Series: Columns

January 25, 2011

Christian Standard

Proclaiming More than Meditating

By Mark A. Taylor After we had settled on the theme for our yearlong emphasis on the Bible, someone suggested a variation that almost made us reconsider. Instead of “The Bible: Lift it up. Live it out,” he proposed “The Bible: Let it in. Live it out.” “Scripture says far more about meditating on God”s Word than defending it,” he said. By the time he wrote, we had already made our decision, commissioned a logo, and finished our plans. Would we have chosen “Let it in” over “Lift it up” if we had thought of it sooner? Maybe. But, really,

January 23, 2011

Christian Standard

The Bible Is Good for Me . . . and for You!

By Dave Stone Since I was fairly young, I”ve had a favorite Bible verse that has stuck with me through every phase of my life: Acts 4:13. Yes, I get the same look from everybody when I reveal the verse because it really isn”t a common passage; most people are like, “Uh . . . really?” and they don”t know whether to act like they know it. It”s such a cool passage because the disciples are being intensely persecuted but continue to preach about Jesus Christ being resurrected, and this is the observation the Jewish people have as they look

January 20, 2011

Christian Standard

Blogging About the NACC

Join the NACC conversation! Not only is the North American Christian Convention a great annual gathering, it”s also a great thought-provoker. This year convention leaders are thinking about the challenging themes of this year”s convention main sessions. Read and comment on their blog posts at a new site, NACC Conversations, every week between now and the convention, July 5-8 in Cincinnati.

January 19, 2011

Christian Standard

Preacher, Crew, to Climb Volcano

Greg Nettle, senior pastor at RiverTree Christian Church (Massillon, OH), is one of nine guys climbing a volcano in the Andes Mountains this month! Nettle and his team leave for Ecuador tomorrow; while there they will climb four mountains including Cotopaxi, the second-highest summit in the country and one of the highest active volcanoes in the world. The last 5,000 feet of the climb will be over the world’s largest equatorial glacier! The nine climbers, all part of RiverTree, are raising $100,000 for ChildReach Ministries and Compassion International. Click here to watch Greg and two teammates discuss the trip and

January 16, 2011

Christian Standard

Worth Discussing

By Mark A. Taylor One quote stands out among several in a news release posted some time ago on our Web site*. An impassioned member of the Stone-Campbell Dialogue reflected on the words of Christ whose prayer for unity is recorded in John 17: Apparently Christ thought the unity of his followers was the single most important evidence that he truly came from the Father, that he was divine. And this makes unity compelling””an absolutely compelling thing””not a backburner issue. Unity is at the heart of what the whole gospel is about. Unity is at the heart of the annual

January 14, 2011

Christian Standard

Challenge: Spend Less than $2 per Day for Food

This week, Community Christian Church (Naperville, IL) challenged all attendees to spend less than $2 a day per person on food; the $2 a Day Challenge is designed to raise awareness and compassion for the 20 percent of the world living in poverty and the almost 50 percent of the world”s population living on less than $2 a day. Participants are encouraged to journal throughout the experience and share questions and thoughts with their small group at the end of the week.

January 14, 2011

Christian Standard

Colorado Church Wins Long Court Fight Over Land Use

On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled it would not hear an appeal from the Boulder County (CO) commissioners in their case against Rocky Mountain Christian Church (Niwot, CO). In a Denver Post article, RMCC lead pastor Alan Ahlgrim said this final, conclusive win for the church could have legal implications for at least 160 other churches around the country. The dispute centered on the federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act. The county will be required to pay the church”s legal fees; most of the $1.5 million will be covered by the county”s insurance.

January 14, 2011

Christian Standard

Church of Christ Couple Among Tucson Shooting Victims

Dorwan Stoddard, a member at Mountain Avenue Church of Christ (Tucson, AZ) was one of six people killed in last Saturday”s shooting that also severely wounded Democratic U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. Stoddard was hit by the gunfire while protecting his wife, Mavy; Mavy was shot in the leg and was in stable condition as of Tuesday. The Christian Chronicle, a news blog of the churches of Christ, has updates here. * * * Tucson area news reports have also shared responses from several local churches, including Chandler (AZ) Christian Church and Central Christian Church in Mesa. Several of the congregations

January 13, 2011

Christian Standard

Reading Scripture with Patience

By Mandy Smith This autumn I took my children to the farm. It seemed like the right thing to do in late September when school is in full swing and the slow days of summer are fading into distant memory. The farm we chose had placards throughout to instruct field trip groups about things like composting and spring houses. As I came upon the first of the signs, I was faced with a decision””to teach my children something or to let them explore. Mostly because of my own tiredness (but partly out of my sympathy for the hours they”d spent

January 7, 2011

Christian Standard

God”s Word””the Life Shaper

(This essay is the first in a series called “The Bible, My Guide” that will appear throughout 2011. In it, Christian leaders will present testimonies about how the Bible has changed them. This essay, and all subsequent ones in this series, may be accessed by clicking on “The Bible, My Guide” in the drop down menu under “Features” on the home page.) By Marshall Hayden I didn”t understand the TV commercial the first time or two. But now every time I see it I get a warm feeling the advertiser no doubt wanted to plant in my subconscious. When we

January 7, 2011

Christian Standard

Hope Partnership Kids Making the Grade in Kenya

This past week, Christian Missionary Fellowship (Indianapolis, IN) received word that of the 96 kids from the Hope Partnership who sat for their high school entrance exam, 93 passed””a 97 percent pass rate! This is the second consecutive year that 97 percent of Hope Partnership students passed, in a country with an average pass rate of 40 percent. “These kids are all from the slums,” says Executive Director Doug Priest. “None of them are children of privilege.” The Hope Partnership is an initiative that serves the poor in Nairobi, Kenya, with Community Health Evangelism, a microfinance program, child sponsorship, and

January 6, 2011

Christian Standard

What to Call Our Year of the Bible?

By Mark A. Taylor What better time than 2011 to focus on the Bible? This year marks the 400th anniversary of the King James Version of the Bible, and in Christian Standard we”ll be lifting up the Bible all year long. This week”s special articles are the first of many about everything from how we got the Bible to how we teach it. Friends and advisers””our contributing editors as well as colleagues here at Standard Publishing””gave us dozens of ideas for the year. But even with all their excellent input, we couldn”t agree on what to call our year of

January 4, 2011

Christian Standard

Changed Lives, Reformed Hearts

By LeRoy Lawson The Brain that Changes Itself Norman Doidge, M.D. / New York: Penguin Books, 2007 Dark Journey/Deep Grace: Jeffrey Dahmer”s Story of Faith Roy Ratliff and Lindy Adams / Abilene: Leafwood Publishers, 2006 In the 1950s Norman Vincent Peale”s The Power of Positive Thinking became a surprise best seller. Robert H. Schuller took up his mantle a generation later with a host of self-help books with a variation on the theme, the power of “possibility” thinking. It has been pretty easy for cynics to dismiss Peale and Schuller and their ilk. Too easy, too Pollyannaish, so much “pie

January 2, 2011

Christian Standard

The Essential About Opinions

by Mark A. Taylor Any parent of young adults knows two things: First, you”ll always be a parent. Just because they”re out of the house, you don”t stop worrying about their health and their choices and their future. Just because they”re earning a living, you don”t stop wondering if they have enough money. Second, and more important, the parent of young adults must keep his opinions to himself””or at least state them in a gentle way that earns a hearing. Grown children don”t respond well to lectures from their parents, especially when they passionately disagree about the issue at hand.

January 1, 2011

Christian Standard

Playing It Forward for Families, Churches

By Jennifer Taylor The team from Cartwheels & Coffee has been asked to open new locations in Colorado, Kentucky, and even Portugal. “The best ideas come from creative solutions to problems,” says Chris Barras, lead pastor at Area 10 Faith Community (Richmond, Virginia). The idea was doubling the use of a rented space to both minimize costs and maximize community engagement. When Barras and his team planted Area 10 in 2008, they were fortunate to score the famous Byrd Theatre as a meeting place. But the location had no room for a children”s ministry. “We wanted to have low overhead

December 30, 2010

Christian Standard

New Members Light Candles

This past Sunday, Crossroads Christian Church (Newburgh, IN) celebrated the year and encouraged new decisions for Christ. After covering the stage in the worship center with unlit candles, church leaders invited all those who had become a Christian or a CCC member over the last year to come forward and light one of the candles. At the end of his sermon, senior pastor Ken Idleman extended an invitation for anyone who wanted to make one of those decisions that morning to also come forward and light a candle.

December 27, 2010

Christian Standard

FROM MY BOOKSHELF: From My Vacation, for Your New Year

By LeRoy Lawson The Rational Optimist: How Prosperity Evolves Matt Ridley / New York: HarperCollins, 2010 Uncommon: Finding Your Path to Significance Tony Dungy with Nathan Whitaker / Carol Stream: Tyndale House, 2009 Why Does E=MC2? Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw / Cambridge: Da Capo Press, 2009 How the Mighty Fall: And Why Some Companies Never Give In Jim Collins / New York: HarperCollins, 2009 The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got that Way Bill Bryson / New York: Perennial, 1990 This column”s books have one thing in common: They provided my entertainment on a recent trip to Europe.

December 24, 2010

Christian Standard

Church Offers Year-End Offering Opportunity

“Being a part of this church has changed my life! I am in a very difficult financial place right now so finding an extra $20 is hard. I do, however, have these rings to give. Thank you, I have been able to make it through the darkest time because every Sunday you are all here for me.” Inspired by this note, the team at 2|42 Community Church (Howell, MI) created a special year-end offering opportunity””“The Original Christmas Gift.” Just as the wise men gave gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to Jesus, members were encouraged to bring their gold (in

December 23, 2010

Christian Standard

Canadian Church Hosts Celtic Christmas

Churchill Meadows Christian Church (Ontario, Canada) held its annual Celtic Christmas celebration this past weekend. The event features fiddlers, bagpipe music, authentic step-dancing, and other ancient elements. Popular Celtic songs and traditional Christmas carols are performed and CMCC minister Jim Tune shares a Christmas message.  Read more about this and other ways churches are celebrating Christmas in this week”s Buzz!

December 23, 2010

Christian Standard

Churches Provide Mission Opportunities at Christmas

Sherwood Oaks Christian Church (Bloomington, IN) created a Global Christmas Market catalog to provide opportunities for missional giving this season. The catalog included information about the local and global missions supported by SOCC, as well as specific “wish list” items for each ministry: food for the hungry, a week at camp for a needy child, mosquito nets, and many more. Participants could designate their financial donation toward any item and the church also provided gift acknowledgement cards for them to explain their donation to recipients. Common Ground Christian Church (Indianapolis, IN) also created a way for members to give to

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