Series: Buzz

June 8, 2017

Christian Standard

Residency Catered to Individual

By Jennifer Johnson Several of the Restoration Movement”s largest churches have created internship programs, some that involve entire cohorts of students and work with colleges and universities for academic credit. “Those are wonderful opportunities for students, and we love what those churches are doing,” says Becki Kern. “But we decided our niche would be a more customized program that works one-on-one with each individual. With that goal in mind, we launched the Reveal Residency in 2014.” Kern, who serves as campus launch pastor and director of Reveal at Pantano Christian Church, Tucson, AZ, designed the program to work with people

June 3, 2017

Christian Standard

“˜Social” Event

By Jennifer Johnson Gather any group of people over age 40 and you”ll hear frustration about how much time younger people spend on their phones. “I”m at a restaurant watching a couple,” a friend told me recently. “They are obviously on a date, and yet they are both staring at their phones instead of talking to each other.” The friend texted me this information from her own phone. It”s true that smartphone use is out of control for many of us. One study found the average user checks his phone upwards of 150 times a day. Allowing a generous eight

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

May 29, 2017

Christian Standard

Mountain Riders Have Fun, Do Good

By Jennifer Johnson The Mountain Riders pool funds to buy a new coat or a bag of groceries for a member in need. They visit each other”s friends and family members in the hospital. They build wheelchair ramps and do home improvement projects. In fact, the Riders””a ministry of Mountain Christian Church in Joppa, MD“”function as the church, offering opportunities for motorcycle riders and motorcycle fans to study, serve, and grow together. The Riders launched in 2005, and today more than 70 people participate in the group”s activities. While they enjoy their rides, leader Todd Holmberg talks more about the

May 9, 2017

Christian Standard

Johnson University’s President Planning to Retire

Dr. Gary Weedman, president of Johnson University, has announced he will be retiring, effective June 30, 2018. During Weedman”s tenure as president, Johnson University experienced tremendous growth in enrollment, academic programs, and facilities. Next year will mark his 11th year as president, 18th year at Johnson, 50th year in Christian higher education, and his 75th birthday. “The words “˜thank you” hardly seem adequate for the 11 years Gary and Janis have faithfully served Johnson University, nor do the words “˜you”ve done a great job” convey sufficiently the praise they are due,” wrote L.D. Campbell, chairman of Johnson”s board of trustees.

May 7, 2017

Christian Standard

The Third Conversion

By Jennifer Johnson It was offering time, and the father sitting in front of me handed his 3-year-old son a dollar bill. The boy happily placed the money in the basket as it passed by, and then resumed working on the important task of covering his entire bulletin with green crayon scribbles. While it was a nice moment, I distinctly remember thinking, Sure, it”s easy to give someone else”s money. But the truth is, I find it quite difficult to part with cash from Someone Else. This child doesn”t own anything; he looks to his father for everything, and dad

May 6, 2017

Christian Standard

Always Trusting God

By Jennifer Johnson Mike and Enise Grooms didn”t take high-profile, high-paying ministry jobs. After working in Cincinnati”s inner city and then in eastern Europe, the couple moved to metro Atlanta and began leading Tucker (GA) Christian Church five years ago. “Mike and Enise never owned a house or a nice car,” says Al Serhal, Enise”s brother and executive director of Hippo Valley Christian Mission, a ministry to Zimbabwe with stateside offices in Grayson, KY. “They”ve always just trusted God to provide.” During their ministry at Tucker, the Grooms could get health insurance and a modest life insurance policy for the

April 6, 2017

Christian Standard

Coming Near

By Jennifer Johnson One of the most commonly quoted verses from Eugene Peterson”s The Message Bible is John 1:14: “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.” This metaphor for the incarnation is referenced so often because, like all good poetic language, it succinctly describes a profound truth: Jesus not only came to earth to be with us, he came to be one of us. Following Jesus means following his example and “incarnating” the gospel in our own neighborhoods. Sometimes this means tutoring children or planting a church. For Salt & Light, it meant offering opportunities to

April 6, 2017

Christian Standard

Changing the Solution for the Needy in Champaign

By Jennifer Johnson Like many organizations committed to helping people in need, Salt & Light Ministries in Champaign, IL, began by giving away food, clothing, and other items. Unlike many of those organizations, however, Salt & Light eventually changed its structure and its systems to empower people to meet their own needs””and the ministry is thriving. “For years we did the “˜free stuff” model,” says Lisa Sheltra, associate director. “In fact, we were the largest emergency food pantry in Champaign County, feeding hundreds of households each week. But we still ran out of food and had to turn people away,

March 23, 2017

Christian Standard

Focusing on Discipleship

By Jennifer Johnson You may know Exponential as the premier conference for church planting, but you may not know that a similar event exists for leaders focused on discipleship””and that some of the same people are behind both. Todd Wilson, founder and director of Exponential, and Bobby Harrington, lead pastor at Harpeth Christian Church in Franklin, TN, launched the National Disciple Making Forum in 2014 at Saddleback Church in Southern California as a way for disciple-making leaders around the country to learn, pray, worship, and grow together. “I wasn”t sure if I wanted to take this on, honestly,” Harrington says.

March 20, 2017

Christian Standard

Basic Training

By Jennifer Johnson A few years ago I wrote a proposal for an online initiative that would provide customizable resources for churches wanting to develop their pastors, worship leaders, campus ministers, church planters, elders, and key volunteers. I suggested an online portal with everything from 101 to seminary-level books, articles, podcasts, and videos, as well as suggested “tracks” with curated lists of resources for specific groups. I referred to research from the Barna Group and Ed Stetzer as well as insights from the leaders of Orchard Group, Stadia, and some of our megachurches to support my argument. It was summarily

March 20, 2017

Christian Standard

Milligan, Stadia Partner Together

By Jennifer Johnson Milligan College and Stadia recently announced they have partnered to raise awareness of church planting and further the mission of both institutions. The new partnership was announced in December during a “Church Planting Emphasis Week” at Milligan College and Emmanuel Christian Seminary in Tennessee. The partnership opens a variety of opportunities for both organizations, including theological training for church planters at Milligan/Emmanuel, Stadia-developed church planting courses for students, new internship opportunities for Milligan and Emmanuel students at church plants, and Stadia speakers for Milligan”s Youth in Ministry Student Leadership Conference. Phyllis Fox, who served as director of

February 20, 2017

Christian Standard

A Next Chapter

By Jennifer Johnson Several years ago I wrote a series of case studies for Kairos Legacy Partners that described their work with dying and declining churches across the country. Kairos works with these churches to evaluate their impact, their finances, and overall health and determine whether it makes sense for them to stay open as a congregation. If the decision is no, Kairos also works with those churches to help them “recycle” their facilities and financial resources in ways that can fund another ministry. I”m a fan of Kairos and I appreciate its desire to honor the sacrifices of past

February 20, 2017

Christian Standard

Church Moves from Mortgage to Ministry

By Jennifer Johnson It”s common for church plants to meet in school buildings, and leaders in those new churches happily haul gear, set up rooms for children, and tear down worship spaces each week. It”s much less common for decades-old congregations to give up their buildings and go back to this way of worshipping, but for Journey Christian Church in Roswell, GA, this facility decision is opening up new opportunities for ministry. When Dan Garrett became lead pastor at Journey (then First Christian Church of Roswell) in 2011, the church was paying off $2.5 million in debt. The church had

February 19, 2017

Christian Standard

Single on Purpose, with a Purpose

By Jennifer Johnson Northeast Christian Church (Louisville, KY) has a history of giving money to church members who want to use the funds to make a difference””and the recipients of these donations have a proven track record of changing lives with the money. Several years ago as part of a sermon series, Northeast”s leadership team chose 100 people and gave each one a hundred dollar bill with instructions to use the money for something God was calling them to do. From this investment came a number of ongoing ministries, including a “Mom”s Closet” which helps single moms with education, food, and clothing,

January 14, 2017

Christian Standard

Strategic Solutions for Significant Stages

By Jennifer Johnson Writers of short-think pieces like this one love to quote statistics about the hundreds or even thousands of pastors who are leaving the ministry each month. However, as Ed Stetzer pointed out on his blog last October, those provocative numbers have yet to be backed up with any solid data or reliable sources. In fact, actual recent surveys, like the September 2015 study conducted by LifeWay Research, show that while the demands of pastoring a church can frequently feel “overwhelming” to more than 50 percent of senior pastors, the vast majority (92 percent!) also feel regularly encouraged

January 13, 2017

Christian Standard

Making Longer-term Connections

By Jennifer Johnson Although internships are invaluable for helping college students determine their vocational path””and although many Christian colleges and universities now require them for students across a variety of disciplines””ministry internships can be difficult for both students and churches. “The shorter internships, especially, are challenging,” says Tim Dunn, minister at LifeSpring Christian Church in Cincinnati, OH. “With just a few hours a week, you don”t have time to really influence or invest in the students, especially when they are also participating in mission trips or camps. It”s hard to really include them in the life of the church.” Cincinnati

January 13, 2017

Christian Standard

Helping Ministry Leaders Develop Skills, Relationships

By Jennifer Johnson This month, more than a dozen pastors in the Greater Los Angeles area will begin a journey of learning, leadership, and change as Pepperdine University (Malibu, CA) kicks off its second Communitas cohort. The program, which began as part of the Lilly Endowment, is designed to connect senior leaders who have served in ministry for 5 to 10 years and help them develop greater leadership skills; grow in their understanding of significant issues facing their communities; build networks with civic, business, and political leaders throughout the city; and develop strong relationships with each other. “Lilly discovered there

December 24, 2016

Christian Standard

Mexico Ministry Making Difference for Deaf, Families

By Jennifer Johnson Jesus often told the people listening to his teaching, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.” In the United States we understand that for the deaf, “hearing” must happen with eyes and teaching must happen with hands using American Sign Language. But what about those in other countries who can”t hear and have no signs to see? Michelle Zuñiga, an Ozark Christian College graduate, learned both Spanish and sign language to bring the gospel to the deaf in Matamoros, Mexico. Zuñiga approached Workers for Mexico Mission with the idea of reaching the deaf in Mexico in

December 9, 2016

Christian Standard

I Could Totally/Never Do That!

By Jennifer Johnson Two mistakes are easy to make when reading B.J. Leonard“s story. The first is to think you could never do what he did””give up your dream house in the suburbs to move into the inner city with your wife and three young kids. The second is to believe you could totally do what he did because you”ve romanticized it as a sequel to The Blind Side. B.J., his wife, Mary, and his daughters aren”t reaching out to urban Decatur, IL, because it”s easy, but they”re also not doing it to experience the warm fuzzy feelings of “saving”

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