Experience the Energy
Standard Publishing reflects on lessons from the Energizing Smaller Churches Network and invites leaders to join upcoming ESCN conferences this fall for connection, learning, and practical encouragement.
Series: Columns
My Most Effective Mentor
Mark A. Taylor remembers his most effective mentor, Charles E. Stiles, and the simple, lasting lessons he lived out. From the Come Alive Singers to everyday counsel, Stiles showed that “the people are the program.”
July 18, 2007
Simpler Times, Different Expectations
A look back at predictable Sunday-morning services—and how modern options have raised some expectations while lowering others. The central question remains whether worship connects us with God and calls for true congregational participation.
Sometimes Retreat Is the Best Solution
NACC Minister and Spouse Retreat: A retreat designed to strengthen ministers’ marriages Many church ministers and spouses carry a unique weight of leadership, expectations, and constant availability. The North American Christian Convention Minister and Spouse Retreat is designed to give couples space to be served, reconnect, and renew their relationship together. The retreat is scheduled for August 21-23 at the Ridgecrest Conference Center near Asheville, North Carolina. Registration is $299 per couple and includes accommodations, meals, recreation, and planned programming. Couples can find details and register through the NACC website. By Mark A. Taylor The weight ministers carry Many of
July 3, 2007
Partnering to Grow Disciples
Mark A. Taylor reflects on Randy Gariss’s call to rethink disciple-making so believers look more like Jesus—through knowledge, relationships, and service—and to strengthen Bible teaching beyond the classroom.
Our Greatest Hope
Mark A. Taylor urges believers to keep patriotism in perspective—honoring country without worshiping it—and to remember we are citizens of another nation, the kingdom of God.
June 20, 2007
Are You Wonderful?
Empty praise wears thin. This reflection contrasts the world’s obsession with being “special” with the quiet call to faithfulness—and reminds us that everyday service, not spotlight status, is wonderful enough.
Connecting with You in Kansas City
Standard Publishing previews special events at the North American Christian Convention in Kansas City, July 3-6—booth visits, the Resource Center, the President’s Reception, mentoring breakfasts, and scheduled author meet-and-greets.
The Lodge and the Lord”s Supper
A pastor recalls attending a local lodge ceremony that felt meaningless, then recognizes the same sober seriousness in his church’s worship—prompting a searching question about what Communion truly means.
May 30, 2007
Physical Bodies, Spiritual Decisions
A reflection on fitness and faith, urging Christians to view diet and exercise through the lens of worship—honoring God with the body—and considering how personal habits and church example shape spiritual seriousness about health.
May 23, 2007
Of Pentecost and Mission Trips
Mark A. Taylor reflects on Pentecost Sunday as the church’s birthday and invites readers to share how they commemorate it. He also encourages thoughtful discussion about short term mission trips and their purpose.
May 16, 2007
Dismissing God Along with the “˜Reverend”
A minister reflects on why funerals often invite honest listening while weddings can sideline the church—and why easy online wedding licensing signals a deeper loss of reverence for God and Christ’s church.
May 9, 2007
The Problem of Poverty Needs More Than Prayer
A reminder that God guides moving people: as Christians respond to poverty, prayer must be joined with action. Practical steps—serving, giving, and volunteering—can meet real needs while we seek God’s direction.
Proving Nothing
Mainstream journalists and secular scholars push back on The Lost Tomb of Jesus, questioning its assumptions and statistics—and concluding it fails to prove anything that would overturn the resurrection.
April 25, 2007
In Case You”ve Missed Our Blogs
Three excerpts from Christian Standard bloggers challenge leaders to confront reality, call the church to pray for revival, and reflect on the growing urgency to lead in ways that matter now and for eternity.
April 18, 2007
Change Is
Tom Ellsworth urges patient, listening-first leadership when guiding change in smaller churches. Mark A. Taylor introduces a book excerpt on helping town and country congregations respond faithfully to demographic shifts and unchosen change.
April 11, 2007
A Time for Remembering
Mark A. Taylor reflects on Standard Publishing’s move from its longtime Hamilton Avenue offices—remembering people, places, and the careful editorial work that shaped decades of Bible teaching materials.
April 4, 2007
Why We Celebrate
By Mark A. Taylor Skeptics and scholars advance arguments and theories about the death and burial of Jesus, but their musings do not shake us. Today Christians celebrate the resurrection of Christ for two reasons. First are the logical and historical evidences: “¢ Confused and afraid disciples became bold proclaimers of Christ”s resurrection after they saw it was true. Their testimony never wavered, even when it cost them their lives. Even if one man might have died for a lie or a fantasy, no one can explain why so many would have done so. “¢ The New Testament is filled
They Deserve Our Support!
A reflection on the enduring value of Christian colleges and seminaries—forming faith, scholarship, and future leaders—while honestly naming pressures and questions that deserve cooperation and thoughtful support.
March 21, 2007
New Resources From Us for You
Christian Standard is making select recent series available again as downloadable reprints. Choose from three reformatted resources on skeptics’ questions, ordination, and Calvinism—each download includes the right to make 10 copies.
