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.
September 28, 2011
Lots of new churches launched the weekend of Sept. 17, 18! Pathways Christian Church (Cincinnati, OH) Mission Church (Ventura, CA) Community Christian Church (Edgewater location, Chicago, IL) Legacy Christian Church (Menomonee Falls, WI) Lifepointe Church (Downtown location, Raleigh, NC) And one additional church launched on Sept. 25: Reunion Church (Plainfield, IN) Did we miss any? E-mail bu**@*********ub.com if you have news to share!
September 8, 2011
This past weekend, Todd Clark, lead pastor at Discovery Church in Simi Valley, CA, launched Eat Art, a nonprofit organization that “artfully ends hunger” by selling photographs, paintings, postcards, and apparel and using the proceeds to feed hungry children in 10 countries. Sixty percent of every Eat Art purchase sends rice meal packets overseas and 40 percent goes to print and ship the art to buyers. Eat Art will send 100,000 meals to 100,000 children for the first 100,000 people who follow them on Twitter or “like” them on Facebook. Click the links to make a difference for hungry kids!
September 2, 2011
About These Board Members Jerry Arnold serves on the board of directors of Christian Student Fellowship of Nebraska. His father, Gerald Sr., was a charter member of the board and put the family farm up as collateral for the first campus house. John Strouse served on the board of directors for Christian Student Foundation at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, from 1969 to 2005. His wife, Lois, was secretary of the campus ministry for 26 years. Melody Hornickel also serves with Christian Student Foundation at Ball State. She and her husband, Russ (an alumnus of the campus ministry), attend
September 1, 2011
By Shane Taylor It was 1988 and the end of my second year at the state university. My prodigal journey took all sorts of twists and turns, mostly while I was under the influence of Budweiser and the liberal arts department of the secular campus. For me, college was an opportunity to rid myself of the flannelgraph stories from Sunday school lessons of bygone days. My dorm room was littered with dirty laundry and stacks of unread textbooks. I majored in procrastination and pushing God away. And yet Jesus loves to interact with people who push him away. The Gospels
August 31, 2011
In anticipation of this past weekend”s East Coast hurricane, Mountain Christian Church senior pastor Ben Cachiaras asked the congregation to be the church instead of going to church. MCC, located in Joppa, MD, cancelled its weekend services and urged members to participate in “Operation Irene” by helping neighbors with storm cleanup, groceries, child care, and other needs. “Let’s DELUGE our community with acts of love and service during this event,” Cachiaras wrote. “I want to urge you as strongly as I can to think hard about how you can be a light and a friend and a help to others””and
August 31, 2011
By Gretchen Magruder Dear local church, Let me introduce you to some new members headed your way! My friends have just graduated from college and are looking for a new community to join. They are excited about finding a place to jump in and serve, and will be checking you out over the next few months as they transition from college life to (hopefully) gainful employment. Everyone wants to be known. I know they look young, but please don”t assume they”re with their parents or that they”re just going to be around for a short time. Ask them to tell
August 29, 2011
By Justin Wallace My story begins in a rural town in central Indiana. I grew up under the tin roof of a log cabin, listening to my grandmother’s tall tales. All the grandkids would pile into feather beds, laugh, listen, and learn. There were several nights I would like awake after everyone was asleep and listen to the wind howl, my cousins snore, and the acorns fall from the trees onto the tin roof over our heads. Years later, God began speaking through the cadence created by acorns on that tin roof. Each acorn falls as an individual; alone and
August 29, 2011
Click here to download the 2011 Campus Ministries List for more than 100 campus ministries in the United Stands (and a handful of international campus ministries). For your convenience, we are also listing the campus ministries below (with active links). ________ ALABAMA Auburn University Auburn Christian Fellowship 334-821-3963 Perry Rubin www.auburnchristianfellowship.com au**@*****er.net ARKANSAS University of Arkansas Christ on Campus 479-521-8358 Mike Armstrong www.christoncampus.org mi**@************us.org CALIFORNIA Hope International University Campus Ministry 714-879-3901 Ext.1284 Joel Schubert mi********@*iu.edu COLORADO Colorado School of Mines/Red Rocks Community College Rocky Mountain Campus Ministry 303-988-1024 Ext. 5 Art Heffron he********@*****il.com University of Colorado”“Colorado Springs Kairos Christian
August 23, 2011
By Steve Hinton It happened again. This past week I read yet another story of a dwindling congregation confronted with the harsh realities of years of negative growth. After some hard discussions, the congregation took the path of a growing number of churches in America and simply decided to close its doors, sell its property, and join with another struggling congregation. But I firmly believe things could have been very different for that congregation. I really believe any church can grow. This was impressed on me when my family moved to the northwest Houston area more than a year ago
By Brad Dupray As a boy, Keith Poletiek lived the life of “Johnny Lazarus,” the namesake character in a book series Keith devised to encourage young people toward evangelism. As a popular children”s conference speaker and author, Keith has also connected with children through Project316 (pronounced three-one-six) to motivate, train, and encourage young believers to take the message of John 3:16 to the world. Keith grew up at First Christian Church of Huntington Beach where he learned the beach culture of Southern California; he now uses that as a means of telling the message of Christ. In addition to his
By Katie Barbee There are so many things we, as adults, must teach children about prayer””persistence being one of them. I believe that teaching children how to pray certainly starts at home. After praying for a baby brother or sister for nearly one and one-half years, our 5-year-old son Drew prayed aloud one night: “Dear God, thank you for my family. Thank you for my friends . . . could you please give us a baby, whenever you think it”s time? Oh, never mind””could you just give me a puppy?” My husband and I tried not to laugh until we
By Teresa Welch During my 15-year tenure as a children”s minister, I was proud of how much Bible content the children learned. But now I wonder if that was enough. Whether it was through Sunday school, kids worship, youth groups, or summer programs like church camp and Vacation Bible School, I knew children were learning the Word of God. However, as I reflected on those years, I saw a problem. Sometimes our efforts to make sure children were learning the Word of God didn”t lead them to learn about God. Certainly we taught about the number of stones David collected
By Mary Manz Simon Do mousers play in your church nursery? Is mompetition undermining efforts to build community through small groups? How many weblebrities are in the fourth-grade Sunday school class? Those words might be new to you, but they reflect real-world issues faced by those serving children and families. As we gear up for another year of Christian education, volunteers and professional church staff members will communicate the same biblical truths that have been shared for centuries. But in 2011, the rules of engagement have changed. These shifts are so significant that we must deep-dive to pinpoint the implications
By Mark A. Taylor Believe it or not, many church leaders have already started thinking about NEXT summer”s Vacation Bible School! That”s why Standard Publishing announced the 2012 VBS theme this July. Next year we”ll partner with you to bring “Adventures on Promise Island” to your church, and we can hardly wait. I”m excited about this course because . . . “¢ It”s biblical. Each lesson features a Bible story with powerful reminders of God”s life-saving love: I Am With You (Isaiah 41:10). Look how he protected Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel 3:1, 4-28). I Care About You (1 Peter
August 11, 2011
There”s still time to participate in the Orchard Group“s “Love Prevails” offering on Sept. 11. That Sunday, the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C., churches will participate in a special giving campaign to fund new church plants in NYC and around the country. Some churches will take a special offering, others will give 9.11% of their regular offering that day, and others have committed to making a special gift before the end of 2011. “From New York, the greatest city in the world, we want to plant more churches in more cities,” writes Orchard
August 4, 2011
By Mark A. Taylor Here”s a reminder about a whole host of inexpensive, downloadable resources available for your church now. As you anticipate the after-summer ramp-up of activities and ministries, which of the following would help your ministry most? For new members and nonmembers””Our most popular “What Kind of Church Is This?” gives you 8 full-color pages that explain the unique and beautiful nondenominational position of Christian churches and churches of Christ. “Simply Christians,” which originally appeared in The Lookout, is a 12-page overview to accomplish the same purpose. One user called “Simply Christians” “the best short-form overview of the
CrossRoads Christian Church (Danville, IL) found a simple but practical way to serve the community by opening its building as a “cooling station.” Anyone who needed to escape the heat was invited to rest at the church anytime between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. last Wednesday and Friday.
July 12, 2011
By Justin Horey Everything that begins also ends. We may recognize that fact when we”re talking about businesses or vacations or even relationships. But what can we do when it”s time for a local congregation to shut its doors? PJ”s Abbey has been one of many distinctive restaurants in Orange, California, a town that bills itself as the antiques capital of Southern California. With “an eclectic mix of old family favorites and creative cuisine,” PJ”s Abbey was notable for its menu, but most widely recognized for its facility””an old church building. It”s an unusual concept, to be sure, but certainly not a unique
The Amelia (OH) Church of Christ held its third-annual free sports camp June 19-24. More than 250 kids from kindergarten through fifth grade attended the event to participate in basketball, cheerleading, soccer, martial arts, and other games. ACC volunteers taught kids about being a good sport and children”s minister Marie Young led songs. The week ended with an open house, ice cream, and giveaways on Friday night. The annual camp is sponsored by a number of businesses including Skyline Chili, Sam”s Club, and the University of Cincinnati. Click here to learn more.
Central Christian Church of the East Valley”s Gilbert, AZ, campus held its first “Fire in the Sky” Fourth of July fireworks celebration last summer. This year, the city of Gilbert is helping. “The mayor reached out to the church and asked if they would allow the greater community to participate in the church event,” reports the Arizona Republic. “”˜We feel extremely honored,” church spokesman Matt Price said. “˜Our goal as an organization is to partner with the community. . . . It’s a huge win to both of our organizations.”” Gilbert approved $7,500 in expenses for the celebration including traffic
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