Series: Featured

April 11, 2012

Christian Standard

Gen X Rising (Part 2)

By Rick Chromey Gen X is rising. From the Tea Party to the emerging church movement, a new breed of leader is operating. Unlike previous generations in recent history, Americans born between 1961 and 1981 don”t feel a need to work within institutional frames. In the 1990s they pioneered dot-com companies to launch a World Wide Web. During the past decade they”ve revolutionized dig- ital learning, wireless communications, reality television, and thousands of “third place” cultural experiences from coffee shops to fantasy sports to “emerging” churches. Now in their 30s and 40s, this generation rides the leading edge of unemployment, foreclosure,

April 10, 2012

Christian Standard

Gen X Rising (Part 1)

By Rick Chromey The next two decades will produce unimaginable change. By 2040, much of what we now call “modernity” will be history as the digital revolution finalizes its reinvention of commerce, communication, and education. In 2010, Amazon e-books outsold print books, and in 2011, Borders booksellers filed bankruptcy, signaling an end of the age of Gutenberg. The iPad and Kindle are changing how we read. The CD and DVD are dead media (and books are next), while Google, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter continue to flex digital muscles. In the midst of this cyber revolution stands a generation waiting to

April 8, 2012

Christian Standard

Style Conscious

By Nathan Smith A few years back, I led worship on a regular basis at a midsized suburban church that was made up primarily of white, middle-class Americans. I often would speak with the pastor, a good friend, about the church”s “brand” and where he felt God was leading it. The worship gatherings were musically and aesthetically appealing, but I couldn”t get over the fact that we were “selling” a product completely disconnected from the worshipping body. The services were being designed for visitor Q rather than the Christian church member. (A bit of a disclaimer here, I do believe

April 8, 2012

Christian Standard

A New Church for Happy”s Inn

By Phil Alspaw “This is just a fun ministry.” I say those words to my wife nearly every Saturday evening as we pull around a rural fire department”s parking lot and start driving 35 miles home after worshipping with Chain of Lakes Christian Church, started by Libby Christian Church last year on Easter weekend. We usually drive on a logging road maintained only a few months of the year; it”s bumpy, narrow, and beautiful. A long section of the road stretches along a gorgeous river that supports a vast wilderness teeming with deer, elk, moose, mountain lions, wolves, bears, and

April 6, 2012

Christian Standard

“I Will Save You”

By Jeff Vines The prophet Joel said it (Joel 2:32), and more than 800 years later, the apostle Paul repeated it: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13). Of all the enduring promises we find in Scripture, no other promise holds greater significance for both this life and the one to come. But what does salvation really mean? From what is one saved? Why is salvation something we should be concerned about? Before God”s promise of “I will save you” can become precious to us, we must understand the answers to those questions.

April 4, 2012

Christian Standard

A Poor Man”s Wish for His Christian Friends

By Anonymous It is normal to desire health and blessings for our friends and loved ones. Especially in these hard economic times, it is natural to wish prosperity for one another. But I can no longer bring myself to wish for that. In defiance of the Old Testament prophets and Jesus himself, our culture has equated financial prosperity with God”s favor. And, as the Pharisees before us, we seem to have similarly concluded that poverty is the mark of unworthiness. The poor do not deserve our help. Recently I have been assaulted one too many times by condescending e-mails, forwarded

April 3, 2012

Christian Standard

A Room Called Remember

By a Lifelong Christian Church Member (ANONYMOUS) In 2006, the Barna Group conducted a study about church attendance and found that most twentysomethings leave the church after being active through their teen years. The data showed that “61 percent of today”s young adults had been churched during their teen years but are now spiritually disengaged, i.e. not actively attending church, reading the Bible, or praying.” One of the insights David Kinnaman, the director of the research, offered was, “Every teen has different needs, questions and doubts, so helping them to wrestle through those specific issues and to understand God”s unique

March 28, 2012

Christian Standard

Is Seminary Worth It?

By Josh Tandy I am a statistical anomaly. I am a young minister who went to seminary almost immediately after receiving my undergraduate degree. More and more, people like me are opting to bypass seminary and go directly into full-time ministry. Some of these individuals have been spectacularly successful. The incredible stories of new churches being planted and existing ones becoming vibrant again make me think about the time, effort, and resources spent on a seminary degree, and I wonder: Was it worth it? Has a world of blogs, conferences, and books made a seminary degree obsolete? It doesn”t take

March 26, 2012

Christian Standard

We’re Not Alone

By Darrel Rowland Colleges in the a cappella stream of our movement are also experiencing greater religious diversity in their student bodies. Abilene Christian University crossed a historic threshold in 2008. For the first time since the Texas college was founded 102 years earlier, a majority of its freshman class was not part of a (noninstrumental) church of Christ. Just 10 years before, about two-thirds of its students belonged. The decline at Abilene Christian shows that the a cappella branch of the Restoration Movement is experiencing the same, if not a greater, decrease in the proportion of fellowship students making up its

March 25, 2012

Christian Standard

How Colleges Are Coping

By Darrel Rowland With more non-Restoration Movement students added to the growing number from Christian churches/churches of Christ “who are relatively disconnected from key biblical teachings on salvation and the Christian walk,” Florida Christian College, south of Orlando, put key Bible and apologetics courses earlier in the educational process, says President William K. Behrman. “The key concern is how the institution ministers to those students. We put professors skilled at teaching key beliefs in those courses.” As at several institutions, the increasing proportion of non-Restoration Movement students at Manhattan Christian College in eastern Kansas stems mostly from growing interest in

March 25, 2012

Christian Standard

Christian Church Colleges?

By Darrel Rowland More students from non-Restoration Movement churches are attending colleges and universities associated with independent Christian churches and churches of Christ. Is that good news or bad? To find out, CHRISTIAN STANDARD contacted leaders of the movement”s institutions of higher learning. Those from 15 responded, together representing about 85 percent of total enrollment. The “good news” camp points to the benefits of exposure to faithful biblical teaching, which in several cases has led to baptisms””sometimes in college swimming pools. “We view having non-Restoration Movement students as a blessed opportunity to share our message with those who might never

March 19, 2012

Christian Standard

What Good Is a College Education These Days?

By LeRoy Lawson With ever larger numbers of college alumni running the country, and not doing such a good job of it, what good is a college degree, anyhow? Are colleges just cranking out more dumb people with diplomas? A friend recently asked my opinion of the “dumbing down of America.” He was referring to the general agreement that, in spite of record numbers of college graduates out there, Americans as a whole appear to be less civil, less informed, less able to reason, and less articulate than ever. (Even the term “dumbing down” is evidence, isn”t it? Is there

March 19, 2012

Christian Standard

21st-Century Challenges to Biblical Higher Education

By Gary Weedman Our colleges face the same 21st-century issues as the rest of higher education: rising costs, changing demographics, the impact of technology, the effect of globalization, and, especially for us, a question of whether what we do provides value relative to expense or need. The history of our institutions makes these challenges even more acute, since from their origins they have been independent of one another, which hinders any unified response to these 21st-century challenges. I want to address five issues that we must consider if our schools are to remain healthy and effective.   1. Show Me

March 18, 2012

Christian Standard

2012 College Reports: Building, Teaching, Serving, Growing!

By Staff We asked colleges and seminaries associated with Christian churches and churches of Christ to provide updates on what”s happening at their institutions. Here”s what they had to say (these are listed alphabetically):   Alberta Bible College Practical ministry experience has been a hallmark of the education and equipping experience at Alberta Bible College since its inception 80 years ago. Under the direction of the learning services team, ABC is more fully integrating several new practical ministry lab experiences into its regular programs, in addition to the ongoing weekly involvements in local churches and parachurch ministries. Beginning this fall,

March 16, 2012

Christian Standard

A Call to Courage

By Susan Lawrence I”ve noticed something lately that deeply troubles me: a lack of courage among church leaders. Hear me out. I”m not saying church leaders aren”t godly people. I”m not saying I”ve lost all respect for church leaders. But as I talk to people around the country about a variety of situations in their churches, my uneasiness grows as I see a common thread. I”m sure it”s not new, but I”m confident God has brought several situations to my attention, so he could whisper something in my ear: “Be on guard.” After listening to a youth pastor”s accusations behind

March 14, 2012

Christian Standard

Love “em into the Lord”s Work!

By Steve Reeves In my opinion, a young preacher”s first ministry experience lays the groundwork for either a long, healthy ministry career or a short-lived series of job hops that leaves churches and families in a serious state of dysfunction. I”ve heard that the average tenure of a minister is three to four years. It was seven years only a decade ago. What seems to be the problem? While I”m sure there are immature “church-hopping” ministers, I guess there are at least as many “minister-chasing” churches. Most young ministers have school-age children, and I doubt many of them want to

March 13, 2012

Christian Standard

Ten Skills Every Leader Needs

By Victor M. Parachin Everyone leads someone, and every ministry demands leadership. Look at this inventory to see what you can add to your leadership skill set. In 1812, when Napoleon invaded Russia, he was regarded across Europe as a brilliant, inspiring leader who enjoyed one success after another. His attack on Russia was viewed by many as another example of his military genius and bravado. Opposing Napoleon was General Mikhail Kutuzov, an older man who was not well-known. Nothing about Kutuzov suggested he was up for the challenge of repelling Napoleon and his mighty force. Kutuzov was a veteran

March 10, 2012

Christian Standard

Creeds: A Slogan Reexamined

By C. Robert Wetzel I could remember only the words of the first line and the melody of the refrain. It was a hymn that we sang in my home church when I was a boy. I checked with my colleague Ted Thomas, who has an amazing knowledge of hymnology. I sang the first line of the chorus, and before I could hum the rest, he said, “We Saw Thee Not.” It was the hymn that kept running through my mind when I sat down to write this article. Let me explain.   Singing Creeds When asked, “Can women preach

March 7, 2012

Christian Standard

NACC 2012: Interview with the President

By Brian Mavis Rick Rusaw has served as the lead pastor at LifeBridge Christian Church in Longmont, Colorado, since 1991. He is the cofounder of Externally Focused Network, and coauthor of Externally Focused Church, Externally Focused Life, and Externally Focused Quest. Here he answers questions from people like you about this summer”s North American Christian Convention. I contacted 15 different church leaders from around the country and asked them to send me one question they would like to ask you about this year”s convention. Several asked, “How would attending the NACC help me grow as a minister?” RUSAW: The theme

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