What Is A Healthy Church?

I didn't even know that this book came out. Dever delivers another one (it seems like he just released "The Gospel And Personal Evangelism").

Here is what Tim Challies says:

"What is a Healthy Church? is a shortened, introductory version of Dever's previous book 9 Marks of a Healthy Church written primarily for people in the pews rather than the men in the pulpits. After all, church health is not the sole responsibility of a local church's leadership. "If you call yourself a Christian but you think a book about healthy churches is a book for church leaders or maybe for those `theological types,' while you would rather read books about the church life, it may be time to stop and consider again exactly what the Bible says a Christian is." Said even more forcefully, "you and all the members of your church, Christian, are finally responsible before God for what your church becomes, not your pastors and other leaders--you."

Here is a quote from the book:

"If you call yourself a Christian but you are not a member of the church you regularly attend, I worry that you might be going to hell."

Why so harsh?

"I want [the reader] to see something of the urgency of the need for a healthy local church in the Christian's life and to begin sharing the passion for the church that characterizes both Christ and his followers."

That's intense... passion for the church characterizes not only Christ but should also characterize us. Kind of like how oranges characterize an orange tree.