Christian Standard Updates

Ozark Christian College Receives $1 Million Gift

Ozark Christian College has received a $1 million gift from Rick Bronson, a longtime friend of the college, that will be used to begin renovation of its oldest residence hall. Bronson, his wife, Kat, and his son, Chad—a 2011 graduate of OCC—believe deeply in Ozark’s mission, and they trust that God will use their gift to inspire others to give. “This is just our five loaves and two fishes,” Bronson said. “Like that little boy with his lunch, we’re putting it in God’s hands to multiply it.” The Bronsons’ gift—the largest from a living donor in the Joplin, Mo., college’s

August 8, 2018

Madeline Hansen, Bear Creek Team Win at Bible Bowl (Plus News Briefs)

By Jim Nieman There were at least two “firsts” at this year’s Bible Bowl National Tournament: It was the first time the national event was hosted by a college—in this case, Johnson University Tennessee in Knoxville—and the Individual Written Test saw its first three-time winner: Madeline Hansen of Bear Creek Christian Church, Rochester, Minnesota. And the bad news for the other test takers? Madeline has three more years of eligibility. “What she has done is incredible,” said Josiah Gorman, executive director of Bible Bowl. “She is a very knowledgeable young lady.” Madeline has competed on the Individual Written Test for

August 1, 2018

Shawn McMullen

Hillsboro Family Camp: A Favorite Week of Summer (Plus News Briefs)

Last week the editors of Christian Standard and The Lookout spent several days at the Hillsboro Family Camp in Hillsboro, Ohio. Family Camp is sponsored by Person to Person Ministries and led by executive director Kerry Allen. For 46 years (since 1972) Person to Person Ministries has organized this annual gathering of families for the purposes of instruction, edification, and fellowship. The camp provides programming for adults, teens, and children. Many families bring tents, campers, motor homes, and vans to Restoration Acres, a 158-acre campground owned by the ministry, to participate in Family Camp. This year there were 273 camping

July 25, 2018

Storm Blows Roof Off Church in Tennessee (Plus News Briefs)

By Jim Nieman A storm that rolled through eastern Tennessee late Friday night tore the roof off of part of Love Chapel Christian Church in Erwin, leaving tons of debris and causing extensive water damage. No one was hurt. The integrity of the original 1953 church structure is still being assessed, senior minister Robert Bess said Tuesday, but an adjoining, 1960s-era, rectangular addition that includes classrooms, a nursery, restrooms, and an office is a total loss. In all likelihood, the church will need to relocate for a period of months while repairs are made and new construction occurs, said Bess,

July 11, 2018

Church Doubles Scripture Reading Goal (Plus News Briefs)

By Chris Moon Redemption Christian Church in Jasper, Ind., discovered a powerful way to spur its members to begin reading the Bible. On the final Sunday of 2017, senior minister Darrel Land challenged the church to read—as a group—at least 500,000 verses of the Bible during 2018. The church created an online form so that members could submit the number of verses they read each day, week, or month. (To provide context, there are 31,102 verses in the Bible: the Old Testament has 23,145 and the New Testament has 7,957, according to various online sources.) “Here’s the deal: If we

June 13, 2018

New City Plants New Campus (plus News Briefs)

By Chris Moon New City Church of Los Angeles has launched a second campus. The 10-year-old church located in downtown Los Angeles opened a new location in the lower San Fernando Valley. The new church—called New City Church of San Fernando Valley—is led by pastor David Guyer. The church plant is part of New City Church’s vision to open three to five new locations across Los Angeles during the next five years. “This is an ambitious vision,” lead pastor Kevin Haah said in a video introduction about the church plant. “God doesn’t call us to what’s easy but to where

June 6, 2018

Alexander Campbell Announced as a 2018 NACC Speaker

By Caleb Kaltenbach INDIANAPOLIS—Church leaders around the world were shocked to learn that Alexander Campbell will be speaking at the yearly convention. 2018 North American Christian Convention President Drew Sherman reportedly hired a Transylvanian scientist—a mad one, no doubt—to fly in and reanimate Campbell, the leading thinker of the early Restoration Movement and longtime editor of the Millennial Harbinger. The process took longer than initially thought, due to good weather. Eventually, however, a thunderstorm passed through the area and made the impossible possible. “We just want to empower leaders and give them an NACC they’ll never forget,” Sherman said. “It’s

February 23, 2018

Discipleship and the New Lookout

By Jerry Harris As the publisher of both Christian Standard and The Lookout, I have been tasked with reimagining the magazines and what they are supposed to accomplish. Christian Standard is primarily focused on ministry from a leadership perspective, so I know that leaders are primarily reading this. You are the decision makers, the ones with the sacred responsibility of caring for the flock of God. Like me, you want to have the very best tools at your disposal, and so providing you with the best tools is our goal at Christian Standard. We want to leverage the power that

February 22, 2018

Christian Standard Media Purchases Christian Church Today

Christian Standard Media has purchased the assets of Christian Church Today, including its online database of Christian churches and Christian ministries, and plans to make them available to readers of Christian Standard and The Lookout. “Our intention is to create a digital list that will form a vital communication link in our church network locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally by providing connections and links to email, websites, and social media,” said Christian Standard Media Publisher Jerry Harris. “The database has more than 9,000 churches and organizations that we are presently and painstakingly bringing up to date,” Harris said. “We plan

February 15, 2018

In Search of a Happy Ending

By Michael C. Mack and Jim Nieman It was intended as a feel-good story for the October 2017 issue. Managing editor Jim Nieman reported on a son turning his life around, through God’s grace, and returning to his hometown to minister to those who are “down on their luck.” It was a story with a stern warning and a storybook ending. And then everything utterly collapsed. The preacher’s son who had battled years of addiction to opiates during and immediately after high school, and then managed to turn his life around and graduate from Christian college and return to his

December 12, 2017

Parting Thoughts for the End of the Year

By Kent E. Fillinger I want to share three statistical thoughts that challenged me, plus a final word of encouragement, as we conclude 2017 and prepare for another year of ministry. I hope these insights cause you to stop, reflect, and dig a little deeper as you continue to lead your church. The Golfer”s Delusion Imagine the recreational golfer eyeing the green. He may have laser-guided binoculars that tell him the exact distance to the flagstick. Or he may have a GPS that indicates the precise distance to the front, middle, and back of the green. Armed with all

December 8, 2017

The Christmas Story Is Our Story

By Michael C. Mack Editors probably shouldn”t have a “favorite” issue. After all, I think every issue of Christian Standard has incredibly well-written stories. However . . . I really love this one! Perhaps it”s because the Christmas season brings out so many sentimental memories for me. Or maybe it”s because this issue has lots of awe-inspiring stories about family. Dave Stone, Kyle Idleman, and Rusty Russell tell stories of how their parents blessed them and their ministries. Joe Harvey shares how he and Val have blessed their daughter Mandy, and how she in turn is blessing them. We have

November 17, 2017

Letter from the Publisher

By Jerry Harris I was at the same Promise Keepers event in Indianapolis that Mike Mack describes in his article, “Stand: When You Did Not Receive Your Father”s Blessing,” in this issue. I remember evaluating the blessing I had received, while men to my immediate left and right, as well as all around the stadium, stood and admitted that they had never received a blessing. As I scanned tens of thousands of men standing at that Christ-centered men”s event, the grave implications began to sink in. I wondered how many husbands and fathers were left to wing it in their

October 26, 2017

Letter from the Publisher

By Jerry Harris Many years ago, I took my immediate family to visit extended family in Maryland. I”m something of a history nut, so I used the opportunity to take everyone to visit Annapolis and walk the campus of the U.S. Naval Academy; we watched the midshipmen walk in formation and toured museums. During that trip, I made an unexpected discovery. After touring the chapel, I noticed a small sign directing people to the “crypt of John Paul Jones.” My family and I proceeded down a stairway to an area directly beneath the chapel. A Marine in dress uniform was

September 6, 2017

Letter from the Publisher

By Jerry Harris My favorite thing about publishing Christian Standard is how much I am learning. In just a few short months, I have been exposed to stories and ministries that have challenged and inspired me greatly. But this issue has wrecked me the most. A sidebar to one of the articles describes a tree in North St. Louis. I was there on a nearly 100-degree day to speak with Lucas Rouggly and his family while we took pictures for the magazine. When we returned to the car to head home, I faced some hard reflection. For 19 years, I

August 1, 2017

Jim Nieman

The Editors: An Inside Scoop

Christian Standard managing editor Jim Nieman reflects on the four editors he has known and worked alongside. By Jim Nieman My transition from newspaper journalist to Christian Standard managing editor came about unexpectedly almost 20 years ago. Three editors of the magazine played roles in making it happen . . . and I am glad they did. Because of my unique perch and perspective, new editor Mike Mack asked me to share my insights into these gentlemen. Edwin V. Hayden I”ve been managing editor for the last three editors of the magazine, but a man I never worked

July 18, 2017

Letter from the Publisher

Letter from Jerry Harris, Publisher of Christian Standard.

July 12, 2017

Giving Honor to an Editor and Friend

By Michael C. Mack I don”t recall what the speaker said, but I”m sure his words were well-spoken and significant. I do remember, however, who that speaker was on that Sunday evening 21 years ago: Mark Taylor, who was at that time publisher at Standard Publishing Company. Mark had already played a key role in my life. When I worked in the New Products department at Standard in the early to mid-“90s, Mark was my boss. When I left to start a web-based small group ministry in 1995, he encouraged me and gave me opportunities to do freelance work, which

June 20, 2017

How I Got Here . . . on God”s Path

God knows what we need before we ask him, and he knew I needed Mike Mack. As the new publisher of Christian Standard Media, my first major responsibility was finding a qualified, passionate editor for Christian Standard. The Lord provided a writer, editor, minister, and disciple maker who already had a great relationship with the magazine, and I”m excited to have him tell you a little about his story. “”Jerry Harris _ _ _ By Michael C. Mack God drastically changed my life in 1988. I found Jesus, found a great church, was baptized, lost my job, started seminary, and

June 19, 2017