
November 5, 2026
Not Just on Sunday
Lonetta McKee

The Opportunities Right in Front of Us is Christian Standard’s May 2020 issue on baptism, church growth, ministry leadership, and local church mission.
The Opportunities Right in Front of Us is the May 2020 issue of Christian Standard, a print issue that brings together teaching on baptism, church growth, ministry leadership, and practical ways churches can respond faithfully to the opportunities God places before them. Framed by the life of the church in Acts 2, this issue returns repeatedly to foundational questions about what shapes Christian identity, church practice, and gospel mission.
Readers will find a strong theological focus on baptism, including its meaning, biblical significance, and place in the life of the church. The issue also surveys church growth and ministry trends through 2019 statistics and spotlight stories from congregations across the country. These profiles highlight churches that are growing, discipling, praying, serving neighborhoods, and creating new ways to connect people to Christ and to church community.
Alongside those features, the issue includes ministry-focused articles on elders’ meetings, children’s ministry, welcoming new members, and lessons from the church in Ephesus. A major feature by Chris Philbeck explores how local church opportunities can become a guiding vision for ministry impact in a city. Together, these articles present a practical and hopeful picture of church life shaped by Scripture, prayer, service, and mission.
For readers researching The Opportunities Right in Front of Us, this May 2020 issue offers a clear snapshot of how Christian Standard addressed baptism, church growth, and ministry opportunities in the local church.
In Every Issue
2-3 | from the publisher
6-7 | from the Editor
Who Makes the First Move?
Michael C. Mack
8-10 | e2:EFFECTIVE ELDERS
Enough with the Four-Hour Elders’ Meetings!
David Roadcup
12-13 | POLISHED
Lessons from the Bonsai Tree
Megan Rawlings
14-15 | MINISTRYLIFE
Children’s Ministry Reexamined
Rick Willis
16-17 | HORIZONS
God Uses a Match Made in Poland
Laura McKillip Wood
18-20 | METRICS
The Difference a Decade Makes
Kent E. Fillinger
22 | 2019 Stats + Stories
Kent Fillinger
42 | The Opportunities Right in Front of Us
Chris Philbeck
50 | What’s in the Water?
Michael D. McCann
58 | Why We Invite All Our New Members to Our Home for Dinner (and how we do it)
Drew Sherman
62 | A Warning from Ephesus . . .
Tyler McKenzie
72-93 | The Lookout
95 | Interact
96 | The Final Word
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