One Assembly
“Leeman’s work was influential in our church’s decision to move from multiservice to a single service.”
—Ryan Kelly, Pastor of Preaching, Desert Springs Church, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Maybe you have been there: you’re running late to church, and you know it will be hard to find an empty seat. This is an all-too-frequent experience in a growing church. For churches experiencing this dilemma, a common solution is to add another service or location. This seems like a cost-effective fix. Besides, no one wants to turn away non-Christians. But is it the best option?
Jonathan Leeman presents a series of biblical, theological, and pastoral arguments to help reorient our minds to a scriptural definition of church. He makes the case that maintaining a single assembly best follows the Bible, fulfills the Great Commission, and furthers our partnership with other churches.
- Makes the case that keeping presence and authority together best allow a church to protect the gospel
- Offers compelling alternatives to the multisite model for dealing with growing attendance other than simply building a bigger space, such as planting, revitalizing, learning to work with other churches, or encouraging attendees to attend a church closer to where they live
- Sets forth a biblical definition of church based on the words of Jesus and the New Testament model
- Focuses on long-term gospel ministry rather than short-term logistical fixes
Jonathan Leeman (PhD, University of Wales) is the president of 9Marks and cohost of the Pastors Talk podcast. He is the author or editor of over a dozen books and teaches at several seminaries. Jonathan lives with his wife and four daughters in suburban Washington, DC, and serves as an elder at Cheverly Baptist Church.