The main gathering and the ordinary means of grace are central to the Christian walk. That said, churches often find other ministries, like children's ministry and small groups, to be helpful discipling tools. These ministries are healthiest when they relate to and support the whole church gathering. In doing so, the main gathering rightly remains on first, and other good ministries follow its lead. This Journal explores what this paradigm looks like in action on the ground.

9Marks
At 9Marks, we help pastors, future pastors, and church members see what a biblical church looks like, and help them take practical steps toward becoming one. We believe every local church should be characterized by expository preaching, biblical theology, a biblical understanding of the gospel and of conversion, biblical evangelism, church membership, church discipline, discipleship, and a biblical model of leadership. In order to inform and influence churches, 9Marks creates a wide variety of practical resources including books, articles, podcasts, book reviews, and a quarterly Journal. We also host regular events around the world-almost all of them geared toward equipping and encouraging pastors.

Table of Contents

THE MAIN GATHERING
A Foolproof Discipling Program: Corporate Worship by John Sarver
I Hear There Are Divisions Among You: Moving Away from Music-Specific Services by Allen Duty
The Empty Promises of a Busy Ministry Schedule by Justin Perdue
Catering to Ministry Consumers by Josh Hayward

CHILDREN'S MINISTRY
Preacher, What's on Your Kids Menu? by John Joseph
Children's Ministry Is NOT the Church by Nathan Loudin
Why A Pastor Should Care About Children's Ministry by Ed Moore
Why Parents Are the Primary Spiritual Caregivers of Their Children by Rhys Plant
How to Select a Children's Curriculum by Mark Redfern
Paul the Youth Pastor by Sam Emadi and Mark Redfern
5 Steps for Preventing Abuse in Children's Ministry by Chad Holmgren

AGE-SPECIFIC MINISTRY
Risks and Benefits of Age-Specific Ministry by Jason Seville
How to Redeem Your Singles Ministry by John Lee
Raising the Cane: Refreshing Ministry to Senior Saints by Will Pareja
Our Main Goals for Youth Ministry: Teaching and Discipling Our Teens by Deepak Reju

SMALL GROUPS
Small Groups: Thoroughfares, Not Cul-De-Sacs by Andy Johnson
How Small Groups Can Foster Church Unity... Or Fracture It by Dave Russell
Parachute, Not Parachute: Advantages and Disadvantages of Extra-Church Bible Studies and Fellowships by Sam Crites
Why An Elder Should Oversee the Church Bookstall by Josh Manley
Spotting, Assessing, and Training Leaders for Church Ministries by Joel Kurz

GENDER-SPECIFIC MINISTRY
How to Encourage Women's Discipling in the Local Church by Madison Hetzler
Why Pastors Should Oversee the Women's Ministry by Camryn Zamora

BOOK REVIEW
Build on Jesus, by Deepak Reju & Marty Machowski by Connie Dever