Local Churches

Getting Ready for Easter: Madison Park Christian Church, Quincy, IL

Good Friday Prayer Walk By Chuck Sackett, preaching minister, Madison Park Christian Church, Quincy, Illinois A few years ago we decided to do something completely different for Good Friday. Instead of a traditional service, we did a prayer walk. It started in the lobby, moved down the hall to the next large space, into the fellowship hall, through the worship space (we have removable seating), and ended in a large classroom. Each room was a new prayer station. It started with a place for prayer and symbolic washing, then an opportunity to take the Lord”s Supper. The fellowship hall was

March 5, 2015

Getting Ready for Easter: West Side Christian Church, Springfield, IL

Jesus Is for Everyone By Melissa Sandel, director of ministries, West Side Christian Church, Springfield, Illinois In early 2014, West Side”s leaders began to sense our community needed a refreshing message from the church””that Jesus is, in fact, for EVERYONE””without qualifiers. We launched a six-week emphasis entitled “EVERYONE,” based on Jesus” words in John 11:25, 26, with renewed conviction that Jesus offers new life and hope to everyone who chooses to follow him. The first step was a Sunday morning message describing what it would mean to extend the hope of Jesus to everyone in our community. Next, we equipped

March 5, 2015

Getting Ready for Easter: First Christian Church, Albuquerque, NM

The Table, the Throne, and the Cross By Tim Neuenschwander, worship minister, First Christian Church, Albuquerque, New Mexico The theme was “The Table.” The four weeks leading up to Easter highlighted the table that transformed into a throne, and to a mess, and to the cross, and then, on Easter, back into the table. Senior minister Tom Caffery and I went to our Christian camp here in New Mexico and cut down a tree, split it into lumber, and hauled it back to our church. We videotaped all this with the theme song, “There”s a Table in the Wilderness.” We

March 5, 2015

Getting Ready for Easter: Camarillo (CA) Christian Church

Preparation, Pictures, and Prayer Stations By Charles Maloney, senior pastor, Camarillo (California) Christian Church Our student ministries department put together a guided Good Friday prayer walk involving “prayer stations” covering the events of the final week of Jesus” life, ending at the crucifixion. The prayer stations included pictures and prayer ideas, complete with drawings for children to color, for each of the days leading up to the events of Good Friday. The prayer walk was from noon to 7 p.m., so people could come during the day or after work. We encouraged families to participate together. The last prayer station

March 5, 2015

Getting Ready for Easter: Plainfield (IN) Christian Church

RememberingÂ the Final Week By Todd Dillon, worship arts pastor, Plainfield (Indiana)Â Christian Church We always have a pre-ResurrectionÂ Day service on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. Some of our favorite have been Tenebrae services based on different approaches to the final week before the crucifixion. Some of these have been based on the last seven words of Christ, as told through the eyes of various biblical characters, entwined with Scripture and music. We have used the traditional Tenebrae approach, using lighted candles that we extinguish at intervals until we are left in darkness. Another favorite was “a meal of remembrance.” We had tables

October 3, 2013

A Conversation with Becky Ahlberg

Meet Our Contributing Editors: This month, in our ongoing series of interviewsÂ with CHRISTIAN STANDARD”s contributing editors, we speak with one who is leading a dynamicÂ urban ministry. Interview by Jennifer JohnsonÂ A lot has happened since the last time we talked about your ministry. Fill me in on the latest. Anaheim [California] First Christian Church started My Safe Harbor in 2008. We discovered that 70 percent of kids who join gangs, drop out of high school, commit suicide, run away, and get pregnant are from single-mother homes, so our goal is to make a difference now and in future generations by

November 2, 2011

Forefront Gathers Religious, Nonreligious for Conversation

On Thursday,Â Forefront ChurchÂ (New York, NY)Â will hold its nextÂ “Conversation That Matters,”Â a regular gathering to discuss a problem, issue, or article as well as offer one or two people the opportunity to share their own stories. “There are too few places where nonreligious and religious people can listen to one another graciously and learn from one another’s perspectives,” the church writes. ForefrontÂ posts linksÂ to discussion questions and suggested readings before each gathering.

August 12, 2007

Ministering to the Least of These: East 91st Street Christian Church, Indianapolis, IN

East 91st Street Christian Church in Indianapolis supports HIV/AIDS and hunger relief through long-term partnerships with CMF International and Food for the Hungry, plus an annual Thanksgiving weekend world hunger offering.

April 15, 2007

Kent Fillinger

MEGACHURCH PROFILE: Parkview Christian, Orland Park, IL

A profile of Parkview Christian Church traces a pivotal 1997 congregational vote, the leadership decision that followed, and the relocation and expansion that accompanied rapid attendance growth and wider outreach.

July 19, 2006

Mark A. Taylor

Please Update Your Listing!

A church locator can help travelers and researchers—but only if listings are current. Mark A. Taylor urges churches to verify and update their Christian Church Today Locator information and highlights other site features that serve the Restoration Movement.

March 5, 2006

Sheila S. Hudson

Grace in Sin City

A Las Vegas “family” of churches grew from Central Christian Church in Henderson into multiple congregations shaped by a shared commitment to grace, outreach, and leadership development—bringing “living water” to the Mojave Desert.

November 30, 2005

And the Brand Champion Is . . .

Compass Christian Church, a multisite congregation in the Greater Dallas–Fort Worth area, won the 2009 Church Branding Competition. Parkway Christian Church of Surprise, Arizona, was runner-up, and additional branding resources are available online.

August 21, 2005

Russ Kuykendall

Doing Church in the City

A look at Keele Street Christian Church in Toronto’s Junction—its 1800s roots, changing neighborhood, multicultural congregation, and the practical challenges and ministries of doing church in a major city.

June 19, 2005