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9Marks Healthy Church Study Guides #7
Committing to One Another: Church Membership
This study answers the Why join a church? By seeing the scriptural reasoning for becoming a church member, participants will also learn what it looks like to be a healthy member and how to serve well within their local congregation. A series of ten 6–7 week studies covering the nine distinctives of a healthy church as originally laid out in Nine Marks of a Healthy Church by Mark Dever. This series explores the biblical foundations of key aspects of the church, helping Christians to live out those realities as members of a local body. Conveniently packaged and accessibly written, the format of this series is guided, inductive discussion of Scripture passages and is ideal for use in Sunday school, church-wide studies, or small group contexts.
64 pages, Paperback
First published April 30, 2012
11 people are currently reading
45 people want to read
About the author
Bobby Jamieson
30 books44 followersBobby Jamieson is a Ph.D. student in New Testament and affiliated lecturer in New Testament Greek at the University of Cambridge. He and his wife are members of Eden Baptist Church, and they live in Cambridge with their three children. Bobby previously served as assistant editor for 9Marks.
See also R.B. Jamieson
See also R.B. Jamieson
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
September 7, 2020
Es el complemento del libro de la Membresia de 9Marcas, ¡Muy recomendado!
May 14, 2025
This is a review of Committing to One Another: Church Membership by Bobby Jamieson, with editorial contributions from Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman, which is part of the Healthy Church Study Guides series from 9Marks and Crossway Publishing (Wheaton, IL). Released in 2012, this small group study guide is designed for use in congregational settings and includes discussion questions and teaching notes for leaders. The resource notes, “These study guides are mainly driven by observation, interpretation, and application questions, so get ready to speak up! (Page 8)”
The Healthy Church Study Guides series covers the nine distinctives of a healthy church as originally laid out in Nine Marks of a Healthy Church by Mark Dever. It outlines a structured, nine-session exploration (seven main sessions plus introduction and theological foundation) of church membership, aimed at cultivating a more intentional understanding of commitment to the local church. The resource is short—just 64 pages—but packed with theological reflection and practical application, formatted to encourage group dialogue.
This book is best described as a short, discussion-oriented guide with both discipleship and theological underpinnings. It invites participants to consider church membership through observation, interpretation, and application. This is a resource that is meant to be wrestled with. The study argues that while the term membership is not something that explicitly appears in the Scriptures, the New Testament reflects a clear sense of communal identity, accountability, and participation within local church communities. I might say that the thesis is that membership involves a mutual covenant between a Christian and a local church, grounded in shared affirmation, submission, and discipleship, meant to clearly define who is in and out. As the book states, “though in one sense church membership begins when Christ saves us and makes us a member of his body… his work must then be given expression in an actual local church” (Page 12). The style is accessible and intentionally dialogical, shaped for community processing in a group, structured around an introduction and seven weekly sessions.
The opening chapter from Mark Dever presents a biblical overview of membership. This apparently was originally published as Chapter 10 of What is a Healthy Church?, by Mark Dever. Week 1 addresses the need for membership, Week 2 the biblical mandate, and Week 3 the goal. Week 4 turns to the challenges of membership, while Week 5 explores its nature. Week 6 covers the duties of membership—one of the strongest chapters—and the final week reflects on the glory of membership, a topic that could have benefited from further theological richness. The book concludes with around 20 pages of teaching notes, reinforcing the guide’s practical focus.
The authors are all key leaders in the 9Marks movement. Dever, who shaped this series the most, serves as senior pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. Leeman, a significant voice in the 9Marks ministry, provides the formal definition of membership in the guide. Crossway, the publisher, is well known for its strong resourcing for Reformed evangelical theology and its promotion of the English Standard Version (ESV) of the Bible.
I read this book as part of a broader effort to reevaluate and raise the bar on membership at River Corner Church, where I serve as pastor. In preparation for a sermon series on church commitment, I am reviewing multiple resources from different theological streams. While this book reflects a more conservative and Reformed orientation than my Anabaptist and Vineyard background, I found much that resonated with my own paradigm and experience. The resource provides an important challenge that the local church in many traditions, including my own, would benefit from engaging more deeply. It does a good job of raising the bar.
The authors name the problem well, “Sadly, it is not uncommon to find a big gap between the number of people officially on the membership rolls and the number who regularly attend” (Page 13). This is a common reality that is evidenced in a recent study that found “the typical Southern Baptist church has 233 members with only 70 attending on Sunday morning” (Page 13). The church needs a healthier understanding of membership and the commitment it means: because “We don’t love old friends well by allowing them to hold onto their membership in our congregations for sentimental reasons” (Page 14). Membership has a great purpose, to mature the church, and so they argue that “The goal of church membership is that every single church member would help the whole church grow to maturity in Christ” (Page 27). I agree with that.
Critically, the book achieves its goal of presenting a compelling case for intentional membership, though with some caveats. Its strengths lie in its concise presentation, theological conviction, and structured format. However, it occasionally slips into an elitist tone—common to me in some 9Marks materials—and leans on proof texts without always fully supporting its claims. For example, the suggestion that “the New Testament apparently kept lists of people” relies on texts like 1 Timothy 5 and Acts 6, which are not definitive evidence of formal membership rolls, in my opinion (Page 11). Furthermore, statements like “we can no longer express our confidence that you’re going to heaven” come across as overly harsh, overtly superior, and risk conflating spiritual assurance with institutional belonging (Page 14). While I affirm the call for greater and more meaningful accountability and community, the absence of a fuller vision for mutual submission between members and leaders leaves the model vulnerable to authoritarian interpretation. A broader engagement with other voices might have offered a helpful balance in understanding what this looks like practically for each person. It brings discussion, but lacks practical steps.
In conclusion, Committing to One Another: Church Membership is a timely and challenging resource for churches seeking to take membership more seriously. Despite theological differences, it raises important questions about commitment, discipleship, and community life that transcend denominational lines. This book is best used in a discussion setting where its claims can be thoughtfully engaged, affirmed, challenged, and contextualized. For churches navigating apathy around commitment, it serves as a healthy starting point for deeper conversations about what it means to truly belong to one another in Christ.
The Healthy Church Study Guides series covers the nine distinctives of a healthy church as originally laid out in Nine Marks of a Healthy Church by Mark Dever. It outlines a structured, nine-session exploration (seven main sessions plus introduction and theological foundation) of church membership, aimed at cultivating a more intentional understanding of commitment to the local church. The resource is short—just 64 pages—but packed with theological reflection and practical application, formatted to encourage group dialogue.
This book is best described as a short, discussion-oriented guide with both discipleship and theological underpinnings. It invites participants to consider church membership through observation, interpretation, and application. This is a resource that is meant to be wrestled with. The study argues that while the term membership is not something that explicitly appears in the Scriptures, the New Testament reflects a clear sense of communal identity, accountability, and participation within local church communities. I might say that the thesis is that membership involves a mutual covenant between a Christian and a local church, grounded in shared affirmation, submission, and discipleship, meant to clearly define who is in and out. As the book states, “though in one sense church membership begins when Christ saves us and makes us a member of his body… his work must then be given expression in an actual local church” (Page 12). The style is accessible and intentionally dialogical, shaped for community processing in a group, structured around an introduction and seven weekly sessions.
The opening chapter from Mark Dever presents a biblical overview of membership. This apparently was originally published as Chapter 10 of What is a Healthy Church?, by Mark Dever. Week 1 addresses the need for membership, Week 2 the biblical mandate, and Week 3 the goal. Week 4 turns to the challenges of membership, while Week 5 explores its nature. Week 6 covers the duties of membership—one of the strongest chapters—and the final week reflects on the glory of membership, a topic that could have benefited from further theological richness. The book concludes with around 20 pages of teaching notes, reinforcing the guide’s practical focus.
The authors are all key leaders in the 9Marks movement. Dever, who shaped this series the most, serves as senior pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. Leeman, a significant voice in the 9Marks ministry, provides the formal definition of membership in the guide. Crossway, the publisher, is well known for its strong resourcing for Reformed evangelical theology and its promotion of the English Standard Version (ESV) of the Bible.
I read this book as part of a broader effort to reevaluate and raise the bar on membership at River Corner Church, where I serve as pastor. In preparation for a sermon series on church commitment, I am reviewing multiple resources from different theological streams. While this book reflects a more conservative and Reformed orientation than my Anabaptist and Vineyard background, I found much that resonated with my own paradigm and experience. The resource provides an important challenge that the local church in many traditions, including my own, would benefit from engaging more deeply. It does a good job of raising the bar.
The authors name the problem well, “Sadly, it is not uncommon to find a big gap between the number of people officially on the membership rolls and the number who regularly attend” (Page 13). This is a common reality that is evidenced in a recent study that found “the typical Southern Baptist church has 233 members with only 70 attending on Sunday morning” (Page 13). The church needs a healthier understanding of membership and the commitment it means: because “We don’t love old friends well by allowing them to hold onto their membership in our congregations for sentimental reasons” (Page 14). Membership has a great purpose, to mature the church, and so they argue that “The goal of church membership is that every single church member would help the whole church grow to maturity in Christ” (Page 27). I agree with that.
Critically, the book achieves its goal of presenting a compelling case for intentional membership, though with some caveats. Its strengths lie in its concise presentation, theological conviction, and structured format. However, it occasionally slips into an elitist tone—common to me in some 9Marks materials—and leans on proof texts without always fully supporting its claims. For example, the suggestion that “the New Testament apparently kept lists of people” relies on texts like 1 Timothy 5 and Acts 6, which are not definitive evidence of formal membership rolls, in my opinion (Page 11). Furthermore, statements like “we can no longer express our confidence that you’re going to heaven” come across as overly harsh, overtly superior, and risk conflating spiritual assurance with institutional belonging (Page 14). While I affirm the call for greater and more meaningful accountability and community, the absence of a fuller vision for mutual submission between members and leaders leaves the model vulnerable to authoritarian interpretation. A broader engagement with other voices might have offered a helpful balance in understanding what this looks like practically for each person. It brings discussion, but lacks practical steps.
In conclusion, Committing to One Another: Church Membership is a timely and challenging resource for churches seeking to take membership more seriously. Despite theological differences, it raises important questions about commitment, discipleship, and community life that transcend denominational lines. This book is best used in a discussion setting where its claims can be thoughtfully engaged, affirmed, challenged, and contextualized. For churches navigating apathy around commitment, it serves as a healthy starting point for deeper conversations about what it means to truly belong to one another in Christ.
June 9, 2018
A helpful study that sets interested members on a course to embrace the seriousness of their commitment to a church and reorients them as covenant contributors rather than letting them view themselves as observers or customers.
May 30, 2024
This should be required study material before joining a church.
September 23, 2024
Was not very helpful as a resource for explaining and defending the need for church membership.
January 8, 2025
Helpful and concise. I would recommend this booklet for a church leader/pastor to help those that have questions about church membership.
February 15, 2020
Si deseas conocer los argumentos a favor de la membresía en la iglesia este libro es para ti
Si deseas conocer los argumentos a favor de la membresía en la iglesia, este libro es para ti. Es en realidad un pequeño manual de estudio. Me gusta la parte en la que menciona la importancia de la iglesia y la importancia de los miembros en el cuerpo, sin embargo me parece que sólo considera como correcto su punto y quedan cabos sueltos respecto a las iglesias que no tienen listas de miembros... Me dejó pensando bastante y también con más dudas de cómo luce en la práctica este requisito sin ser legalista o cerrado para los nuevos, inconstantes e inmaduros...
Si deseas conocer los argumentos a favor de la membresía en la iglesia, este libro es para ti. Es en realidad un pequeño manual de estudio. Me gusta la parte en la que menciona la importancia de la iglesia y la importancia de los miembros en el cuerpo, sin embargo me parece que sólo considera como correcto su punto y quedan cabos sueltos respecto a las iglesias que no tienen listas de miembros... Me dejó pensando bastante y también con más dudas de cómo luce en la práctica este requisito sin ser legalista o cerrado para los nuevos, inconstantes e inmaduros...
June 28, 2012
This is a study guide to be used within local churches. I think it is structured well so that the main ideas of each of the seven-lessons are clear.
It is driven by question and answers, and the last section of this booklet provides suggested answers to the objective questions, which is very helpful.
I think this would be an excellent resource to use as a church teaches on church membership.
It is driven by question and answers, and the last section of this booklet provides suggested answers to the objective questions, which is very helpful.
I think this would be an excellent resource to use as a church teaches on church membership.
January 10, 2022
Good brief study of local church membership.
November 3, 2022
This book is a great short and biblical primer on church membership.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews