Series: Columns

August 15, 2016

Christian Standard

A Night of Prayer for Muslims

By Jennifer Johnson Okolona Christian Church (Louisville, KY) has been praying for Muslims for years, but last year the church created a new approach designed to connect more of its members””and it”s something your church can do, too. “Previously we had coordinated 30 days of prayer initiatives, but last year we decided to hold a focused night of prayer on The Night of Power,” says Betty Byrd, vice president of prayer, operations, and personnel at Team Expansion (Lexington, KY) and a member at Okolona. The Night of Power, which commemorates the revelation of the Koran to Muhammad, is considered one

August 14, 2016

Christian Standard

Why Them?

By Jennifer Johnson In her memoir Lit, Mary Karr quotes her father speaking about the well-off: “Born on third base, . . . and they think they hit a home run.” I was born on second base, at least, and when I was a kid the game was black and white. People who don”t have jobs should get them, if you”re a responsible and hard-working person you will be able to afford a place to live, and only those with lesser character would need a hand up or a handout. I never heard things put so starkly by my parents,

August 13, 2016

Christian Standard

Hope Haven a Godsend for Single-Parent Families

By Jennifer Johnson The New Mexico Christian Children”s Home (NMCCH) in Portales, NM, has cared for thousands of children since building its first dormitory on 80 acres of farmland in 1954. Today the children”s home is breaking new ground””in every sense””by constructing duplex homes and offering help to struggling single parents. “We recognized the need more than 30 years ago, and began then to acquire homes and provide assistance to single parents and their kids,” says Tom Pittmon, director of public relations. “We already have 12 homes for single parents, but the need just continues to grow. Twenty-four to 34 percent

August 10, 2016

Christian Standard

Loving Through Listening

By Jim Tune I”m pretty good at talking. It”s a big part of what I do for a living. When I look for leaders, I look for someone who can communicate. I”m convinced, though, that speaking and writing are only part of what it takes to be a great leader. Leading also involves listening. “Listening comes first,” writes Adam McHugh in his new book The Listening Life. We started listening before we were even born. Listening is a key part of what it means to be human. “Somewhere along the way we start to violate the natural order of things,”

August 9, 2016

Mark A. Taylor

How My Church Pointed Me Toward Ministry

By Mark A. Taylor With his list of ways your church can move more young people toward vocational ministry, Matt Proctor implies this is a goal off the radar for too many today. I”m glad that wasn”t true in the congregation I attended while I was in high school. Central Christian Church in Waukegan, Illinois, was a small, simple congregation by today”s standards. Of course, this was almost 50 years ago, when almost every church approached ministry with less sophistication than many today. The Preacher Training Class led by ministers of the church was a simple idea, too. Get some

August 8, 2016

Christian Standard

Rushing to Blame

By Joe Boyd Not long ago in Cincinnati, where I live, a very unfortunate accident occurred at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden. As you probably remember, a young boy somehow made his way into the gorilla habitat. Ultimately it resulted in the hard decision to kill Harambe, a powerful and beautiful western lowland gorilla, for the sake of the child”s life. Soon after that, the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history happened in Orlando, Florida. A gunman entered a gay nightclub and killed 49 people, injuring 53 others. (And some of the injured are still clinging to life as

August 3, 2016

Christian Standard

Ending the Shame of Mental Illness

By Jim Tune In the early years of our church plant in Toronto, one of our staff members preached a message about mental illness and faith. He made himself vulnerable as he shared about a season of significant depression in his life. The story he told was courageous and honest. I remember it as a defining moment in our new church”s development. Mental illness was, and still is, a topic that rarely is discussed head-on in churches. In sharing his story, our speaker brought mental illness out from behind the curtain of shame and exposed it to a liberating light.

August 2, 2016

Mark A. Taylor

Beyond Fear

By Mark A. Taylor Gene Appel spoke of fear at Eastside Christian Church (Anaheim, California) July 10. This was the first Sunday after two black men, one in Louisiana and another in Minnesota, were shot by white police officers and later in the same week five officers were killed by a black sniper after a peaceful rally in Dallas, Texas. These tragedies were on everyone”s mind that week, along with the continual staccato of news about global terrorism and political upheaval. “When the disciples huddled in secret after Christ”s crucifixion, they were afraid, too,” Appel said. And then he introduced

August 1, 2016

Christian Standard

The Best Sermon I”ve Ever Heard (13)

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. SHAWN GRANT Shawn Grant is a walking cliché: born on Saturday, in church on Sunday. His father, Mike Grant, has been preaching in Stone-Campbell churches for more than 35 years, and Shawn decided to follow suit. He became a follower of Christ in elementary school. He received a BA in preaching and Bible from Florida Christian College (now Johnson University Florida), an MA in church history/historical theology from Lincoln (Illinois) Christian Seminary, and a PhD in interdisciplinary humanities

August 1, 2016

Christian Standard

Car Talk, Gay Marriage, and the Death Journey

By LeRoy Lawson The Reckoning David Halberstam Available via Kindle; first published in 1986 God and the Gay Christian: The Biblical Case in Support of Same-Sex Relationships Matthew Vines New York: Convergent Books (reprint edition), 2015 A Long Letting Go: Meditations on Losing Someone You Love Marilyn Chandler McEntyre Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2015 For decades America”s automotive industry dazzled the whole world as it drove itself to the pinnacle of creative, organizational, and mechanical success. No other nation could compete. Detroit ruled supreme. That was then. This is now. David Halberstam”s The Reckoning was published 30 years ago. It still captivates a reader

July 27, 2016

Christian Standard

Embracing the Imperfection of Being Human

By Jim Tune Those around men like Jean Vanier usually anticipate they will do great things. He is the son of Major-General Georges Vanier, who became the 19th governor general of Canada, serving from 1959 until his death in 1967. And his early years wrote a resume that depicts greatness. In his youth Jean Vanier received an elite education in Canada, England, and France. He served admirably in World War II and was a close companion to members of England”s royal family. After resigning his naval commission, he went on to complete a PhD in philosophy from the Institut Catholique

July 26, 2016

Mark A. Taylor

NACC””You Didn”t Have to Be There 

By Mark A. Taylor Of course, if you had attended the North American Christian Convention in Anaheim, California, July 12-15, you would have experienced many good things . . . We enjoyed dry, warm days amid the beautiful palm-tree setting of the Anaheim Convention Center We shared the enthusiasm of California Christians, many of whom had never experienced an NACC before. Over half the crowd at the packed opening-night assembly were Californians. A similar number said this was their first NACC. Gene Appel, minister with Eastside Christian Church in Anaheim, praised convention President Dave Stone for the hard work he

July 20, 2016

Christian Standard

Risk or Rust

By Jim Tune You probably haven”t heard of Andrew and Debbie Jones. Together, they have five kids. They”ve served all over the world. In 2015 alone, they worked in Jordan, Israel, Turkey, Egypt, Serbia, Croatia, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Bosnia, Hungary, Poland, and Germany. They”ve done some work recently with Syrian refugees. Andrew calls himself a thinker and a nomad. He was an early and influential voice in Christian blogging. Debbie worked with hippies, refugees, social activists, and spiritual seekers. As I write this, Andrew is recovering from African diseases, including malaria. He”s had four blood transfusions and countless needles.

July 19, 2016

Mark A. Taylor

10 Reasons to Attend the Global Gathering in New Delhi Next January

By Mark A. Taylor As I”m reflecting on the soul-refreshing experience of last week”s North American Christian Convention in Anaheim, California, I”m filled with anticipation for another similar opportunity. Similar, because it promises rich fellowship and unique worship with committed believers. Similar, because it offers the chance to learn from Christian leaders extending the gospel in ways I may not have considered. But the convention I”m anticipating is different in many special ways from the NACC just finished. This month I”m encouraging Christians from across America to go with me to the 19th Global Gathering of the World Convention January

July 13, 2016

Christian Standard

Give Yourself a Break

By Jim Tune I heard about a pastor who took a day off. He set his e-mail to respond automatically with this message: “I”m out of the office today. I”ll respond to your e-mail upon my return.” When he returned to work, he found this e-mail: “Don”t bother. You”re a loser for taking a day off. People will probably die and go to Hell because you thought you needed a day off. Do you think God takes a day off? Are you better than God?” Of course, the e-mail was a joke. The man who wrote that e-mail is a

July 12, 2016

Mark A. Taylor

Your Story Is Not About You Alone

By Mark A. Taylor Like every great novel or memorable movie, your story has a cast of compelling characters. And no matter how much you may hear about telling or improving your story, it will never be about you alone. These other characters in your story set its plot even before you were born. Your parents and theirs, your siblings and your childhood have all colored and directed your story, probably in ways you don”t realize. This is why your counselor pokes and prods to know more about your family and your growing-up years. Your story is not about you

July 9, 2016

Christian Standard

Lexington”s Lighthouse Helps Hungry, Hurting

By Jennifer Johnson Since the mid-1990s, Lighthouse Ministries has been helping the poor, the addicted, and the hungry of Lexington, KY, with food, recovery programs, and other outreach efforts. At the Nehemiah House, men can participate in Bible study, anger management classes, GED preparation, and counseling as well as receive help with their substance abuse issues. Families receive support and resources for the recovery process. Lighthouse”s “Dining with Dignity” program also serves hot meals to thousands””more than 40,000 lunches in 2015 alone. Last year the ministry bought a second building, allowing the Lighthouse team to serve almost 200 people at

July 8, 2016

Christian Standard

City Planning

By Jennifer Johnson My friend Abby and I love to visit museums. Recently we spent the afternoon at the Philadelphia Art Museum, looking at our favorites””the modern art wing and anything by Van Gogh””and enjoying lunch in the café. Next month we”re planning a girls” trip to the ballet. Abby is 7. To say she”s a little brighter than her peers is like saying the current American political scene is a little dysfunctional. In addition to sampling the best culture of Philadelphia, Abby also loves going to New York City, just a short train ride away. She especially loves Broadway

July 8, 2016

Christian Standard

Trio Helping Facilitate the Future of Missions

By Jennifer Johnson It”s been a busy year for Stephen Burris. In January, Burris, along with Mark Krause and Kendi Howells Douglas, bought Urban Loft Publishers, an independent publisher of books focusing on urban ministry, church planting, theology, sociology, and even urban planning and architecture. “My friend Sean Benesh started the company a few years ago, and when he offered me the chance to buy it, I jumped at the chance,” Burris says. “It was both a defensive and offensive decision; defensive because we are aware there are many large publishers buying up small ones and putting them on the

July 7, 2016

Christian Standard

The Best Sermon I”ve Ever Heard (12)

By Arron Chambers Averie Blackmore Averie Blackmore is studying worship leadership and humanities at Milligan College. She has had the honor of leading a women”s small group and helping start a young adult worship service at her home church in Johnson City, Tennessee. She is an intern in the worship arts department at Mountain Christian Church, Joppa, Maryland. Averie”s Best Sermon: The best sermon series on emotions is by Steve and Holly Furtick of Elevation Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is available at http://bit.ly/1pHcUEF. Why Averie likes this sermon: “I have always heard sermons that talk about emotions, but

Be Seen, Be Heard - A Live Online Workshop to Increase Online Visibility for Local Churches
(Tap the Flyer Below for Details)

be seen be heard online visibility workshop for churches by christian standard

Learn how to make the Sermon Content you’re already producing draw people into your local church.

For preachers, church media and website teams, and anyone who’d like to learn how to increase the visibility of their local church online.

 


GET EVENT DETAILS & RESERVE YOUR SPOT

No, thank you.
Transactions are 100% secure.
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