News & Updates

News & Updates delivers timely reporting and important announcements relevant to church leaders and the Restoration Movement community. Explore articles covering ministry developments, events, organizational news, and updates that impact churches, leaders, and readers of The Christian Standard. You’ll find information on conferences, initiatives, partnerships, and significant stories shaping the life of the church today. Check back regularly to stay informed and connected to what’s happening across the movement and within The Christian Standard network.

April 16, 2020

Christian Standard

“Vitamins Club” Revisited

A comprehensive indexing of Christian Standard upon our magazine’s 100th anniversary in 1966 failed to chronicle a recurring one-page feature called “Vitamins Club”—a hodgepodge of sermon outlines, memory verse listings, random poetry, original and submitted items, and also snippets gleaned from other sources. All of these had one thing in common: brevity. Today we will feature a few of these items from early in 1935 . . . 85 years ago. _ _ _ DEFINITION OF A DENOMINATION April 6, 1935; p. 6 A. E. Sterrett, of Leipsic, O., sends the following definition of a denomination, that he says he

April 16, 2020

Christian Standard

Dummitt Named Senior Pastor of Willow Creek

By Jim Nieman David Dummitt, the founding and lead pastor of 2|42 Community Church in Michigan, has been named the new senior pastor of Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois. “I’m so excited to become a part of the Willow family,” Dummitt said in a video posted by Willow Creek. “For the last 15 years my family and I have had the privilege of launching and leading 2|42 Community Church in southeast Michigan. And over these last few months we’ve sensed God leading us to come and be a part of what he’s doing in and through Willow.

April 15, 2020

Christian Standard

Church Organs/Organists Featured in Newspapers (Plus News Briefs)

Compiled by Jim Nieman and Chris Moon Church organs and organists recently were featured in articles in Kentucky and Ohio newspapers. The organ at Calhoun (Ky.) Christian Church survived a flood in 1937, a near-disastrous move to a new building in 1998, and transitions from hand-pumping to water-pumping to an electrical pump over the past 100-plus years. The McLean County News detailed the organ’s rich history in a story from March. Since 1905, only five women have played the organ regularly. The present organist is Judy Rightmyer, an octogenarian. Rightmyer’s grandfather used to hand-pump the organ and sing bass in

April 8, 2020

Christian Standard

South Side Among Churches Adapting Easter Plans (Plus News Briefs)

Compiled by Jim Nieman and Chris Moon South Side Christian Church in Springfield, Ill., didn’t stage its annual Easter Eggcitement event featuring bounce houses, games, and eggs filled with candy this year, according to the State Journal-Register. Instead, on Sunday—because of the COVID-19 outbreak—children’s pastor Rodney Hull wore a protective mask and handed out treat bags to children in cars via a drive-through process. “I haven’t seen the kids for a few weeks, except on Zoom,” Hull told the paper. “So it’s a chance to wave to them and enjoy a little piece of Easter we’ve put together for them

April 1, 2020

Christian Standard

‘We Don’t Have to Be Paralyzed in Fear’ (Plus News Briefs)

Compiled by Jim Nieman and Chris Moon Fox59 News in Indianapolis interviewed John Dickerson, lead pastor with Connection Pointe Christian Church, Brownsburg, Ind., about “ways to keep faith during the [coronavirus] pandemic.” “What you focus on becomes much bigger,” Dickerson said, using the above photo as an example. (Rest assured, the Eiffel Tower really is bigger than the man’s hand). “The reality is if we focus just on the virus and our fears and our anxiety and the economy,” Dickerson said, “if we focus only on those negative things—we do have to be aware of them—but if we fully focus

March 28, 2020

Christian Standard

Churches Make Easter Plans in Age of Social Distancing

By Chris Moon As worship life continues to change because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Restoration Movement churches now are faced with putting together one of the most significant worship services of the year—Easter Sunday, April 12. Some churches are letting the online-only worship experience drive their creativity. Others are carefully modifying their long-held Easter traditions to accommodate this time of social distancing (a relatively new but suddenly pervasive term for encouraging people to deliberately increase the space between one another to avoid spreading the virus). Journey Christian Church in Greeley, Colo., is planning a 30-minute Easter video production that

March 25, 2020

Christian Standard

Mt. Pleasant’s Dollar-Giving Campaign Eclipses $1 Million (Plus News Briefs)

Compiled by Jim Nieman and Chris Moon Earlier this month, Mount Pleasant Christian Church, Greenwood, Ind., surpassed $1 million in giving through its Change for a Dollar program, which was started in July 2015 and thus far has helped 250 individuals and families. The fund was created after pastor Chris Philbeck asked attendees to give an extra $1 weekly to help people in need. “It’s powerful, because it’s just such a simple formula,” Philbeck told the Daily Journal. “One dollar alone doesn’t go very far, but all together, it can be a big deal.” The ministry “allows ANYONE from ANYWHERE

March 25, 2020

Christian Standard

Churches Gain Attention for Adapting to COVID-19 Challenges

Numerous Christian churches were featured in newspaper stories the past few days for how they are responding to the COVID-19 outbreak. Most of the news stories noted that the churches are not meeting in-person but are coping by sharing their worship services via the Internet. Here are some of the churches that were featured: Odon (Ind.) Christian Church (featured in the Times-Herald)—”With the restrictions, we are going to be doing our services online only,” noted pastor Micah Stephen. “Easter time we usually get much larger numbers into the church. We are kind of putting things on hold and trying to

March 18, 2020

Christian Standard

Christian Universities Respond to the COVID-19 Pandemic (UPDATED)

(This article was updated on Wednesday morning, March 18.) Johnson University is suspending face-to-face classroom instruction for one month. Hope International University has tacked on an additional week of spring break. Great Lakes Christian College will be teaching all classes remotely from March 16 through April 3. And Milligan College is extending its current spring break until March 20 and transitioning to online classes through April 5. These are just a few of the actions Christian universities have announced in response to the COVID-19 (or coronavirus) pandemic. Several of these announcements have been issued just today. Below are short excerpts

March 18, 2020

Tyler McKenzie

Pastors Focused on Serving Communities, Improving Online Abilities as Pandemic Continues

By Chris Moon After a weekend of large-scale cancellations of in-person worship services—the result of the COVID-19 pandemic—many Restoration Movement churches are spending this week plotting their next moves. Pastors say they are looking both inward at how their online programming was received and outward at how best to serve their communities in a time of need. They say they are recognizing the way in which “social distancing” recommendations are affecting vulnerable communities, from the elderly to those in poverty. Tyler McKenzie, lead pastor of Northeast Christian Church in Louisville, said his church put together both a weekend service plan

March 18, 2020

Christian Standard

Stadia Honors Tom, Debbie Jones with Award Named for Them (Plus News Briefs)

Compiled by Jim Nieman and Chris Moon Tom and Debbie Jones recently received a new award from Stadia Church Planting that is named in their honor. The Dr. Thomas and Debbie Jones Church Planting Impact Award was presented to the Joneses at Stadia’s annual Celebration and Dessert Party at Exponential in Orlando, Fla., on March 3. In the future, the award will be presented to leaders like the Joneses who champion the cause of church planting. Together, the Joneses planted two churches, before Tom joined Stadia in 2003. He soon became executive director of the nationwide church planting organization. His

March 13, 2020

Christian Standard

Coronavirus: “A Lot Changed [Thursday] Afternoon”

By Chris Moon Rusty Carlson, lead executive pastor of Rainier View Christian Church in Tacoma, Wash., said he’ experienced a range emotions during the past few days as the church has sorted out its coronavirus plan. “It’s kind of all the ‘feels,’ as our millennials say,” he told Christian Standard. Rainier View is in the Seattle region, which is under a government-imposed ban on large gatherings. The church has announced it will hold online-only services this weekend. Initially, Carlson said, he was excited for an opportunity to do some creative things in ministry. All of the church’s ministry teams are

March 13, 2020

Christian Standard

Church Leaders Make Tough Calls as Coronavirus Spreads

(On Friday, March 13, this article was updated with information from Northshore Christian Church in Everett, Wash.) By Chris Moon The fear of COVID-19, the new coronavirus, has swept the nation during the past week, and Restoration Movement churches and organizations are working through the fallout. An array of announcements about changes at churches and Christian colleges have been rolled out during the past few days. Colleges have begun posting notices on their websites indicating their response to the coronavirus. (Click here to read “Christian Universities Respond to COVID-19 Pandemic,” which offers a rundown of steps many of our colleges

March 11, 2020

Christian Standard

News Briefs for March 11

Ethan Magness, senior minister with First Christian Church in Johnson City, Tenn., gave the opening prayer on March 4 in the U.S. House of Representatives, WJHL.com reported. Magness’s prayer is available at YouTube. U.S. Rep. Phil Roe (R-Tenn.), who hosted Magness at the Capitol, called Magness “a great religious leader in our community.” “It was great to have him here in Washington to share the word of God this morning,” Roe said in a statement. _ _ _ Point University has named a music lab in its fine arts building for a local man who has donated 16 pianos to

March 6, 2020

Christian Standard

Several Tennessee Churches Cope with Losses Resulting from Deadly Tornadoes

(Originally posted Friday, March 6; updated Monday, March 9) Alive Nashville, a Stadia church plant that started last September, had been meeting on Sundays in a building that was “ground zero” for the tornado that struck East Nashville early Tuesday. Since the storm, the church has been working to serve one another and others in the neighborhood devastated by the tornado. According to lead pastor Brandon Jacobs‘ Facebook posts, the church has been praying, receiving aid requests, assessing needs, lending a hand and/or connecting victims with people or agencies that can help, engaging in some small-scale cleanup, and determining how

March 4, 2020

Christian Standard

Christians Team Up to Help Kenyan Become a Doctor (Plus News Briefs)

Compiled by Jim Nieman and Chris Moon As a boy growing up in Kenya, Daniel Koitatoi wanted to become a physician, but he faced many barriers, including the cost of medical college and his obligation as the eldest son to help his siblings get through school. CMF International shared the story of how several Christians came together to help Daniel achieve his dreams, including missionaries Gary and Judy Woods and Lynn and Dori Cazier, FAME, and First Christian Church of Decatur, Ill. In the process, Daniel transitioned from helping FCC’s medical teams that served in Kenya to taking the lead

March 2, 2020

Christian Standard

Marshall Leggett, Former President of Milligan, Dies

Marshall Leggett, 90, the 13th president of Milligan College in Tennessee, passed away Monday morning, the school announced. He had suffered a recent stroke. Leggett served as Milligan’s president from 1982 to 1997. Upon stepping down as president, he served as chancellor of the college until his death. “Dr. Leggett had a profound impact upon Milligan, arriving here during a particularly challenging time for the school,” current Milligan President Bill Greer said in a release Monday. “Because of his efforts, a number of new programs were added, enrollment grew, the campus was improved, and finances were strengthened. He came to

March 2, 2020

Christian Standard

China Institute at LCU and Mission Groups Forge Ahead as Coronavirus Spreads

By Chris Moon The coronavirus outbreak has shaken things up for mission organizations and other Restoration Movement groups that do work internationally. The China Institute at Lincoln (Ill.) Christian University—which assists the 20 Chinese students and their families who live on campus—had a student arrive at Lincoln in January after the outbreak of coronavirus, also known as COVID-19. The student came from Wuhan, China, which is the epicenter of the outbreak, said Weilun Lee, director of LCU’s China Institute. The student was checked out by local health officials and given the all clear. “We have done all the things we

Help Keep Christian Standard Free & Accessible with a Tax Deductible Donation

We can do more together!

Every gift makes a difference!

No, thank you.
100% secure transactions - receipts provided.
Does Your Church Want to Support Christian Standard?

Would your church consider including support for Christian Standard in its annual missions budget? Your support would help us not only continue the 160-year legacy of this unifying ministry, but also expand the free resources, cooperative opportunities, and practical guidance we provide to strengthen churches in the U.S. and around the world.

We can do more together!

Every gift makes a difference!

No, thank you.
100% secure transactions - receipts provided.
Secret Link