Important Note: Just as with all preachers and authors, it's essential to acknowledge that we, as humans, are all tainted by sin. While we may appreciate various resources and authors, it's crucial to remember that the only infallible source we can fully trust in all matters of faith and doctrine is the Bible—God's own written word. Therefore, while exploring the resources and insights provided, it's vital to filter everything through the lens of Scripture. In the spirit of the Bereans (Acts 17:11), let's diligently search the Scriptures to verify and align with God's truth.

The church is God’s appointed means for worship, fellowship, and mission. This section examines its biblical nature and purpose, the importance of godly leadership and discipline, preaching and counseling, and the need for modern reformation. It also covers discipleship, church planting, and pastoral support.

Nature & Purpose of the Church – The church as Christ’s body, called to worship, discipleship, and mission.
Leadership & Discipline – Biblical qualifications for leaders and the necessity of church discipline for purity.
Preaching & Counseling – The centrality of expository preaching and biblical counsel in shepherding the flock.
Modern-Day Reformation – Calling the church back to biblical fidelity amid cultural compromise.
Church History – Learning from past generations to strengthen the church today.
Discipleship – Growing believers into mature followers of Christ through teaching and accountability.
Church Planting – Establishing new congregations to spread the gospel and strengthen the church.
Helps for the Pastor – Resources to equip pastors in faithful ministry.

Recommended Reading

Nature & Purpose of the Church

Manual of Church Order — J.L. Dagg
Life in the Father’s House — Wayne Mack
Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Church — Don Whitney
The Conservative Church — David De Bruyn
Foundations for the Flock — Conrad Mbewe

Leadership & Discipline

Pastoral Leadership & Ministry

Christian Ministry — Charles Bridges
The Reformed Pastor — Richard Baxter
Lectures to My Students — Charles Spurgeon
Pastoral Ministry — John MacArthur
Brothers, We Are Not Professionals — John Piper
Dear Timothy — Tom Ascol
The Shepherd Leader — Timothy Witmer
Pastoral Theology: The Man of God — A.N. Martin
The Shepherd as Leader — John MacArthur (ed.)
On Being a Pastor — Derek Prime & Alistair Begg
The Pastor in Prayer — Charles Spurgeon
Under the Unpredictable Plant — Eugene Peterson

Church Leadership & Eldership

Biblical Eldership — Alexander Strauch
Church Elders: How to Shepherd God's People Like Jesus — Jeramie Rinne
Lead: 12 Gospel Principles for Leadership in the Church — Paul David Tripp
The Conviction to Lead: 25 Principles for Leadership That Matters — Albert Mohler
Shepherding God's Flock — Benjamin L. Merkle (ed.)

Calling & Preaching

The Cross and Christian Ministry — D.A. Carson
Am I Called? (Perspectives Series Booklet) — Dave Harvey
The Christ-Centered Expositor — Tony Merida

Discipline

Handbook of Church Discipline — Jay Adams
Democratic Religion — Gregory Wills
Biblical Church Discipline — Daniel Wray
Peacemaker — Ken Sande

Preaching & Counseling

Preaching

Famine in the Land — Steven Lawson
Toward an Exegetical Theology — Walter Kaiser
Preaching and Preachers — Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Preaching — John MacArthur
Supremacy of God in Preaching — John Piper
Between Two Worlds — John Stott
Spirit Empowered Preaching — Arturo Azurdia
Feed My Sheep — Sproul, Piper, Macarthur, Mohler, etc.
Preaching with Bold Assurance — Hershel York
From and Before God: A Practical Introduction to Expository Preaching — Sugel Michelén

Counseling

Counseling — John MacArthur
Competent to Counsel — Jay Adams
A Theology of Christian Counseling — Jay Adams
Christian Counselor’s Manual — Jay Adams
Ready to Restore — Jay Adams
Quick Scripture Reference Guide for Counseling — John G. Kruis
Marriage, Divorce, and Remarriage in the Bible — Jay Adams
Good and Angry — David Powlison

Modern Day Reformation

Reformation: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow — Carl Trueman
Reclaiming the Gospel and Reforming Churches — Tom Ascol
Whatever Happened to the Gospel of Grace — James Montgomery Boice
The Old Evangelicalism — Ian Murray
Ready for Reformation — Tom Nettles

Church History

The Reformers and Their Stepchildren — Leonard Verduin
Sketches in Church History — S.M. Houghton
Torch of the Testimony — John Kennedy
The Story of Christianity — 2 Volumes, Justo L. Gonzalez
Turning Points — Mark Noll
Church History in Plain Language — Bruce Shelley

Discipleship

The Master Plan of Evangelism – Robert E. Coleman
Discipleship – J. Oswald Sanders
Growing Up: How to Be a Disciple Who Makes Disciples – Robby Gallaty
The Cost of Discipleship – Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Conversion and Discipleship – Bill Hull
Discipleship: The Growing Christian’s Lifestyle – James E. Plueddemann
Following Christ – Joseph M. Stowell
Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life – Donald S. Whitney
Marks of a Disciple – Charles F. Stanley
The Walk: Steps for New and Renewed Followers of Jesus – Stephen Smallman
Disciplines of a Godly Man – R. Kent Hughes

Church Planting

Planting Missional Churches – Ed Stetzer
Center Church – Timothy Keller
Church Planting Is for Wimps – Mike McKinley
Gospel-Driven Church – Jared C. Wilson
Church Planter: The Man, The Message, The Mission – Darrin Patrick
Multiplying Churches – Bob Logan
The Church and the Surprising Offense of God’s Love – Jonathan Leeman
The Trellis and the Vine – Colin Marshall & Tony Payne
Biblical Church Planting – E. Elbert Smith
The Vine Project – Colin Marshall & Tony Payne
Exponential: How You and Your Friends Can Start a Missional Church Movement – Dave Ferguson & Jon Ferguson
The Deliberate Church – Mark Dever & Paul Alexander

Helps for the Pastor

Encouragement for Today’s Pastors — Joel Beeke
Spiritual Depression — Martyn Lloyd-Jones
The Crook in the Lot — Thomas Boston
The Dejected Soul’s Cure — Cristopher Love
When People are Big and God is Small — Ed Welch
Pastors and Their Critics — Joel Beeke