Series: Featured

March 7, 2010

Christian Standard

Balancing Grace and Truth with Homosexuals

By Darrel Rowland Read the sidebar, “How to Help,” by Darrel Rowland Heated battles over gay marriage issues rage from California to Maine. Loud people from a tiny church in Kansas tote signs saying “God Hates Fags” and protest at funerals of troops killed in Iraq or Afghanistan. Gay activists contend that many Christians” philosophy on homosexuality, “hate the sin but love the sinner,” is akin to “keep slavery but love the slaves.” Debates multiply over hate crimes legislation, proposals to add sexual orientation to antidiscrimination laws, the implications of such concepts as “don”t ask, don”t tell” or “equal rights,

March 7, 2010

Christian Standard

How to Help

By Darrel Rowland Read the main article, “Balancing Grace and Truth with Homosexuals,” by Darrel Rowland There’s sin. There”s sexual SIN. And then there”s HOMOSEXUAL SIN. At least that”s how we Christians often act. And that”s a big reason why Christian leaders” struggles with homosexuality (1) are more prevalent than many believe and (2) go unaddressed for so long. Many times the inner battle remains secret until the all-but-inevitable blowup or crisis. That”s usually when Dr. John Walker gets a call. For more than 15 years, Walker, a licensed clinical psychologist, has run Blessing Ranch, a sprawling facility on 166

March 7, 2010

Christian Standard

Searching for Causes of Homosexuality

By Kent Paris One would think those working within the social sciences would share in common the answer to the question, “What is homosexuality?” but this is not the case. You would think the staggering volume of a century”s worth of published psychiatric literature detailing the common pathologies observed in tens of thousands of people suffering from homosexuality would convince everyone, even the skeptic, that it is a treatable disorder”“”“but that it is, indeed, a disorder. This was the case until the 1970s. In a stunning, bloodless coup, gay activists pulled off an amazing overthrow within the American Psychiatric Association

March 7, 2010

Christian Standard

Our Ministry to Gays and Lesbians

By James C. Donovan “I am so glad you are doing this Bible study. The churches who teach the Bible as God”s Word don”t want me there and the churches who welcome me don”t teach the Bible as God”s Word.” Those words will be a lasting memory from my effort in ministering to gays and lesbians. The man who uttered those words at a Bible study in a home was a delightful person who called himself a believer and openly admitted his homosexuality. He had only recently come out of the closet and was genuinely struggling with his lifestyle and

March 7, 2010

Christian Standard

God Intends Church Growth

By Stephen Bond “I will build my church . . .” (Jesus Christ in Matthew 16:18) God intends church growth. We know this because there are still people who have not yet embraced God”s grace through faith in Christ. Those people face the specter of eternal separation from the Heavenly Father. Jesus came to seek and to save these lost people. This is not the only message Jesus brings, but it is one of the most important. At the age of 21, I opened the Bible for the first time and discovered a world of truth I had never known.

February 28, 2010

Christian Standard

Honor Where It”s Due: A Report on the 2009 National Missionary Convention

By John Caldwell My first experience with the National Missionary Convention was when it came to Joplin, Missouri, in 1965 while I was a student at Ozark Bible College. A few hundred people met at Memorial Hall with Woodrow Phillips, Ozark”s missions professor, serving as president. The halls were lined with displays, mostly homemade. Quite honestly, there is little else I can remember except that I felt honored to be in the presence of missionaries from all around the world whom I considered to be heroes of the faith. It would be many years before I would attend the convention

February 28, 2010

Christian Standard

Egyptians Churches Move Toward New Testament Principles

By Karen Wingate Dozens of churches now celebrate a weekly observance of the Lord”s Supper. Many churches are adding baptisteries to their buildings, and ministers are baptizing church members. Congregations with a denominational background are selecting elders to provide local leadership. It sounds like a page from the early history of the American Restoration Movement when Alexander Campbell, Barton Stone, and Walter Scott became convicted of the need to restore the church to the New Testament pattern. In reality, these events describe dozens of churches in Egypt moving closer to the New Testament model of church life. Much of this

February 28, 2010

Christian Standard

Leadership Coaching in the Local Church (Developing Leaders of Leaders)

By Janet McMahon “The fruit of my work grows up on other people”s trees.” (Bob Buford)1 The phone call went something like this, “I was praying for you last night; how did it go?” I was juggling my 6-month-old son on one hip while wedging the phone between my ear and shoulder. “It went OK . . . I think,” I replied. What was this conversation? This was a coaching call. I had led my first women”s small group at Community Christian Church in Naperville, Illinois, the night before. The call was from Sue, my coach. She wanted to know

February 21, 2010

Christian Standard

Welcome Home

By Marshall Hayden It was our first trip with church members to the Holy Land. Driving from the airport, our guide (who has since become our favorite guide) asked the bus driver to pull onto the shoulder of the road about a hundred yards from the top of a hill. “Follow me,” he said. As we topped the rise, there it was, spread out ahead of us, filling the horizon! “Welcome to your spiritual home,” he said. When we climbed back on the bus we heard the first strains of a recording, “Jerusalem.” It was pretty quiet. Except for a

February 21, 2010

Christian Standard

Breakfast on the Sea of Galilee

By Cheri Lynn Cowell I froze. My senses heightened. The Sea of Galilee spread out before me like the Table of Christ, as the rock is called over which the quaint chapel we”d just exited was built. From this rocky shore Jesus called out to the disciples, “Have you caught anything?” “No,” they replied. “Throw your nets on the other side of the boat,” he shouted. Peter and the other men had gone back to what they”d known before the ground-shaking events of the last several weeks””they”d returned to fishing. Yes, they”d been with the resurrected Lord several times. Yet,

February 21, 2010

Christian Standard

Our Holy Land Pilgrimage

By Thomas F. Jones Jr. It was late afternoon and we had just landed at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel. There were 25 of us in the group, all midcareer pastors, 35-55 years of age, men and women. We came from all over the country. We had left the Atlanta, Georgia, airport the day before, and stopped in Frankfurt, Germany, to catch a connecting flight. We were a group of tired, hungry, Christian travelers. Once we landed in Israel we made our way through the crowded passport checkpoint, gathered our bags, and then met our Arab Christian guide

February 21, 2010

Christian Standard

The Art of Sauntering”“Contagious Excitement from the Word

By Terry O’Casey With a belch of diesel smoke, the bus speeds off to another site””just another stop in another too crammed, too rushed day. Rush, rush, rush””get off the bus, snap a quick photo, cram back on the bus””rush, rush, rush! Off to the next stop on the agenda””capture a quick memory””get back on the bus. In the rush the people caught a glimpse of Old Faithful, but completely missed Castle, Grotto, and the grandest of all, Grand Geyser. Only the unrushed get to see these marvels. Meanwhile the bus rumbles on. The rushed strain to see a distant

February 14, 2010

Christian Standard

The Rest of the Story

By George Ross There”s a couple in our church named Brian and Amy. Since the spring of 2000 I”ve used their experience to help explain the joy of coming to faith in the Lord. Their story is moving to me and sometimes to others if I do it justice by telling it properly. But just two weeks ago their journey with Christ became even more special to me. Anxious to Dive In Brian and Amy”s baptism a decade ago wasn”t during a service; most everyone had already left the building, but the angels were celebrating. After our last service of

February 14, 2010

Christian Standard

A List of Mission Agencies Serving in Haiti

By Georgia Sharpe and Reggie Hundley This is a list of contacts for missionary agencies serving in Haiti, as well as (further down) a list of four groups from the Christian churches/churches of Christ working closely with individuals and missionaries in Haiti to provide relief for earthquake victims and their families. This list is provided to CHRISTIAN STANDARD and its readers by Georgia Sharpe and Reggie Hundley of Mission Services (www.missionservices.org). 1. Ambassadors of Christ in Haiti, Carl & Carole Vorst, 11146 Morrow Drive, St. Ann, MO 63074; Gilbert Jules 2. Central Haiti Christian Mission, Carolyn Yeggy, 278 Ihle Drive,

February 14, 2010

Christian Standard

NACC: BEYOND

By Ben Cachiaras When visiting Capernaum last summer, I paused on the rocky shoreline looking out at the Sea of Galilee. Knowing it could be the very stretch of beach Jesus walked when he called those first fishermen gave it a surreal sense of being holy ground. What struck me is that Jesus” call to them was abrupt and demanding: “Follow me!” Doing so would mean a life of perpetual movement and adventure, risk and change. It meant dropping familiar nets, leaving cherished family, and abandoning well-worn paths in pursuit of a leader who wanted to take them BEYOND any

February 14, 2010

Christian Standard

NACC: Jesus Calls Us to Go BEYOND

By Ben Cachiaras Here are some of the sessions planned for this summer’s North American Christian Convention in Indianapolis, July 6-9: “BEYOND the Great Omission” is about making more and better disciples””with Jesus-like passion for both. Instead of omitting one-half of the Great Commission, God wants to stir a passion in us for reaching those far from him””and an equal passion for growing mature disciples. “BEYOND Racial Zones” is about moving past our sectors of separation until our churches reflect the complexion we find in Christ”s church in Acts and Revelation. It is not about affirmative action or being politically

February 14, 2010

Christian Standard

NACC: A Blend of the Fresh and Familiar

By Ben Cachiaras Special Guests A trademark of the convention will be great preaching at our main sessions, anchored by some of our movement”s strong speakers, like Brian Jones, Dick Alexander with Mary Kamau, George Ross, and Gene Appel. In addition, we will welcome some special friends as guests; Christian brothers we have invited to share with us, and from whom we can benefit, include Efrem Smith, Francis Chan, Rick Warren, and others. Added to that will be rich worship experiences led by Eric Olson and the team from Mountain Christian Church of Joppa, Mary-land; Bible studies led by John-ny

February 14, 2010

Christian Standard

NACC: Hmmm . . . Let Us Think

By Rob Kastens Recently I was given a complete original set of The Millennial Harbinger. As I read through the discolored, fragile pages of several issues from the 1800s, I was struck by the discourse and exchange around all sorts of issues. Positions were stated and confronted by Alexander Campbell as he responded to writings published elsewhere and letters he received. This exchange of views through the Harbinger and other publications, in addition to public debates and discussions, helped shape and hone our movement in its early days. In these pages, I found Christians who were committed to Scripture and

February 14, 2010

Christian Standard

NACC: The Week’s Schedule

TUESDAY AFTERNOON, JULY 6 Exhibit Hall Standard Publishing Lunch LOGOS Bible Software Training “The Zone,” Student Area TUESDAY EVENING, JULY 6 Exhibit Hall Evening Main Session with Ben Cachiaras NACC President”s Reception College Fair (for students and parents) WEDNESDAY MORNING, JULY 7 Exhibit Hall Ministers” Networking Breakfast Bible Study Exhibitor Workshops Morning Main Session with Brian Jones Student Main Session with Todd Clark Featured Guest Speaker, Efrem Smith WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON, JULY 7 Exhibit Hall Seniors” Luncheon with Ben Merold Workshops Bible Studies WEDNESDAY EVENING, JULY 7 Exhibit Hall President”s Banquet””Open to All Evening Main Session with Dick Alexander THURSDAY MORNING,

February 14, 2010

Christian Standard

The NACC Is for Students Too!

By Phyllis Fox Youth in Ministry (YiM) is excited to go BEYOND with the North American Christian Convention”s Student Convention in Indianapolis this summer. Our goal is to encourage students to go BEYOND ordinary worship and BEYOND radical discipleship. We have several familiar program elements plus new features that will excite students and their parents. What’s New We are encouraged by the many churches enjoying intergenerational worship, so we are trying something new in the 2010 Student Convention by having the students join the adults for the evening sessions. When students are in high school it is critical that they

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