Series: Featured

February 20, 2012

Christian Standard

Sending, Serving, Reaching: Christian Missionary Fellowship

By Jennifer Taylor Christian Missionary Fellowship (Founded 1949) P.O. Box 501020, Indianapolis, IN 46250 www.cmfi.org Doug Priest, Executive Director Many people have learned of Christian Missionary Fellowship because of its work in Nairobi, Kenya; since 2006 Executive Director Doug Priest has invited ministers and other Christian church leaders to visit the area and learn about The Hope Partnership. The Hope Partnership offers a strong Community Health Evangelism (CHE) program, teaches HIV/AIDs awareness and other basic health and wellness education, plants churches, and provides hope to the people living in the Mathare slums. “At the Willow Creek Leadership Conference in 2006, Bill

February 16, 2012

Christian Standard

Speak the Truth””Even on the Internet

By Eleanor Daniel I have a confession to make. Some days I wonder why I even bother to teach the Word of God to others. I”m not sure they take it in very seriously. I”m not talking about teaching the Word to unbelievers. It often takes a long time and a lot of effort for them to come to belief in the Lord and to submit to him. Rather, I”m talking about good people who have been Christians for a long time and who, by all expectations, should demonstrate markedly different behavior than nonbelievers. Nor am I talking about gross

February 14, 2012

Christian Standard

Our Journey with Grace

By Pam Parmenter Two and one-half years ago, on our Monday-morning walk together, my husband confessed to me that he had lied to the elders of our church. Later that day, he confessed to the elders. On the next Sunday evening, he lost his job. He came home with tears in his eyes and said, “Honey, I”m so sorry. I lost my job.” I took his face in my hands and said, “Yes, but look at you. You”re clean.” In that moment, I believe God let me glimpse what he sees when we confess and repent of our sins, because

February 14, 2012

Christian Standard

Works Without Grace Are Dead

By Todd Parmenter As the economy faltered and recession began in 2008, offerings began to shrink at the church I served. Some members lost jobs, some others relocated because their jobs moved, physical needs of people in the congregation increased, and a general malaise of uncertainty hung in the air. We cut expenses wherever possible, including some painful staff layoffs. We tightened our belts and ramped up efforts to teach the congregation good financial skills. But still we struggled to pay all the bills, and eventually we couldn”t. In September 2008, the church couldn”t pay both the mortgage and the payroll

February 13, 2012

Christian Standard

What We Learned

By Brad Neal I remember feeling the anguish surface again. The pain of dealing with a fractured ministry, and the resulting fallout, all came rushing back when it came time for public restoration. Was this the right course? Would members trust us? The easy path would have been just to leave it in the past.   Take sin seriously. The restoration process takes time. In our case, two years. It takes time for the seed of repentance to bear the fruit of a changed life. It also takes time for those who are hurt to be ready to trust again

February 12, 2012

Christian Standard

Celebrating the Restoration of a Broken-World Brother

By Don Green About two years ago one of the ministers of the church I attend was asked to resign following a confessed sin and an acknowledged act of deception. Within days of his confession and resignation, he initiated conversations with some of his ministry friends that ultimately led to the creation of a restoration team. The minister was Todd Parmenter who served with Lincoln (Illinois) Christian Church. I was privileged to serve on this restoration team. We served together for 20 months in one of the most rewarding experiences in my more than 40 years of ministry.   Resources

February 11, 2012

Christian Standard

His Church & Her Church

By Daniel Schantz When my wife and I attend church together, we do not have the same experience at all. When we get back home and start comparing notes, I sometimes wonder if we were even in the same building.   The Arrival She: We arrive at the church 30 minutes early. Any later would be unthinkable to my wife, Sharon, who is magnetically drawn to people and needs time to visit with them. Like a hummingbird foraging flowers, she moves from friend to friend, gathering newsy nectar and sharing the supernatural achievements of her grandchildren. At the same time,

February 9, 2012

Christian Standard

Our Elders May Function Differently Than Yours

By Stephen Bond The Bible is surprisingly vague with regard to organization in the local church. It”s clear that God intends each local congregation to have a plurality of elders in leadership. We see this, for example, in Acts 14:23 as “Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church” (note that elders is plural). It”s also clear that mature Christian character is what matters most for elders. The qualifications for elders mentioned in 1 Timothy and Titus deal almost exclusively with character. Beyond those two broad characteristics””more than one elder, all of mature/good character”” the Scriptures are essentially

February 6, 2012

Christian Standard

More Than a Memorial

By Tom Lawson The language we use when talking about Communion has a great deal to do with our history. A quick review of any English Bible will demonstrate words like memorial or emblematic or symbolic are not found in any of the passages about Communion. So, where do they come from and why do we hear them so often? The flip side of that question might be: Why are there a number of biblical phrases and teachings about the Lord”s Supper we rarely hear? To understand why we hear what we hear, it is important we take a brief

February 5, 2012

Christian Standard

Meeting and Meaning at the Lord’s Supper

By Lee Magness   Gathering is central to our identity. Worship is central to our gathering. And breaking bread is central to our worship.   Luke describes how, “On the first day of the week we came together to break bread” with the early Christians of Troas (Acts 20:7). So many centuries later, their practice is still instructive. The Lord’s people gathered for the Lord’s worship on the Lord’s Day to share the Lord’s Supper.   The church may gather for any number of reasons—for service, for prayer, for study. But there is no better reason for Christians to gather

February 3, 2012

Christian Standard

What Are We Trying to Restore?

By Gary Weedman For the past 100 years or so, churches and Christians in our fellowship generally have professed to be part of the Restoration Movement. We have not always been clear, however, about what exactly we are working to restore. To this day, perhaps with a bit too much hubris, we say of our early leaders that Thomas Campbell restored the ancient book, Alexander Campbell the ancient order, Walter Scott the ancient gospel, and Barton Stone the ancient life. Work done. Case closed. But for much of the 20th century, many of the heirs of this historical movement thought

January 31, 2012

Christian Standard

Seven Heavens

By Daniel Schantz Heaven is probably not the word my mother would use to describe the seven parsonages I lived in, growing up in the 1950s. But, being a child, I was utterly unaware of the things that drove my mother to the brink of breakdown: carpets the color of dried blood, a 10-by-10 kitchen with no windows, and one bathroom for eight people. I was much too busy having fun to notice details like that. Anywhere was Heaven to me, as long as we were all together. Thousands of stories have been written about parsonages because they are different

January 30, 2012

Christian Standard

A Preacher”s Kid”s Hopes for His Own PKs

By Shan Caldwell I was born a preacher”s son. As such, I felt it was my duty to help my dad out as much as I could. I thoughtfully provided sermon illustration fodder for the first 16 years of my life. I enlivened dull sermons by whispering or passing notes, obliging my father to interrupt his message by calling me out””by name””in front of the whole congregation. My dad may not have always appreciated my “help,” but I did (and do) appreciate growing up in a preacher”s family. My dad traveled in evangelistic work for the first six years of

January 29, 2012

Christian Standard

How to Help a Preacher’s Kid

By Charity M. Walker-Byers I am a preacher”s kid. Being a PK has influenced every part of my life. It has influenced my values, my self-concept, and my life goals. I have lived through the joys and challenges of growing up in a ministry family. I know what it is like to be proud of a father and mother who give all they have to the service of God. I also know what it”s like to have my family life centered on, and at times almost overtaken by, service to God. Growing up as a preacher”s kid taught me the

January 24, 2012

Christian Standard

Church Planting Organizations

Compiled by R. Paige Mathews Christian churches and churches of Christ are committed to church planting! Just a quick look at this list will remind you that church leaders from coast to coast are working to reach non-Christians with new congregations. Church planting organizations and associations were asked to share information about their ministry beyond basic contact information. That information is condensed below, for those who answered our survey.   (For your convenience, this list is available as a pdf. Just click here: Church Planting Organizations.) “¢ “¢ “¢   Alabama State Evangelizing Association Philip King 3601 Lorna Ridge Drive Hoover, AL 35216

January 23, 2012

Christian Standard

So You Want to Plant a Church?

By R. Paige Mathews For 19 years, I have committed myself to an assessment process that determines if a candidate is suitable to be a new church planting leader or team member. To as few as 10-12, or as many as 70-100 candidates in a year, I have asked the question, “So you want to plant a church?” The question usually comes on the second day of assessment, after I have read their documents and after getting to know them, albeit not fully. Therefore, I have sometimes asked the question cynically, “So, YOU want to plant a church?” Other times

January 22, 2012

Christian Standard

Power Planting

Brent Storms became president of Orchard Group in 2009 and CEO this past July. Greg Nettle joined the Stadia team as president just a few months ago. These two young leaders recently sat down with us for a candid conversation about the future of church planting and the future of the church.   Brent, what is Orchard Group”s niche and overall mission? STORMS: Our mission is to plant growing and reproducing churches in New York, the Northeast, and beyond, which often means strategic urban settings. We began in the New York metro area and in the last 20 years we”ve

January 20, 2012

Christian Standard

The Multigenerational Church

By Steve Reeves There is much discussion among church leaders regarding whom we are trying to reach. Should the church develop worship services, music programs, and buildings that meet the needs of lifelong members? Should we give priority to children and students? Should we focus on young adults and newly marrieds? These questions have kept many preachers and elders up at night, and I confess this has been a struggle for me throughout ministry. In my opinion, the answer cannot be “either/or,” it must be “both/and.” After all, the Scriptures say, return to the “ancient paths” (Jeremiah 6:16); “Have confidence

January 17, 2012

Christian Standard

Cultivating Cultures that Help People Flourish

By Steve Hayner How does a leader shape a culture? Is this even possible? Doesn”t culture just happen as a result of the individual attitudes and activities that each person brings into the community? My strong observation and premise is that leaders can””and do””shape culture. I say that from my experience in various organizations over the years, as well as from the Scriptures. For instance, Joshua”s example of unswerving faith moved the people to stand with him on the day he issued his “choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve” challenge””and they maintained that “culture” for a long time after Joshua

January 16, 2012

Christian Standard

What”s a Leader to Do?

By Steve Hayner Here are a few activities that will help leaders guide organizational culture with a skillful hand.   Be Attentive and Assess Leaders need to be aware of what is happening within their organizations at all levels. They need to have an ear to the ground. They need to notice the details of life around them as it is being lived. They need to ask questions and then listen carefully to the answers. I am amazed at how oblivious I can be. I get distracted by the vision before me, or by the immediate tasks at hand, and neglect

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