February 1, 2018
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.
January 20, 2018
HEADLINES: February 2018
By Chris Moon Kentucky Church Hosts “Drug House Odyssey” Nicholson Christian Church in Independence, Ky., bypassed the typical church “fall festival” and “trunk-or-treat” event this past Halloween to focus on something scarier. The Northern Kentucky church spent three days in late October hosting what it called “Drug House Odyssey,” an interactive walk through the horrors of drug addiction. According to WLWT Channel 5, the church produced a handful of live-action scenes that played out stories of drug addiction—from a childcare worker suffering an overdose to a teenager finding his mother had overdosed. Kentucky has been particularly hard hit by
January 1, 2018
December 24, 2017
Obituaries for 2017
The most recently received obituaries are listed first. An alphabetical listing of all 2017 obituaries begins further down. Ione Etta McEathron Williams, 99, died on Nov. 23, 2017. She was the last remaining child of Alexander and Ida McEathron, pioneer missionaries and church planters to the Flambeau Hills of northern Wisconsin. She was born Sept. 14, 1918, in Hillsdale, Barron County, WI. The family moved to the Mud Brook Valley west of Holcombe, WI, when she was 2. She was baptized at age 10 in the Chippewa River by her father. At an early age she began teaching children”s Sunday
December 15, 2017
HEADLINES: January 2018
By Chris Moon  Church Planter Helps with Recovery in Dominican Republic Church planter Chris Hornbrook had to weather the storm last fall in his mission work in the Dominican Republic. Hornbrook is working to start a church-planting movement on the Caribbean island and watched as Hurricane Maria spun by, doing significant damage to the region. It generated a lot of work for Hornbrook and his team, according to the Daily Journal in Franklin, Ind., which wrote about Hornbrook”s efforts. “We”re working through our local churches and pastors so that they can help the people in their communities,” Hornbrook told
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
December 1, 2017
November 29, 2017
Southern Acres Church Members Sue Lead Pastor
The Lexington Herald-Leader, whose November 22 article provided much of the source material for this post, has written a follow-up. Click here to read, “After lawsuit, more turmoil at Lexington church; Attorney expects pastor to be exonerated,” posted November 29. _________ Two members of Southern Acres Christian Church, Lexington, KY, have sued the lead pastor and his wife to block them from spending church money or making real estate transfers. In their lawsuit, members James Keogh and Chad Martin accuse lead pastor Cameron McDonald of concentrating power and financial authority among himself, his wife, and one staff member, according to
November 20, 2017
Headlines: December 2017
By Chris Moon Pastor Shifts Gears to Raise Funds Jeff Greco will go out of his way for a good fund-raiser””literally. The pastor of Crossroads Christian Church in Wintersville, Ohio, in September cycled nearly 900 miles in eight days from Kansas City, Mo., back to Crossroads. The goal was to raise money to buy a new pickup truck for the church”s missionary in Thailand. Greco embarked on the trip hoping people in his congregation and community would be inspired””not just to give money to help the missions effort, but also to step out in their faith. “I want to
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
November 1, 2017
October 29, 2017
Headlines: November 2017
By Chris Moon  App Pays Off Student”s Loan Jordan Shelton had a very good day this summer.  The staffer at CMF International was chosen in a random drawing to have his $33,407 in student loans paid off by a trivia game app that seeks to eradicate student loan debt.  According to Indianapolis news station Fox 59, Shelton is a graduate of Manhattan (Kan.) Christian College. Shelton had played the free app, Givling, which uses crowdfunding through in-app purchases to enable it to pay off student loans to randomly selected participants.  The app”s mission, according to the news station, is
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
October 1, 2017
September 20, 2017
Florida Church Responds to Irma
As Hurricane Irma spun through the Caribbean, Floridians boarded up houses and businesses, filled sandbags, and prepared for the worst. Some evacuated. Many prayed. New Day Christian Church in Port Charlotte, which is on the Gulf Coast, prepared to serve their community in the name of Jesus. “We have a relationship with the county,” said Rusty Russell, lead pastor at New Day. “They basically took over our building as a shelter for oxygen-dependent patients.” Charlotte County provided a big generator so that the people who require electricity for their lives and well-being could be cared for. Russell said, “We have
September 15, 2017
Headlines: October 2017
Students Equip Toys for Kids with Disabilities Engineering students at Milligan College aren”t content with figuring out how to make things work. They also want to do good for their local community. And so this summer these students gave away two adapted Power Wheels Jeeps to children who cannot move independently. The project was part of a program called “Go Baby Go Appalachia,” overseen by AdaptoPlay, a local nonprofit organization in Johnson City, Tenn. The Jeeps are modified to allow children to use them despite disabilities that make it difficult for them to move. Steering wheels were replaced with joysticks,
September 13, 2017
Florida Churches Respond to Hurricane Irma
By Jim Nieman In the end, no one in Florida””and virtually no property””was safe when Hurricane Irma tore through the Sunshine State on Sunday and into Monday, September 10 and 11. Many churches started warning people about the potential dangers of the storm on Tuesday, September 5. Crosspoint Christian Church in Cape Coral, for example, sent out this message via Facebook at 12:32 p.m. that day: “We need help getting Crosspoint ready to ride out the storm ““ moving furniture, playground equipment, securing the campus. . . .” By early the next morning, Crosspoint lead pastor Jeff Swearingen and leaders
September 6, 2017
Harvey Recovery Efforts Are Ongoing
By Jim Nieman Dale Smith has been very pleased with the Hurricane Harvey flooding-related recovery efforts at Cy-Fair Christian Church, Houston, Texas. “It”s been very, very busy, but it is going fantastic,” the church”s interim lead pastor said. “There are challenges, but God is just showing his favor.” Smith cites some statistics: “157 people in the church have volunteered to help. We have 57 people out serving on 7 teams today.” Some teams are being organized to work evenings, as well. (The church averages 300 to 350 for weekend worship.) Smith said an out-of-state minister told him in recent days
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
