Series: Featured

December 8, 2011

Christian Standard

Praying for Tunisia As Never Before

Most Christians want to obey Jesus” command to “ask the Lord of the harvest . . . to send out workers into his harvest field” (Matthew 9:38), but they struggle to know how to pray for a nation they”ve never visited and missionaries they seldom see. Do you want to join thousands of other Christians in united prayer for unreached people? Do you want to receive daily, specific, insightful prayer requests that will empower and intensify your prayers? The website and associated movement www.Pray4Tunisia.com is bringing God”s people together and changing the way we approach prayer for the harvest fields.

December 8, 2011

Christian Standard

Tunisia . . . An Unprecedented Opportunity for the Gospel

By Name Withheld A year ago, most Americans had never heard of the small African country of Tunisia. Global awareness changed in January, when a desperate young fruit vendor set himself on fire and Tunisia became the first of a string of Arab nations to revolt against oppressive dictators. Now, in the wake of the Jasmine Revolution, Tunisians are recovering from the shock of the past, putting the pieces back together, and dreaming about their future. And Christian workers and believers in Tunisia are taking advantage of an unprecedented window of opportunity for the gospel. Christianity is intricately woven throughout Tunisian

December 7, 2011

Christian Standard

KORE””Chicken Coops and More in Haiti

By Dennis Bratton KORE Foundation is a unique ministry that pursues sustainable solutions to extreme poverty within the Christian community of Haiti. One billion people in the world””and half the population of Haiti””exist on $1 a day or less. Extreme poverty is simple to define, but it is hideous to behold. It is debilitating. It does not allow dreams or hopes. It strikes and crushes the most vulnerable on earth. It is time for the church to consider a reasoned Christian response to this destructive burden. Jesus acknowledged economic realities in his ministry (Luke 4:16-30). He offered care for both

December 6, 2011

Christian Standard

Big Dent””A Personal Touch to Lessening Poverty

By Janet C. Smith Microfinance is the latest new tool Christians can use to share the old, old story. CMF International”s new BigDent.org website has made it simple, easy, and fun to do. Christian Missionary Fellowship, a 62-year-old mission agency in Indianapolis, Indiana, has worked in Nairobi, Kenya, for many years. Executive Director Doug Priest and his staff believe there are many Christians who are interested in providing a microfinance loan within a faith-based framework to aspiring entrepreneurs in an impoverished community. CMF now has the tools for small gifts to make a “big dent” in poverty. BigDent.org went live

December 5, 2011

Christian Standard

The Poor You Will Always Have with You . . .

By Doug Priest “I am married and have four children. I received a loan of $400 to start a business making jewelry and shoes. With the money, I purchased a sewing machine, the raw materials needed, and paid the rent for my business house. I have since been able to employ part-time workers.” “”Moses, a slum dweller In Matthew”s account of the anointing of Jesus by Mary of Bethany, he quoted Jesus as saying, “The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me” (Matthew 26:11). Mark, who also wrote about this event in his

December 2, 2011

Christian Standard

The Lord”s Supper as Abstraction

By Jason Bembry I want you to imagine our world in the year 2111, 100 years from now. Imagine it”s a few days before Thanksgiving. The fastest-selling grocery item is “Thanksgiving on the Go,” a package containing a little cube of pressed turkey meat, a congealed cube of stuffing, and a tube of cranberry sauce. People in the 2100s are busy folks. Traveling to see loved ones for the holiday has become too hectic; many have deemed it psychologically stressful. Most people opt to work on the fourth Thursday in November, carrying with them the handy “Thanksgiving on the Go.”

November 30, 2011

Christian Standard

We Are a Worldwide Movement

By Gary Holloway The world is coming to Goiânia, Brazil, July 25-29, 2012! The churches in Goiânia, a vibrant growing city in Brazil, are hosting a global gathering of Christians in the Christian churches/churches of Christ”“Disciples of Christ family. These global gatherings occur every four years under the leadership of the World Convention. Did you know we had a World Convention? For 80 years, God has worked through the World Convention to connect Christians, Disciples, and churches of Christ globally every day. Stories of recent connections through the World Convention include: “¢ A Kenyan minister, greatly discouraged by his experiences

November 29, 2011

Christian Standard

Rhythms and the Word

By Glen Elliott Healthy people and healthy churches understand rhythms. The teacher was spot-on when he said, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). There are times for long hours and intense work. There are times for rest and relaxation. If you stop and observe, almost anything that”s healthy in life has a rhythm. There are growing seasons and seasons where we let things lie fallow. We exercise our muscles intensely and then we must rest. Too much of one or the other can be detrimental. Every church has a

November 29, 2011

Christian Standard

Get Out of the Way!

By David L. Clark I”ve been preaching 35 years and still remember my first “official” sermon. I was consumed with preparation during the week leading up to it. I spent hours at a local college library. I chose a text, searched the meanings of words, read multiple commentaries, and scoured mind and memories for timely illustrations. By Friday, the sermon was ready, and I was full of anticipation. Sunday morning arrived after a fitful night of sleep. I preached! The sermon was delivered to those who would listen and””if I say so myself””it went well. Then reality set in. What

November 28, 2011

Christian Standard

Our Year in Deuteronomy

By Mike Baker I had just become senior pastor two months earlier and now, at the annual sermon planning retreat, I was to give direction for our preaching for the upcoming year. Our church was known for biblical preaching, but I sensed we were in a topic-driven rut that basically had rotated a handful of relevant biblical themes in our teaching year after year. It was time for a change, and so I suggested a yearlong study through the book of Deuteronomy. My wife”s reaction was a big “thumbs down.” When a staff member heard my proposal, she simply said,

November 25, 2011

Christian Standard

Common Sense on “˜The Feminization of the Church”

By Jeffrey Miller Late in 2008, Todd Carmichael staggered to the South Pole after covering 700 uphill miles in 39 days. He arrived with damaged gear, frostbit lungs, extreme exhaustion””and a world record! His discipline and determination, endurance and exhaustion, are truly amazing. Equally amazing, however, is whom he beat. Her name is Hannah McKeand, and Carmichael bested her record by 104 minutes””a margin comparable to winning a marathon by less than 4 minutes.1 Whether these adventurers are Christians, I don”t know. Their exploits, however, turn my mind to a frequent accusation commonly called “the feminization of the church.” As

November 23, 2011

Christian Standard

Biblical Interpretation in the Restoration Movement

By Mark Weedman The history of the Restoration Movement is diverse and complex, and summarizing it is necessarily difficult. But some general patterns do emerge, and we can use those patterns to gain an overview of how followers of the Restoration Movement have approached biblical interpretation. Three moments in that history stand out as especially important in shaping how Thomas and Alexander Campbell and their followers would interpret the Bible. The first was the appearance of Thomas Campbell”s Declaration and Address, a seminal document that established the movement”s governing plea. The second moment was a debate between Isaac Errett and

November 22, 2011

Christian Standard

Reading the Text on Its Own Terms

By Mark Scott “Good Bible interpretation is letting the text have its own voice.” “True interpretation is what the author intended to say.” “Always strive for the AIM (author”s intended meaning).” “A text cannot mean what it never meant.” “Meaning is singular; significance is plural.”   I heard and/or read all of the above statements in my Bible college days. Each one made sense to me. I trusted their sources. I embraced them. They served me well. I was good to go on interpreting the Scriptures. But something happened along the way. The supposed plain talk of interpreting the Bible

November 21, 2011

Christian Standard

Application Without Heresy

By Daniel Overdorf I hiked a trail in the Smoky Mountains with some friends last spring. I was refreshed by the crisp air, mountain peaks, and conversation. All the fresh mountain air I”d inhaled came out in a single gasp, however, when we approached a 20-foot bridge that crosses a ravine. The term bridge may overstate the reality””a park ranger, with a devilish grin in place, positioned what looked like a long railroad tie across the canyon, strung a couple of wires to function as handrails, and invited weekend hikers to test their mettle. I prefer to leave my mettle

November 19, 2011

Christian Standard

Vinyl Records Have Made a Comeback

By Josh Tandy The big black discs you put on a turntable and place a needle on to play are suddenly cool again. Maybe you”ve seen them only at Goodwill or garage sales. Maybe you were holding on to your collection and your mom sold it while you were at college, but vinyl is in. LP lovers seem to always talk about the full sound that is absent in digital formats. Or they rave about the album experience, hearing the entire piece as the artist intended. Digital music available on iTunes is popular because of the vast selection, near-perfect quality,

November 18, 2011

Christian Standard

Advice for New Ministers and Their Churches

By Mark W. Hamilton Too often neither new ministers nor the churches they serve understand all the ways to help make their first year successful. Every year here at Abilene (Texas) Christian University, men and women receive degrees in theology and head off to their first work in a congregation. They pack a U-Haul, say goodbye to friends, eat their last West Texas barbecue and jalapeño cornbread, and embark. They are soon hip-deep in teenage angst, finding replacement teachers, or visiting the sick. They will try to remember what we have taught them about Scripture and systematic theology and church

November 15, 2011

Christian Standard

Every Week for 10 Years

By Kim Butts For close to 30 weeks this year, believers from Christian churches and churches of Christ have participated in “Light the Fire: 24-7-520,” part of Restoration Revolution, a 10-year collaboration to share Jesus with all peoples. “Light the Fire” began on New Year”s Eve 2010 and will continue through December 31, 2020. It is not a program or an event, but a 10-year journey of prayer for the nations. Churches in several states, the nation of Venezuela, mission organizations, and Bible colleges/universities have set up dynamic prayer rooms to invite and seek God”s presence. A “torch” of prayer

November 14, 2011

Christian Standard

Talking Church

By Dennis Bratton During a discussion about mentoring, talk turned toward the idea of a coaching cohort. The term coaching struck a cord of familiarity. I”d taken part in peer coaching for years. We didn”t call it that. It was just a group of preachers who got together once a year to talk church, play some golf, and talk church some more. The benefits of those connections were far-reaching in my ministry. I was in a growing church and regularly facing issues and challenges for which I often felt ill equipped. My best source of counsel came consistently from those

November 12, 2011

Christian Standard

In Awe of Jesus

By Joseph C. Grana II I always had trouble relating to Jesus. I believed he was the Christ, the son of the living God. I believed in his virgin conception, sinless life, miracles, and his bodily resurrection. I loved him, worshipped him, and served him. I just could not relate to him. As God, he always had a leg up on me. I could not be like him. I could not live up to his standards. I could not be perfect. I worshipped him because he was the Christ. I could not relate to him because he was the Christ.

November 10, 2011

Christian Standard

Lessons Learned in an Unusual Church

By Tom Tanner It”s an unusual church, the church where I worship now. We have no children”s ministry, no youth group, and we never send anyone on a mission trip. We have no Sunday school teachers, deacons, or elders. We don”t even have any baptisms. Lest you think the church I attend is some kind of cult or has the most self-centered sinners you can imagine, let me share one thing more. The average age of those who attend this church is 70-something. At 59, I”m the youngest one there most Sundays. You see, my church meets at the nursing

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