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.

February 19, 2020

Christian Standard

Northside Celebrates 50th Birthday at KFC Yum! Center (Plus News Briefs)

Compiled by Chris Moon and Jim Nieman Northside Christian Church, New Albany, Ind., celebrated its 50th anniversary last Wednesday with a worship service at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky. Leading up to the event, Northside reported it would be “the first time in 20 years we will gather as a WHOLE church for a night of worship, celebration and advance commitment to the next step of generosity God is calling each of us toward!” Christian recording artist Michael W. Smith was a special surprise guest at the service. “It was an absolutely beautiful service and a wonderful surprise

February 10, 2020

Christian Standard

Christian Standard and The Lookout Merge!

For many years, Christian Standard Media has been challenged by steadily declining subscriptions to our print magazines, Christian Standard and The Lookout. The commensurate drop in revenue presented an opportunity for a non-profit ministry to purchase the magazines—and much of our Restoration Movement heritage—from a for-profit company. The change in ownership three years ago preserved the magazines and much of our heritage. Since that time, both Christian Standard and The Lookout have been retooled as we have endeavored to maintain and improve their appearance and content. We thank The Solomon Foundation for being the primary benefactor in this endeavor and

February 5, 2020

Christian Standard

Scholarship Honors Mike & Sharon Bell (Plus News Briefs)

Compiled by Chris Moon and Jim Nieman Glendale (Ky.) Christian Church has established the Mike and Sharon Bell Scholarship to ensure a legacy of their kindness. Mike now serves as executive minister with GCC and has been with the church for 50 years. Sharon, his wife, passed away in 2015. The couple met at Louisville Bible College in 1965, married the next year, and moved to Glendale in 1970, according to an article in the News-Enterprise. The Bells impacted the entire community through their many civic activities. “Hardin County’s excellent reputation throughout the commonwealth is due in large part to

January 29, 2020

Christian Standard

Dedicated Indiana Youth Minister, 36, Dies of Flu (Plus News Briefs)

Compiled by Jim Nieman and Chris Moon Allison Williams, 36, who had served as youth minister with Reddington Christian Church in Seymour, Ind., for just over a decade, died Jan. 20 after suffering from the flu for a few days. A funeral was conducted at the church on Thursday. “In my 34 years in the ministry, she is the best youth minister I’ve worked with,” senior minister Scott A. Brown told Fox 59. During Williams’s time as youth minister, the group grew from about a dozen to nearly 100. Brown told the TV station that Williams dedicated herself to the

January 22, 2020

Christian Standard

Milligan Starting Fly-Fishing Team (Plus News Briefs)

Compiled by Chris Moon and Jim Nieman Milligan College in Tennessee announced it is starting a fly-fishing team. The school (whose name officially changes to Milligan University on June 1) will begin offering fly-fishing scholarships to incoming students this fall. The team will be coached by Zack Nave, who also leads Milligan’s cycling and triathlon programs. “We’re excited, not only about the competition part of it, but teaching them about the intricacies of fly fishing, as well as some conservation initiatives we’ll be taking on as a part of the club,” Mark Fox, vice president of athletics and student development,

January 1, 2020

Christian Standard

Security Team Takes Down Gunman after He Kills Two in Texas Church (Plus News Briefs)

A man pulled a shotgun from his clothing during Communion at a noninstrumental church of Christ in Texas and shot two men dead before a member of the church security team drew a handgun and killed the shooter. The shooting occurred at West Freeway Church of Christ in White Settlement, Texas, near Fort Worth. Police say the man entered the church shortly before 11 a.m. and sat down. One church member told media she saw the man prior to the shooting and thought “something’s not right.” She said she was planning to move her family to another part of the

December 25, 2019

Christian Standard

Philippians 4:6 Is ‘Verse of the Year’ (Plus News Briefs)

Philippians 4:6 is the “2019 Verse of the Year,” as determined by YouVersion. Users of the popular Bible app engaged with that Bible verse—by bookmarking it, highlighting it, and sharing it—more than any other. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6). YouVersion also reported increased use of the app during 2019, including 5.6 billion chapters listened to, 35.6 billion chapters read, and 478 million verses shared. Meanwhile, Merriam-Webster’s “word of the year” is they. Searches of that term rose 313 percent during 2019, and

December 22, 2019

Christian Standard

Obituaries for 2019

Send obituary information for **@********************ia.com. James Clapsaddle Smith, 91, a Christian church preacher and general director of Christian Missionary Fellowship (now CMFI) for 20 years, died Oct. 23, 2019. He was born April 7, 1928, in Centerville, Kan., the son of Kathleen May Clapsaddle Smith and Dewey Bryan Smith. After his father died in an accident in 1934, he and his seven siblings grew up in a single-parent home. He attended Northwest Christian College (now Northwest Christian University) in Eugene, Ore., which is where he met Joyce Couch of Seattle. They married on July 1, 1949, then continued to complete

December 9, 2019

Mark A. Taylor

Reflections on CCU’s Final Chapel Service

By Mark A. Taylor Thursday morning, at the last chapel service of Cincinnati Christian University, I remembered Cincinnati Bible Seminary chapel services at the old church building in Price Hill 50 years ago when I was a student. Inside, the stone walls and wooden pillars would reverberate with chatter as we gathered twice each week. Then E. Wayne Berry would take his place and the room would fall silent as he called us to worship with a melody played on the room’s majestic pipe organ. Then we would stand to sing. And, oh how we sang! Our voices raised a

November 27, 2019

Christian Standard

Northshore Christian Academy Recognized as Blue Ribbon School (Plus News Briefs)

Compiled by Jim Nieman and Chris Moon Northshore Christian Academy in Everett, Wash.—a ministry of Northshore Christian Church—was presented with a National Blue Ribbon School Award during ceremonies last week. NCA was one of 362 schools—only 50 of them private—to be honored as a Blue Ribbon School. Northshore superintendent Holly Leach, principal Diane Winningham, and  other staff members accepted the award at a ceremony in Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C. Leach told Heraldnet.com that Northshore stood out due to its faith, fine arts, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math), and school culture. NCA’s Cultural Connection groups include parents who are African-American;

November 20, 2019

Christian Standard

Some Shooting Victims Part of a High School Ministry at Real Life (Plus News Briefs)

Compiled by Jim Nieman and Chris Moon Real Life Church in Valencia, Calif., dedicated its worship services this past Thursday and Sunday to Saugus High School following a school shooting there last week that killed two and injured three. One of those killed, Gracie Anne Muehlberger, 15, and two girls that were injured were part of a high school ministry at Real Life, senior pastor Rusty George told the Los Angeles Times. “People further away from the situation wonder ‘Why?’ and might even blame God,” George told the Times. “But the people who have been directly affected don’t blame God.

November 13, 2019

Christian Standard

Joneses to Step Down from Leadership Roles at Stadia (Plus News Briefs)

Compiled by Jim Nieman and Chris Moon Tom and Debbie Jones plan to step down from their leadership roles with Stadia Church Planting and Bloom, respectively, on Jan. 1, they announced via Facebook. However, both will remain with Stadia as special assistants to the president. Tom Jones has served as executive director of Stadia since its founding in 2003. Debbie Jones founded and serves as senior director of Stadia’s Bloom, which empowers women to maximize their role in starting churches. Both of the Joneses will turn 65 in 2020. “Our focus will turn from executive leadership and operations to work

October 30, 2019

Michael C. Mack

CCU’s Closing: Choosing to Respond Wisely

By Michael C. Mack Like many others, I was saddened to see the news on Monday about Cincinnati Christian University giving up its accreditation and closing its doors at the end of the semester. I’m a CCU alum (MA, 1993), met my wife, Heidi, there, developed many lifelong friendships with fellow students and professors at the school, and taught a couple classes as an adjunct there. I can show you the specific spots on campus where incredible memories were made. On Monday evening, Heidi and I read the wide range of emotional reactions on social media. Many people are not

October 28, 2019

Christian Standard

California Churches Cope with Surge of Wildfires

As wildfires rage across California, fueled by dry weather and strong winds, Christian churches are doing their best to operate in a difficult environment and step up to help those in need. Sebastopol (Calif.) Christian Church was unable to worship at its building on Sunday due to mandatory evacuations. That community was being threatened by the Kincade Fire near Santa Rosa, north of San Francisco. According to the Los Angeles Times, more than 2 million people had no power because of electrical company blackouts, and more than 180,000 people were evacuated. The fire has consumed more than 66,000 acres, The

October 23, 2019

Christian Standard

News Briefs from Virginia, Nebraska, and Indiana

Belmont Christian Church, Christiansburg, Va., recently was part of a demonstration for a first-of-its-kind drone delivery service in the United States. The Roanoke Times reports that Wing Aviation, a sister company of Google, is launching the delivery zone that will drop off merchandise from several retailers, as well as FedEx packages up to 3.3 pounds. Wing has similar delivery zones in Australia and Finland. Wing spokesman Jonathan Bass said the company chose Christiansburg because of its ties with Virginia Tech and its drone division, Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership. _ _ _ The number of people who describe themselves as Christian in

October 16, 2019

Christian Standard

Shepherd Church Helps Shelter Fire Evacuees (Plus News Briefs)

Compiled by Jim Nieman and Chris Moon Shepherd Church in Porter Ranch, Calif., provided shelter and food for some of the 100,000 people evacuated from the Saddleridge Fire in north Los Angeles late last week. “Shepherd Church is open for any residents who need a place to go,” the church announced on its Facebook page last week. “Join us in praying and lifting up our community and the valley in this dangerous time. Please help us lift up all first responders, firefighters and families directly affected by the fire.” The Saddleridge fire broke out in Sylmar on Thursday night and

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