Does Anybody Really Care?
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By Paul S. Williams
This past winter one of our contributing editors told of a Baby Boomer who proudly said he had not read Christian Standard in decades. He was not interested in it when he was a young man, and he wasn’t much interested now, no matter how it might have changed.
I have contemporaries who feel the same way. One friend from Bible college did not even know I worked for the magazine. I told him I had been here nine years. He replied, “Guess I haven’t read it in a while.”
I am sorry to say that many Baby Boomers abandoned Christian Standard long ago, and no change in format, frequency, or content is likely to bring them back. I do not like their judgment, but I accept it. From my observation, it appears the children of Baby Boomers are not reading Christian Standard either. Furthermore, they do not even know it exists. Have we simply done a poor job marketing our magazine, or is something else afoot?
Last year I facilitated a meeting of young leaders from throughout the United States. As we talked about Christian churches and churches of Christ, it was clear that all were aware of the Restoration Movement. In fact, most had come from one of its churches. Almost to a person, however, they did not value the history of the movement.
While these leaders were disinterested in the history of our churches, they were happy to be a part of our “tribe.” They were willing to acknowledge that most everybody needs a tribe, and ours is as healthy as any. In fact, they admitted it is probably healthier than most. I took their words as a generally positive sign.
Last year, I asked our Orchard Group ministers what they read, and all agreed they do not read ink on paper. They read electronically—and usually in small chunks, articles that are about 400 words long or so. How do we hold together a movement that has always been held together by words, mostly printed on paper, when people are no longer reading ink on paper?
These young leaders suggest it will be held together through relationships. I hope they are right. The question then becomes, “How do we leverage relationships to continue the plea for unity that brought this movement into being? How do we fan the flames of ongoing reformation so that Christ’s church becomes a better reflection of the incarnate God?”
I do not have an answer to these questions. I was kind of hoping you might. So, please, share your thoughts with us. We would love to hear from you. Who knows, the health of a movement may hang in the balance.
My husband and I joined a local Christian church about 10 years ago and we were new to the movement but not to Christianity. We were looking for doctrinal integrity. We read the Christian Standard every week and that is where we learned the most about the beliefs the movement. I absolutely can’t believe leaders who don’t read the magazine. They must take for granted what they were brought up with and I feel they are on shaky ground. We live in a world where apologetics are a must!! We appreciate the thought provoking articles of the Standard! We usually get more out of it than the Lookout for personal growth. Anyhow keep up the good work. Thanks for all your effort–there are probably plenty of others that agree with us.
Mark and Ruth Morgan Elkins, Elkins, WV
I am 64 years old and counting, and during those 64 years, I have never heard of or seen a Christian church/Church of Christ where church history, other than the travels of Paul the Apostle, or Moses leading the children of Israel out of Egypt, were taught.
Because I am 64 and counting, I can remember learning world and US history in the public schools, and church history as a course in Bible college. However, outside of the Bible college classroom, there is no such thing as “church history” in our churches.
If you see October 31st, what comes to mind? Halloween? Most Christians do not know the origin of Halloween. What about Reformation Day? The year was 1517 AD, October 31st, and Martin Luther, not Martin Luther King Jr., nailed his 95 theses on the chapel door of the University of Wittenberg. That is history. As a result of the Reformation, we have Bibles in other languages, including English.
If you add in the fact that the younger generations have been taught that we evolved from animals, that there are no absolutes, and that all cultures are equal, I can see why no one really cares, except older people like you and me. After all, history is a bunch of boring names with boring dates and places! That is how we teach history, too. I can see why most people frown when they hear the word “history”. That is so sad!
In fact, the Bible is replete with warnings about remembering your history, what God has done for us, which is one of the primary duties of the “dad” in the home. He is to teach his sons, and his children, their history, of what God has done for them as well as the ways of God.
Why do we take communion each week? Why are we celebrating Easter, or the Back-to-Life Festival of the Chinese? The answer is rooted in history, a history that should excite our hearts to love and know our history of Him!
Sincerely,
Nick Gearhardt
Greenwood, IN
Yes, I care!, however “Christian Standard” needs to update its approach to addressing the GenX group such as the two part GenX Rising article points out. “Christian Standard” is not currently relevant to my 34 year old son with three boys under 7 and a baby on the way, not relevant to my 31 year old newly married son who provides sound reinforcement for his local church or my 29 year old daughter with two children under three. They were raised in the church, but find our worship style wars, lecture style preaching to be old fashioned and not relevant to them. They are, and in is some cases I am, tech driven. I would much prefer to receive “Christian Standard” as an app on my iPhone or IPa, to be read in short bites as time allows. My children would like to see a relevant tweet with a link to the article that they can read on the go and then post comments, additions and reviews on Facebook, Twitter and provide U-Tube® videos for their small group and friends. As to ink on paper, well let just say the Post Boomer generations will be more interested in relevant articles on line, linked to videos, Facebook and their small groups, than picking up a copy at the front of the church. I believe that posting on your Facebook page, developing a GenX preachers following on twitter, tweeting the current posts from the “Stake” columns and the new monthly columns will continue to bring in more readership, but that readership will be online via blogs, twitter and Facebook, not “ink on Paper”, Readers, like me will continue to use the Ink on Paper paradigm until you move to the online version, then at least I will move too! A online subscription for $5.00 or $10.00 per year is possible if relevant content is provides such as video clips of messages, the ability to respond directly to the author of articles, and post to twitter and Facebook feeds. Take for example, the April 1st article “Why should Christians Care about Bioethics?” now this article would is very relevant to both my oldest son and my daughter (a chemist), yet as I loaded the “Christian Standard” web site this morning, no link was provided to this article or if there is, not easily found. This article is very relevant content to my children and they would read it if I could send them a link to the article, you blogged it, tweeted it and placed relevant content announcements on web links they use. This type of article, life relating issues is very cutting edge and what the next generations want and need, not just continued articles about worship style, women’s roles etc., which they have already moved beyond. They are interested in moral issues, like Same Sex attraction, Bioethics, etc. Provide these type articles, heavily based on scripture, with online links and they will come.
Paul,
This concerns me as well. Our church has ordered The Lookout my whole life. I was always happy to come across a Christian Standard when visiting other churches. I like both of these magazines. When discussing the health of the Christian Church we attend, a former minister said, “the sheep are not like they used to be”.
I don’t really have any answers for this dilemma. I suppose that as long as there is a “voice” willing to pierce the darkness there will be a remnant of those who will respond. This is sad but…”small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Matthew 7:14 I enjoy your articles and I will continue to read as long as you continue to write.
Paul–As a long-time elder and long-time reader of Christian Standard, I was certainly troubled by the information you presented in your column, “Does Anybody Really Care?” I think that young leaders not reading the Christian Standard says more about them than it does the magazine, which remains an excellent publication. I appreciate your efforts and concerns.
It seems to me that the Standard and the Lookout are important to the Restoration Movement, and I think the restoration plea remains valid and important. My concern would be that a failure to value our history and principles leads to a failure to uphold the approach to scripture that distinguishes our movement from denominational teachings. I already see some of our churches whose elders are not as steadfast about doctrine and scriptural fidelity as the elders at my church are.
In the same issue the article about Generation X did not cause me to be all that impressed with Generation X, unfortunately.
I would hope for a renewed interest in maintaining restoration principles, but not sure how it happens. It’s important to my elders, but that only represents one congregation!
Best wishes–Richard Tanner
Paul.
I think Ric’s words above bear heeding. The old message of “Christ and him crucified” remains the only relevant content there is. BUT, the way people receive content has definitely changed. If we miss this shift we will have failed our rising generation. Mark’s daughter, Jen, does a lot of good work in this area – she should be asked to propose a new approach.
I would say there is not just one reason why many no longer read the CS. But if I had to summarize an overall reason it would be this: The CS attempts to please everyone and thus doesn’t take a firm stand on anything.
One week the CS has articles for and against the emergent church movement; another week it will have articles for and against women eldership and preachers; another week it will print an article for the traditional (biblical) understanding of eldership and the next week a newer model of “leadership.” The year I finally decided to quit reading the CS on a consistent basis was when an article appeared arguing that Christians and Muslims worship the same God–that was about 10-11 years ago.
It seems to me that the CS just desires not to take a stand on much of anything for fear of offending someone. A lot of times when I browse the CS (probably about once or twice a year) I feel like I’m reading a “four-views” type of book or something about mega-churches, middle-sized churches, or small churches. Those are usually the only two themes I observe the CS writing about–the size of churches or “two-views on . . .” In the end, when a publication doesn’t take a stand on anything, it’s substance is weak. Maybe if the CS began writing substantive theological, ethical, and philosophical articles that took a definitive stand on an issue it would begin producing more readers. Just an idea.
Paul,
RE: Ideas
1. At the Eastern Christian Convention I met a writer who had put together Bible Study materials, exercises, and crafts that begin when children are in the 5th or 6th grade and these materials involve teaching kids about Restoration Movement History and links to our past while attending church or a VBS. I told Standard Publishing about this material as it seemed worthwhile. Not sure how they market their books and materials per say, but I know this author says it is used in their church. As I recall the group managing the Eastern Christian Convention’s children area use it in their church.
2. The North American Christian Convention is a large gathering every summer. We have seen solid growth over the last few years. The event began in 1927 and happens every year… As I work on the “inside” I see lots of activity and connecting among its “planning and leading” leadership… I always view this as one of the many reasons the NACC exists as it brings so many of these leaders together…. This event was founded on the basis of bringing like-minded church leaders of the Restoration Movement churches together and it does so to this day. This year , as we did last year, the main sessions for this event will be Live Streamed around the world. Every year at this event there are groups that delve into Restoration History, and while in Cincinnati this past year there was a special Restoration Heritage Tour of the City…. while in Louisville large numbers went on the Cane Ridge Trip….so the NACC is definitely doing what it can to keep the energy, history, and understanding of the Restoration Movement alive for our church. This year a major effort is being made to invite some student ministers and recent graduates to the event…so they can be immersed in some of this relational learning as we think it is important to “connect” especially in a non denominational movement…smile.
3. By the way, each year the Christian Standard is placed on the seats in a main session, as well as the LookOut on another main session. I have also noted the electronic versions of these magazines as well. As we all know there is MUCH information being sent to all of us each day, so I have my season to read and scan, and then I have my season when I do not have enough time to think much less read and scan…. smile. My point is that season varies for others so just knowing that someone is working to send the information and the stories and remind us of our history has value, whether I read it this week or three weeks from now….. Someone must be reading each week so it reaches “them”. Smile.
Thanks for your effort to reach out with this discussion. I want to take this time to invite everyone to the 2012 NACC, as there will be much celebration this year and it will be a REFRESHING experience for all.
I’m 62 years old and have been and continue to be an active member of Christian Church / Church of Christ and over the years I have been active in numerous of her para-church organizations. I find much of what Ric is saying worth taking note. I receive my copy of the Christian Standard from my Dad’s congregation (he is retired Christian Church minister at 89 years of age). He saves them for me. Our congregation discontinued receiving the Christian Standard publication over 20 years ago. The leadership felt that it had become more of forum than standard bearer of the “faith once for all delivered”. We practice and have pastors who are elders (male) and God’s plan of salvation for mankind includes Grace and what one “must” do to be save ( the word “should” is not used). Our congregation does continue to receive the Restoration Herald magazine. We also holds that it is not only a Unity Movement but a Restoration Movement of restoring biblical truth and practices and yes unity based on God’s Word is part of that. Solely a Unity Movement, by this generation, means we are as at home in a denominational congregations regardless if they have or have not been obedient to the Gospel .
On Facebook, I am enjoy reading Christian Standard articles and enjoy reading articles written by Dr. Jack Cottrell and others on their Facebook sites. I still believe the Restoration Movement ideals are relevant but our history is not known by this generation.I don’t have THE answer. Be Restorationist in practice and in words , that demonstrate we are part of the cause… the cause of Christ. I have enjoyed many faithful writers over the years in the Christian Standard. Keep proclaiming His Word!
As I see it, we have two thoughts in this article. The first one is the state of the RM and the second is the state of the Christian Standard. I used to read it weekly, but over the course of either my years or the Standard’s years, we grew apart. I became more interested in reading articles that were written from a perspective of what God has declared to man, or as I say it, “from the top down”. The Standard starting publishing more articles that were generated from the thoughts of man and attempting to see what God had to say about it. This did edify me particularly, so I turned my focus back in time to older writings. That is why I read it very little today.
Regarding the people of the RM itself, that is a hard one to call. I have traveled and worshiped in churches from the Mid-west to the East Coast. For the most part, what I have seen are churches that do not read the Bible anymore. I do see the Standard out on tables from time to time, but overall, the atmosphere has changed from a people who want to know what God has to say to man, to how God would address the issues of man today. I know that this sounds a lot like what I said earlier, and it is, but that is my point. Man, whether a preacher or is taking the position of man demands answers from God to fix his problems. The church in many places has fostered a “how-to” approach to ministry. Seminars are held in the buildings that reach out to people with how to have a better……. rather than simply preaching the truth. From my perspective, many have forgotten that the Lord Himself calls the person to hear the Word. We have developed into a group of people who for some reason think we can offer the world an appearance of something they see on TV and then slip a little gospel in. When I pick up a “christian” periodical from others I see the same thing. They are reflective of what we call preaching today. They consist of many many stories of our time with little reference to the Word of God itself. Before you get angry at me and yell, take the time to time several sermons from different preachers and write down how much time is spent developing an illustration using material other than the Word of God and then compare that time with the time spent on expounding on the scripture. The same can be said for Essays and books. It is indeed hard to let the Word of God dwell in us richly if we have little exposure to it. When the Standard enriches its articles, I will read it for more reasons than just catching up on old friends.
The fact that we are posting comments to the online version of the magazine should be telling.
Yes, I care!! I am part of the BabyBoomer generation. I am an avid reader of the electronic version of Christian Standard. The articles are excellent. They keep me up to date with what is happening among Christian Churches/Churches of Christ in the US. Living in Australia where there are few independent Christian Churches/Churches of Christ the magazine is a real life-line! The material in the Christian Standard is very refreshing and encouraging and I regularly direct others to the online articles.
I take the point made by some others above that those in their 20′s and 30′s like to access information in different (electronic) forms and on subjects that relate to their Christian walk.
I also agree that it important to know our history and the basic principles of the Restoration Movement. I just think we need to find ways to communicate them with the new generations.
In summary, I care about the Christian Standard, regard it as very important and want it to continue. Please explore new media and forms of communicating with new generations, but continue to do the excellent work that you do!
It is tired, stodgy, fundamentalist, and sectarianly dogmatic. It appeals to a audience that is theologically and scoiolgically thinner than a slice of paper. I grew up in the breadbasket of the RM and have since moved on to other pastures. Preached in the same pulpit as A. Campbell. But it is time to get into the 21st century people!
The young leaders have realized that society has changed. The towns we grew up in have changed, the churches that are reaching people and saving the lost are changing. Many of our churches are shutting down and being replaced by church plants, because they don’t change. The RM was about transformation, then it went to information and now we are seeing a revival of Biblical Transformation being taught from the pulpits.
When I think of the Restoration Movement I think of the guys back in the early 1800′s trying to get following the Bible right and uniting Christians. I hate that when I think of the RM lately I think of: fighting about worship songs, versions of the Bible and voting for the popular elder, even though he doesn’t meet the Biblical description of an elder. Seems we lost our directions somewhere in the last 200 years.
I used to enjoy reading the Christian Standard, much like I enjoyed the Christian Chronicle when I was part of Non-instrumental church of Christ. Somewhere along the line I just stopped reading them. Some of the articles were interesting, others were not. Some were relevant to me and the people I associate with, most were not. I am not about “church people doing church things” I am about helping people grow closer to Jesus and hopefully being part of people having a Fresh Start in Jesus.
The showcasing of our big church brothers and sisters has lost a lot people that minister in small (average size of church in USA is around 80) and those in rural areas. I don’t minister at Southeast, my church is different from theirs and it will reach different people. Bob Russell is a great leader and communicator and i am grateful for his articles and his heart that wants to help other. However, Jesus did not call me to be mini Bob Russell. So the things that might at his church or in his ministry might not work on an Indian Reservation or in the Wild West. One size does not fit all, and i feel that the CS has lost touch with most of the younger guys in their 40′s and younger. Mark Driscoll, Acts 29 Network and the Resurgance give resources away for free as they deal with issues that affect leaders and their families.
I know for a lot of us younger ministers we tend to go to Church Leaders.com listen to Driscoll, Francis Chan and Perry Noble. We know their theology is not the greatest, and at the same time they are winning people for Jesus like crazy. I don’t want business model’s they seem to me to destroy the church. I want to learn how to really follow the Bible when it comes to spiritual leadership, friendship and marriage.
Just my 25 cents worth.
it IS a lot easier to share an article via FB or email rather than handing someone a magazine especially if they are at a distance. I think electronic access or even e-reader/Kindle type format would be beneficial. My husband wrote for (and enjoyed) the Stake site and the effort it made in supporting the RM.
Regarding the RM, I think we need to find a way to impress upon congregations the importance of the history. Those who don’t know their history are destined to repeat it. some of the battles fought within the RM today are ones that were fought in the early years. I, myself, grew up in a church that was associated with the DOC-Disciple Renewal, but taught a lot of very Baptist type doctrine and mindset on ‘joining church’. While in Middle School, some of the leaders had their eyes opened as to what was being taught and encouraged by the leaders at a National Convention. They then pulled out of the DOC and continued to be a “Christian Church”. IDK that they’ve ever specifically associated themselves with the RM, but the doctrine is now consistent with RM. TBH, I’m not sure if there are many (if any) people in that church who have ever heard of the RM. I never had. My husband’s family goes back deeply into the RM and they began to attend our church shortly before the transition away from DOC. When we married, I transferred to a RM Bible College and took a ‘Restoration History’ class. That was the FIRST time I had ever heard of such a thing. Someone mentioned above about activities for Jr High age kids, etc on the history of the movement. I think that if we can’t get the leadership/adults on board to learn it, then that’s a place to start. There really is an interesting history there.
Paul: This is a most important question that unfortunately is of a type not usually raised. My first thought is that in a sense, “we won.” That is, we long advocated a non-denominational Christianity and now Christians have become increasingly non-denominational. My second thought was that it is time to re-study the “Last Will and Testament of the Springfield Presbytery”. In this early 19th century document, the group wanted to die in order to become non-denominational. Perhaps a movement should be ready to die if for the right reasons. Perhaps we should not be overly concerned about “our movement.” My third thought was that I see items regularly which lead me to believe that churches in our movement are regularly exploring new ideas about how to be the people of Christ in the world today. I am hopeful that this current generation of leaders will explore and find new ways to be the people of Christ. I do not see where we will go but I am hopeful that the new generation will seek and the Holy Spirit will guide to new discoveries. (I write this as a 75 year old.)
The Christian Standard seems to me to be breaking new ground. It is exciting to me to read it although I would like to subscribe to the electronic version but the last time I wrote I was told that this was not available.
I am impressed not only with the magazine and the direction it is going, but I am also impressed with the quality of responses to the magazine. It is important to educate each generation on our history and this seems lacking.