The problem with most healthy “Nine-Marks” churches is that they do not encourage members to live near one another. In their stated beliefs they do not encourage members to sojourn in this life together and to work together to impact their communities through communal living, because they do not focus on living near each other, developing elders, and starting new communal churches.
What happens with these solid, healthy churches is that over time many members do end up living closer together and doing many aspects of life together. This love happens naturally, and it is very wonderful and biblical. However, it is more biblical to encourage this love and encourage people to live near each other in order to practice Christianity together. By doing so this happens much more quickly, and the planted churches strive for this communal living rather than also finding out for themselves all of its benefits.
Solid, healthy churches need to incorporate into their goals a dedication to teaching that members ought to live near each other in order to be more fulfilled in their Christian lives and to have help in transforming their community.
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