Ministries & Nonprofits

Ministries & Nonprofits features coverage of organizations serving churches and communities through evangelism, compassion, education, and practical support. Explore profiles, interviews, news, and updates highlighting the mission, programs, and partnerships of ministries and nonprofit leaders. You’ll find stories that showcase gospel-centered impact, opportunities to serve and give, and insights that help churches collaborate effectively with trusted organizations. This hub keeps leaders informed about the people and projects advancing the work of Christ beyond the local congregation.

April 25, 2019

Christian Standard

Kendall Grace Kemerly: Founder, Kendi’s Cows of Grace

This teenager who started a nonprofit ministry at age 8 continues to make a difference in the world By Kelly Carr “God’s teaching me that we’re not promised tomorrow, so we have to put forth our best today, every single chance we get. I need to listen to him and follow through what I’m being called to do, no matter what.” These wise words come from Kendall Grace Kemerly, who has been following the Lord in ministry since she first dreamed of making a difference at age 8. Now 16, she has spent 8 years overseeing Kendi’s Cows of Grace,

February 21, 2019

Christian Standard

Let’s Help the Disabled

On Jan. 29, 1984, Sam E. Stone provided an answer to a question he had asked readers more than two years earlier: “Just what is the church doing to meet some of the enormous needs disabled people are facing?” The answer came in the form of a front-page story in Christian Standard entitled, “Ministry to the Handicapped Begins.” That article—as you’ll read—details the start of the Christian Foundation for the Handicapped, which continues to thrive, but under a new name, Ability Ministry. (Read more about Ability Ministry—including an important part of its origin story that Sam doesn’t share here—in an

January 30, 2019

Christian Standard

Jay Craig Retiring after Long Career with Shiloh Christian Children’s Ranch

By Jim Nieman Jay Craig, who has served Shiloh Christian Children’s Ranch almost since its beginning in 1977, is retiring this week after nearly 40 years of service to about 700 youth who were once abused or neglected, but found refuge through the years at one of Shiloh’s six homes. Craig came on as the ranch’s administrator on Jan. 1, 1980, and later transitioned to direct fund-raising for the Christian nonprofit. Shiloh has a $2 million budget and operates primarily through the generosity of churches and individuals. (The ranch receives virtually no government funding.) Today about 50 children, ranging in

January 29, 2019

Christian Standard

Transforming Ability: Ministry Rebrands to Reach the 1 Billion-Plus People in the World Who Live with a Disability

By Ryan Wolfe God is writing a story of transformation at Ability Ministry. Richard Rohr wrote, “Transformed people transform people.” It is a simple yet profound statement. An outward transformation in the world must start with an inward transformation. This was the case in September 1981 when Sam Stone, then editor of Christian Standard, went to visit his parents at Mount Healthy Christian Home in Cincinnati. Sam surely never realized the transformative work God would begin that day. At that senior housing facility, Sam met resident Marjorie Broxon, who had cerebral palsy and was in a wheelchair. She spoke slowly.

September 27, 2018

Christian Standard

Why Build Grundy Academy?

In an article Wednesday, we wrote about a celebrity golf tournament Sept. 10 that raised $56.6 million for the endowment fund of Mountain Mission School in Grundy, Va. It was the largest single-day PGA-sanctioned fund-raiser ever. In that article, we noted that Mountain Mission School was founded in 1921 by successful Grundy businessman Sam Hurley. The first president of the school was Josephus Hopwood, who had served as president of Milligan College. A little more study this morning revealed Hopwood attended the College of the Bible at Kentucky University where he studied under Robert Milligan and J.W. McGarvey. In 1875

September 26, 2018

Christian Standard

Golf Tourney Raises $56.6 Million for Mountain Mission School

Ten sports legends got together to play some golf earlier this month and, in the process, helped raise $56.6 million for Mountain Mission School in Grundy, Va. The event, “The American Legends for Mountain Mission Kids” tournament, was the largest single-day PGA Tour-sanctioned fund-raiser ever. The funds raised go the Mountain Mission School’s endowment to ensure the school can cover its annual operating expenses. Jim McGlothlin, chairman and CEO of the United Co., a diversified energy and financial services company—and an MMS board member for 30 years—arranged for the fund-raiser at his course, the Olde Farm Golf Club in Bristol,

June 2, 2017

Christian Standard

CIY Uses Social Media to Take Message to Teens

By Jennifer Johnson Christ In Youth (CIY) is well known among the Christian churches””and beyond””for high-quality programs specifically geared to teens and preteens. Many of these events take place during the summer months, but last November CIY launched a new program””and it was all online. “We”re constantly trying to keep a pulse on the next generation so we can speak to them with the gospel message,” says Chris Roberts, communications director. “They are digital natives. They don”t know a world without social media or mobile phones. So, we began talking about how we can use those tools to point them

April 30, 2017

Jerry Harris

Securing a Future

By Jerry Harris What”s going on with the CHRISTIAN STANDARD and The Lookout? As a pastor of a church and a founding board member of The Solomon Foundation, I was interested in the answer to that question. Both magazines have been staples of the Restoration Movement from early on, and I, like many, had assumed they would always be there. When I heard in our board meeting the CHRISTIAN STANDARD and The Lookout could be shut down because their owners had found no buyers for them, I was deeply troubled. The chairman of the Publishing Committee had informed Doug Crozier,

February 13, 2017

Mark A. Taylor

New Owners for Christian Standard Media

Parker, Colorado February 13, 2017 The Solomon Foundation (TSF), a church extension fund serving the Christian churches and churches of Christ with headquarters in Parker, Colorado, has acquired Christian Standard Media, according to TSF chief executive officer Doug Crozier. Christian Standard Media consists of The Lookout and Christian Standard magazines. “Christian Standard and The Lookout, so important to the Christian churches and churches of Christ for 15 decades, are now residing where they belong,” Crozier said, “with a ministry also committed to the congregations in this fellowship.” “We’re delighted by this opportunity to grow in our service to the churches,”

December 5, 2016

Christian Standard

To Women, By Women: SCARLET HOPE

By Kelsey McKain We sat next to each other and caught up while we ate. “How”s your son?” I asked. “Oh, he”s good. He”s starting school next week. He”ll be in second grade this year!” We talked about how much he had grown and how surprised I was that he was already starting school. She asked about me, about my recent work trip, and how my husband is doing. We chatted for about 15 minutes about life, what”s new, and how we can pray for each other. Then she was called up to dance. We were sitting in a strip

December 5, 2016

Christian Standard

To Women, By Women: RAPHA HO– USE

By Jenny Knowles Stephanie Freed was very busy doing busy things, she says, when her father, Joe Garman, issued a challenge. Cambodian Christians that Garman knew well had told him about the epidemic of child trafficking in their country””their own communities. When Garman mentioned the problem to his daughter, Freed”s response was denial: If this was an epidemic, why wasn”t anyone talking about it? That was in 2002. Freed accepted the challenge to research the truth about trafficking and was soon overwhelmed. One UNICEF statistic indicated 1.2 million children disappear into trafficking every year. What difference could one person make

December 4, 2016

Christian Standard

To Women, By Women: GUIDING LIGHT

By Jenny Knowles Juliet Rose Hardee burst into tears when she heard a magazine wanted to know more about Guiding Light, the faith-based residential program for women overcoming addiction and abuse that she started and directs. A local TV station called for an interview the same day, and Hardee was overcome with the thought that more people will hear about the ministry. Guiding Light is in its ninth year. It was birthed in Hardee”s personal story of childhood abuse, prostitution, and drugs (see “From Vile to Victory” in the July issue of Christian Standard). Her life changed when she was

December 3, 2016

Christian Standard

To Women, By Women: LIFECHOICES

By Jenny Knowles The LifeChoices Health Network in Joplin, Missouri, is in pursuit of opportunities to help people, and they”re taking hope on the road. Three area clinics offer the services most of us associate with pregnancy centers””counseling, ultrasounds, and new parent assistance. LifeChoices literature breaks the services down into three groups: prevention, intervention, and extension. Prevention includes the sexual risk avoidance program the network takes into 15 local school districts. Intervention is pregnancy testing, ultrasounds, sexually transmitted infection screening, and treatment. Extension is prenatal, parenting and post-abortion recovery classes, and new dad training. LifeChoices has also added a mobile

December 2, 2016

Christian Standard

To Women, By Women: MY SAFE HARBOR

By Jennifer Johnson Families gather in kitchens: for cereal and coffee and a last check of homework before school, for dinner together in the evening, for a snack and a conversation before bed. The kitchen is the center of every home, so when Becky Ahlberg created My Safe Harbor, she knew its building had to include one. My Safe Harbor, a nonprofit organization originally launched by Anaheim (California) First Christian Church, offers a variety of programs to support, educate, and empower the women of Anaheim. Although the church is only miles from the tourism and wealth of Disneyland, its neighborhood

December 2, 2016

Christian Standard

To Women, By Women: NATALIE’S SISTERS

By Katelyn Grounds Life-changing ministries often start simple, with a handful of people and a common vision. That is true for Natalie”s Sisters. In 2000, three women sat down over lunch and decided it was time to answer God”s calling on their lives to minister to women caught in the sex industry. Soon they were taking home-cooked meals to women in Lexington”s strip clubs. That”s when Bruised Reed (as it was originally known) was born. The mission statement captures the group”s vision: “. . . to create life changing opportunities for women in the sex industry by extending hope, support,

September 1, 2016

Christian Standard

Retiree Helping Lead Fight Against Child Exploitation

By Jennifer Johnson “I can”t tell you I went willingly,” Opal Singleton says. “I was retired and didn”t want to get involved. But God arranged the whole thing.” Million Kids began in 2008 to support the work of Rapha House, a nonprofit organization that works to end the trafficking and sexual exploitation of children. “At the time, Rapha House focused on Cambodia, Thailand, and Haiti, but I began to see more and more trafficking here at home in Southern California,” Singleton says. “In 2010, local law enforcement asked me to be a training coordinator, so I began writing curriculum about

August 19, 2016

Christian Standard

Church Development Fund Announces Name Change to CDF Capital

IRVINE, CA””Church Development Fund, a ministry of Provision Ministry Group, announced this July a new name and logo. Debuting at the North American Christian Convention, in Anaheim, the new name, CDF Capital, was met with great enthusiasm. This change was made to better reflect the ministry and its long time mission: “Helping Churches Grow.” CDF Capital, originally established in 1953 as the Churches of Christ Building and Loan Fund, was founded with the express purpose of removing obstacles that hindered church growth. In 1953, the most significant obstacle was access to financial capital to purchase land and build new churches. In 1972, the

November 4, 2015

Christian Standard

Evangelizing Associations Merge to Form Waypoint

By Jennifer Johnson The Virginia Evangelizing Fellowship and Envision (North Carolina), two mid-Atlantic evangelizing associations, publicly announced their merger at last week”s International Conference on Missions. The two groups are joining to become Waypoint Church Partners. The two organizations completed a two-year process syncing their legal, financial, and organizational structures to form a new regional alliance. Envision, once known as the Piedmont Evangelizing Association, had been involved with more than 30 new church projects in North Carolina over the past 45 years. VEF, in existence since 1938, planted more than 80 churches in Virginia and more recently in the adjoining

November 4, 2015

Christian Standard

Inclusive Aquatic Center Planned at Christian Camp

Lake Aurora Christian Camp and Retreat Center in Florida (LACC) is partnering with Removing the Barriers Initiative (RTBI) to house Stirring Waters, which will be Florida”s first aquatic adventure center that is intentionally and fully inclusive of people with disabilities. RTBI was formed as a nonprofit organization to come alongside organizations working to remove the barriers to great experiences for people with disabilities. Lake Aurora is doing just that through the various camps it now offers for people with disabilities. RTBI founder and president Bill Redmon, who served as executive director of LACC for 34 years, recognized that the traditional

October 22, 2015

Christian Standard

Tennessee Retirement Village Changes Name

JOHNSON CITY, TN “” Appalachian Christian Village has changed its name to Cornerstone Village. CEO Tom Sexton says the village, which started nearly 50 years ago, will continue to offer its residents a worry-free retirement in a full-service continuing care retirement community. He said the new name will better reflect the active, vibrant community that welcomes people of all faiths. The campuses known as Sherwood, Magnolia Crossing, and Woodlands will now be known as Cornerstone Village North. The campuses previously known as Maple Crest and Pine Oaks will now be called Cornerstone Village South. Cornerstone also is making improvements to the main dining room, along with an updated menu,

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