Series: Featured

November 29, 2009

Christian Standard

Best Mission Practices in the 21st Century

  by Robert Reese “¢ As Americans, we must view non-Western Christians as our equals. The attitude of looking down on people because they are not as “developed” as we are comes from the period of Christendom when the West ruled the world. In the early church, the apostle Paul did not look down on people of other nationalities, but saw them as new creatures in Christ and heirs to all God”s promises (2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 2:19). This allowed him to accept such people as coworkers. “¢ The rank and file of global Christians must be equipped to share

November 29, 2009

Christian Standard

The Burning Need

  by Greg Pruett From my house I could see the column of flame and cinders rising like a superheated tornado threatening to devour the whole village of grass huts. Two homes already blazed white-hot””competing with the intensity of the West African sun as the whole community stood helplessly wailing in distress. Men desperately dismantled nearby structures to contain the inferno and keep the rest of the village from burning. I gaped at the sight of my terrified friends weeping, but my mind kept wandering over to the tanks of water I had been storing up at my house less

November 22, 2009

Christian Standard

Christians, Politics, & Ethical Speech

  by Thomas Scott Caulley When we were kids, my brothers and I argued a lot. Inevitably this degenerated into name-calling: “You dirt wad!” someone would yell. “Shut up, idiot,” was the likely response.  Our mother was tireless in her efforts to train such language out of our vocabulary. She quoted Scriptures to us. “Do unto others” and “Each counting others better than himself” were just the beginning of her repertoire, and were among the many Bible verses we boys memorized under Mom”s watchful tutelage. To this day, many Bible passages come to mind in outdated English, even though I

November 22, 2009

Christian Standard

Eternal Threads: Weaving Hope and Justice

  by Katie Noah Gibson “Giving a woman sustainable income changes her life and that of her entire family,” says Linda Egle of Abilene, Texas, founder of Eternal Threads. And, as the Eternal Threads Web site notes, “Wherever women gather is a great place to tell the Eternal Threads story.” Since 2000, Eternal Threads has worked with female artisans in developing countries to provide them an income by using indigenous craft skills and raw materials. The results are breathtaking: hand-loomed silk shawls from Madagascar, exquisitely crafted jewelry from Thailand, intricate bracelets and delicate beaded earrings from Afghanistan, colorful crocheted lace

November 22, 2009

Christian Standard

Revolution

  by Glen Elliott Jesus was leading a revolution. He was far from conventional or status quo. In every way, Jesus was a radical. He gave his life to ignite a spiritual revolution that would invade and influence every nation and power on earth.  The “Jesus revolution,” also called the kingdom of God, is about radical change. The kingdom is anywhere God”s influence is supreme. I believe following Jesus is all about engaging in a revolution.   THE WORDS OF REVOLUTION Where do we find this idea of revolution in Jesus and the Gospels? His words were the words of

November 15, 2009

Christian Standard

Developing the Leadership Culture

By Glen Schneiders READ THE SIDEBAR: “Keys to Cultivating Leaders” Leadership development never happens accidentally. I learned this important lesson in the early years of our new church. I had a very young, inexperienced staff, and I found myself increasingly frustrated that they were not more assertive leaders. They were tentative at times, and at other moments were like bulls in a china shop. “Why don”t they just step up and lead?” I kept asking myself. One day as a staff member and I were making a hospital visit, it hit me. Actually, I made the visit while he was

November 15, 2009

Christian Standard

Keys to Cultivating Leaders

By Glen Schneiders READ THE MAIN ARTICLE: “Developing the Leadership Culture“     Don”t Shortcut the Selection Process for Potential Leaders You will pay in the long run for shortsighted personnel decisions (paid and unpaid). In the early days of church planting, the tendency is to fill slots with “warm bodies,” and often we have to do that. But as you do, assess which people have the capacity to lead. Don”t hand over control too quickly; it is much harder to reclaim it. David Cottrell puts it this way, If you hire tough, it will be a whole lot easier

November 15, 2009

Christian Standard

Growing Leaders in a Young Church: Interior and Exterior

By Steve Cuss I used to believe that a good-hearted pastor with a strong work ethic and a vision from God could lead a thriving local church. Four years into my own journey, four churches around us have closed their doors. In order to thrive, I”ve learned to focus on the interior life of the leader and the exterior structure of the church. Your Interior Life Baptize your calendar!“”I”m convinced my calendar is a pagan””possibly even a devil worshiper. It can run my life ragged if I”m not careful, keeping me so consumed with details that I neglect my fundamental

November 15, 2009

Christian Standard

Growing Leaders in a Young Church: Infancy to Eldership

by Dave Smith I walked into the mailroom at TCM International in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was January 31, 1994. In my mailbox was a letter from a church in Princeton, New Jersey. Ever the optimistic fund-raiser, I assumed it contained: (a) a very large check, (b) a commitment to support TCM until Jesus returns, or (c) both of the above. Much to my surprise, it was a letter asking me to consider leading a church planting team to New England. New England! My immediate reaction was that it was too cold, too far away, too expensive, too unfriendly. But 13

November 15, 2009

Christian Standard

Can We Become Better Discipling Churches?

By Derek Duncan One of the challenges of living the corporate Christian life is discovering how to connect individual principles with organizational behavior. How do we make disciples outside the realm of interpersonal relationships? Or should we? What kinds of programs help in the conversion, training, and equipping of people to become reproducing disciples? How do we use the current church model to make as many disciples as we can? Can we be more effective in helping people become like Jesus Christ, transform their own hearts and their neighbors with the love of Christ, and courageously proclaim the hope of

November 8, 2009

Christian Standard

God”s Pleasure Principle

By Karen Diefendorf I have a practice of concentrating on one of the shorter epistles or books of prophecy when I”m away from home and its usual routines. I can read through a whole book in one sitting each day or I can thoroughly concentrate on smaller sections of the smaller book each day while still completing the whole book by the end of the stay. Recently I decided to concentrate on Paul”s letter to the Ephesians. However, this time I found myself somewhat bored with what should have been a stimulating text. Perhaps you”ve had similar dry spells in

November 8, 2009

Christian Standard

Loving Those Who Annoy You

By Jan Johnson A confession: I have not always loved my neighbor””especially the one next door. At first, I was annoyed by how the husband parked cars on his lawn””oops, there was no lawn, just dirt and weeds. How would this affect the resale value of my home? Add the wild parties and loud fights. We tried to be friendly, but our encounters were always awkward. Take, for instance, one day when my husband was frustrated as he changed the oil in our car. The wife next door observed his frustration and prodded: “Go ahead and cuss like the rest

November 8, 2009

Christian Standard

Three Sides of Community Ministry

By John Sloper It”s the economy . . . well, maybe. At Broadway Christian Church in Mesa, Arizona, three separate ministries to help the economically disadvantaged are in place, and two of them began meeting needs long before the current economic downturn. Each has been responding to real needs on the east side of the Valley of the Sun in Arizona. Food Box Begun in the 1980s (its emphasis at first was clothing exchange), the Food Box Ministry has continued to grow and assisted almost 400 families in July 2009 (almost 1,500 individuals). The need has grown dramatically in the

November 8, 2009

Christian Standard

City Centered: Making a Difference One Relationship at a Time

By Jennifer Taylor Residents of inner-city Cincinnati need money. They need educational opportunities. They need clothes, medical care, and healthy food. But Hope Inner City provides none of that. Instead, the young couples working in this economically distressed, sometimes dangerous neighborhood offer the gospel through consistent loving relationships. It”s a new approach for many church leaders, but for these missionaries it”s the best way to build the kingdom. Programs vs. Presence Hope Inner City does organize some program-oriented outreach activities; a ministry for children ages 4 to 9 includes songs, stories, games, snacks, and more, while a preteen ministry focuses

November 1, 2009

Christian Standard

Read Well to Lead Well

  by Eddie Lowen Every church leader, especially the primary communicator, the preacher, should fear staleness. Those who listen to us instinctively know whether or not we are digging the well deeper or skimming the surface. When people begin to lip-sync your pet phrases as you speak them . . . when you have to feign enthusiasm for things that should genuinely excite you . . . when you preach old sermons because you can”t imagine improving upon what you wrote several years ago””you are going stale.  The easiest ways to stay fresh are through reading and discussion. Not every

November 1, 2009

Christian Standard

Why I Write Books

  by Arron Chambers I”m often asked how I became an author. I never planned on being an author. I liked to write but never thought anyone””besides my Mom and my 10th-grade English literature teacher, Mrs. Beardall””would ever read anything I”d ever written. But that all changed over lunch with my friend Ben. I”d had the privilege of baptizing Ben back in January 2004. Immediately after his baptism we began meeting every other week for discipleship, fellowship, and to celebrate what God was doing in his life. Ben is a very talented man who””at the time””was writing a book. Over

November 1, 2009

Christian Standard

The Diploma of Biblical Studies

  by Gayle L. Gresham Summit Theological Seminary in Peru, Indiana, has one purpose””Teaching God”s Word to God”s world. Summit recognizes that people with college degrees are not the only people who teach God”s Word in churches and evangelize the lost; therefore, in addition to offering both bachelor”s degree and master”s degree programs in sacred literature or theology, Summit also offers the Diploma of Biblical Studies, a home study program concentrating on the Bible and theology for those who desire in-depth Bible knowledge, but don”t necessarily want to earn a degree. The program of study for the Diploma of Biblical

November 1, 2009

Christian Standard

Death by Platitude

  by Mark Atteberry By definition, a platitude is a trite remark, uttered as if it were fresh or profound. I heard a classic just an hour ago. I was driving home from an appointment and heard a radio preacher assure me that my life had value. He said that no matter how bad I may feel about myself, I am definitely worth something. Why? Are you ready for this? “Because God don”t make no junk.” Any minute I expected him to remind me that God moves in mysterious ways and that there are no atheists in foxholes. The first

October 25, 2009

Christian Standard

We Lead by Serving: A Band of Servants

  by Darryl Bolen In this article, Darryl Bolen, senior minister with First Christian Church, Greeneville, Illinois, discusses his ministry. Read the companion article written by Ronald G. Cook, an elder with the church.         At the conclusion of his career, prematurely ended by a debilitating disease, baseball legend Lou Gehrig spoke to a packed Yankee Stadium on July 4, 1939. He said, “Today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of this earth. I have been in ballparks for 17 years and have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans.”1 Overlooking

October 25, 2009

Christian Standard

We Lead by Serving: Called to Be Shepherds, Not Cowboys

  by Ronald G. Cook In this article, Ronald G. Cook, an elder with First Christian Church, Greeneville, Illinois, discusses his ministry. Read the companion article written by Darryl Bolen, senior minister with the church.     Remember watching those old westerns when you were a kid? Now think, how did those cowboys move cattle from point A to point B? They had a cattle drive! Cowboys rode behind and to the side of the herd, hollering and shooting their guns in the air, anything to get the cattle headed in the right direction. Granted, at night when the drive had reached

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