My Life Story . . . From Gang Member to Church Planter

The March 2019 issue of Christian Standard centers on transformation in both personal faith and church ministry. Its cover feature, “My Life Story . . . From Gang Member to Church Planter,” tells Gonzalo Venegas’s account of conversion, ministry, and church planting, tracing his journey from gang life and prison to pastoral leadership and the launch of Encounter Church in Orlando. That visible cover theme is echoed throughout the issue by articles on spiritual transformation, church leadership, ministry practice, and mission.

Readers will find recurring attention to how churches change people and how church leaders respond to changing ministry realities. Articles explore transformational trends in culture, the goal of spiritual formation, postmodern ministry design, the ministry of receiving, and the impact of ICOM on the church. The issue also includes practical leadership content on selecting a church leader, overcoming pharisaism in the 21st-century church, and the fortification of the Restoration Movement.

Several articles address debated or timely topics, including women in church leadership and preaching roles, disability ministry outreach, apologetics, and Christian unity. Together, these contents present a snapshot of ministry concerns facing churches in March 2019 while keeping the issue’s central emphasis on changed lives, faithful leadership, and gospel mission. This Christian Standard issue is especially useful for readers interested in church planting, leadership, missions, spiritual growth, and the ongoing work of transformation in the church.