Series: Featured

September 1, 2021

Caleb Kaltenbach

The Equality Act: Its Impact on Churches and How We Should Respond

On May 14, 1974, a spunky U.S. representative from New York named Bella Abzug introduced the first version of what we now know as the Equality Act. Even though the bill was co-sponsored by another New York representative and was referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary, the bill had little support and never saw the light of day. For the next 45 years, the Equality Act, in one form or another, found its way back in front of Congress. In 2019, the Equality Act passed the House for the first time. Even though it died in the Senate,

September 1, 2021

Erik Tryggestad

The State of Noninstrumental Churches of Christ . . . Before and After the Pandemic

“I don’t want things to go back like they were. I want things to be better.” Oklahoma minister Randy Roper’s words are echoed by people in Churches of Christ across the nation as they emerge from the global COVID-19 pandemic. Roper preaches for the Edmond Church of Christ in the suburbs of Oklahoma City. The congregation, which was averaging about 1,250 for weekly worship prior to the pandemic, is one of about 12,000 autonomous congregations in the U.S. that seek to share Jesus through the practice of simple, New Testament Christianity without manmade creeds. Churches of Christ share roots with

September 1, 2021

Rick Chromey

The 4-1-1 on 9/11: How a Terrorist Attack On America Changed Everything

American generational history is defined by marker events. Terrible assassinations. Catastrophic disasters. Tragic failures. Bloody wars. Economic depressions. From Bunker Hill to Gettysburg to Vietnam, America has been shaped by Thomas Paine’s “the times that try men’s souls.” For those born in the last half of the 20th century, no event proved more horrific than the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. That moment was our generation’s “Pearl Harbor.” In its wake came transformational change in how America socialized, worked, learned, played, and churched. In telephone vocabulary, 9-1-1 is an emergency assistance call. So it’s strangely fitting that September 11,

September 1, 2021

David Faust

He Made Us Better: The Life and Ministry of Sam E. Stone

I waited outside the dean’s office on a steamy summer afternoon in 1976. I was 22 years old—eager but nervous about enrolling in graduate school—and I brought my wife with me to meet the seminary dean. A friend once advised, “If you have butterflies in your stomach, get them to fly in formation,” but Candy and I couldn’t disguise our apprehension as we took our seats on the other side of the dean’s desk. Our anxiety quickly changed to relief when he smiled, his eyes sparkling behind dark-rimmed glasses. The dean shook our hands and said warmly, “I’m glad you’re

September 1, 2021

Brett A. Seybold

Still Learning from Ravi Zacharias: How Do We Respond When a Role Model Falls?

I was greatly humbled about a year ago when I was invited to write an article about the late Ravi Zacharias’s impact on my journey. I still stand behind every word of that piece, published in last November’s Christian Standard, a few months after Zacharias’s death. However, just prior to that issue’s cover date, apparent confirmation of Zacharias’s alleged infidelity and sexual misconduct surfaced. And I, like most people blessed by his ministry, was shocked and brokenhearted. Perhaps the most difficult challenge for me was in the fact that prior to this alarming development, there were no shortage of testimonies

September 1, 2021

John Whittaker

Back to the Drawing Board: How to Lead a Church Built Around Making Disciples (No Matter the Cost)

Dietrich Bonhoeffer is well-known for penning the book The Cost of Discipleship about what it costs each of us to follow Jesus. In addition to that cost, discipleship—or disciple-making—also costs church leaders who take it seriously. I recently spoke with a lead pastor who serves not far from where I live. Our conversation went something like this: Me: Disciple-making is the mission Jesus gave to the church. Him: I think we need to focus more on evangelism. It seems like all I hear of late is “discipleship,” and [to me] it sounds like “work harder, learn more, go deep.” It

July 1, 2021

Matt Merold

A Time for Courage

The church historically has multiplied during times of persecution, and it’s possible we will see growth as we come out of this pandemic. The church needs to be courageous.

July 1, 2021

Renee Little

First Lady

The title “first lady” instantly brings to my mind images of Laura Bush, Michelle Obama, and Melania Trump. But in many churches of Christ and Christian churches, the first lady is the woman married to the pastor.

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