Series: Featured

February 14, 2010

Christian Standard

Testimony of an NACC Newcomer

By Daryl Reed I serve as lead minister of DC Regional Christian Church in metropolitan Washington. Our church was reorganized and relaunched as a congregation in 2003. For the past five years or so, our young congregation has been encouraged by new connections we”ve made with new ministry friends, especially our friendship with Mountain Christian Church in Joppa, Maryland. I have a rich history within the Restoration Movement. I consider myself blessed to have been raised in the mainline a cappella churches of Christ in Wisconsin. My grandparents on both sides and my parents are longtime church of Christ members

February 14, 2010

Christian Standard

NACC Women”s Conference Will Help You “˜Survive and Thrive”

By Karla McElroy Believing that faithfulness to one”s kingdom call requires welcoming all of life”s experiences as gifts from God, this year”s NACC Women”s Conference leadership team chose the theme “Survive and Thrive” to help guide the choices for speakers and topics. Here are some highlights: Thursday Main Event“”This special session for women has been expanded to include lunch, worship, and testimonies. Carol Kent, founder of Speak Up With Confidence and also a best-selling author, will be the guest speaker. Carol knows what it means to live with an unthinkable circumstance that will never change””and still to make hope-filled choices.

February 14, 2010

Christian Standard

Two Conventions in One: The NACC and FACC

By Karla McElroy The NACC welcomes the Filipino & American Christian Convention to Indianapolis, Indiana. Since its first gathering in Santa Cruz, California, in 1982, the FACC has been held biannually in cities across the United States, Hawaii, Canada, Guam, and the Philippines. Al Dimaano is president of this year”s convention. It seems particularly fitting for him to be a leader in this new NACC-FACC partnership since he is the founding chairman of the FACC. Registration will cover events for both conventions. FACC-focused events will be held in the Hyatt Regency, which is attached by skywalk to the Indiana Convention

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 7, 2010

Christian Standard

Enduring a Painful Ministry

By Brian Giese Hebrews 13:17 exhorts Christians to respect and follow their church leaders so their work will be a joy rather than a burden. That is God”s ideal. But what happens to a leader who is rebuffed by his followers and loses the joy of ministry? Many factors can cause a church leader to lose effectiveness in serving a body of believers. We will consider some of these factors later. For now, we must acknowledge that many church leaders have suffered from painful resistance to and/or forced termination of their ministries. Many statistics are available concerning this subject. Suffice

February 7, 2010

Christian Standard

How One Minister Survived a Building Program

By Ken Swatman Just the thought of building and relocating to a new facility can strike fear into the heart of the most experienced and energetic of pastors, and it was no different for me. As the new senior pastor of a struggling 80-year-old congregation, I was faced with the challenge of relocate or perish. Our building was too small for even our 115-member congregation. There were too many stairs, not enough bathrooms, and a bottom floor that looked more like a dungeon than a children”s ministry center. Add to that the curb appeal of a 1950s institution and you

February 7, 2010

Christian Standard

Memoirs of a Young Preacher

By Dale Tinsley I am quietly staring at a computer screen at 3 in the morning. Almost five years have passed since my first encounter with the church I am writing about. These past few years have deeply matured my understanding of God, ministry, and life, and reflecting on this time has led me to new convictions. As I open my heart and tell this story, my hope and prayer is that you hear a calling to live and act according to Christ, and that you might gain insight into how the church should look. VITAL, BUT OVERLOOKED I never

February 7, 2010

Christian Standard

What I Have Learned in 50 Years as a Theologian (Part 1)

By Jack Cottrell Since receiving my AB degree from Cincinnati Bible Seminary in 1959, I have been either preparing to teach or teaching theology (Bible doctrine) in CBS”s (now Cincinnati Christian University”s) graduate school. I was recently challenged to sum up what I have learned during this lifetime of study. Here are my thoughts. FADS vs. FUNDAMENTALS First, I have learned that theological fads come and go, but the “fundamentals” are still fundamental. A fad is a seemingly new idea that bursts on the scene and receives lots of attention, especially by authors and publishers. Once the latter have milked

January 31, 2010

Christian Standard

Balance

By Tom Ellsworth   “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).     Six days out of seven they hurried off to work. Toting their specialized tools and equipment, the men were visibly energized by their careers. They always left before dawn and never returned until the last rays of the sun had sleepily disappeared behind the surrounding hills. There were seven in all””men who were totally preoccupied with their jobs. Rumor has it they even whistled while they worked! Then tragedy struck. Late one afternoon when the men

January 31, 2010

Christian Standard

One Man”s Changing View from an Ugly Couch

By Brandon Smith The epiphany occurred on an ugly couch in our ministry center””a couch that resembled one my grandmother had in her living room. I was leading our college students through the first verses of Philippians. As usual, the apostle Paul had begun his letter with a prayer: “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best” (Philippians 1:9, 10). Wait a minute. “What is best“””not “what is good” or “what is helpful.” We must be able to

January 31, 2010

Christian Standard

Forgiving Ourselves

By John Mark Hicks “This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything” (1 John 3:19, 20). Self-forgiveness is a controversial topic. Many believe it is so tied to self-help and self-esteem pop psychology that it actually is a reflection of pride and lack of faith. There is no text in Scripture that explicitly commands self-forgiveness, it is said, and only God can forgive. Others, however, genuinely punish themselves by

January 30, 2010

Christian Standard

Guaranteed Returns

By Jeff Faull Can I share the talk I had with myself recently? I said, “Self, what few assets you possess are not really yours; they are God”s. And in these tough economic times you need to protect and use God”s money wisely. “But where is a safe place for God”s money? Is it the bank? Is it the stock market? Are CDs the way to go? Can it bolster my sagging 401k? Should I buy precious metals? Should I hide it under the proverbial mattress or bury it in the backyard?” Perhaps you have had similar conversations with yourself

January 24, 2010

Christian Standard

It”s Just Like Fishing

By Rick Chromey Children”s ministry in the smaller church has the same amazing potential to grow and thrive as a mustard seed. It”s all in how you cultivate it. This practical guide provides insights that will encourage you in your children”s ministry, along with ready-to-use tools for evaluation, budgeting, and teacher training. Energize your children”s ministry! Use these innovative strategies for mega-impact with limited resources, people, and money. Energizing Children”s Ministry in the Smaller Church (item 42311) is available from your local supplier or at www.standardpub.com. “”˜Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “˜and I will make you fishers of men”” (Matthew

January 24, 2010

Christian Standard

Children”s Ministry Leadership GOLD!

By Rick Chromey Children”s ministry in the smaller church has the same amazing potential to grow and thrive as a mustard seed. It”s all in how you cultivate it. This practical guide provides insights that will encourage you in your children”s ministry, along with ready-to-use tools for evaluation, budgeting, and teacher training. Energize your children”s ministry! Use these innovative strategies for mega-impact with limited resources, people, and money. Energizing Children”s Ministry in the Smaller Church (item 42311) is available from your local supplier or at www.standardpub.com. To lead a children”s ministry in the 21st century””regardless of church size and shape””requires

January 24, 2010

Christian Standard

Should I Stay or Should I Go Now?

By Ash Barker How do we know if it”s time to move on or to dig deep and persevere? As an urban mission worker for nearly 20 years, I know how much is at stake. It pains me to see so many Christian leaders either hang on to an assignment for far too long, wringing the life out of a community, or withdraw prematurely, missing out on what was possible in that community. How can we know the right time to transition out of our current roles? I have some experience with this, and have helped many others to do

January 24, 2010

Christian Standard

Holloway Named Executive Director of World Convention

By Staff Gary Holloway has been appointed executive director of World Convention, President B. J. Mpofu announced. Holloway succeeds Jeff Weston, who returned to Australia in 2009 after serving as executive director since 2004, and Bill McDonald, who has served on an interim basis for several months. Holloway currently is Ijams Professor of Spirituality at Lipscomb University in Nashville, TN, and ministers with Natchez Trace Church of Christ in Nashville. He was a member of the planning committee for the 17th World Convention, conducted in Nashville, July 30 through Aug. 3, 2008. The World Convention is a quadrennial global gathering

January 17, 2010

Christian Standard

Fear Not . . . Volunteers Can Be Found!

By Linda Ahlgrim Worry is an insult to God! Even so, it”s easy for church leaders to experience panic and despair when they know ministry programs are doomed to failure without boatloads of committed volunteers. I understand. As director of children”s ministry for our church, I often found myself burdened with the responsibility of finding and training volunteers to serve with our ever-increasing numbers of children. And as everyone around me anticipated a summer filled with fun and travel, I faced my annual “season of despair” when volunteer after volunteer decided to take the summer off. I had to learn

January 17, 2010

Christian Standard

A Sabbatical for Volunteers

By Wilbur Reid III Volunteer church leaders are busy. In addition to the typically demanding workweek, they have family responsibilities: driving kids to practices, maintaining the lawn, staying up with housework and laundry, and everything else that makes a healthy and happy home. On top of that, they feel a calling and responsibility to support the kingdom of God in their local church. They spend hours each week as elders, deacons, Sunday school teachers, nursery workers, and small group leaders. They maintain the building and grounds, sing in the choir, and work with the youth group. This busyness leads to

January 17, 2010

Christian Standard

The Lost Art of Encouragement

By Terrie Todd As I left my employment with the church””after 25 years as administrative assistant, drama director, communications director, and finally director of creative arts””I was cleaning out my office. Among the items I packed up and took home with me was a basket filled with various encouragement cards and notes I”d received over the years. Some of them are more than 10 years old, some are e-mails I”d printed, some are hilarious, and some move me to tears. They came from people I led, people I followed, people close to me, and people I barely know. But each

January 10, 2010

Christian Standard

Introducing Hero HeadQuarters: Standard Publishing’s 2010 Vacation Bible School

By Joni Sullivan Baker The boy with the five loaves and two fishes. Those shepherds abiding. An army officer asking for a servant to be healed. These are stories we know pretty well. But have you ever noticed something these stories have in common? We don”t know the names of any of these people. Their actions weren”t as heroic as David facing Goliath, but their obedience made a significant difference. And the story of their obedience has been passed down through millennia. They are heroes, but they are the approachable, “I-could-do-that” kind of heroes. And they are being celebrated in

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