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.

June 12, 2017

Christian Standard

WHERE’S THE STEEPLE? “” Journey Church, Three Way, TN

By Justin Horey At Journey Church in Three Way, Tennessee (near Jackson), lead pastor and church planter Jeremy Brown likes to ask, “What would we do if we didn”t have to do anything?” That approach led to Journey meeting at the Fun Zone””West Tennessee”s premier indoor inflatable party center””in the early years of its existence. Every Sunday morning, a team of volunteers from the church would deflate and roll up 13 large jumpers before setting up for worship. Afterward, volunteers would unroll and reinflate the jumpers. Brown liked the message the Fun Zone location conveyed to outsiders. “No one who

June 11, 2017

Christian Standard

WHERE’S THE STEEPLE? “” Bayside Church, Roseville, CA

By Jennifer Johnson Lots of churches want to save money on their facilities, but Bayside Church is finding new ways to strategically finance its buildings without sacrificing form or function. At its original campus in Granite Bay, the church has developed a 10-year plan to anchor an area of retail, entertainment, and hotels. The church occupies one parcel of the development and recently sold another section to Top Golf, a multilevel entertainment area and driving range. Their director of real estate development manages the plan, ensuring that funds for property improvement and parking lots come from new businesses and not

June 10, 2017

Christian Standard

From House Churches to Church Houses

Where early Christians worshipped and why By Pat Magness and Lee Magness How have believers through the centuries used church buildings to express and extend the gospel? A simple survey can lend insight to those making church building decisions today. Where have believers worshipped God over the centuries? The Psalms picture ancient Israelites giving praise to God as individuals in a variety of settings. But the construction of the tabernacle, the building of the temple, and the development and spread of synagogues demonstrate that the use of buildings for corporate worship was also a high priority among God”s chosen people.

June 9, 2017

Christian Standard

Church Building the New Testament Way

By Doug Lucas Suppose the Restoration Movement churches (Christian churches and churches of Christ) want to restore the New Testament practice of constructing or buying church buildings. What would it look like? Easy answer. To my knowledge, throughout all the New Testament, there”s not a single example of constructing or buying a building. The book of Acts records exponential church growth without buildings. And, according to Matthew 28:19, 20, our core mandate is to make disciples who will make disciples””not build buildings. Making disciples always needs to be at the center of everything we do, whether it be going, baptizing,

June 8, 2017

Christian Standard

Residency Catered to Individual

By Jennifer Johnson Several of the Restoration Movement”s largest churches have created internship programs, some that involve entire cohorts of students and work with colleges and universities for academic credit. “Those are wonderful opportunities for students, and we love what those churches are doing,” says Becki Kern. “But we decided our niche would be a more customized program that works one-on-one with each individual. With that goal in mind, we launched the Reveal Residency in 2014.” Kern, who serves as campus launch pastor and director of Reveal at Pantano Christian Church, Tucson, AZ, designed the program to work with people

June 7, 2017

Christian Standard

The REAL Cost of Facility Ownership

By Tim Cool I come from a background of planning and building ministry facilities. I have been blessed to invest 30 years of my life into developing new and renovating existing ministry facilities. That phase of my life brought me great joy and fulfillment.  But now I am very burdened by the millions . . . and billions . . . of dollars spent each year on religious construction without a clear understanding of the real cost of ownership. Most ministry leaders, I think, do not understand that the ongoing costs of a building eclipse the initial costs, and do

June 5, 2017

Christian Standard

Urban Churches, Creative Solutions

By Brent Storms Where to meet presents special challenges for new congregations in expensive, congested cities. Urban churches are finding solutions that offer lessons for anyone”s church building decisions. One of the biggest challenges of starting a church in a city center or urban context is finding the right facility for Sunday gatherings. Space is limited. Landlords are skeptical. Prices are (often) outrageous. One example of the challenges: hotly contested lawsuits have bounced from court to court over whether churches should be allowed to rent New York City public schools for religious services. Some churches have been in public schools,

June 4, 2017

Mark A. Taylor

Should We Build It? Will They Come?

By Mark A. Taylor We wanted experience from church leaders who have led their congregations to build. We were able to spend an hour with four who brought insight and a couple of warnings for any congregation considering a building campaign:  Gene Appel, senior pastor with Eastside Christian Church in Anaheim, California;  Gary Johnson, lead servant with The Creek in Indianapolis, Indiana;  Darrel Land, senior minister with Redemption Christian Church in Jasper, Indiana; and  David Vaughan, senior minister with Whitewater Crossing Christian Church in Cleves, Ohio. Here are excerpts from that conversation. Tell us about your last building project. Appel:

June 1, 2017

Michael C. Mack

7 Summertime Youth Ministry Ideas

By Michael C. Mack Schedules open up for many teens over the summer months, so take advantage of that by spending unstructured time together. These times of hanging out together, even some one-on-one opportunities, can open doors to deeper spiritual conversations. Jonathan McKee, president of The Source for Youth Ministry (www.thesource4ym.com), gives four simple but effective ideas: 1. Beach Day. Take a group or just a few teens to the beach””whatever a “beach” looks like in your locale””and enjoy the time together. 2. Hike or Bike. Get away from TVs and social media and enjoy a day in God”s creation.

May 26, 2017

Christian Standard

The Best Sermon I”ve Ever Heard (23)

By Arron Chambers Christian leaders, some of them preachers themselves, tell us about a sermon they can”t forget””and maybe you won”t either.   Kevin Wise Kevin Wise was raised in the church but lived in the world. After two years in college, he left school to party and deal drugs for a couple of years. He then returned to college, where he took anatomy and physiology classes that made him more aware of a designer and creator. As he studied the Bible, his life totally changed. He became a minister and served with the North County Church of Christ in

May 23, 2017

Mark A. Taylor

Failure, Formation, and a Hopeful Future

By Mark A. Taylor It”s a principle of leadership whose impact we may not have grasped for our spiritual lives: failure is often the prelude to success. In fact great success may not happen unless it”s built on a foundation of failure. In a way, this is nothing new. We know about Thomas Edison”s thousands of efforts to find a filament for the electric light bulb. “I have not failed,” he said. “I”ve just found 10,000 ways that won”t work.” History teachers tell us how Abraham Lincoln suffered defeat after defeat only to rise to greatness. Others describe J.C. Penney”s

May 22, 2017

Christian Standard

When Modern Ministry Gets Messy

By Jessie Clemence “Messy” is the only choice for a ministry that opens the door for God”s power to change lives. Here”s a frank look at our situation today, with a challenge to demonstrate attitudes and actions worthy of Christ. What would you do if you walked into church on Sunday and found a new couple sitting in your usual pew, holding hands and envisioning how lovely their wedding ceremony would look in the room? What if they were both men, or both women? How would you feel if a transgender person handed you the Communion tray or a bulletin?

May 18, 2017

Christian Standard

The Isaac Principle

By Victor Knowles Several years ago I was driving west to Denver, Colorado. Somewhere in Kansas, I found a radio station playing a prerecorded sermon by someone whose name I can”t remember. But I have never forgotten his text. “Isaac built an altar there and called on the name of the Lord. There he pitched his tent, and there his servants dug a well” (Genesis 26:25). There are three nouns in this verse that can forever change the structure of your life. Understanding these simple words can help you determine proper priorities. In fact, the three words can assure you

May 17, 2017

Christian Standard

The Best Youth Ministers

By Les Christie A youth-ministry expert tells why and how the church must partner with parents to bring their kids to spiritual maturity. Fifty years ago youth leaders in churches were still largely volunteers, many of them parents of teenagers. When I was in high school and attending Cardiff Avenue Christian Church in West Los Angeles, I remember Mrs. Curry (who turns 100 this year and still drives a car””yikes!) was a parent volunteer in the youth department. Jim Irby was our part-time youth minister. Both strongly influenced my early years, and I still stay in touch with them. Churches

May 15, 2017

Christian Standard

Preaching to the Post-Nuclear Family

By Ian DiOrio Confronted with the confusion and diversity in family arrangements today, how does a minister preach and teach biblical values that offer true help and real hope? On a trip to Boston, I had the opportunity to tour the Old North Church, a National Historic Landmark. The beautifully constructed church, built in 1723, still carries powerful resonances of the spiritual climate of America before the climatic year of 1776. One of the most notable features of the church are the pews, many of which are sectioned off by family. Families who attended the church had their own small,

May 8, 2017

Christian Standard

5 Questions about New Ideas

By Joe Boyd Springtime always stimulates new ideas for me. But I”ve learned I should pursue only some of them.  There is something about springtime that makes all things new. Winter can be a cold and gray marathon to endure, especially for those of us on the East Coast and in the Midwest. But then comes life. Every April and May I find myself full of new ideas. And I should say that I love new ideas. They are like catnip for my soul. As a movie producer, I have no shortage of people pitching story ideas to me. Some

May 5, 2017

Christian Standard

Questions Worth Asking (2016 Megachurch & Statistics Report)

By Kent E. Fillinger Leading a church is a complex undertaking. The challenges can seem to mount more quickly than answers or resources become available. However, asking good questions is helpful. And asking the right questions as a leader is a game changer. One question I always ask is, “What can we learn from our annual survey data to apply to life and ministry?” Here are some important findings from key survey questions, and I”ve included some application questions for you and your team to discuss. One of this year”s survey questions was, “What questions or issues is your church

May 4, 2017

Christian Standard

Statistical Snippets from Our Survey of Churches

By Kent E. Fillinger AVERAGE SIZE Megachurches: 4,898. Emerging Megachurches: 1,358. Combined average weekly attendance: 375,324.   GROWTH RATES Megachurches: 3.4 percent (up from 1.3 percent in 2015); overall, 61 percent of megachurches grew (up from 54 percent in 2015). Emerging Megachurches: 2 percent (the same as 2015); overall, 61 percent of emerging megachurches grew (up from 57 percent in 2015). Large churches: 4.3 percent (up from 4.1 percent in 2015); overall, 69 percent of large churches grew last year. Medium churches: 2.1 percent (down from 3.3 percent in 2015); overall, 62 percent of medium churches grew last year.  

May 3, 2017

Christian Standard

Megachurches and More: The 2016 Charts

Our annual megachurch listing is one of CHRISTIAN STANDARD”s most popular features. This year hundreds of churches participated, including 55 megachurches (those with 2,000 or more in weekly attendance) and 78 emerging megachurches (1,000 to 1,999). This chart also includes listings for scores of large churches (with average attendance of 500 to 999) and medium churches (250-499) Click here to view and download the 2016 Charts, or click on them individually. “¢ 2016 Megachurches “¢ 2016 Emerging Megachurches “¢ 2016 Large Churches “¢ 2016 Medium Churches  

May 1, 2017

Michael C. Mack

Ministering to Moms on Mother”s Day

By Michael C. Mack Mother”s Day, and the weeks surrounding it, is a prime time to minister to the needs of moms in the community. Here are six ideas you can use: “¢ Teen Moms: Partner with a local teen or crisis pregnancy center to provide basic necessities such as nursing and newborn supplies, a rose, and a signed Mother”s Day card. “¢ Refugee Families: Contact a local organization that serves refugees to discover their needs, especially for moms in these families. Assemble care packages of gift certificates, groceries, and housewares, for instance, as well as a Bible and Mother”s

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