Series: Columns

October 29, 2010

Christian Standard

A Resource for Readers of Books

By Mark A. Taylor “Do you publish books?” It”s a fair question for Standard Publishing, because our company is known for so much more than books: Sunday school courses for every age, a best-selling and award-winning VBS, classroom supplies, youth material, electives for children and teenagers and adults, small group resources, teacher-training materials, and much more. But amid all these Bible-teaching resources is a growing library of books that many adults have come to savor and share. Some of them are best-sellers, too. All of them inspire and entertain and teach. You”ll find many good reads among the books we”ve

October 28, 2010

Christian Standard

New Spanish-Speaking Church Launched

Central Christian Church (Wichita, KS) launched a new Spanish-speaking church on Sunday evening, Oct. 24. Iglesia Cristiana Casa de Luz (House of Light Christian Church) held its first services in one of Central”s auxiliary buildings also used for the church”s community outreach ministry. Edwin Ojedis will serve as pastor.

October 28, 2010

Christian Standard

Jeanes to Retire as President of Milligan College

After 14 years of service, Donald R. Jeanes has announced he will retire as the 14th president of Milligan College on July 15, 2011. The board of trustees has asked him to serve in the role of chancellor following his retirement. In this role, Jeanes will continue to work with the college”s leadership to maintain important external relationships. He will also play a vital role in the successful completion of the college”s Forward Ever campaign. Jeanes began his presidency in 1997 and under his leadership the college has achieved record enrollments, successful fund-raising campaigns, major renovations of buildings and grounds,

October 23, 2010

Christian Standard

A Challenge for All of Us

By Mark A. Taylor I”m grateful for a preacher who did what Bob Russell didn”t. In his interview this week, Bob says he wishes he”d started a “Preacher Boys Club” as a part of his local-church ministry. When I was in junior high and high school, the minister did exactly that. Actually two ministers led our group at the Christian church in Waukegan, Illinois. It was started by Robert Sheets and continued by Steve Willis who followed him in ministry there. We met before Sunday-evening youth group and learned about different kinds of sermons and how to deliver them. We

October 22, 2010

Christian Standard

Starting a Church for People Who Don’t Like Church

This week Verve, a Christian church in Las Vegas, held “Vault,” a church planting lab “where current and future church planters can learn how to start a church for people who don”t like church.” The event began Monday and ends today, and included sessions on a variety of topics including “Understanding & Starting an Indigenous Church for Your Community” and “Marketing to the Unchurched.” Click here to learn more.

October 22, 2010

Christian Standard

John Russell Retires

This past weekend, John Russell retired after 40 years as senior minister of Lakeside Christian Church (Lakeside Park, KY). “While the vast majority of Lakeside Christian Church’s 100-member congregation supported hiring 23-year-old John Russell as its senior minister [in 1970], a few had reservations because of his age,” said an article in the Cincinnati Enquirer. “”They took a chance on me and decided that I’d grow and they’d grow with me,”” Russell said. Jamie Snyder will serve as the church”s new minister.

October 19, 2010

Christian Standard

As We Publish Our Hiring Articles

By Mark A. Taylor A few thoughts occur to me as we post our articles about hiring a minister. The first of them is spurred by an e-mail that came in response to an article that appeared this summer. I”ll paraphrase in order to protect the identity of the letter writer: I am a new minister fresh out of seminary in 2009. I took on a small church in my first pastorate, and in a little more than a year I was asked to leave. . . . Now my family and I are trying to find our next ministry

October 16, 2010

Christian Standard

A Day for Church Planting

By Jennifer Taylor Last Sunday was 10-10-10 (October 10, 2010)–and churches developed several creative ways to celebrate the day. Some encouraged inviting others to church or talking to 10 people about Jesus; others collected special offerings or suggested members begin tithing. And some planted new churches! The team behind the Exponential Conference developed the 10-10-10 Initiative to focus attention on church planting. Individuals and congregations participated by praying, adopting a church plant for encouragement and financial support, or helping a new church hold its first services. In addition, Stadia: New Church Strategies (Irvine, California) asked each of its plants and

October 15, 2010

Christian Standard

Embracing Esperanza

By Mark A. Taylor Trapped in the coal-dark underground of a Chilean mine, Ariel Tacona Yanez made a decision that will live beyond the rest of his life. Along with 32 fellow miners, he was cut off from the watching world for 17 days until a probe penetrated their dungeon and the world heard the news that the miners were alive. During that time of isolation and uncertainty, the 29-year-old father of two thought about his wife and their soon-to-be born baby girl. They had agreed on a name, Carolina, for their daughter. But there in the depths of the

October 15, 2010

Christian Standard

Friend Zones

By Jennifer Taylor Both Mid-Atlantic Christian University (Elizabeth City, North Carolina) and Hope International University (Fullerton, California) have been named “military friendly” schools by G.I. Jobs magazine and www.MilitaryFriendlySchools.com. This status is granted after research into a school”s programs and policies, tuition benefits, flexible learning options, accreditations, acceptance of the GI Bill, and more. This distinction ranks these schools in the top 15 percent of higher education institutions doing the most to embrace America”s veterans as students. Hope also participates in the Yellow Ribbon program that provides enhanced tuition assistance for military students who want to attend private schools and

October 14, 2010

Christian Standard

Partnering with God to Help a New Orleans Church

By Jennifer Taylor Indian Creek Christian Church (Indianapolis, Indiana) is more than halfway through “Project 52″“”a 52-day challenge to complete construction on a new church building in New Orleans with at least 5,200 hours of labor and an additional $52,000 in funding. Five years after Hurricane Katrina ripped through the city, New Orleans residents “are still rebuilding their lives, particularly spiritually,” writes Indian Creek senior minister Gary Johnson. “That”s why a group of people has formed a church called The Gathering and have established it . . . where some of the greatest destruction occurred.” The time, money, and labor

October 13, 2010

Christian Standard

Hiring Resources

By R. Paige Mathews So, you need to hire a church worker””what is your first step? Here are some books and Web sites that will be helpful in your search. Job Descriptions Creating a comprehensive job description is the place to start in any church worker search. The following books provide a framework for writing a job description unique to your situation. The Big Book of Job Descriptions for Ministry by Larry Gilbert and Cindy Spear (Gospel Light Publications, 2002). Job Descriptions and Duties for Church Members and Workers by Herbert W. Byrne (Xulon Press, 2005). Staff Your Church for

October 8, 2010

Christian Standard

“˜Give 10 for 5,000″²

Central India Christian Mission has designated October as “Give 10 for 5,000” month. It is asking supporters to give $10 each to provide 5,000 copies of the Hindi Family Pictorial Bible, which CICM first published in 1999 and which has played a vital role in sharing the good news with children and illiterate adults in India. Click here to find more information and to access bulletin inserts, posters, videos, and PowerPoint presentations!

October 7, 2010

Christian Standard

Offering Prayers after School Shooting

Our prayers are with the faculty and students at Mid-Atlantic Christian University (Elizabeth City, NC) after a Mid-Atlantic student allegedly shot and killed sophomore Jonathan Schipper on Sunday. The school has held a memorial service and many local ministers and counselors are available to staff and students. “We appreciate the outpouring of love and support we are receiving from churches, Christians, sister schools, supporters, other institutions of higher education, the community of Elizabeth City, and friends and alumni around the world,” the school said in a press release. “While our response to your offers of support, love, and prayers may

October 5, 2010

Christian Standard

“Nondenominational” Wins the Day!

By Mark A. Taylor “We in the Christian churches are radicals,” Marshall Leggett told a group gathered for the daylong Congress of Elders hosted at Central Christian Church, Carmel, Indiana, October 2. “We are radically congregationally governed.” In his closing session message, he expounded on a long list of answers to the question, “What”s RIGHT with us?” The freedom enjoyed by independent congregations in our nondenominational family was one of them. Leggett said, “I don”t know anyone who wants to change that.” Indeed, it would seem that churches from many different backgrounds are walking away from denominational labels, if not

October 4, 2010

Christian Standard

FROM MY BOOKSHELF: Two to Help Us Think About Prejudice

Talking Hands: What Sign Language Reveals About the Mind Margalit Fox New York: Simon & Schuster, 2007 Christianity: A Short Global History Frederick Norris Oxford: One World, 2002 ___________________ By LeRoy Lawson For this reader, Margalit Fox”s title could be Talking Hands””and What They”ve Taught Me About Prejudice. Prejudice is sneaky, hiding in the deepest crevices of the human psyche, seldom recognized in oneself even by the most accepting and fair-minded among us. Campaigning Against Sign Language Take our attitudes toward the deaf, for example. Who would have guessed that Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone, whose compassion for his

October 3, 2010

Christian Standard

235 Baptisms in One Weekend!

Congratulations to Traders Point Christian Church (Indianapolis, IN) for 235 baptisms this past weekend! Estranged spouses were baptized together. People confessed past sins. A man stepped into the tank of water and said it was his first Sunday in church in 13 years. One of the band members stopped playing mid-song so he could be baptized. “We may have different opinions on styles of worship and buildings and programs . . . but we can be unified on what Jesus has called us to do,” said Aaron Brockett, lead minister, in a follow-up video. “And that”s a beautiful, beautiful thing.”

September 28, 2010

Christian Standard

Christian Churches, Large Churches, Growing Churches

Mark A. Taylor Congratulations to Southeast Christian Church, Louisville, Kentucky, the fifth largest church and the 27th fastest growing church in America. Southeast was one of 17 congregations in the fellowship of Christian churches included in the two lists, published by Outreach magazine in September. The lists were based on self-reported February and March attendance weekend attendance averages in a research project involving more than 8,000 churches, according to Outreach. LifeWay Research conducted the study. Ten of the 100 largest churches in America are among the Christian churches, including two in the top 10. (The numbers here and in the

September 28, 2010

Christian Standard

Offering More than a Meal to the Homeless

By Jennifer Taylor     “His Heart, His Hands” began with six people buying breakfast sandwiches at McDonald”s to distribute to the hungry and homeless of Chandler, Arizona. Today more than 35 volunteers serve hot breakfasts every Sunday morning to 60 homeless men and women from around the city. One reason for this rapid growth is obedience. Sharon Bouchard, a volunteer leader and a member at Chandler Christian Church, felt God leading her to the ministry. “Just a short time later, two other people told me they wanted to do something for the homeless,” she says. “I hadn”t mentioned it!

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