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.

March 25, 2013

Michael C. Mack

A Great Group Is More than a Huddle

By Michael C. Mack The best college football game ever (in my humble opinion) was the 2007 Fiesta Bowl. It pitted the favored Oklahoma Sooners (the winningest football program in the nation since World War II) against my favorite team, the Boise State Broncos. It was touted as David versus Goliath. The game was full of spectacular plays and trick plays, an 18-point comeback by Oklahoma, many dramatic game-on-the-line moments, several unbelievable fourth-down conversions, and a sensational overtime. Boise State won when Ian Johnson ran in a two-point conversion on a Statue of Liberty play. Then, if that wasn”t enough,

March 24, 2013

Christian Standard

Four Vital Signs of a Healthy Elder Team

By Gary L. Johnson Effective teams are healthy teams. But how do elder teams function well together? What does a healthy elder team look like? The best answers to those questions can be found in the leadership lessons between Jesus and his team of disciples. As Jesus neared the end of his ministry, as described in Mark 8 and 9, he had significant moments with his disciples, revealing four vital signs of a healthy team.   Vital Sign 1 A healthy elder team knows and pursues the mission. In Mark 8:31-38, Jesus explained to his disciples that he would suffer at

March 23, 2013

Christian Standard

Neighboring Churches

By Brian Mavis “From the city”s perspective, there is not a lot of difference between the way Christians neighbor and non-Christians neighbor.” The assistant city manager of Arvada, Colorado, made that statement to a group of church leaders. It left them embarrassed and convicted. But it wasn”t the first time they had heard something like that from a city leader. A month earlier a group of church leaders was meeting with Bob Frie, the mayor of Arvada. He explained that even though Arvada (population 106,000) is a great city, it has many problems typical of a city its size””delinquency, elderly

March 19, 2013

Christian Standard

A New Kind of Leadership?

By Mark A. Taylor Today Pope Francis, the first Pope from the Americas, will be formally installed in a mass that will headline news reports everywhere. Many nondenominational Christians will ignore the ceremony, while some will take the occasion to express their disdain for the abuses or errors of the church that claims 1.2 billion adherents worldwide. But we need not agree with Roman Catholic tradition or dogma to learn something from the unpretentious man who now heads that church. News of his unassuming humility is everywhere. Christopher M. Belitto, writing for CNN, described Francis”s first appearance to the masses

March 14, 2013

Mark E. Moore

Interview with Mark Moore

By Paul Boatman Mark Moore is teaching pastor of Christ”s Church of the Valley (CCV) in Peoria, Arizona, a congregation with weekly attendance of about 19,000. He left a 22-year professorship at Ozark Christian College in Joplin, Missouri, to lead a creative ministry-equipping program through this congregation. You left a respected professorship after two decades. Why? Influence. I loved teaching in Bible college. I also love preaching. When pastor Don Wilson opened the door at Christ”s Church of the Valley, I realized I could pursue both loves. It gives poetic balance to my career: The first half in academia and

March 12, 2013

Christian Standard

Time to Change

By Mark A. Taylor I”ve been thinking this week about change. Not the pennies and nickels in my pocket, but the change that most of the country observed Sunday  at 2:00 a.m. That”s when Daylight Savings Time kicked in, leaving many of us yawning the next morning. Even though 49 of 50 U.S. states observe Daylight Savings Time (somehow most of Arizona has stayed exempt), some of us still chafe under the mandate to lose an hour of sleep each March. “The change in the spring is always hard for me,” a friend said Saturday night. We had been trying

March 8, 2013

Christian Standard

How We”ve Developed a Mentoring Culture

By Mark Worley A student, who is now a graduate of Dallas Christian College, wrote these words: I wish I could be mentored. My classes are great. I believe I”m getting a quality education as I learn to think critically, understand the Bible, apply the Bible, and teach the Bible. But, that”s only classroom learning. It has not been enough. I need a mentor to help me, someone experienced in ministry and life””a time-tested and trained, solid leader. Someone like this could meet with me a couple times a month (we”re all busy), and just talk to me about life. He could

March 1, 2013

Christian Standard

Overwhelm Them with Honor, Appreciation, and Love

By R. Paige Mathews You”re kidding me! This can”t be true! I couldn”t believe who was requesting help. Just a few years ago he was a highly visible church leader; in fact, his signature might be on my ordination certificate! His story: In 1956 we began serving as missionaries on the island of Cebu in the Philippines. We had three children but one infant son passed away while there. My wife also died in the Philippines after receiving an injection that was mistakenly 20 times stronger than prescribed. I returned to the United States with my two small children. After

February 23, 2013

Michael C. Mack

Ten Tips for Making Your Groups Less Scary

By Michael C. Mack The first time I attended a small group meeting, I drove around the block several times before finally getting up the nerve to walk up to the door of the host home. This was one of the scariest experiences of my life! I didn”t know what to expect and wondered if I”d fit in. Over the years, I”ve loosened up, and I”ve also learned how to make groups more inviting and accepting for new people. Here are 10 ideas.   1. Pay attention to the timing. When is the best time to invite a friend to

February 12, 2013

Christian Standard

What We’re Learning on Our Walk (Part 2)

By Mike Baker I am unashamed to tell you I want my church to grow! I want it to grow numerically because every person counted on a Sunday morning is a life that matters, a story of redemption, and a person in need of a Savior. But numeric growth is not the only growth God desires for his church. With increased attendance and baptisms come the responsibility of encouraging spiritual growth in those God has entrusted to our care. Early in my ministry, I was easily impressed. I often thought, Cool, our numbers are growing, naively believing our work was

January 28, 2013

Christian Standard

Get in the Game! Volunteer Anxiety Disorder

By Craig Wilson I thought God and I had a deal that I would never have to go to a hospital to have any form of surgery. I have a very real fear of being put under anesthesia, cut open, and stitched back up like a teddy bear that”s losing its stuffing. I don”t like the idea of an IV needle in my arm, and had never had to have one. Apparently God was not aware of this deal, because there I was, just two days after my 43rd birthday, lying in a hospital bed with an IV in my

January 28, 2013

Christian Standard

Get in the Game! Values, Vehicles, and Victories

By Jim Probst The Pareto Principle highlights the tendency for 80 percent of the work to be done by 20 percent of the people. We”ve all heard of this 80/20 principle, and we often see it as an inescapable rule inchurch cultures. Our beloved 20 percent have the “curse of competence” . . . or at least the “curse of obligation” . . . that fuels the fire to fill the volunteer void again and again. Meanwhile, the under-responsive masses settle into an uninspired consumer Christianity. As this scenario occurs and reoccurs in our churches, we are left with an

January 27, 2013

Christian Standard

Get in the Game! Why I Love Volunteers!

By Eugene DePorter While visiting a church recently, I heard a young preacher say, “I hate volunteers.” It shocked and distracted me so much I wasn”t able to grasp what he was trying to communicate. In my 26 years of ministry at Southeast Christian Church, Louisville, Kentucky, I have depended greatly on the faithful, unselfish efforts of volunteers. They have contributed to helping many people know Jesus, and I will always be grateful for their impact. Most churches appreciate the value of volunteers, but recruiting these servants is a continual challenge. Jesus told his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but

January 19, 2013

Christian Standard

Interview with Danny Schaffner

By Paul Boatman Danny Schaffner Jr. is the preaching and teaching minister at Common Ground Christian Church in the urban corridor of Tampa, Florida. He has lived with his wife and three boys in this community since 2007. His church”s website is www.commongroundtampa.com.   What makes your ministry distinctive? Common Ground is a restart of a church that was closed for a year and a half. Our zip code, 33603, is where much of America will be in another generation: predominantly Hispanic-American, then African-American, and then Caucasian American. It feels like the mission field, where most of the people look,

January 15, 2013

Christian Standard

Developing the Youngest Disciples

By Teresa Welch Discipleship””following after Christ””is an expectation for every believer. But sometimes we forget that discipleship can””and often should””begin during childhood. I recently enjoyed spending time with “my kids,” who were part of the children”s ministry I led prior to joining the faculty at Emmanuel Christian Seminary. As with all of my former kids, I was curious to find out about their lives, as I felt responsibility for their continued spiritual formation. During my visit with them, it became apparent what I see in their lives now is directly connected to the time I was with them and their

January 5, 2013

Michael C. Mack

How Small Is a Small Group?

By Michael C. Mack QUESTION: What size should a healthy small group be? ANSWER: This is one of the most frequently asked questions about small groups, and as with many questions, the answer is, “It all depends.” Here are three factors to consider when determining group size.   Group Types Small groups come in a variety of types with different purposes and needs. An accountability group, for example, works best with about 2 to 4 members. A serving group, and some more socially oriented groups, can be quite large, in the 20s or 30s. Holistic groups, discussion-based groups, and a

January 4, 2013

Christian Standard

Interview with Jack Tanner

By Paul Boatman This interview took place on December 27, 13 days after a gunman in Newtown, Connecticut, killed 20 first-graders and six staff members at Sandy Hook Elementary School, before killing himself. Jack Tanner was part of the “first response” clergy team called upon to help the parents of the children. Jack serves as preaching minister with Newtown Christian Church. Jack, our hearts go out to those of you in Newtown. Can you walk us through your experience with this tragedy? I was busy with routine work in my office [that Friday] when I got a call from the

January 2, 2013

Christian Standard

Church Returns Favor by Helping Victims

By Jennifer Johnson In April 2011, Alabama was hit by more than 170 tornados””one of the largest outbreaks of tornadic storms in the area”s history. Although Huntsville (AL) Christian Church“s building wasn”t affected, its community was. “People went without power for weeks, and we used part of our building as a huge food pantry,” says associate minister Andrew Ellingwood. “We get tornadoes every year, and people always pull together. But this was so big we all needed help. Churches across the country sent food and water, and mission teams visited to participate in the cleanup efforts. Every week there was

January 1, 2013

Christian Standard

Tried and True and New for You!

By Mark A. Taylor Take a glance at Standard Publishing Vacation Bible School materials this year, and you may think you”ve seen them before. But look a second time, and you”ll realize Standard has created something all-new for this vital summer ministry. We talked to the creative team that produced God”s Backyard Bible Camp to discover what this material is all about. Frankly, we couldn”t have been more pleased with the answers we received!   To tell you the truth, this looks an awful lot like a VBS course Standard already offered before. Is this just old stuff with a

December 23, 2012

Christian Standard

The Other Side of the Angel Tree

By Jessica Vana I served on staff at Summit Christian Church in Sparks, Nevada, for more than five years. Each year when the glittering Christmas decorations went up, I would get a little spring in my step and a grin I found impossible to restrain. The whole campus glows with dozens of trees, thousands of lights, and many other special touches. But every year, there was one tree that stood out. It wasn”t a very large tree, and it was simply decorated with paper angels. On the back of each angel was the name of an under-resourced child. Parents, grandparents,

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