Series: Featured

July 5, 2009

Christian Standard

Strengthening Families: Community and Church Working Together

  By Nancy Karpenske  Exhibit A: snapshot of a teenager and an older person talking while eating at a fast-food restaurant. Exhibit B: snapshot of that same older person dropping the teen off at his home, stopping for a few minutes to talk with the teen”s mom. Exhibit C: snapshot of that same older person now in the principal”s office with the same teen, serving as an encouraging presence in a “check-up” meeting. Exhibit D: wide-angle photo, large conference room. The participants” name tags identify them as representatives of agencies from across the county: employment services, department of health, probation

July 5, 2009

Christian Standard

It”s Simple: Why We Partner with Civic Organizations to Serve the Community

  By Luke Erickson and Tom Moen  Attend a community council meeting and you quickly discover what”s important to the people in your county. What some people call “bellyaching” sometimes tells you the most:  “We don”t have enough programs for our kids.” “The shopping center is run-down and poorly lit. It attracts gang activity.” “The homeless are tracking through our property to get to the liquor store.” To address concerns like these, our community council naturally looks to its members, local law enforcement, and a host of civic organizations. While these groups may not be explicitly Christian, they are already

July 5, 2009

Christian Standard

A History of Open Forum

  By John Mills  How does a brotherhood of some 5,000 autonomous congregations set goals and plan strategies for growth? Each congregation strives to fulfill the Great Commission of Matthew 28, but are there ways to work together to accomplish this divine commission? For 26 years the Open Forum has worked to achieve this goal. Although several successes can be noted and great steps forward have been taken, Open Forum as an entity has decided to “fold its tent.” As it does so, it is appropriate to share what this unique effort has accomplished.   ENGAGING IN DIALOGUE At the

July 5, 2009

Christian Standard

A Test of Our Times

  By Rod Roberts The opening sentence of Charles Dickens”s A Tale of Two Cities describes the era of the French Revolution: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” That well-known literary line underscores why leaders need to discern the times in which they live. Had Louis XVI understood this crucial leadership principle, he may have avoided the distinction of being the only king of France to be executed. Do you ever consider how important the times today may be to the flow of human history? Even Scripture underscores the importance of understanding the times

June 28, 2009

Christian Standard

Embracing the Ministry of Adoption

By Sonja White READ THE SIDEBAR: “An Adoption Story” by Sonja White   The arc of international flags on the front lawn of RiverTree Christian Church in Massillon, Ohio, might remind some of the United Nations. But for RiverTree”s congregation and the community, the flags celebrate children. Each flag represents the birth country of the 150 children who have been adopted by a family involved in the church”s Born in Our Hearts adoption ministry. Born in Our Hearts is an adoption and foster care ministry dedicated to raising the awareness of children in need of adoption and helping families through the

June 28, 2009

Christian Standard

An Adoption Story

By Sonja White READ THE MAIN ARTICLE: “Embracing the Ministry of Adoption” by Sonja White      Every adoptive family has a story and a journey. For Greg and Julie Nettle, their story began on December 1, 2001. Greg explains, “We had good friends who had decided to adopt [a child] from Kazakhstan. It was a difficult time for our country following the events of September 11th, and our friends had to leave their two biological boys with grandparents to complete their adoption in Kazakhstan, a country just 500 miles north of Afghanistan. At the end of their three-week trip,

June 28, 2009

Christian Standard

Finding Forever Families

  By Kathy Alexander  On November 17, 2003, a newborn baby girl was left on a road near the gated entrance to the Yangjiang Social Welfare Institute, a government-run orphanage in Yangjiang City, Guangdong Province, China. The orphanage staff tenderly picked up the tiny baby wrapped in a simple towel and named her Yang Xiao Jing.  “Yang” is the surname given to every child who comes to the Yangjiang orphanage, and “Xiao Jing” is the name the staff selected for this particular arrival. For record keeping, however, she was classified as Baby No. 315. Xiao Jing began her new life

June 28, 2009

Christian Standard

Caring for America”s Orphans

By Brian Mavis It began for my wife and me with a simple nighttime prayer with our young daughters: “God, take care of the orphans.” We always imagined kids in Africa when we prayed that, and eventually we sponsored a couple of kids from Kenya. But that prayer kept doing its work on us, and it led to an obvious question for us: “Are there orphans in America?”   Orphans in America? Surely there were some, a child here or there who had lost her parents. But if God wanted to use us to help answer that prayer and to

June 28, 2009

Christian Standard

That Old-Time Religion

  By David A. Fiensy I grew up in southern Illinois where the appeal to the old-time religion was almost a weekly observance. It seems like we were always trying to get back to the “old Bible days” when they had church on Sunday nights, sang hymns composed by Fanny Crosby, and held revivals in tents. If some infraction occurred in the community (such as a public official being arrested in an illegal activity), we blamed it on modernism. What we needed, we protested, was to get back to that old-time religion. And, of course, we thought every Christian should

June 21, 2009

Christian Standard

Finding Your Focus

  By Glen Elliott   n the 2008 movie Yes Man, the main character (Jim Carrey) functions like a modern-day hermit until he is challenged to begin saying “yes” to everything. It works out well for him, for the most part, until the end when he realizes he can”t really say “yes” to everything. While it is risky to say “yes” all the time, it takes more courage and wisdom to know when to say “no.” For years our church held an annual Pumpkin Patch event (a safe Halloween alternative) that drew several thousand folks. It was a huge success in terms

June 21, 2009

Christian Standard

How to Communicate with Excellence

By Tony Jeary   Who”s a Presenter? YOU Are! Tony Jeary”s new book, Purpose-Filled Presentations, will show you how to lead a small group, make a presentation to a committee or class, or share your faith with someone next door. Tony, acclaimed by corporate leaders and motivational experts as “Mr. Presentation,” explains how any Christian can communicate more effectively to anybody, anytime, anywhere! You”ll enjoy his practical, step-by-step approach. You”ll learn how to use his simple “Seven Steps to Effective Presentations” (the first four are highlighted in this article): 1. Clarify Objectives 2. Define Your Audience 3. Gather Content 4.

June 21, 2009

Christian Standard

How to Listen to a Sermon

By Brian Mavis SHARE THIS ARTICLE WITH EVERYONE IN YOUR CHURCH. (DETAILS BELOW.)       One hundred times more people will hear a sermon this week than preach one. So why are there thousands of articles, books, and classes on how to preach a message, but virtually none on how to listen to one? It”s because most people think listening just comes naturally. But that”s not what Jesus thought. Jesus said to “consider carefully how you listen” (Luke 8:18). The state and fate of your life depends on how you listen. Teachers are responsible for teaching well, but you

June 21, 2009

Christian Standard

The Marvel of Metaphor in Teaching and Counseling

  By Larry W. Bailey   The talented, courageous king had sinned against God and his neighbors. He had committed adultery and schemed to assure the death of his lover”s husband who was serving in the king”s army. King David needed to be confronted, and a prophet of God was assigned the task. Nathan did not shout at the king, cite the commandments David had violated, or detail the error of his ways. Rather, he told David a simple story that included a person of power, a humble servant, and a lamb. There were two men in a certain town,

June 16, 2009

Christian Standard

God of This City

By Jennifer Taylor In 2007, the Places Rated Almanac named Pittsburgh the “most livable city” in the United States. Despite its long winters and reputation as an aging steel town, the city scored strongly for recreation, education, and safety. The chamber of commerce and local politicians enjoyed the victory, but business leaders and families aren”t the only ones moving to Pittsburgh; hundreds of refugees from Myanmar relocate to the city each year. Many of these refugees from the country formerly known as Burma arrive in the United States to escape the ruling military junta and its repression of human rights.

June 14, 2009

Christian Standard

Collaboration Makes It Happen

By Ellen Hollcroft The opportunities for ministry in Glen Cove, New York, were undeniable. The question was, could a small church do anything to help with such profound problems? Local newspaper articles told the story. “¢ “He apparently drank himself into a stupor that night, the coldest of the season. Passed out from the alcohol, he fell into the creek. His companions pulled him out, sat him up and wrapped him in their blankets. At dawn, they found him still in that position. The police said he had frozen to death” (New York Times, 26 January 1997). “¢ “The City

June 14, 2009

Christian Standard

A Long Ministry

  By Shan Wood In the summer of 1965, a young, skinny graduate of Ozark Bible College, Joplin, Missouri, moved to a small city north of Buffalo, New York. He was accustomed to life in the Midwest, so becoming minister of a small church in suburban western New York was quite a change. Moving away from family and friends to serve a new church always presents challenges, but adding such complicating factors as a first ministry in an unfamiliar region of the country usually is a recipe for a short “tour of duty.” But somehow it worked, for some 40

June 14, 2009

Christian Standard

Leaders Are the Key

  By Larry Travis and Tim Wallingford Why are 75 to 85 percent of the churches in America plateaued or declining? Why are 74 percent of those in their 20s not going to a church of any kind? We can find a clue in the ministry of Jesus. Before he launched his ministry, preached the Sermon on the Mount, confronted the Pharisees, taught in synagogues, and performed most of his miracles, Jesus selected leaders. He prayed all night before his decision. Jesus then invested the next three years equipping 12 men who, after being trained and empowered by God, turned

June 14, 2009

Christian Standard

Transformed Lives Through God”s Word in Every Language

  By Greg Pruett I cocked my ear to one side, straining to understand the faint yelping I was hearing as I blinked a drop of West African dust and sweat out of my eye. I instinctively moved into the high grass to investigate and found a young boy with a long switch relentlessly whipping a starving puppy to near death. I tried to tell him not to do that, but my first week of language learning just wasn”t enough. The boy”s eyes betrayed no shame. Nobody had ever told him the simplest lesson of Genesis my Sunday school teacher

June 7, 2009

Christian Standard

What I”ve Learned While Serving Single Moms

  By Nancy Karpenske It”s what the church is supposed to be doing. It takes longer than you think. Their backgrounds and situations are not all similar. Their problems are large and expensive. Their hurts are deep. Their children are their priority. Many have little knowledge of God”s plans for marriage and family. Many have little grasp of God”s love and grace. Many have been turned away from their church, either because the small church can”t meet their financial needs or because that church punishes those who get divorced. Many have a hard exterior that covers a wounded heart. Many

June 7, 2009

Christian Standard

The Bible Mandate for Single Mom Ministry

  By Nancy Karpenske “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress” (James 1:27)*. In today”s society, homes led by single mothers are one significant expression of “orphans and widows.” In Acts 6, one of the first problems in the early church centered around neglect or unfair treatment of widows in a basic necessity: daily food. The apostles” response shows it was important to respond to the need and care for these individuals and families. The apostles invited the church to select seven of their best

Help Keep Christian Standard Free & Accessible with a Tax Deductible Donation

We can do more together!

Every gift makes a difference!

No, thank you.
100% secure transactions - receipts provided.
Does Your Church Want to Support Christian Standard?

Would your church consider including support for Christian Standard in its annual missions budget? Your support would help us not only continue the 160-year legacy of this unifying ministry, but also expand the free resources, cooperative opportunities, and practical guidance we provide to strengthen churches in the U.S. and around the world.

We can do more together!

Every gift makes a difference!

No, thank you.
100% secure transactions - receipts provided.
Secret Link