Series: Columns

June 6, 2017

Mark A. Taylor

Credit Report

By Mark A. Taylor Some assume a magazine”s editor is alone accountable for the insights and errors that have appeared in its pages. But as I write this, my last editorial for CHRISTIAN STANDARD (indeed, my last piece of any kind as an employee of Christian Standard Media, known as Standard Publishing during almost all my 41 years here), I know better. I must share credit, along with some blame now and then, with a long list of encouragers, examples, and givers of advice. And in this space I have room only to summarize. I think first about a decades-long

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 31, 2017

Christian Standard

I”m So Glad We Had This Time Together

By LeRoy Lawson The time has come. Nearly 10 years ago I submitted my first “From My Bookshelf” manuscript, wondering with fear and trembling, Is this what the editor wants? Is it something Christian Standard readers will read? I like talking about books whether anyone is listening or not. Would you listen? You did, and you kept on listening for almost a decade now. We haven”t always agreed, you and I, but ours were civil disagreements between friends. In today”s rancorous political climate, that civil friendship is to be treasured. I have enjoyed writing for you. Here”s why: You made

May 30, 2017

Mark A. Taylor

Your New Chapter””Don”t Be Afraid to Turn the Page

By Mark A. Taylor New parents sometimes feel trapped. Infants need constant attention, and Mom and Dad may grieve the diminished freedom, increased expenses, and unending on-call status that come with this new addition to their family. But after only 18 years or so, that son or daughter, now looking ahead at a life of independence, leaves home. He gets a job, and she establishes a household of her own. And some parents discover a new reason to grieve: without that child who was once such a challenge, now the house seems empty and lonely. Whether pressed by our current

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 28, 2017

Christian Standard

Called to Forgive

By Eddie Lowen If vengeance comes easier than forgiveness, I understand. But for every Christian, and most certainly for church leaders, there is a better way. Have you seen the movie The Revenant? In the gruesome film, Leonardo DiCaprio”s character, a fur trader named Hugh Glass, is attacked by a grizzly, assaulted by his companions, and left for dead. He somehow recovers, tracks down those who abandoned him, and takes violent revenge. But the real-life events that inspired the film may have played out differently. Glass was, in fact, mauled by a bear and left for dead. Historians believe he

May 27, 2017

Christian Standard

The Culture of Certainty

By Joe Boyd Something has been gnawing at me for more than a year. It”s been hard to put into words, but it”s a frustration that seems ever present. I feel it when I turn on Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC. It”s there at work. It”s also present at church. Ever present. Everywhere. For lack of a better way to label it, I”m going to call it the “culture of certainty.” It just seems to me there is no room in any of our political, social, or religious conversations to be unsure, let alone to be wrong. I once heard

May 26, 2017

Christian Standard

The Best Sermon I”ve Ever Heard (23)

By Arron Chambers Christian leaders, some of them preachers themselves, tell us about a sermon they can”t forget””and maybe you won”t either.   Kevin Wise Kevin Wise was raised in the church but lived in the world. After two years in college, he left school to party and deal drugs for a couple of years. He then returned to college, where he took anatomy and physiology classes that made him more aware of a designer and creator. As he studied the Bible, his life totally changed. He became a minister and served with the North County Church of Christ in

May 25, 2017

Christian Standard

Other Worlds, Fond Memories, and Lessons

By LeRoy Lawson The Wonderful Wizard of Oz L. Frank Baum Grand Haven: Brilliance Audio, 2016 The Clockwork Universe: Isaac Newton, the Royal Society, and the Birth of the Modern World Edward Dolnick New York: HarperTorch, 2011 The Shepherd”s Life: Modern Dispatches from an Ancient Landscape James Rebanks New York: Flatiron Books, 2015 OK, go ahead and laugh. Here I am, a great-grandfather, hanging on to every word of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, without a child nearby to provide cover for me. Maybe there”s truth in this “second childhood” charge after all. Or, the hypothesis I prefer, maybe there”s something special about the story.

May 24, 2017

Christian Standard

A Different Spirit

By Tim Harlow Sure, I serve God wholeheartedly. But even then, sometimes it”s easy to see giants instead of what he wants me to do for him. Different can be a synonym for “weird.” “She”s kind of different” usually means, like, not in a good way. The elevator doesn”t go to the top floor. One taco short of a combination platter. Not the brightest crayon in the box. Every generation of teenagers talks about how they want to be “different,” and then they go buy the same labels and wear the same styles and listen to the same music as

May 23, 2017

Mark A. Taylor

Failure, Formation, and a Hopeful Future

By Mark A. Taylor It”s a principle of leadership whose impact we may not have grasped for our spiritual lives: failure is often the prelude to success. In fact great success may not happen unless it”s built on a foundation of failure. In a way, this is nothing new. We know about Thomas Edison”s thousands of efforts to find a filament for the electric light bulb. “I have not failed,” he said. “I”ve just found 10,000 ways that won”t work.” History teachers tell us how Abraham Lincoln suffered defeat after defeat only to rise to greatness. Others describe J.C. Penney”s

May 20, 2017

Christian Standard

Don’t Designate . . . Release Leaders!

By Chuck Dennie Leadership in worship is not about you. It”s about the leaders around you. I spent many of my early years as a worship leader learning this lesson the hard way. I was the front man for a Christian band called By the Tree for about 10 years. In 2005, I felt God calling me to the local church. It”s a calling I have loved! I started leading worship at a church in Oklahoma City called LifeChurch.tv (now Life.Church) about 12 years ago. At that time, about 8,000 people attended every Sunday. I went in as a 27-year-old

May 16, 2017

Mark A. Taylor

First Family

By Mark A. Taylor Ministry can be hard on a minister”s family life. The demands of the congregation don”t stop when the church office closes. Needs and opportunities to serve abound in the evenings, threatening to take the minister away from conversations with a spouse or attendance at children”s ballgames and concerts. Phone calls can come night and day. And the minister may feel he has no one to talk to about disappointments and difficulties except a spouse, who then becomes overwhelmed with information and worries that cannot be shared with anyone else. We can be encouraged that 70 percent

May 9, 2017

Mark A. Taylor

Our Future: with Unity?

By Mark A. Taylor If you led a workshop on the future of the Restoration Movement, you”d likely mention many positive signs about our tribe. Here are some I included when I was asked to speak on that topic: “¢ Our churches are doing dynamic ministry, trying new approaches, and succeeding with new strategies. We”re a creative bunch. “¢ Closely related to the above, our lack of hierarchy leaves our leaders free to try new ideas without needing permission from anyone. And new ideas abound among us. We”re an entrepreneurial bunch. “¢ Leaders from our group are publishing widely, with

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 8, 2017

Christian Standard

5 Questions about New Ideas

By Joe Boyd Springtime always stimulates new ideas for me. But I”ve learned I should pursue only some of them.  There is something about springtime that makes all things new. Winter can be a cold and gray marathon to endure, especially for those of us on the East Coast and in the Midwest. But then comes life. Every April and May I find myself full of new ideas. And I should say that I love new ideas. They are like catnip for my soul. As a movie producer, I have no shortage of people pitching story ideas to me. Some

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

May 2, 2017

Mark A. Taylor

Our Future: What Kind of Influence?

By Mark A. Taylor Will the Restoration Movement* stay strong if its institutions continue to struggle? The question is more than academic in a time when more than one influential ministry has disappeared or is laboring to survive. And in an era characterized by massive change on every front””technology, education, media, transportation, and economic and political norms””we are no longer shocked when one of our institutions closes its doors. Change is the order of the day. Furthermore, many of our ministries still serving could not continue with support from our fellowship alone. For example, our two national conferences, while still

Help Keep Christian Standard Free & Accessible with a Tax Deductible Donation

We can do more together!

Every gift makes a difference!

No, thank you.
100% secure transactions - receipts provided.
Does Your Church Want to Support Christian Standard?

Would your church consider including support for Christian Standard in its annual missions budget? Your support would help us not only continue the 160-year legacy of this unifying ministry, but also expand the free resources, cooperative opportunities, and practical guidance we provide to strengthen churches in the U.S. and around the world.

We can do more together!

Every gift makes a difference!

No, thank you.
100% secure transactions - receipts provided.
Secret Link