May 1, 2024
Let God Speak: Restoring the Practice of the Public Reading of Scripture
When God’s people let God speak, lives are changed. . . .
Worship
Worship explores what it means to honor God with heart, mind, and life—both personally and as the gathered church. Discover Bible-based articles on worship in Scripture, singing and liturgy, the role of preaching and prayer in worship, and leading services that are Christ-centered and spiritually formative. You’ll also find practical guidance for worship leaders and ministry teams on planning gatherings, cultivating congregational participation, and keeping worship rooted in the gospel rather than performance. These resources help believers worship God in spirit and truth.
May 30, 2023
What I’ve Learned in Switching to an A Cappella Church of Christ
In the fall of 2020, as COVID restrictions were being eased, my wife and I were church “free agents.” I suggested we try an a cappella congregation I knew in Louisville, Ky. We jumped in, and two years later I joined the staff as involvement minister—a lifelong Christian Church guy now teaching, discipling, and worshipping in four-part harmony. Here are five observations from my experiences serving in an a cappella church. . . .
May 29, 2023
Remembering Sacrifice, Celebrating Victory
By Rick Chromey More than three-quarters of a century ago, the Allied Forces landed on the beaches of Normandy, France. In one of history’s bloodiest battles, young men sacrificed life and limb to puncture and penetrate the great Nazi domination of Europe. As the blood flowed and soaked the beaches of Omaha and Utah, among others, a line was drawn in the sand that forever changed history. General Dwight Eisenhower commissioned his troops, in part, with this charge: “You will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe,
May 15, 2023
Does Online Church Attendance ‘Count’?
With the rise in online church services, many have different opinions on the acceptability or validity of online church attendance for those with the ability to attend in person. Lifeway Research finds pastors and churchgoers split over the question. But other research projects may provide more clarity on tangible benefits that come exclusively from physical attendance. . . .
February 20, 2023
An Asbury Student’s Honest Perspective
Someone said this morning, “If you’re feeling angry about the crowd here in Wilmore, you’re in good company because that is exactly how the disciples felt” . . .
February 17, 2023
Showing Up at Asbury University: What to Expect
What is happening at Asbury University? Is it revival? An awakening? An outpouring of the Spirit? I wanted to see for myself what others have been describing, but, more than that, to experience what God was doing, and, more than that, to be in a place where God’s presence and power and purposes were being displayed. . . .
February 15, 2023
Revival at Asbury University: Don’t Miss the Spirit
My wife and I made the hourlong drive to Asbury University to witness the continuing revival taking place there. I was still an anxious skeptic as we entered the chapel service; I hoped we hadn’t wasted our time. . . .
December 24, 2022
A ‘Frozen in Time’ Moment
"It was the winter of 1968, the break between semesters of my senior year in Bible college," Ken Idleman writes. "Kaylene and I had been married the previous August and had determined that we would spend our first Christmas together in the Holy Land . . ."
December 22, 2022
‘All Is Well’
Christmas means many things to David Empson, with most of his thoughts centering on family gatherings and music.
December 18, 2022
An Unprompted Carol Sing at Disney
That night at that Disney amphitheater, Arron Chambers recalls, "I witnessed the uncontainable joy Dad had for Jesus and all things Christmas." (This is the first of eight Christmas reflections Christian leaders will be sharing in the days leading up to the celebration of our Lord's birth.)
March 1, 2022
Authentic Worship in the Modern Era
By Corbin Marshall I stand on a stage professionally illuminated by theatrical lighting. Several expertly trained camera operators aim high-definition cameras in my direction. My likeness and voice are amplified throughout a large auditorium as well as broadcast across multiple online platforms. I’m holding a guitar. A wireless in-ear pack is fastened to my belt and I’m wearing headphones. A click track provides a constant tempo to our band. At any point, a producer can discretely inform me whether our teaching pastor has made it back from our other church campus. I chose this set list of songs several weeks
February 1, 2021
10 Foundation Stones of the Church No. 10: Praise
A few weeks before the pandemic’s arrival in early 2020, my wife and I drove to Grand Island, Nebraska, to speak to a conference of rural churches from across the state. We had the privilege of encouraging 125 leaders. That was a pretty long trip, even in a hybrid vehicle, so we needed to stop every so often to fill up with gas. If we were to run out of gas, it would be pretty silly to get mad at the car. It’s our responsibility to fuel up when needed. In a similar way, we need regular fuel stops to
March 25, 2020
Southeast Assists Smaller Churches with Their Online Worship Services (Plus Other "Wins")
By Jim Nieman When Southeast Christian Church in Parker, Colo., learned that a nearby church was making its technical and production equipment and expertise available to some churches displaced because of COVID-19 outbreak, they realized they should do the same. In fact, “We were embarrassed we didn’t think of it first,” said Tom Fitzgerald, executive pastor with Southeast. Staff at Southeast were aware of a couple of churches meeting in school buildings that have been closed because of the outbreak. Those churches weren’t able to gather to worship or to effectively produce their worship services to share via the Internet.
December 17, 2019
The Baby in the Manger
By Stuart Powell Note: Use this meditation as part of a Christmas Nativity scene. Before the meditation, hide in the manger a large piece of bread (pita bread works well) and a sealed glass container half filled with grape juice or purple water. (Make sure neither item is visible to the audience.) Most Christians are familiar with the traditional scene of the first Christmas: Mary, Joseph, shepherds, angels, and all sorts of animals. The centerpiece of the scene, surrounded by all the popular characters, is a feeding trough holding God’s bundle of joy, baby Jesus. As we take in the
April 2, 2019
Unified Anthem
By Halee Wood Queen’s song “We Will Rock You” became a worldwide sensation in the 1970s and remains popular. Even in recent years, it is still often played in many professional sports leagues. It is a stadium anthem! When the song is broadcast on stadium speakers, even the most reserved fans engage. The song delivers this message to the opponent: “There is a battle ahead; we are prepared, and we will prevail.” The song unites every fan—all races and all generations. Even those scattered folks who support the opposing team must sit on their hands while this song plays so
January 29, 2019
SimulServe Christian Church
By After Class Podcast Life is short. Who has time to work, sleep, exercise, entertain oneself, and go to church? Here at Simulserve Christian Church, we feel your pain. Come join us and experience transformative worship in the company of fellow believers each week without neglecting everyday tasks that simply must get done. Our state-of-the-art, multilevel worship silo is designed to serve busy people like you. Speedy elevators and moving walkways that surround the perimeter of our innovative 360-degree silo provide quick and ready access to a wide variety of personalized Simulsuites. Inside each one, you will enjoy front-row visibility of
December 24, 2018
SILENT NIGHT: The Real Message of this Classic Christmas Carol . . . Then and Now
By BJ Krug It was a time of war. A time of upheaval. A time of economic uncertainty, of political uncertainty. In 1816 the Napoleonic Wars had just ended, and the nations of Europe had crashed over and against each other until their borders were no longer recognizable, even to the people living in them. In many places, occupation forces were still present or were only recently withdrawn. A young priest in Austria named Joseph Mohr wrote a poem channeling some of that uncertainty by recasting it in familiar terms of love, care, and affection—a challenge, you might say, to
August 11, 2018
Does Your Church’s Worship Style Matter?
By Kent E. Fillinger Worship music is a key part of a church’s overall worship experience, and a church’s style of worship remains a key differentiator, even as the “worship wars” of the 1980s and 1990s have subsided. Research shows that worship or music isn’t a priority for people in choosing to attend a church or in deciding whether to remain at a church (see my article “What Are Your Church’s Push and Pull Factors? Part 2” from March). Still, music remains one of the most talked about elements of a worship service. I wanted to learn more about worship
March 13, 2018
The Presence of the Resurrected Christ
By Dick Wamsley In an article in Worship Leader from 1993, Robert Webber wrote, “In early Christian worship . . . the giving of thanks was not a sober recall of the death of Jesus, but a joyous response to the presence of the resurrected Christ.” He cited the experiences of the earliest Christians when they came together to “break bread” (Acts 2:42), connecting those experiences with the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus recorded in Luke 24 and John 21. Luke records the appearance of Jesus to Cleopas and another disciple on the road to Emmaus. Even though Jesus walked with
December 21, 2017
The Truth About Christmas
This Christmas editorial from December 25, 2005, was written by Mark A. Taylor, who served as editor of Christian Standard from 2003 until earlier this year. ___ By Mark A. Taylor Because I’m a romantic, I love all the traditions and fun of Christmastime. But this year some national magazine editors don’t seem to share my nostalgic attachment to the holiday. In fact, I wonder if they enjoy Christmas at all, since they’ve printed so much about how simply to survive it. For example, here are warnings contained in just one of my December magazines: “¢ If you don”t handle leftovers properly,
