Church & Ministry

Church & Ministry equips leaders and everyday believers to build healthy, gospel-centered congregations. Explore biblically grounded articles on church leadership, preaching and teaching, eldership, staff and volunteer development, discipleship systems, small groups, church planting, church growth, and ministry strategy. You’ll also find practical guidance for navigating transitions, cultivating congregational health, and serving your community with wisdom and compassion. Whether you’re a pastor, elder, ministry staff member, volunteer leader, or church member who wants to help your church thrive, this hub brings together resources to strengthen the local church and advance Christ’s mission.

July 22, 2019

Christian Standard

‘You Can’t Do Better Than That’ (Inner City Church of Christ, Baltimore)

By Melissa Wuske “We were in heaven. You couldn’t tell us we weren’t in heaven.” That’s how Eric Lorick recalls the early days of Inner City Church of Christ in Baltimore, which started in January 2014. On Sundays the church would set up for worship—and then tear down—in a rented space in a community center. “[Such] work brings us together as a church family,” he said. From those earliest days, his vision was “to make a difference, to bring hope to the hopeless. . . . You can’t do better than that in a city like Baltimore.” That vision is

July 17, 2019

Christian Standard

Executive Pastor Online Aims to Fill a Gap for Smaller Churches

By Chris Moon Kevin Stone wants to be the executive pastor many churches want but simply can’t afford to hire. Years ago, the executive pastor at Christ’s Church of the Valley in Royersford, Pa., began thinking about how he could serve small and midsized churches that simply don’t have the capacity to hire ministers to manage their operations and administration. So in 2006, he founded the first iteration of what has become known as Executive Pastor Online. “The site is your online executive pastor,” Stone said. “The idea is to provide that skill set and those fundamental concepts to the

July 3, 2019

Christian Standard

Merold Institute Assessing Options for Growth

By Chris Moon Four years into its existence, the Merold Institute is looking toward the future. The ministry of Harvester Christian Church in St. Charles, Mo., began primarily as a place to help mold the church’s key volunteers and existing and incoming staff—to give them the biblical and theological training lacking in many ministry workers who were unable to attend Bible college or seminary. During its short existence, the institute named for Ben Merold, Harvester’s former senior minister (who continues serving as a teaching pastor), has largely accomplished that goal. Many of the church’s staff and volunteers have earned certificates

June 26, 2019

Christian Standard

‘Church Anywhere’ Initiative Gains Momentum (Plus News Briefs)

Compiled by Chris Moon and Jim Nieman First Capital Christian Church’s micro-campus initiative called “Church Anywhere” is featured in an article in the Christian Post. The church in Corydon, Ind., launched the program three years ago to help bring the church to people who couldn’t physically attend a formal church service—and for those who don’t like doing so. The church sends members into isolated parts of its community to launch micro-campuses. Today, First Capital has campuses in 15 locations, including prisons, foster care centers, schools, homeless shelters, and in church members’ homes. The services consist of two worship songs, a

June 22, 2019

Jim Estep

Educating Elders

By Jim Estep Most elders didn’t go to Bible college or seminary. I know of no degree in “eldering.” Congregations must provide for the education of elders. Scripture teaches that “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17, English Standard Version). The church is not an organization that “produces” elders. Instead, the church is an organism, a living body—the body of Christ—and elders are “grown” in the soil of church relationships. What kind of relationships can educate, prepare, and equip someone for service? Study An elder needs more than head knowledge, but becoming an effective elder begins with

June 22, 2019

Christian Standard

2018 Fast Facts about Large and Medium Churches

These statistics from 2018 are gleaned from large and medium church data collected by Kent Fillinger. Be sure to read Fillinger’s article, “2018 Special Church Report, Part 2: Large and Medium Churches,” and look at the accompanying tables, “The 2018 Charts: Large and Medium Churches.” _ _ _ AVERAGE ATTENDANCE Large Churches: 691 Medium Churches: 358 Combined average weekly attendance (174 churches): 91,595 _ _ _ GROWTH RATES Large Churches: 1.9% (down from 2.9% in 2017); overall, 52% of large churches grew (down from 56% in 2017) Medium churches: 3.7% (up from 1.3% in 2017); overall, 60% of medium churches

June 22, 2019

Kent E. Fillinger

Kent E. Fillinger

2018 SPECIAL CHURCH REPORT, PART 2: Large and Medium Churches

By Kent Fillinger This is the second installment of a three-part series sharing research findings from our annual church survey. This month, we turn our attention to 88 large churches (average weekly worship attendance of 500 to 999 during 2018) and 86 medium churches (average attendance of 250 to 499). Growth Flip-Flop The medium churches on average grew at almost twice the rate of large churches in 2018 (3.7 percent compared to 1.9 percent, respectively). This was the first-time since 2009 that medium churches we surveyed grew faster than large churches. This flip-flop partially resulted from medium churches having their

June 22, 2019

Christian Standard

The State of Campus Ministry: An Interview with David Embree

By TR Robertson David Embree has led Christian Campus House at Missouri State University in Springfield for 41 years. I talked to him about the state of campus ministry, past, present, and future. QUESTION: Why is campus ministry important? ANSWER: As Charles Malik [former president of the United Nations General Assembly] said back in the ’60s, if you want to impact the world, impact campuses. Eighty-five percent of kids from our churches go to non-church-related schools; [it] is going to be one of the most challenging intellectual and spiritual experiences of their lives. We need to be the church on

June 22, 2019

Christian Standard

Learning Christ: Education That Transforms

By John Whittaker I was sitting in a coffee shop with a young man I had baptized several months earlier. “I’m lost during the sermon,” he admitted. “I don’t know whether the passage comes before Jesus or after. And it feels like the preacher just opens his Bible to wherever.” Fact: Basic Bible or Christian understanding can’t be assumed anymore. Fact 2: Folks have access to infinite amounts of nice-sounding memes and inspirational junk food on social media, and because they have such a limited and shallow understanding of the Christian faith, it all gets mixed together into a sort

June 22, 2019

Christian Standard

The 2018 Charts: Large Churches and Medium Churches

Our annual listing of churches is one of CHRISTIAN STANDARD’s most popular features. This year scores of churches participated, including 88 large churches (those with 500 to 999 in weekly attendance during 2018) and 86 medium churches (250 to 499). In May we featured an article and statistics from 55 megachurches (2,000 or more in weekly attendance) and 70 emerging megachurches (1,000 to 1,999). Come back in October for articles and charts from small (100–249) and very small churches (less than 100). Click here to view and download 2018 Charts2, with data from large churches and medium churches . . .

June 22, 2019

Michael C. Mack

Two Interviews, Two Brothers, One Passion for Making Disciples

By Michael C. Mack I had the privilege to interview Robert Coleman in his home in Wilmore, Kentucky, for our August 2019 issue. It took me back to when I interviewed his brother Lyman Coleman—founder of Serendipity House, compiler and editor of the Serendipity Bible for Groups, and widely known for being a pioneer in the small group movement in the United States—for a cover story in The Lookout in 1993. Robert described Lyman as his “best friend for all these years.” The brothers worked together many times, and each of their ministries often benefited the other’s. For instance, Robert

May 22, 2019

Christian Standard

Five Areas to Help Your Intern Succeed

By Emily Drayne People who serve mission organizations or other ministries that utilize interns should consider five important matters to ensure the experience is enlightening, enriching, and enjoyable. Be a Mentor Come alongside the intern. Work with them. Take time to explain what you do and why you do it a particular way. Encourage workers—whether in an office or in the field—to do the same. During my internship in China, I taught English. Even though I loved my internship, I quickly learned that teaching was not my strong suit—or something I wanted to do my entire life. But it didn’t

May 22, 2019

Christian Standard

Daryl Reed: Building Bridges for the Next Generation

By Melissa Wuske “I’m the grandson of a preacher,” says Daryl Reed, “so I always had it in my mind that it’d be cool one day to be a preacher.” When it came time for college, however, “I really didn’t want to go to any preaching school or seminary, because . . . I thought I was still too cool for that,” he laughs. This isn’t a story about youthful overconfidence, though; Reed was following the example of earlier generations of his family, and now he’s helping subsequent generations of young people live it. “My grandfather was a reluctant preacher,”

May 20, 2019

Christian Standard

Changing the Scorecards

What statistics really count in the church? Baptisms? Attendance? Or something much more vital? By Jim Putman I have been in many meetings over the years with so-called “big dogs” in the American Christian world . . . and I have left these gatherings feeling very dissatisfied. These meetings often sound spiritual and may even come from good hearts, but they often leave me feeling like something big was missed. The purpose of meeting usually is good: How do we win people to Jesus? Most everyone acknowledges our culture is falling apart, that many Americans are leaving the faith and

April 25, 2019

Christian Standard

Young People in Ministry: Invest, Invest, Invest

By Emily Drayne As a child, when I heard the word missionary, I envisioned an elderly lady sitting around a fire talking about Jesus to unreached peoples. Now, eight years into my job working with missionaries, I know that’s not (always) the case. Kendi’s Cows of Grace is a great example. Kendall Grace Kemerly visualized her mission when she was 8 years old. I’m not sure what you were doing at that age, but I was playing with Barbies and Cabbage Patch dolls. Purchasing livestock wasn’t on my radar. It’s key to note that no one pooh-poohed Kendi’s idea simply

April 25, 2019

Jerry Harris

The Value of Hearing from Our Past . . . and Our Future

By Jerry Harris I’ve always been an admirer of old souls in ministry. Their simple, godly lives are inspiring to me. I’ll just go ahead and say this . . . The latest book or ministry techniques typically don’t enthrall me, nor do the youngest and brightest stars of Christianity who are at the forefront of the speaking circuit. I confess to having cynical thoughts about this new breed’s sense of fashion—the tight shirts that highlight countless hours in the gym—and their huge social media followings and what seem to be nearly perfect lives. Sometimes I battle judgmental thoughts when

April 24, 2019

Christian Standard

2018 SPECIAL CHURCH REPORT, PART 1: Megachurches and Emerging Megachurches

By Kent E. Fillinger When I started conducting megachurch and emerging megachurch research 15 years ago, there were a total of 255,179 people attending these churches on a given weekend. That number has grown 52 percent to 388,243 in 2018, which is a cause for celebration! For me, this statistical journey has always been about sharing and celebrating how God is at work in churches of all sizes in many different ways. My focus continues to be on helping churches learn from one another and providing context and clear metrics for church leaders to make better decisions based on research

April 24, 2019

Christian Standard

The 2018 Charts: Megachurches and Emerging Megachurches

Our annual megachurch listing is one of CHRISTIAN STANDARD?™s most popular features. This year scores of churches participated, including 55 megachurches (those with 2,000 or more in weekly attendance during 2017) and 70 emerging megachurches (1,000 to 1,999). Come back in August for articles and charts from large churches (those that averaged 500–999) and medium churches (250–499). In October, we will post data and have feature articles from small (100–249) and very small churches (less than 100). Click here to view and download the 2018 Charts, or click on them individually. • 2018 Megachurches • 2018 Emerging Megachurches Click here

April 24, 2019

Christian Standard

2018 Fast Facts about Megachurches and Emerging Megachurches

These statistics from 2018 are gleaned from megachurch and emerging megachurch data collected by Kent Fillinger. Be sure to read Fillinger’s article, “2018 Special Church Report, Part 1: Megachurches and Emerging Megachurches,” and look at the accompanying tables, “The 2018 Charts: Megachurches and Emerging Megachurches”. Compiled by Kent Fillinger _ _ _ AVERAGE ATTENDANCE Megachurches: 5,363 Emerging Megachurches: 1,332 Combined average weekly attendance (125 churches): 388,243 _ _ _ GROWTH RATES Megachurches: 6.6% (up from 5.7% in 2017); overall, 74% of the megachurches grew (up from 71% in 2017) Emerging Megachurches: 4.1% (unchanged from 2017); overall, 71% of emerging megachurches

April 24, 2019

Jerry Harris

What Do Attendance Numbers Represent?

By Jerry Harris More than a year ago, I wrote a publisher’s column called “The Tyranny of Numbers.” As a senior pastor, when I review reports of numbers representing baptisms and budgets, and especially attendance, it has a great personal effect on me. Affirming words are a primary love language for many pastors, and since attendance, on its surface, seems to be a measure of affirmation, numbers that represent attendance feel like a metric of worth. I think that’s one reason some pastors choose not to report their church’s attendance and baptism numbers (along with other statistics) for annual surveys

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