Series: Featured

November 16, 2008

Christian Standard

Changing Signs and Signs of Change in a Tulsa Congregation

By Greg Taylor In a little corner of Tulsa, Oklahoma, at the Garnett Church of Christ, we”re trying to be a sign of the kingdom of God in a way we never would have imagined three years ago. Many churches in the past two decades have changed their names, removed the denominational “brand,” and called themselves community churches or “The River” or hundreds of other names. We made a change to our sign, but for different reasons and with a much different approach. The efforts that go along with that change, and the results, have blown our minds. We”ve changed

November 16, 2008

Christian Standard

Elders & Ministers: Speaking the Same Language

By Darrel Rowland Does this sound like where your church is today? “I”ve never felt hindered by any of the elder teams I”ve served with.““”Greg Marksberry, 24-year veteran of the ministry now with his third church, Heritage Christian in suburban Atlanta “There is peace, joy, and happiness in the (elders) meetings and in the church.”“”Robin Hart, minister for almost 25 years with Northside Christian near Akron, Ohio “Just as children with two mutually supportive parents gain an extra measure of confidence and security, a church with mutually supportive elders and ministers has a sense of well-being that cannot be fostered

November 16, 2008

Christian Standard

Should the Minister Be One of the Elders?

By Darrel Rowland   “The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching” (1 Timothy 5:17).   Does this verse mean the preacher could/should be a pastor and regarded as an elder? Three of the four churches examined this week because they have a well-functioning leadership team believe so. Bob Russell was an elder at Southeast Christian in Louisville. Robin Hart in Ohio and Eddie Lowen in Illinois are elders today. Greg Marksberry is not, although he acknowledges that a “fly on the wall” at elders

November 16, 2008

Christian Standard

Two Elders Now Ministers Talk About Elder-Minister Relationships

By Darrel Rowland With apologies to Judy Collins, we could say that Ernie Graf and Jim Sloderbeck have looked at church from both sides now. Their unique perspective comes because both were veteran elders and both now serve on their church”s ministerial staff. Graf is minister of administration for Northside Christian Church near Akron, Ohio. He majored in accounting and has a degree in business administration, which he used for 35 years in the private sector. When Northside created the administrative post in 2003, he took early retirement and joined the staff. Sloderbeck has been executive pastor of Heritage Christian

November 16, 2008

Christian Standard

What Elders Don”t Understand About Ministers

By Darrel Lowland 1. Most ministers are unequipped for management and economics. 2. Ministers need support to be successful. 3. It is the elder”s role to make the church and minister successful. 4. A minister has a vision for the church, and the elders must support that vision or get it changed lovingly. 5. The minister has problems just like everyone else. 6. Ministers are trained to “be in charge.” 7. A compliment from an elder means more than one from someone else. “”Bob Russell (retired), Southeast Christian Church, Louisville, KY   Primarily, what elders (probably) don”t understand about ministers

November 9, 2008

Christian Standard

The Local Church Needs Scholars

By Fred Hansen   WHAT IS A SCHOLAR? According to the definitions in The Oxford English Dictionary, the word scholar can describe anyone from a person who reads or writes well to someone well acquainted with the Greek and Latin languages. In other words, scholarship is often in the eye of the beholder. And the meaning of the word has changed throughout history. In the Elizabethan period, for example, it referred to university graduates who could not find employment in a professional field but sought to make a living by writing. Our use of the word is broader than that,

November 9, 2008

Christian Standard

Scholars in the Church”“A Practical Response

By Brian Jones After reading Fred Hansen”s article “The Local Church Needs Scholars,” I immediately thought of my first ministry internship. It was with a pastor who, by his own admission, wasn”t really into scholarly study.  “Brian,” I remember him telling me, “you”ll find that the guys out there leading the big churches are pragmatic leaders. That should tell you something.” What I remember most about him however was his penchant for getting carried away with the latest church fads to try to spur church attendance.   ON YOUR KNEES! When I showed up that summer he was well into

November 9, 2008

Christian Standard

Books We Recommend

    We asked CHRISTIAN STANDARD”s Contributing Editors to “tell our readers about a book that”s made a difference in your life this year.” Here are their recommendations:     William Glasser, Reality Therapy: A New Approach to Psychiatry (Harper, 1975).   I was not prepared for the impact reading William Glasser”s Reality Therapy would have on me. It was an easy, fascinating read, but more than that, I found myself having so many “aha” moments I had to go back and take notes. I read it because of our work with single mothers recovering from substance abuse. It was

November 9, 2008

Christian Standard

Keys to Teamwork (Part 4): Wise Decision Making

By Stephen Bond   Steve Bond and his wife, Pam, launched Summit Christian Church in March 1998. The church met in the Sparks YMCA for 3½ years before moving to a new permanent facility on a 36-acre site. Summit”s vision is to “Love God, Love People, and Serve Others.” Over the past 10 years the church has grown to more than 2,000 people in weekend worship attendance. Approximately 1,000 adults are also involved in life groups. One of the keys to this growth has been a high level of teamwork among Summit”s staff and elders. This is the fourth of

November 9, 2008

Christian Standard

Windows of Youth Ministry

By Curtis Booher and Phyllis Fox   In the rapidly changing culture of adolescents, one thing has remained the same over the generations””the nature of teenagers. Students of the current millennial generation are struggling to find their identity, purpose, and direction in life, to be independent of their parents, and to find love. These same struggles have confronted students in every generation.  The big questions remain the same: Who am I? Where am I going? Why am I here? But there are also many characteristics unique to students growing up in the new millennium. It is important to understand the

November 2, 2008

Christian Standard

Keys to Teamwork (Part 3): Conflict Resolution

By Stephen Bond Steve Bond and his wife, Pam, launched Summit Christian Church in March 1998. The church met in the Sparks YMCA for 3½ years before moving to a new permanent facility on a 36-acre site. Summit”s vision is to “Love God, Love People, and Serve Others.” Over the past 10 years the church has grown to more than 2,000 people in weekend worship attendance. Approximately 1,000 adults are also involved in life groups. One of the keys to this growth has been a high level of teamwork among Summit”s staff and elders. This is the third of four

November 2, 2008

Christian Standard

Beyond Tweaking the Code

By Jason Rodenbeck When I started preaching at Castle Christian Church in Cumming, Georgia, I began podcasting our sermons. It is not especially difficult, but it requires learning a special code. If even one character is entered incorrectly, the podcast doesn”t work. But, fortunately, one little tweak to the source code often fixes the problem. Sometimes we look at the teaching of Jesus Christ that way””especially people caught up in what I call “the religion that passes for Christianity.” In that religion, we believe Jesus came to offer a cure for the ills of society and salvation from what really

November 2, 2008

Christian Standard

The Knife Wasn”t Even Sharp (A Parable for Elders)

By Robert Kitchen One day Vic came into my office to discuss a construction project at our church. Vic is a retired executive from a large machinery manufacturer, gentleman farmer, elder, and willing volunteer. Me? I”m a semiretired accountant, writer, woodworker, elder, and part-time business manager. I said, “Vic, you”re my friend and a willing volunteer. I need some surgery and I think you can do it. Do you have a pocketknife?” Vic knew my off-the-wall manner, so he played along. He pulled out his knife, held it to the light, and said, “It may need some sharpening.” I was

November 2, 2008

Christian Standard

Hundreds Compete at National Bible Bowl Tourney

By Staff   “Team 1″ from Southeast Christian Church, Louisville, Kentucky, won the National Bible Bowl double-elimination tournament held July 1-4 at the Marriott Marquis in Atlanta, Georgia. Other team winners included the squad from Central Christian Church in Ocala, Florida, which won the Beginner Bowl contest, and test-takers from Central Christian Church in Kissimmee, Florida, who scored highest on the Team Written Test. (A more complete list of team and individual winners is at the end.) In addition to the quizzes and tests, evening sessions at the national tournament featured lively worship and compelling speaking. Offerings exceeded $15,000 and

October 26, 2008

Christian Standard

Five Guidelines for Doing Good and Feeling Good Every Day

By Victor M. Parachin Several years ago, Collin Perry was living the American dream. He had a thriving construction business, a comfortable home, two new cars, a sailboat, and was happily married. Then the business climate soured, eroding his savings. He lay awake at night knowing he couldn”t make ends meet. Just when he thought things couldn”t get worse, his wife declared she wanted a divorce. With no idea what to do next, he boarded his sailboat and literally began to “sail off into the sunset.” He started by following the coastline from Connecticut toward Florida, but somewhere off the

October 26, 2008

Christian Standard

Water

By Greg Taylor Each paragraph of this article marks the death of another person from a preventable waterborne disease. We are willing to vote, fight, and sacrifice in order to drill and have all the oil we need. Are we prepared to vote, fight, and sacrifice so that this sentence doesn”t represent another person dying because he didn”t have the most basic physical resource in life? God created it, hovered over it, destroyed life with it, parted it, lapped it up with fire, walked on it, and drank it at a well. And he gave it to us to drink.

October 26, 2008

Christian Standard

Keys to Teamwork (Part 2): Communication

By Stephen Bond Steve Bond and his wife, Pam, launched Summit Christian Church in March 1998. The church met in the Sparks YMCA for 3½ years before moving to a new permanent facility on a 36-acre site. Summit”s vision is to “Love God, Love People, and Serve Others.” Over the past 10 years the church has grown to more than 2,000 people in weekend worship attendance. Approximately 1,000 adults are also involved in life groups. One of the keys to this growth has been a high level of teamwork among Summit”s staff and elders. This is the second of four

October 26, 2008

Christian Standard

Sin Among the Shepherds

By Name Withheld   In a perfect world there would be no articles like this. The leaders in our churches would be solid, stable, and blameless. You wouldn”t need the testimony “of a leader who failed.” And I wouldn”t be that leader. In a serious understatement, I was asked to describe for you “what happens when a shepherd “˜stubs his toe” and it is handled well by the church.” I was asked because I am that shepherd, but I didn”t feel I had “stubbed my toe”””it felt like I had cut off my legs. While the elders of my church know

October 19, 2008

Christian Standard

Keys to Teamwork (Part 1): Chemistry

By Stephen Bond Steve Bond and his wife, Pam, launched Summit Christian Church in March 1998. The church met in the Sparks YMCA for 3½ years before moving to a new permanent facility on a 36-acre site. Summit”s vision is to “Love God, Love People, and Serve Others.” Over the past 10 years the church has grown to more than 2,000 people in weekend worship attendance. Approximately 1,000 adults are also involved in life groups. One of the keys to this growth has been a high level of teamwork among Summit”s staff and elders. This is the first of four

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