Series: Buzz

Colleges & Seminaries Organizations & Events

Milligan Recognized as ‘College of Distinction’

Milligan College in Tennessee is one of the 200 colleges and universities nationwide to be featured in the 2011-2012 Colleges of Distinction, a college guide honoring schools demonstrating excellence in education. Institutions featured in the guide take a holistic approach to admissions, consistently excel in providing undergraduate education and have a truly national reputation, according to the guide”s criteria. “One of the things we frequently hear from our students and alumni is how much they appreciate Milligan”s faculty,” said Milligan President Bill Greer. “The caring faculty and the many opportunities students have to serve inside and outside the classroom are

July 28, 2011

Conferences & Gatherings Organizations & Events

Florida Church Hosting Three-day ‘Jubilee’

Instead of a traditional Vacation Bible School, this weekend Journey Christian Church (Apopka, FL) will host “Journey Jubilee,” a three-day event designed for families and friends of all ages. In addition to times of teaching and worship, groups will enjoy a challenge course, a geo-scavenger hunt, live music, a prayer walk, and plenty of time to relax. Families are invited to camp on the church property and a nominal fee of $25 per group covers all activities.

July 28, 2011

Church Opens Building as ‘Cooling Station’

CrossRoads Christian Church (Danville, IL) found a simple but practical way to serve the community by opening its building as a “cooling station.” Anyone who needed to escape the heat was invited to rest at the church anytime between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. last Wednesday and Friday.

July 27, 2011

Standard Publishing Donates Books, Resources

Standard Publishing has partnered with Matthew 25: Ministries to reach out through church communities ministering in disaster areas around the world. To date, Standard Publishing has donated more than 19 tractor-trailer loads of Christian books and other resources to Matthew 25: Ministries for redistribution worldwide. These messages of hope and Bible truth have gone, for example, to sufferers in the wake of natural disasters in Joplin, Missouri; Alabama; Japan; and Haiti. Each year Matthew 25: Ministries serves more than 12 million individuals in the U.S. and around the world, largely through redistribution of donated goods. “We are pleased to work

July 17, 2011

Mission & Evangelism

CIY Teams for Movie with Voice of the Martyrs

By Jennifer Taylor Last-minute trips, amazing “coincidences,” and the consistent witness of faithful believers around the world helped Christ In Youth (Joplin, MO) partner with Voice of the Martyrs to create a new feature-length film, Love Costs Every Thing, about the persecuted church. The CIY team started by recording the testimonies of Christians in India. “Then we waited on God,” says Chris Jefferson, director of organizational advancement. “And through my mom I met a Marine, who had married an Iraqi Christian girl, whose brother fled to France after bombs destroyed his church in Iraq. Bill Carroll, a church planter and

July 14, 2011

Money & Debt Stewardship & Generosity

Solomon Foundation Offering Church Loans

By Jennifer Taylor The Solomon Foundation, a new church extension fund for the Christian churches and churches of Christ, launched several months ago with headquarters in Englewood, CO. Doug Crozier, formerly president of Church Development Fund (Irvine, CA), serves as chief executive officer of the new organization. Crossroads Christian Church (Grand Prairie, TX) and Christ”s Church of the Valley (Peoria, AZ) worked with Crozier and his team to fund the development and launch of the foundation. Leaders from Mount Pleasant Christian Church (Greenwood, IN), Real Life Ministries (Post Falls, ID), The Crossing (Quincy, IL), and Churchill Meadows Christian Church (Toronto,

July 14, 2011

Indiana Church to Host Hispanic Christian Convention

Next week, Plainfield (IN) Christian Church will host the 2011 Hispanic Christian Convention. PCC”s sister congregation, Iglesia Cristiana Westside, and hundreds of members from other churches across the country will gather for the three-day convention. Ramon Rendon, minister at ICW, is the convention president this year.

July 14, 2011

Share Your Ideas about All-age Worship

Intergenerational worship. All-age worship. Whole-church worship. It goes by many names, but the practice of intentionally creating worship services to involve and include people of every age is revolutionizing worship at some of our churches. This summer Verna Weber, associate professor of educational ministries and family studies at Cincinnati (OH) Christian University, created a Facebook group to discuss questions and share ideas about all-age worship. Sixty people have already joined–click here to join the conversation!

July 7, 2011

Church Hosts Free Sports Camp for Third Year

The Amelia (OH) Church of Christ held its third-annual free sports camp June 19-24. More than 250 kids from kindergarten through fifth grade attended the event to participate in basketball, cheerleading, soccer, martial arts, and other games. ACC volunteers taught kids about being a good sport and children”s minister Marie Young led songs. The week ended with an open house, ice cream, and giveaways on Friday night. The annual camp is sponsored by a number of businesses including Skyline Chili, Sam”s Club, and the University of Cincinnati. Click here to learn more.

July 7, 2011

Church, City Partner for Fireworks

Central Christian Church of the East Valley”s Gilbert, AZ, campus held its first “Fire in the Sky” Fourth of July fireworks celebration last summer. This year, the city of Gilbert is helping. “The mayor reached out to the church and asked if they would allow the greater community to participate in the church event,” reports the Arizona Republic. “”˜We feel extremely honored,” church spokesman Matt Price said. “˜Our goal as an organization is to partner with the community. . . . It’s a huge win to both of our organizations.”” Gilbert approved $7,500 in expenses for the celebration including traffic

July 4, 2011

Pantano Christian Battles Poverty with Microloans

By Jennifer Taylor In May, Pantano Christian Church (Tucson, AZ) gave away $25,000″”and asked the recipients to give the same. The money, which the church received as a grant, was offered to members of the PCC community to involve them in a microloan program with Kiva, a nonprofit organization that helps donors provide small loans ($25 or more) to help entrepreneurs around the world escape poverty by starting small businesses. PCC members could participate in the program by committing a small amount of their own money and receiving matching funds from the church. A $12.50 donation would result in $25″”the

July 1, 2011

A Church Planting Milestone in Canada

By Jennifer Taylor According to Jim Tune, senior minister with Churchill Meadows Christian Church and director of Impact Ministry Group (both Ontario, Canada), the area is home to only six other Christian churches””and their combined attendance is less than 500. So CMCC”s new building””and the more than 1,200 people who attended the opening services in March””is a milestone for Canadian church planting. “Churches are closing faster in Canada than any other area, including Western Europe,” Tune says. “Church just isn”t on the radar. In fact, people assumed our building was an industrial complex or school because they don”t have

June 30, 2011

Mission & Evangelism

NASCAR Driver Gives Orphan Care a Boost

Standard Publishing author Beth Guckenberger has teamed up with NASCAR driver Michael McDowell to promote orphan care. Guckenberger, director of Back2Back Ministries, is a veteran of efforts to help impoverished children across the globe, with a focus in Mexico, Nigeria, and India. But this is the first time NASCAR has been a part of the solution. McDowell, an up-and-coming NASCAR rookie, wants to do his part to support Guckenberger”s ministry. That includes putting the cover of Guckenberger”s newest book Relentless Hope on his car as he competes in the Quaker State 400 at the Kentucky Speedway July 9. He”ll also

June 29, 2011

Author Spending Time in Joplin

Dave Pelzer, author of A Child Called “It”: One Child”s Courage to Survive, has been spending time in Joplin, MO, working with foster families and helping with recovery work. According to an article in the Examiner of Independence, MO, Pelzer has been volunteering at College Heights Christian Church and offering his counseling services. Pelzer complimented College Heights for the “military precision” of its donation center. “People check in at one end, and within an hour, they leave at the other, loaded with nonperishable food, medical and hygiene supplies, baby needs and more,” the article says. “Sometimes the turnaround time is

June 29, 2011

2|42 Community Church Buys Athletic Club

2|42 Community Church (Brighton, MI) recently announced its purchase of the Brighton Athletic Club and its plans to renovate the building as a multipurpose facility for the community. The new community center will include an indoor/outdoor cafe, gym, auditorium, meeting space, play areas for children, and space for music lessons, tutoring, and more for teens. “We want this to be a facility that extends beyond Sunday morning, reaching out beyond our regular church attendees,” says lead pastor Dave Dummitt. “This is our gift to the community we love and have served for over six years. It is a no-strings-attached gift.

June 24, 2011

TCM”s “˜Priscilla Initiative” Boosts Training for Women

By Jennifer Taylor Training Christians for Ministry (TCM) created its “Priscilla Initiative” to provide graduate-level Christian leadership education, training,Â and practical experience to women in Europe and Central Asia. Over the last 10 years, women around the world have become more influential in developing their families, churches, and communities. “Yet because of cultures and customs,” TCM writes, “these women have fewer opportunities than their male counterparts to access formalized Christian education and training that will enable them to grow spiritually and develop as strong Christian leaders.” TCM is working to solve these problems by establishing a scholarship fund and providing

June 16, 2011

East 91st Holding Summer Lunch Program

In conjunction with the Indianapolis (IN) Parks and the Second Helpings organization, East 91st Street Christian Church (Indianapolis) is holding a summer lunch program. The initiative, which began last week and continues until the end of July, offers a welcoming atmosphere and a free nutritious meal for children and adults in the community each Monday through Friday. Throughout the summer, East 91st also plans fun activities for kids and families.

June 12, 2011

Church & Ministry Church Growth

Large, Healthy Churches Merge in Phoenix Area

By Jennifer Taylor What if thousands of people drove past one another on the highway to worship at churches that weren”t located too far apart? What if both churches coordinated hundreds of small groups in their communities””groups studying different material and never working together to reach the city? When Christ”s Church of the Valley (Peoria, AZ) and Parkway Christian Church (Surprise, AZ) saw this scenario playing out in their shared mission field, they made a surprising decision””to merge both churches and do more together than they could apart. The two churches, both located in suburbs of Phoenix, officially merged in

June 11, 2011