Miscellaneous

A Conversation with J.K. Jones

Lookout Editor Kelly Carr speaks with J.K. Jones, who led morning Bible study sessions throughout the 2015 North American Christian Convention. Jones, pastor of spiritual formation at Eastview Christian Church, Normal, Illinois, talks about his love for books and their importance in his spiritual formation. Listen to their conversation.

July 16, 2015

A Conversation with Sean Palmer

Sean Palmer talks about his church, The Vine, in Temple, Texas, and reacts to the predominantly white complexion of the North American Christian Convention. When asked about race relations in America, he answers, “The racial problem is a gospel problem.” In this exclusive interview with Mark A. Taylor, he shares his views on the major obstacle to racial reconciliation in the United States and shares his congregation”s strategy for evangelism: “Spend some time with people who are not like you.” See the interview here.

July 14, 2015

A Conversation with Jodi Hickerson

Jodi Hickerson, programming director with Mission Church in Ventura, California, talks about her journey and how God has opened doors for her to serve his church. See the exclusive interview with Lookout Editor Kelly Carr here.

July 9, 2015

A Conversation with Daniel Overdorf

Daniel Overdorf shares his enthusiasm for training Christian workers and comments on how the church and the college can tap each others’ best to do a better job of equipping Christian leaders. This preaching professor also talks about how preaching has changed””not only for good””and how it needs to change. See the exclusive interview with Mark Taylor here.

July 6, 2015

A Conversation with John Mark Hicks

John Mark Hicks tells what thrills him when he looks at the Christian churches and churches of Christ. “We need an infusion of church-planting enthusiasm among the a cappella churches of Christ,” he says. In this exclusive interview with Editor Mark Taylor, he explains the trend he sees with Baptists and Stone-Campbell churches coming closer to each other on the position of baptism. “Does God do something through baptism?” Answers to the question are creating new dialogue. See the interview here.

July 3, 2015

A Conversation with LeRoy Lawson

Roy Lawson, 2015 North American Christian Convention speaker, spoke with Mark Taylor about how and why the NACC has changed and prospered and how an older Christian can guard against depression, bitterness, or cynicism as he or she experiences advancing years. See our exclusive interview here.

July 2, 2015

A Conversation with Mike Baker

North American Christian Convention President Mike Baker interrupted his duties to speak with The Lookout Editor Kelly Carr about his 20-year ministry at Eastview Christian ChurchÂ and how his perspective on the Restoration Movement has broadened.

July 1, 2015

A Conversation with Lysa TerKeurst

Lysa TerKeurst shared with contributing editor Jennifer Johnson just before speaking to hundreds at the 2015 North American Christian Convention ladies luncheon. Hear what she has to say about how to discover God’s best for us and why “there are no isolated choices.”

June 30, 2015

The Time to Refine Our Focus

By Mark A. Taylor The Internet is buzzing with reactions to last week”s Supreme Court decision legalizing gay marriage. Advocates are adding the #LoveWins hashtag to every tweet, and Christian leaders are urging the church not to be discouraged in the face of what many view as a terrible loss. Amid all the chatter, Caleb Kaltenbach”s perspective offers a voice as refreshing as it is calm. “Some say this is the defining issue of the day,” he said when I interviewed him last week at the North American Christian Convention. “But I believe the church is getting it wrong.” We

June 29, 2015

A 2015 Conversation with Caleb Kaltenbach

Mark Taylor interviewed Caleb Kaltenbach at the 2015 NACC in Cincinnati. Hear Caleb talk about his new book,Â Messy Grace, and give his answers to “Will your church baptize a homosexual?” “Is the gay issue the biggest issue facing the church today?” and “How do we maintain our theological convictions while still loving the practicing homosexual?”

June 23, 2015

Decide by Walking Around

By Mark A. Taylor Here”s another reason the North American Christian Convention is such a productive gathering. At the NACC we do a lot of walking! And, according to a new study by researchers at Stanford University, that”s good! A summary from Stanford News puts it this way: “Creative thinking improves while a person is walking and shortly thereafter.” That means we can generate a MOUNTAIN of creativity at the NACC. Granted, the Cincinnati convention center and downtown are more compact than what we”ve found in some cities. But even at its best, the convention requires blocks of walking between

April 14, 2015

Finding Our Place, Claiming Our Heritage

By Mark A. Taylor Talk to Mike Baker and you”ll discover a guy who”s serious about his work while not taking himself too seriously at all. In fact, in our latest episode of Beyond the Standard, Baker used the word unfortunate to describe the “celebrity culture” in today”s church climate. “There are a lot of great preachers and leaders in churches of 150 and 200 who in their part of the world are really doing great things for God and for his kingdom,” he said. “But they”re just not ever going to get the accolades” that often come to leaders

March 24, 2015

Bookin” It

By Mark A. Taylor I remember a conversation 30 years or more ago about book publishing by writers in the Christian church and church of Christ. “Evangelical publishers won”t publish books by Christian church writers,” a Standard Publishing salesman said. “And if Standard Publishing publishes books by Christian church writers, Christian bookstores won”t sell them.” I don”t know if that was true then, but I can promise you it”s not true today. Last year we published essays about book writing by Mark Atteberry,Â Arron Chambers,Â Dave Ferguson,Â Anne Milam,Â Daniel Overdorf, and Jamie Snyder. Each of them is a leader among Restoration Movement churches.

February 23, 2015

Spreading Our Hands Toward Heaven (Previewing the 2015 NACC)

By Stephanie Young Into the turbulent chaos of our times rings a signal: “Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below””you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way” (1 Kings 8:23). So begins a prayer for the nation of Israel by her king, as he stood before the whole assembly, spreading his hands toward Heaven. The national concerns were strikingly similar to our present day””unjust treatment by a fellow man, defeat at the hands of an enemy, disaster and disease, foreigners who

February 23, 2015

By Women, For Women (Previewing the 2015 NACC)

By Linda Hutchinson Excitement is building for the 2015 NACC Women”s Conference. It won”t be long before women of all ages and color descend on Cincinnati”s Duke Energy Convention Center for four days of worship, learning, and fellowship. It”s a conference within the conference designed by women for women. Many exciting things are planned to grow and minister to ladies in all seasons of life. If you”ve never been to the North American Christian Convention or its Women”s Conference, 2015 is the year to give it a try. You can drive in for the day or bring your family and

February 22, 2015

Next Gen Preacher Search (Previewing the 2015 NACC)

By Trevor DeVage I never dreamed preaching is what I would be doing. I had my sights set on living out the “American dream.” I was going to be an attorney. I had prepped my entire adolescent life for that path. In high school, I worked for an attorney”s office, was on the mock trial team at our school, and watched Law and Order and Matlock. Preaching was never on my radar””it just couldn”t generate income the way busting criminals would. But something happened during my junior year of high school. I was visiting a friend in the hospital and

February 21, 2015

Study with Me (Previewing the 2015 NACC)

By J.K. Jones Whether five eager beavers show up or 500, I will be prepared to teach morning Bible study at the 2015 North American Christian Convention. Teaching puts a smile on my face. I wholeheartedly embrace the morning and I cherish Bible study. More than anything, I hunger to know Jesus and make him known. So, consider this brief article an official invitation. The NACC morning Bible study time is a perfectly splendid way of devouring and ruminating upon President Mike Baker”s theme, “We Speak.” On three successive mornings, Wednesday through Friday, June 24-26, the study will come from

February 20, 2015

PROPEL (Previewing the 2015 NACC)

By Caleb Kaltenbach Maybe you”ve gone to many leadership ministry conferences, and maybe many of them seem like the same conference experience over and over again. You walk away with a lot of good information, but wish there had been the opportunity to ask questions, get feedback, or discuss a speaker”s point a little deeper. What if you could have a more personal experience with seasoned ministry leaders? Now”s your chance! The 2015 NACC”s preconference event, “PROPEL,” will be unlike any such event you have ever attended. “PROPEL” is a one-day conference from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, June

February 20, 2015