Series Preface
Preface: A Parable 
Introduction: What Are You Looking for in a Church? 

Part 1: What Is a Healthy Church? 
Chapter 1: Your Christianity and Your Church 
Chapter 2: What a Church Is . . . and Isn’t 
Chapter 3: What Every Church Should Aspire to Be: Healthy 
Chapter 4: The Ultimate How-to Guide: How to Display God’s Character 
Quick Tips: If You're Thinking about Leaving a Church . . .

Part 2: Essential Marks of a Healthy Church 
Chapter 5: Expositional Preaching 
Chapter 6: Gospel Doctrine 
Quick Tips: How to Find a Good Church

Part 3: Important Marks of a Healthy Church 
Chapter 7: A Biblical Understanding of Conversion and Evangelism 
Chapter 8: A Biblical Understanding of Membership 
Chapter 9: Biblical Church Discipline
Chapter 10: Biblical Discipleship and Growth
Chapter 11: Biblical Church Leadership 
Chapter 12: A Biblical Understanding and Practice of Prayer
Chapter 13: A Biblical Understanding and Practice of Missions
Conclusion: Where the Rubber Meets the Road 

Appendix: A Typical Covenant of a Healthy Church
Special Thanks 
General Index
Scripture Index

“Christ’s institutional plan for the world is the church, and there is no plan B. Every pastor and every Christian should be concerned to know what a healthy church looks like and how to make their church as healthy as possible. This clearheaded and warmhearted book by Mark Dever will help you toward that end. The world desperately needs Jesus Christ and his gospel, which means the world desperately needs healthy churches. And if you aren’t sure how the two halves of that sentence connect, then you desperately need this book.”
Kevin DeYoung, Senior Pastor, Christ Covenant Church, Matthews, North Carolina; Associate Professor of Systematic Theology, Reformed Theological Seminary, Charlotte

“In our self-centeredness, we are wont to fashion the church in our image. But Mark Dever challenges us to focus instead on what God intends for his church to be. Every church should aspire to be healthy, as defined by God’s word, and every Christian should seek the health of his or her local church. This book is an immensely helpful resource for equipping believers to build churches that display the character and glory of God.”
Eugene Low, Lead Teaching Pastor, Grace Baptist Church, Singapore

“Reading this book is like a cold drink of water on a hot day! I love everything about it—the concision, the practicality, the doctrine, and the focus on mission. I gladly and wholeheartedly recommend this for pastors and church members alike.”
Clint Pressley, Pastor, Hickory Grove Baptist Church, Charlotte, North Carolina

“I’m eternally grateful for this book and its author. Sitting under expositional preaching and becoming a member of a healthy church changed my life. Then I watched the principles in this book transform my church. It doesn’t matter what country or culture you live in—to be a healthy Christian, you need a healthy church. Read this eminently practical book and grow in love for your local church.”
Keri Folmar, author; cohost, Priscilla Talk

“What Is a Healthy Church? reintroduces Christians to biblical convictions about what the church should be. From expositional preaching to corporate prayer, gospel doctrine to church membership, and much more, this little book provides a faithful guide on the essence and ministry of the church. Get copies for all your church members and align your vision for the church with God’s word.”
Geoff Chang, Assistant Professor of Historical Theology and Curator of the Spurgeon Library, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary; author, Spurgeon the Pastor

“Great truths need to be communicated in simple ways. That is what you are holding in your hand, a simple book on a biblical understanding of the church. Many of our family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues have an inadequate understanding of the church, to the detriment of the faith. Read this book, keep a stack of copies handy, and distribute them generously. Much gospel good for individuals and local churches can come from the truths Mark Dever shares in this book. May the Lord use it to those ends, to the praise of his glory in his church.”
Kenneth Mbugua, Senior Pastor, Emmanuel Baptist Church, Nairobi, Kenya

“What Is a Healthy Church? is a short introduction to the biblical nature, characteristics, and purpose of the church in God’s design. It is a conversation starter that will help church leaders and members alike in thinking about their local churches and their roles in them. I am grateful for Mark Dever’s clarity and consistency in teaching these biblical truths.”
Chopo Mwanza, Pastor, Faith Baptist Church Riverside, Kitwe, Zambia