Organizations & Events

Organizations & Events covers the ministries, institutions, and gatherings that shape church life and the Restoration Movement. Explore articles on conferences, training opportunities, church networks, and the work of organizations serving local congregations. You’ll find news, highlights, interviews, and event coverage—along with updates that help leaders stay connected and informed. Whether you’re looking for what’s happening across the movement or learning about trusted partners and key initiatives, this hub brings together stories and information related to organizations and events that support the mission of the church.

February 25, 2007

Christian Standard

Lucky to Be Alive?

By Doyle Roth Remember as a child how we looked forward to the summer break from school? Then there was the anticipation of waiting for the family vacation. Whether it was a trip to the beach, the mountains, or Disneyland, the excitement would build as the date approached. As adults we still mesmerize ourselves with expectations of grand and glorious places and events. Dreams and hope for the future are a part of many facets of our lives. There is anticipation when we leave home to go to college. There is excitement as the graduation date finally approaches. We can”t

February 18, 2007

Christian Standard

The NACC: It’s Time

By NACC President Alan Ahlgrim I love clocks. I just did a count and discovered we have 18 clocks in our house. We have new clocks, old clocks, digital clocks, and satellite-controlled clocks. Given how many clocks we have, you”d think we”d never be late for anything. However, my wife and I often arrive just in the nick of time. But that”s OK because “timing is everything.” According to Galatians 4:4, “When the time had fully come, God sent his Son.” When God the Father sent God the Son, it was a time like no other. As a result, many

February 18, 2007

Christian Standard

The NACC: Family Focus

By Kay Moll Every North American Christian Convention has a unique theme. The 2006 convention was unique in its emphasis on unity. The 2007 convention will be unique for its emphasis on church planting. Those who preach and those who share testimonies in the main sessions have been chosen because of their involvement in church planting. But each convention is also broader than its specific theme. Program planners recognize that those who attend the convention have tremendously diverse interests and needs. They come looking for practical help for their ministries and their life situations. The 2007 convention will not disappoint

February 18, 2007

Christian Standard

The NACC: Planting a Church in KC!

By Dave Ferguson Uni showed up at church after a night of partying. She was hungover but hopeful. She had received a postcard in the mail””well, six of them””and she was determined to find her way to the new church starting near her home on this particular Sunday. A widow at age 26, Uni had three children to support. Overwhelmed with grief and the heavy burden of caring for these children, Uni turned to drugs to escape. Eventually Uni sent her kids away to an out-of-state school hoping they would get the care she knew she was not providing. Overwhelmed,

February 18, 2007

Christian Standard

The NACC: Don’t Miss KC

By Justin Moxley Whether it is blues, barbeque or baseball, you don”t want to miss Kansas City. Whether it is I-29, I-70, I-35 or Kansas City International that brings you to the Heartland, you don”t want to miss Kansas City. Whether it is an outing to Words of Fun for the kids, the Country Club Plaza for the wife, or a night at a Royals or T-Bones game for Dad, you should be careful not to miss it. Kansas City, at nearly 2 million in population and more than $3 billion of new construction in downtown alone, has more than

February 14, 2007

Christian Standard

The Best Convention Ever!

By Mark A. Taylor It’s difficult to remember a North American Christian Convention that so captured the imagination of our people. Last year’s was a convention we wanted to attend, because we believed something historic would happen there. Not only would a great call to unity symbolize a new beginning among instrumental and a cappella Restoration Movement churches, it would actually demonstrate it. We flocked to the convention because we believed many who had separated themselves from us would now join us. And they did. At least a thousand members of a cappella churches attended in Louisville, amid exhortations to

February 11, 2007

Christian Standard

The NMC Is Breaking Records!

By Doug Priest Bored with writing her term paper, “Contemporary Worship Styles,” Johnson Bible College student Cindy Lebett turned and asked, “Hey roomie, want to go to Indianapolis this weekend?” “What for?” replied LaQuanda. “There”s this missions convention going on””it”s called the National Missionary Convention””and thousands of people are coming. Lots of kids are going to be there from more than a dozen different colleges. And besides, classes are canceled to encourage as many of us to go as possible. We can leave in a school van on Thursday and get back Sunday evening. They”ve arranged some churches and even

February 11, 2007

Christian Standard

The National Missionary Convention–at a Glance

By Staff The National Missionary Convention was conducted November 16-19, 2006, at the Indianapolis (Indiana) Convention Center. Here are some facts and figures from the convention. Attendance: Between 10,000-11,000, beating the previous record in Cincinnati, 2003 Teen Convention: Registered 3,951″”800 more than Knoxville in 2000, which was the previous record Workshops: Attendance reached a high of 2,314 on Saturday, doubling the previous high Decisions for Missionary Service: 59 Exhibit Spaces Used: 660 Offerings: $80,000, another record COLLEGE STUDENTS: between 1,500 and 2,000 including: “¢ 200 from Central Christian College of the Bible “¢ 174 from Johnson Bible College “¢ 100 from

September 17, 2006

Christian Standard

NACC President’s Message: Together in Christ

By David Faust One hundred years ago something terrible happened: the Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906. It measured 8.3 on the Richter scale, it killed hundreds of people, and the worst part was the aftermath. Ninety percent of the damage was caused not by the earthquake itself, but by all the fires that burned for days afterward. That same year a different kind of earthquake shook our land. A movement dedicated to the restoration of Christian unity and biblical faith was tearing apart at the seams. Tempers flared. Churches split. Harsh words were said. People were confused and hurt.

September 17, 2006

Christian Standard

NACC Viewpoint 1: We Were There

By Victor Knowles June 27-30, 2006 was a “we were there” occasion for more than 10,000 people in the American Restoration Movement, also known as the Stone-Campbell Movement. Since 1906, when churches of Christ were listed separately in the U. S. Census of Religious Bodies, there had been little participation with their brethren in the fellowship of Christian churches/churches of Christ. Unity talks and unity forums have been taking place since the mid-1930s, with accelerated efforts since the mid-1980s, but never before had such an “intentional effort” to “come together again” been made until the 2006 North American Christian Convention,

September 17, 2006

Christian Standard

NACC Viewpoint 2: A Good Fit

By Milton Jones It was so subtle you may have missed it. Just a handshake. That”s all it was. It had happened before in Kentucky not far from where we were gathered. Two men shook hands as representatives of others who simply wanted to go back to the Bible and have unity based upon that plea. Years ago it was Barton W. Stone and Raccoon John Smith. But this day it would be two less conspicuous people. As unity started in our roots, in Louisville it would happen the same way””with a handshake. On this day, Ryan Christian walked out

September 17, 2006

Christian Standard

NACC Viewpoint 3: Together–It’s Reality

By Judy Hutchinson The NACC has become a working vacation for me. My father-in-law, W.D. Hutchinson, founded the business called Christian Audio Tapes, which records every main session and workshop of the event. “This is my 40th NACC,” he announced shortly after I arrived at the booth. I marveled at the physical endurance demonstrated by that statement and wondered how he and his staff continued the task of loading, unloading, and reloading the multitude of boxes that it takes to fill the orders for CDs, DVDs, and tapes. He made his announcement with a lilt in his voice that told

September 17, 2006

Christian Standard

NACC Viewpoint 4: You Just Had to Be There

By Steven Clark Goad I am parson for a church of Christ that has a tradition of not singing with instruments in our assemblies. As a music major in college, and even now, I have often wondered what the fuss was over a lousy piano in the church house. Pianos don”t worship. Guitars and percussion instruments don”t worship. People do. We make melody in our hearts. I am glad””elated, frankly””that we are coming together. At Pepperdine. At Abilene Christian. At Tulsa. And now Louisville. It”s about time. One hundred years is way too long to be estranged from brethren like

August 23, 2006

Christian Standard

Recognizing Leaders in Christian Service

By Mark A. Taylor Since 2001 Standard Publishing has partnered with Milligan College in Tennessee to recognize outstanding Christian leaders. It’s a natural joint venture: Milligan’s work is educating men and women who will provide Christian influence in the marketplace as well as from a minister’s office; and Standard Publishing is committed to providing Bible teaching tools for all the leaders a church recruits. CHRISTIAN STANDARD’s goals are equipping, informing, and connecting leaders in our fellowship. So it’s only natural that we should be a major voice in this recognition. Leaders like these are at the center of our mission

August 16, 2006

Christian Standard

Interview with Rick Jett

By Brad Dupray For 26 years Rick Jett preached in local churches in Kansas and Indiana, including 18 years at the Marion (Indiana) Church of Christ. Now, as executive director of International Disaster Emergency Services (IDES), he connects with local churches and missionaries to distribute resources to disaster stricken areas around the world. Rick is a graduate of Ozark Christian College. He and his wife of 26 years, Nancy, have two children, Richard and Rachel. How would you describe the ministry of IDES? The International Disaster Emergency Service is an organization that seeks to be the channel through which Christian

August 9, 2006

Christian Standard

It Was a God Thing

By Mark A. Taylor It was a week for beautiful harmony and sweet expressions of unity as the North American Christian Convention made history in Louisville, June 27 30. Between 10,000 and 12,000 different people attended at least some part of the convention. According to several observers, attendance by members of the noninstrumental churches of Christ was at least 1,000. Preaching at main sessions was equally shared by speakers from Christian churches and churches of Christ. Eli Reyes from Southwest Christian Church, Orlando, Florida, led worship with Ryan Christian, Richland Hills Church of Christ, North Richland Hills, Texas. Worship teams

August 6, 2006

Christian Standard

NNCC: The Great American Church-Planting Conference

By Dave Smith When I was a kid, my family went to Six Flags Over Georgia. This was bd: Before Disney World. For a kid growing up in the South, it didn”t get any better than Six Flags. We had been before, but this year was different. Six Flags was unveiling a new roller coaster, the Great American Scream Machine. It was a classic wooden roller coaster. It disdained loops and fancy frills. Proudly, starkly, it stood against the sky with simplicity: steep climbs, stomach-churning drops, and a death-defying (for 1971) 75 mph. All five of us decided to go

August 6, 2006

Christian Standard

NNCC: A 37-Year Journey of Passion and Vision

By John E. Wasem For 37 years, churches in our fellowship have assembled annually for a summit meeting focused on the New Testament mandate of new church planting. While the Restoration Movement experienced explosive church multiplication in the 19th century, church leader awareness of church planting during much of the 20th century was limited to a minority of evangelistically minded people. First Meetings A core of “ecclesiastical entrepreneurs” convened the First National Colloquy on New Church Evangelism May 13-15, 1969, at Great Lakes Bible College, Lansing, Michigan. Thirty-eight men from 14 states and Canada who saw the need for a

August 6, 2006

Christian Standard

NNCC: What a Ride!

By Rob Kastens “Risk the Ride” was the theme for this year”s National New Church Conference””April 25-27, Orlando, Florida””and what a ride it turned out to be! I have attended three of the last four conferences, and this year”s event was a tremendous leap forward in many ways. It was probably the largest and most comprehensive gathering of church planting leaders in the world. Passion for Planting The conference program was excellent. Main session speakers were a “who”s who” of church-planting writers, scholars, and practitioners: Gene Appel, Ed Stetzer, Dave Ferguson, Mark Driscoll, Bob Roberts Jr., Ron Sylvia, John Burke,

June 21, 2006

Christian Standard

Interview with Lynn McMillon

By Brad Dupray Lynn McMillon is the president and editor of The Christian Chronicle, a Christian newspaper that serves Churches of Christ worldwide. The Chronicle ‘s circulation includes more than 107,000 recipients and over 190,000 readers. McMillon earned a Ph.D. in religion from Baylor University and is the dean of the College of Biblical Studies at Oklahoma Christian University.   He serves as an elder at the Memorial Road Church of Christ in Oklahoma City He and his wife, Joy, have two married sons and four granddaughters. How would you describe The Christian Chronicle ? The Christian Chronicle is a

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