family to Be Healthy Church Members
5. I Will Be a Functioning Member
6. I Will Treasure Church Membership as a Gift.
3. Why We Love The Church: In Praise of Institutions and Organized Religion by Kevin DeYoung
This book presents the case for loving the local church. It paints a picture of the local church in all its biblical and real life guts, gaffes, and glory in an effort to edify local congregations and entice the disaffected back to the fold. It also provides a solid biblical mandate to love and be part of the body of Christ.
4. Church Membership: How the World Knows Who Represents Jesus by Jonathan Leeman
Becoming a member of a church is an important, and often neglected, part of the Christian life. Yet the trend these days is one of shunning the practice of organized religion and showing a distaste or fear of commitment, especially of institutions. Jonathan Leeman addresses these issues with a straightforward explanation of what church membership is and why it’s important. Giving the local church its proper due, Leeman has built a compelling case for committing to the local body.
Make your book reservations online or drop by our library on Sundays, 9.15am to 10am, at KKMC L2.
What books do KKMC librarians recommend? What are members of our community reading? Find out at From the Librarian’s Shelf, brought to you by the KKMC Library Ministry.
