The Ministry Pipeline
Restoration Movement colleges struggle to produce enough ministry graduates to meet the growing need for pastors. College presidents explain why.
Series: Featured
Recruitment: How Do Restoration Movement Churches Find Talented Leaders to Fuel Growth?
By Kevin Stone Since the beginning of our church in Pennsylvania, staffing has been among our biggest challenges. There is a continuous, ever-increasing need for people to lead stuff! As we all know, without a constant flow of good people, it’s very difficult to grow. Hiring from the Outside Your church has a leadership need, so you go to an outside recruiting firm for help. You know the process—you write a position description and start the search. I wish it were that simple. Our desire to prevent theological drift requires that we recruit from within the tribe, so to speak. And finding
The Alternatives: Nontraditional Forms of Christian Education
In a world where traditional Bible colleges and universities face many challenges, what options (and opportunities) are emerging for theological and ministry training . . . and how do they stack up?
January 1, 2022
Building a Leadership Pipeline
So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:11-13). As 2020 started, the church in America was already coping with issues ranging from racial tensions to gay marriage, all while competing with sports for a family’s attention on Sunday mornings. Then COVID-19 arrived in full
January 1, 2022
Where Do Church Planters Come From?
What do a lawyer, a football player, and a youth pastor have in common? It might sound like the setup to a bad joke, but it isn’t. All three are examples of professionals who recently left their jobs to plant independent Christian churches in the United States. Many of today’s church leaders are asking where tomorrow’s church leaders will come from. That’s a critical concern among church planters as well. In fact, Stadia president Greg Nettle says, “The number one challenge we face right now is our leadership pipeline of church planters.” Nettle and other church-planting leaders estimate it will
Pastors Are Quitting; What We Can Do to Help
Pastors in Restoration Movement churches quit at an alarming rate. According to research from the Christian Church Leadership Network, 70 percent of Bible college graduates in the Restoration Movement leave pastoral ministry within the first 10 years.* That means 7 out of 10 current Bible college students called to pastoral ministry in this movement probably will not last a decade. How might we better develop and grow healthy leaders? In what ways might we support the leaders we already have so they last a lifetime in ministry? The future of our movement and the health of our churches is at
How to Prevent Message Drift When You Call Your Next Preacher
Message drift is not new. Israel faced it. When Moses predicted that the Lord God would raise up a prophet like him (a reference to the Messiah), he also warned against prophets who would presume to speak in God’s name but actually speak in the names of other gods (Deuteronomy 18:15, 20). Jeremiah ran into a similar situation with a false prophet named Pashhur (Jeremiah 20:1-6; cf. 14:14; 23:32). Message drift was not foreign to the New Testament either. In the Olivet discourse Jesus predicted that false prophets would arise (before the destruction of Jerusalem) and lead many astray, and
January 1, 2022
Looking Back: How Christian Colleges Have Responded to the Need for Preachers Over the Past Century
Fifty years ago, most pulpit ministers in Christian churches and churches of Christ were products of our Restoration Movement colleges. It had been that way for some time, and it likely remains that way today . . . though probably to a lesser extent. [See related article, “The Ministry Pipeline,” by Chris Moon] A survey of pertinent articles appearing in Christian Standard between 1969 and 1974 and a review of James B. North’s Restoration Movement history book, Union In Truth, indicate that most of the colleges producing ministers for Christian churches and churches of Christ were started in the 1920s
November 1, 2021
Joy Is Just One Choice Away
A Christian Psychologist’s Perspective on Happiness
November 1, 2021
Your Sermon This Week Matters!
A Letter from a Fellow Preacher
November 1, 2021
How COVID-19 Is Changing Christian Missions
Missionaries and mission organizations share their stories.
November 1, 2021
The Secret to Finding Joy
By Mark E. Moore “The Constitution only guarantees the American people the right to pursue happiness,” said Benjamin Franklin, before adding, “you have to catch it yourself.” Happiness is temporary; joy is permanent. At least that’s what I have been told. But I no longer believe that to be true. Happiness comes from external things; joy comes from what’s inside. At least that’s what I have been told. But I no longer believe that to be true. I suppose we can use happiness and joy to mean whatever we want them to mean. After all, that’s the way language works.
November 1, 2021
illumiNations: A Bible Translation in Every Language by 2033!
By Greg Pruett Consider the chaotic world around you. You might conclude we live in dark times. But in the less visible world of God’s kingdom, this could be God’s finest hour! We live in that historic moment when God’s Word will soon reach every language community on earth. In the 1940s, the visionary originators of the Bible-translation movement first started gaining traction with the idea that everyone should have Scripture in their own language. They had no idea the coming generations would document more than 7,300 languages in the world. Brave men and women gave their lives in rural
November 1, 2021
Joy Within Your Legacy
By Megan Rawlings Ministry requires money . . . sometimes, a lot of money. All churches and ministries have bills and payrolls and need to buy supplies. So, how can a Christian organization access funds to help with their expenses? Let’s first look to the ultimate role model. During his earthly ministry, Jesus had physical needs just as we all do. But he had consistent support from his followers. Everywhere he went, people were willing to take care of him and his disciples; they donated their time and personal possessions to further his calling. Men and women participated in his
November 1, 2021
PrayerFast: A Global Call to Fasting and Prayer
Could This Key Focus of ICOM Over the Next Four Years Restore the Missing Power of Pentecost?
November 1, 2021
Opening Closed Doors
Tools and Strategies for Sharing the Gospel in Restricted Nations
November 1, 2021
COMPELLED TO CELEBRATE
Expressions of Gratitude Mattered to God and His People in the Old Testament, and They Still Matter Today
November 1, 2021
Great Opposition or Great Opportunities?
A Top 10 Prayer List for Countries Most Closed to the Gospel
September 1, 2021
Our 9/11 Journey of Escape and Transformation
“Get up! Get up!” my husband yelled, “Someone’s bombed the World Trade Center!” I struggled to sit up, but one glimpse of the fear in Brian’s eyes jolted me fully awake. I jumped out of bed and followed him to our terrace. Brian and I had just moved into this apartment only six blocks south of the World Trade Center complex, and our 24th-floor terrace provided a coveted view of the city. Now, we could see thick black smoke rolling from the North Tower. Emergency vehicles raced toward the World Trade Center—lights flashing, sirens blaring. Suddenly, something caught my eye.
September 1, 2021
Reverse the Course
In the Aftermath of Several High-Profile Leadership Failures . . . 5 Strategies to Protect the Integrity of the Church
