Life in the Father’s House (Revised and Expanded Edition): A Member’s Guide to the Local Church

by Wayne A. Mack, Dave Swavely

This book introduces us to the meaning of church membership, the traits of a good church, and how we are to function as parts of the body. Written for laypeople, it includes practical discussions on church leadership, male and female roles, worship, spiritual gifts, confrontation, unity, and prayer. Revised and expanded with study questions and new conclusions.

Genres: Church, Ecclesiology, Christian, Christian Living, Theology, Christianity, Church Ministry

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Wayne Mack lives in Pretoria, South Africa, where he serves as a pastor-elder with his son-in-law and teaches biblical counseling at Strengthening Ministries Training Institute to pastors and aspiring pastors in the region. He also spends about six weeks in the USA teaching at various churches. He and his wife, Carol, have four adult children and numerous grandchildren.

Reviews

[Peter Krol · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was an excellent study of what it means to be a member of a church. The practical suggestions were focused on the Scripture, and well presented. This is a book for the average church member; it's not a technical nor does it overly use difficult theological language.

The topics covered included everything from choosing a good church to participating in worship and using your gifts.

I thought the chapters on conflict resolution were especially good. The process outlined was quite biblical and informative. This is a topic that I find very difficult to live out biblically. We tend either to minimize conflict and avoid it, or be overly aggressive and selfish. The authors did a tremendous job presenting the biblical balance between these two approaches.

Also, the chapter on praying for others in the church was pretty convicting. I spent some serious time in prayer after finishing that section!

One small beef I had with the beginning of the book was that the authors consciously tend to import a very specific meaning for the word "church" (a local, visible body) into every New Testament passage that uses the word. It wasn't hard, though, to move past this and get to the good stuff.

I would very much enjoy reading this again, and I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to know more about being part of a church!

[Abbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. Every church should make this required reading before someone is allowed to join the church. And it should definitely be read by those who don't join churches. An EXCELLENT guide to why we join churches and what our duties are to the church. (Yes, that's right; we don't just go to church to be fed - we go to church to serve!)

[Camilia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Prior to reading this book, my knowledge of God's plan in establishing the church was very minimal. This book helped me to understand that the church is not only a means by which we are to spread the gospel and worship Him, but that it is also God's family. It especially enriched my understanding of the institution of family. It breaks down for you how we are to love, serve, pray, and bare one anothers burdens, and it helps you to see the importance of committing yourself to God's family through membership. This book is a great scriptural resource. I especially enjoyed the chapter on prayer where it uses apostle Paul's prayers as a model for how we are to pray for the church. I highly recommend!

[Brandon Siwula · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I think it summarized well what it means to be a biblical Church member. A very needed book for the consumeristic church culture of today. The only reservation I would have with this book is giving it to a newer Christian joining the Church. It is fundamentally biblical, but comes off dogmatically strong at times and might be a lot to swallow for a new Christian if they are not shepherded through the process.

[Shaun Marksbury · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rather than writing a helpful but additional what-is manual on the local church, Mack guides members in their understanding of the church. Ten easy-to-read but biblically accurate chapters not only help the reader navigate the basic principles of church membership, but also contain discussion questions for small group studies. That makes this the perfect resource for a new members' class. Recommended!

[Robert Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an great easy read. It goes into what most other books on the church do not go into. It is not about church leadership or conflict resolution per se but is a book that is geared toward church members. This is a book about church membership and how to make the best of it. I highly recommend this book to membership classes and possibly even youth confirmation classes.

[Jared Lovell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really helpful book on the church. I recommend it especially for a new members class. My only complaint is that I thought it was a little weak in its discussion of the role of the sacraments. It also did not list the proper administration of the sacraments or discuss them in the context of its discussion of the marks of a true church. Overall though, very good at promoting a strong ecclesiology.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent book on church membership and the importance of a Christian's commitment to the local body. I recommend it for church members, people considering church membership or anybody who wants a better understanding of the church's role in a Christians life. LOVE IT!

[Ariel · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent, scriptural resource for Christians considering church membership. Beware: for those who aren't convinced membership in a local body is necessary, you will be after reading this book.

[Lee Button · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent presentation of what means to be part of a local church. Dealing with difficult but crucial topics not often discussed.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is a lot of good material in this book, but it wasn't my favorite as a whole.

Some of the things that kept me from really enjoying it were the author's tone which I thought was kind of authoritative, condescending, and rigid and a lack of support for some of his claims/scripture interpretations. I found some of his application of verses to be questionable as well.

The book starts out with a discussion about the importance of the local church. Other than some dated material about the state of the church in our culture, it did a good job in emphasizing the impact of the church.

What followed was a series of chapters about different aspects of church life. My notes on some of them are below.

The Importance of the Local Church
All three members of the trinity are invested in the church in a variety of ways.

Only about the church does God provide such extensive instruction for growing in Christ (not about parachurch organizations or growing individually).

Our most devoted, energetic work must be for the work of the church (not social or political gains that we are never promised and may never come to fruition). "Because the church acts as a permanent foundation for the truth of God, it will always remain an exciting and fulfilling place in which to serve him."

"How could people call God their father while refusing to be part of his family? Yet that plain contradiction essentially describes the position of those who say they have faith and salvation apart from the church."

Committing Ourselves to Church Membership
A Christian is like a brick. If he does not attach himself to a local body, he cannot fulfill his purpose in being part of the house for which it was made. (Spurgeon)

Although we shudder to think of being disciplined out of the church, knowing that if we continue in sin that will happen is a blessing. The assurance of accountability that the Bible says is designed to save us.

Relating to Church Leadership
For leaders to lead well, we must follow well.

We need to obey and submit (not passively, but actively) and make the job joyful for them.

To disregard our leader as a servant of Christ in our lives is to disregard his (and our) Master.

This chapter also contained a helpful list of how members might bring their leaders joy in their work (and what kinds of behavior/attitudes would do the opposite).

Fulfilling Our Roles as Men and Women
"Because the church and the relationships within it are a representation of God's character to the watching world, it is essential for the witness of any congregation that men and women fulfill their designated roles."

It is not because women are inferior that they are not given for leading in the church. R. L. Dabney, compares the uniqueness and distinction of their role to how male and female voices differ in a choir. God's designation of male leaders is a protection of and provision for women. They do not need to bear the burden of this heightened responsibility but are called to fulfill other crucial ministries in the church and at home.

Satan tempts us to focus on what we cannot have/do, just like he did in the Garden. No only is it sinful to complain about how God has called men and women to different roles, but it runs the risk of leaving important tasks undone when everyone wants to do what has been assigned to someone else.

I didn't agree with everything in this chapter (or I didn't feel that it was sufficiently supported from the Bible). An example of this is that the author says that if women can have children, they should. Period. He also writes that the qualification that a male leader should not be a new convert means that a man will "take pains to grow fast as [he] can so that others can view [him] as spiritually mature." That seems to be missing the point and encouraging an appearance of something over genuine spiritual development.

I can think of several women that would have a hard time with how this chapter was written. I struggled with it as well. There are some good points in it, but the way it was written and some of the claims were a bit of a turn off.

Participating in Worship Services
"The source of most of the problems people have in their Christian lives relates to two things: either they are not worshipping six days a week with their life, or they are not worshipping one day a week with the assembly of saints. We need both." - John MacAurthur

"The real duty of worship is not in the outward duty to say or do the liturgy. It is in the inward duty, the command - 'Delight yourself in the Lord!' (Psalm37:4)." - John Piper

"The right kind of participation in a worship service begins long before the service actually tarts. Our attitudes and actions during the week will often determine whether we will be pleasing to God on Sunday."

"There should be some preparation of the heart in coming to the worship of God. Consider who he is in whose name we gather, and surely we cannot rush together without thought. Consider whom we profess to worship, and we shall not hurry into his presence as men run to a fire. Moses, the man of God, was warned to put off his shoes from his feet when God only revealed himself in a bush. How should we prepare ourselves when we come to him who reveals himself in Christ Jesus, his dear Son? There should be no stumbling into the place of worship half asleep, no roaming here as if it were no more than going to a playhouse. We cannot expect to profit much if we bring with us a swarm of idle thoughts and a heart crammed with vanity. If we are full of folly, we may shut out the truth of God from our minds." - Charles Spurgeon

"We are told men out not to preach without preparation. Granted, but we add, men ought not to hear without preparation." - Charles Spurgeon (a helpful list follows of how we might become better listeners and learnings during the teaching of God's word).

Regarding the taking of communion Spurgeon is quoted as saying, "Never mind that bread and wine, unless you can use them as folks often use their spectacles. Look through them, and do not be satisfied until you can say, 'Yes, yes, I can see the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.'"

Using our Spiritual Gifts
We are all like general practitioners in that we are all called to pursue holiness and spiritual disciplines (prayer, giving, loving confrontation, etc.), but we are also like specialists in the specific gifts that God has given us to serve him and the church.

"I do believe it is before every Christian either to serve his God with all his heart, or to fall into sin. I believe we must either go forward, or we must fall. The rule is in Christian life, if we do not bring forth fruit unto the Lord our God, we shall lose even our leaves, and stand like a winter's tree, bare and withered." - Spurgeon

There was a lot of good and practical material here about spiritual gifts.

The last three chapters, Confronting One Another in Love, Preserving Unity in the Body and Praying for One Another, had some excellent principles and applications. All three would make great individual studies or work well as periodic reminders for the importance of unity and purity of the church. They were probably my favorite chapters of the book and were very challenging, but encouraging. The author writes, "The primary concerns that Jesus has for His body are its purity and its unity, and neither of those can exist without the process in Matthew 18 is not practiced. That is because the obstacles to purity and unity are sin and conflict, and those maladies cannot be cured without the medicine of loving, biblical confrontation. If there is one thing we learn from the drastic measures taken by God to remedy sin (on the cross) and from the drastic measures enjoined on us by Christ, it is that problems will never be solved by ignoring them."

There really was a lot of good stuff in this book to go through. I would be hesitant to widely recommend it, though, because of the tone of the author and some conclusions that didn't seem to necessarily follow from the cited verses. I could see some of the material being a stumbling block in front of the overall good goals that are presented. I would be more likely to pull out certain chapters to use topically than to recommend the whole book. There are study questions for each chapter. With good preparation and leadership (esp. regarding some of the more sensitive topics), this could be useful for a small group.

[David Westerveld · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is a lot of good theory in here on what it means to be a member of a local church and why that is important. I found though, that on the whole it was a little bit to theoretical and almost, for lack of a better word, idealistic. There were certainly times where the author said to do this and something else will follow, but the reality is that might be right in an idealized and theoretical sense, but that just isn't the way it works sometimes. The world of church membership is full of messy people and so sometimes the theories just don't work out perfectly. This idea is certainly acknowledged in the book, but sometimes the tone was such that it was a little be too 'absolutist' on certain things where it might not quite be warranted. Overall good content though.

[Josiah Durfee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always said that if systematic theology books were written backwards, the last chapters would be first, we would have a better ecclesiological and eschatological understanding of the Bible, but it would no longer be systematic, and no one would know about inerrancy or the doctrine of God. Which, I’m grateful for systematic theologies, but sometimes it is difficult to keep plowing through the second half of those massive tomes. Well, this is the summer to sharpen my understanding of Church polity. Excellent book here that I just finished, he goes straight to the Greek, no nonsense and no personal story based teaching that always adds a lousy extra 100 pages to books for people who have little to say. Great discussion questions and the content is accessible enough to take a membership class through. Great book from understanding the importance of capital “C” church, including strong arguments for being a member of a local body to resolving conflict, seeking unity in the body and male and female roles in the Church.

[Stacia · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were things about this book that I didn't like and would suggest taking with a grain of salt. However, after maybe the 2nd chapter, it did get better. I thought that it was a good read for the topic. I read the book for my small group with my church, otherwise, its not a topic that I would have desired to read about. But, I do feel like it gave me some insight into being a better member of my church and how I can support them, pray for them, etc.

[Andy]

0568

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was very well written and thorough in its explanation. I have a problem with how some of the scriptures were taken out of context as well as the condescending tone taken toward women in the church. It mentions several times how women are to be respected but them puts their usefulness to simply caring for children and serving the men. Also the comment in the book about women needing to have children if they are able and that an attitude of not enjoying children as a woman being seen as sinful just was too much for me. Partner that with some of the other authoritative and rigid (I won’t go as far as legalistic but bordering on) attitudes I think this book is written for a certain group of beliefs but isn’t the end all of biblical books about church membership.

[Patrick Allen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was the same material one might get in a seminary class on this subject. The authors try to cover all possible contingencies but fail to examine the nuances that crop up in a local church. It is, however, one way to do church membership. Sadly, it makes the claim to be "the" way to do church membership.

[Lori Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book to help those who want to know what "the church" should look like according to scripture and what is expected from the member and the church, according to scripture. I would highly recommend it if you want to hear the truth.

[Dean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great resource from a member's perspective.

[David Roark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book on what it means to be a church member!

[Natasha Burling · Rating 3 out of 5]

A foundational, theological treatise on what church is and how it should function. Easy to read, scripturally founded, and practical, but at times I didn’t appreciate the way certain topics were handled. At times their focus was unbalanced (such as when they emphasized the importance of having a high view of church leaders without discussing the dangers of idolizing them).
I recommend this book with caution.

[John Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The textbook in college in my class on the church. A simple explanation of the church members role in their local congregation. Would recommend it for anyone wanting to know what it means to be part of a the family of God in a local congregation.