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.

January 5, 2011

Christian Standard

A Book Like No Other

By Ward Patterson For 65 hours one October several years ago, students at Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, read the Bible aloud at a crossing in the heart of the university campus. Standing under a tent and reading into a microphone in 30-minute shifts, they read from Genesis to Revelation. Erica Wothen, a senior student and member of His House Christian Fellowship, led more than 200 students in the event. Erica said, “We came together to read the Word. We didn”t worry about what we would say or do. We just read and watched God move.” God”s Word

January 1, 2011

Christian Standard

Playing It Forward for Families, Churches

By Jennifer Taylor The team from Cartwheels & Coffee has been asked to open new locations in Colorado, Kentucky, and even Portugal. “The best ideas come from creative solutions to problems,” says Chris Barras, lead pastor at Area 10 Faith Community (Richmond, Virginia). The idea was doubling the use of a rented space to both minimize costs and maximize community engagement. When Barras and his team planted Area 10 in 2008, they were fortunate to score the famous Byrd Theatre as a meeting place. But the location had no room for a children”s ministry. “We wanted to have low overhead

December 31, 2010

Christian Standard

The Lasting Influence of a Small Church

By Gordon R. Clymer Recently six Timothys of Indiana”s Black Oak Church of Christ returned to say thank-you to the church where each was baptized. Located between Hammond and Gary, the community has become more inner-city than metropolitan. Fewer than 100 people now meet to worship with this congregation. In years past it was never a large church, but it had a vision of outreach. These six men sent out to preach the gospel include James North, professor of church history at Cincinnati (Ohio) Christian University; Ziden Nutt, executive director of Good News Productions, International (Joplin, Missouri); Gordon Clymer, professor

December 30, 2010

Christian Standard

Regrafting: A Matter of Motivation

Ken Swatman “Dying on the vine,” it seems to be the new catchphrase among leaders of struggling churches. Often I hear from these ministers and leaders that they do not want to “die on the vine.” Here are some key issues/questions that need to be addressed in order for a church to grow. I do not believe churches just die on the vine. Branches of a vine die because they are either diseased, malformed, infested with parasites, or somehow choked off from their source of nutrition and health. This is also true for churches. Churches wither and die because of

December 19, 2010

Christian Standard

Interview with Jeff Cox

By Brad Dupray The city of Bell, California, has experienced significant demographic change over the past three decades, transitioning from the post-World War II baby boom of middle-class Anglo families to being a city primarily comprised of Hispanic immigrants. As a means of connecting to its culture, Southland Christian Church conducts Las Posadas, a celebration of Mary and Joseph”s search for a place to stay in Bethlehem. This observance resonates within the Hispanic culture and has served as a means of evangelizing Southland”s community. Jeff Cox came to Christ at Southland as a teen, was hired as youth pastor in

December 15, 2010

Christian Standard

‘Pink Slip Christmas Party’ Held

On Dec. 14, Meridian Christian Church (Okemos, MI) hosted its first-ever “Pink Slip Christmas Party.” The party, an opportunity for the unemployed to meet with potential employers, included food, workshops, and networking. The church”s Community Ministries organization partnered with area businesses, agencies, and career specialists and provided the “ultimate career event and holiday celebration” free of charge. Click here to read more.

December 13, 2010

Christian Standard

A Constructive Way to Help Churches

By Jennifer Taylor Kent Hawkins, senior minister with Cornerstone Christian Church, is driving to the site of the congregation”s new building in Vero Beach, Florida. It”s almost dinnertime, and church members are preparing and serving a meal to the volunteers working on the framing of CCC”s new building. In just a little over two weeks, these electricians, contractors, and carpenters””all of them members of Jack Ballard Church Builders“”will donate thousands of hours to build this new facility””and save the church around $100,000. Jack Ballard Church Builders was founded in 1971 after members at Mount Carmel Christian Church (Stone Mountain, Georgia)

December 13, 2010

Christian Standard

Church on Tour

By Jennifer Taylor Crossroads Christian Church (Newburgh, Indiana) encourages its thousands of members to participate in churchwide outreach events, volunteer with ministry partners like Habitat for Humanity, and attend seminars on generational poverty, evangelism, and more. But Eric Cummings, community outreach pastor at Crossroads, says the church”s “inner-city van tours” are the most valuable educational tool they”ve developed. Each month, 10-12 adults participate in the two-hour experience, seeing the reality of crime, poverty, and homelessness while also stopping at many of the schools, government agencies, and ministries working to help the city”s residents. “We don”t get out of the van,

December 9, 2010

Christian Standard

A New Perspective for a “˜Bunch of Jerks”

By Chris Beard It was just a billboard. We saw it as little more than a tool to help our congregation reach out to our community. But God had an even bigger plan. At 8:30 Monday morning I received a call from an elder informing me that our billboard had been featured in the local newspaper”s blog. “Well, good,” I said, “that will be a good conversation starter for our people.” I had no idea that by the end of the week people would be calling and e-mailing from all over the United States to talk about our billboard. Afterthought

December 5, 2010

Christian Standard

A Story to Challenge All of Us

By Mark A. Taylor This week we”ve posted several encouraging accounts of new church plants in Greater Salt Lake City. But the bigger story tells how Christian leaders worked together and depended on God to see these happen. It”s a story about cooperation and collaboration. “The churches of the Restoration Movement had never attempted something like this,” says Steve Edwards. The collaboration began more than 15 years ago when the Salt Lake City church planting organization asked the Intermountain Church Planters Association based in Boise, Idaho, if they could work together under one name. Edwards became executive director of ICPA

December 3, 2010

Christian Standard

Built for Speed

By Brent Foulke Charles Hill runs at about 6,000 rpm all the time! To some degree, that”s normal for church planters””big dreams, tough challenges, long to-do lists, and expansive hearts. But when Charles and his wife, Tiffany, moved their family to plant a church in South Jordan, Utah, they entered a particularly challenging race. South Jordan is one of only two places in the world with two Mormon temples and almost no churches that follow Christ alone by the authority of the Bible alone. But the Hills intend to win this race by introducing Jesus as “the way and the truth

December 2, 2010

Christian Standard

Immeasurably More

By David Limiero When Bryan and Missy Meyers participated in a Stadia church planting assessment in the fall of 2009, they had a clear goal in mind””plant a church in northern Nevada in the fall of 2011. It seemed like the perfect plan. Bryan was serving as associate pastor at Hope Community Church in Reno, Nevada. Missy was the church”s preschool director. The church”s senior pastor, Bill Sherman, was solidly behind both the strategy and the timing. And Hope had just planted her first daughter church in nearby Fernley. Bryan and Missy”s church plant would be the next step in

December 1, 2010

Christian Standard

Ministry on Black Friday

Members of Journey”s Crossing Christian Church (Gaithersburg, MD) were at the mall at 5:30 a.m. on Black Friday””but not to get a jump on their Christmas shopping. Instead, the team gave away coffee, hot chocolate, and breakfast treats at one of the busiest shopping centers in their area.

November 17, 2010

Christian Standard

Skipping Dinner to Make a Difference

On Sunday, Rochester (IL) Christian Church celebrated “THANKSgiving, living, loving.” “Instead of our annual Thanksgiving dinner (which none of us needed!), we collected items to fill 200 Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes, 82 duffel bags filled with toiletries and gifts for foster kids, and 42 Thanksgiving meal baskets for local families,” says Matt Bortmess, senior associate minister. On Sunday families, small groups, and friends worked together to assemble the gifts. The special outreach is part of RCC”s “DO Something” series; throughout the series the church also shared other local and global ways individuals could “do something” to make a difference.

November 16, 2010

Christian Standard

The Buddy System

By Jennifer Taylor Central Church of Christ (Mount Vernon, Ohio) is committed to serving people with special needs. Five years ago the church launched its “Very Important Persons” class for community members with Down syndrome. Each participant is matched with a “buddy” who becomes a special mentor and meets on Wednesday afternoons for Bible lessons, singing, trips, restaurant outings, and more. “An outgrowth of the ministry has been clowning,” says associate minister Don Linn. “The group rides in parades and visits nursing homes together. Not only is it fun for them, but we”ve discovered people treat them differently. Kids approach

November 15, 2010

Christian Standard

Visioneering Studios Opening Two New Studios

Visioneering Studios Architecture, a niche firm focused on “designing destinations that lift the spirit” and the 2008-09 Solomon Award winner for “Best Church Architect,” is opening two new design studios this month. The two new Visioneering Studios are located in Chicago, IL, and Charlotte, NC, and complement Visioneering Studios located in Los Angeles, Denver, and Atlanta. Randall Coy, previously director of planning and design for General Growth Properties, will lead Visioneering Studios-Central in Chicago as regional director. David Dial, previously president and chief steward for Living Stones Architecture, will lead Visioneering Studios-East in Charlotte. Dial has designed more than 120

November 6, 2010

Christian Standard

Interview with Mel McGowan

By Brad Dupray Mel McGowan grew up with a passion for great storytelling. Whether at a Disney-inspired theme park or in the art of film, he saw the life-changing value a story could bring. Mel has converted that passion into what has been called “architectural evangelism,” using the design of church meeting spaces to preach the gospel to people in ways that meet the eye. As president of Visioneering Studios, which he founded in 2002, Mel has provided architectural insight to ministries across the United States and around the world, including Southeast Christian Church (Louisville, Kentucky), Christ”s Church of the

November 5, 2010

Christian Standard

Smaller Groups, More Disciples

By Michael Mack How many people can you effectively lead, shepherd, and disciple? Eight? Ten? Twelve? Twenty? Let me ask the question another way: If you are to bear much fruit, fruit that will last . . . if you are to see true transformation of people”s lives . . . if you are to see people develop into leaders so that you are multiplying your leadership . . . into how many people can you invest your life? Jesus formed a small group that would eventually change the world. But first, he called two sets of brothers: Simon Peter and Andrew,

November 4, 2010

Christian Standard

It”s All About Change

By Bill Search We”ve called change different things through the years: discipleship, edification, sanctification, transformation, spiritual formation. These are really great terms, but they convey one simple idea: how people become more like Jesus. A healthy small group should help people change. But many of our groups get off track. Ironically, the love for Scripture can accidentally distract us from the ultimate goal of changing to become like Jesus. You Need to Know More Some groups take a materialistic approach to Bible study. They crave to know more. They may not have the same intense desire to become different people,

November 4, 2010

Christian Standard

Seven Hallmarks of a Healthy Small Group

By Michael Mack What makes a small group healthy? At Northeast Christian Church, we define small group health by seven biblical values and evaluate all groups annually to see how they are doing. Note that the first four deal with how a group is focused and organized, and the last three deal with what they do. 1. Christ-centered: Jesus is the real group leader. Groups meet in his presence and power and for his purposes. (Matthew 18:20) 2. Healthy, growing leaders: The small group leader is growing in his or her faith by being involved in daily disciplines such as Bible

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