Pure Church: Recovering God's Plan for Local Churches (Revised Edition)

Recently there has been a growing concern for the health of gospel churches. But very often that concern comes down to the introduction of a few new items to the church agenda – a Christian foundations course here or a discipleship course there.
The agenda of this book is different. It's vision is that the whole way a church should be formed, run and led should work for the health of all its members and the thriving of the church as a community of God's people. It is a church with an intentional mindset throughout. It is a church where all the dots are joined up.
The church of Christ will be completely pure only in the new creation. But local churches are to be a colony of that Pure Church now. This book is a call to work towards that purity.

288 pages.

'A common assumption among church leaders today is that the Bible has little to say on organizing and leading our churches. In a respectful and charitable tone, these pastor theologians demonstrate otherwise. My honest opinion is that this book provides exactly what evangelical Christianity needs, but generally doesn t know it: a biblical vision for robust and healthy churches. Not only that, the authors pastoral wisdom will encourage and challenge readers on every page. Buy two copies one for yourself and another for a fellow church leader. I m confident you ll be glad you did. So will your church.'

Jonathan Leeman, Editorial Director, 9Marks

'It has long been my conviction that we need to marry, in effect, an Acts 2 description of church life with an Acts 6 development of good structure. This book takes that idea and works it out much more widely, and with reference to many issues. Anyone interested in seeing their church grow more healthily would benefit from reading this. Warmly commended.'

Ray Evans, Grace Community Church, Kempston

'Historically, Baptists took the doctrine of the church very seriously. However, ecclesiology has been the Cinderella of evangelicalism for the past fifty years or more. It is therefore great to see a generation of Baptist pastors once more concerned to argue for and spell out the biblical teaching on the life and order of the local church. This short and accessible book makes an invaluable contribution to the rediscovery of a biblically vibrant local church life. Read it, teach it, study it and put into practice the principles that it expounds.'

Robert Strivens, Pastor, Bradford on Avon Baptist Church