Series: Featured

June 14, 2017

Christian Standard

WHERE’S THE STEEPLE? “” CrossWinds Church, Pleasanton, CA

By Jennifer Johnson The land surrounding CrossWinds Church in central California was once used to nurture cattle and provide dairy products to the surrounding area. When the church acquired the Friesman Brothers farm, the property included a house more than a century old, crumbling barns, and bridges originally used to cross the river that divides the property into three sections. Today, boards from the barn, metal roofs from the outbuildings, and other reclaimed material has been upcycled to preserve the character of this historic land while creating the new home of CrossWinds Church. The buildings are set back from busy

June 12, 2017

Christian Standard

WHERE’S THE STEEPLE? “” Journey Church, Three Way, TN

By Justin Horey At Journey Church in Three Way, Tennessee (near Jackson), lead pastor and church planter Jeremy Brown likes to ask, “What would we do if we didn”t have to do anything?” That approach led to Journey meeting at the Fun Zone””West Tennessee”s premier indoor inflatable party center””in the early years of its existence. Every Sunday morning, a team of volunteers from the church would deflate and roll up 13 large jumpers before setting up for worship. Afterward, volunteers would unroll and reinflate the jumpers. Brown liked the message the Fun Zone location conveyed to outsiders. “No one who

June 11, 2017

Christian Standard

WHERE’S THE STEEPLE? “” Bayside Church, Roseville, CA

By Jennifer Johnson Lots of churches want to save money on their facilities, but Bayside Church is finding new ways to strategically finance its buildings without sacrificing form or function. At its original campus in Granite Bay, the church has developed a 10-year plan to anchor an area of retail, entertainment, and hotels. The church occupies one parcel of the development and recently sold another section to Top Golf, a multilevel entertainment area and driving range. Their director of real estate development manages the plan, ensuring that funds for property improvement and parking lots come from new businesses and not

June 10, 2017

Christian Standard

From House Churches to Church Houses

Where early Christians worshipped and why By Pat Magness and Lee Magness How have believers through the centuries used church buildings to express and extend the gospel? A simple survey can lend insight to those making church building decisions today. Where have believers worshipped God over the centuries? The Psalms picture ancient Israelites giving praise to God as individuals in a variety of settings. But the construction of the tabernacle, the building of the temple, and the development and spread of synagogues demonstrate that the use of buildings for corporate worship was also a high priority among God”s chosen people.

June 9, 2017

Christian Standard

Church Building the New Testament Way

By Doug Lucas Suppose the Restoration Movement churches (Christian churches and churches of Christ) want to restore the New Testament practice of constructing or buying church buildings. What would it look like? Easy answer. To my knowledge, throughout all the New Testament, there”s not a single example of constructing or buying a building. The book of Acts records exponential church growth without buildings. And, according to Matthew 28:19, 20, our core mandate is to make disciples who will make disciples””not build buildings. Making disciples always needs to be at the center of everything we do, whether it be going, baptizing,

June 7, 2017

Christian Standard

The REAL Cost of Facility Ownership

By Tim Cool I come from a background of planning and building ministry facilities. I have been blessed to invest 30 years of my life into developing new and renovating existing ministry facilities. That phase of my life brought me great joy and fulfillment.  But now I am very burdened by the millions . . . and billions . . . of dollars spent each year on religious construction without a clear understanding of the real cost of ownership. Most ministry leaders, I think, do not understand that the ongoing costs of a building eclipse the initial costs, and do

June 5, 2017

Christian Standard

Urban Churches, Creative Solutions

By Brent Storms Where to meet presents special challenges for new congregations in expensive, congested cities. Urban churches are finding solutions that offer lessons for anyone”s church building decisions. One of the biggest challenges of starting a church in a city center or urban context is finding the right facility for Sunday gatherings. Space is limited. Landlords are skeptical. Prices are (often) outrageous. One example of the challenges: hotly contested lawsuits have bounced from court to court over whether churches should be allowed to rent New York City public schools for religious services. Some churches have been in public schools,

June 4, 2017

Mark A. Taylor

Should We Build It? Will They Come?

By Mark A. Taylor We wanted experience from church leaders who have led their congregations to build. We were able to spend an hour with four who brought insight and a couple of warnings for any congregation considering a building campaign:  Gene Appel, senior pastor with Eastside Christian Church in Anaheim, California;  Gary Johnson, lead servant with The Creek in Indianapolis, Indiana;  Darrel Land, senior minister with Redemption Christian Church in Jasper, Indiana; and  David Vaughan, senior minister with Whitewater Crossing Christian Church in Cleves, Ohio. Here are excerpts from that conversation. Tell us about your last building project. Appel:

May 22, 2017

Christian Standard

When Modern Ministry Gets Messy

By Jessie Clemence “Messy” is the only choice for a ministry that opens the door for God”s power to change lives. Here”s a frank look at our situation today, with a challenge to demonstrate attitudes and actions worthy of Christ. What would you do if you walked into church on Sunday and found a new couple sitting in your usual pew, holding hands and envisioning how lovely their wedding ceremony would look in the room? What if they were both men, or both women? How would you feel if a transgender person handed you the Communion tray or a bulletin?

May 21, 2017

Christian Standard

Dads Are Single Too

By Matt Johnson “Please raise your hand if you can name three single moms in your congregation,” I said while coleading a workshop at the 2015 North American Christian Convention. Many hands proudly shot up. Most of us can easily rattle off the names of three or four single mothers. Many can list 10 or more. These are women we respect. They faithfully wake up early on Sundays to get three wiggly children to worship. They are frazzled with life and still carve out time to volunteer at the Welcome Center. They often do the work of two parents while

May 20, 2017

Tyler McKenzie

How I Know My Wife Married the Wrong Person

By Tyler McKenzie Today my wife, Lindsay, and I celebrate our five-year anniversary. Five years ago we tied the knot and took the plunge. Five years ago the cutest girl in Indiana was taken off the market! Five years ago we launched the beginning of the rest of our lives. Five years ago . . . And after five years, there”s no more hiding behind the dinner-and-a-movie façade of dating life. I can”t buy enough flowers to conceal it. I can”t open enough doors. I can”t say enough “I love yous.” She knows (and painfully, so do I) that she

May 19, 2017

Christian Standard

Of Manure, Porches, and Good Fights

By Arron Chambers All married couples fight at one time or another. It”s like a pile of manure landing on your front porch. You know what manure is, don”t you? Manure on your front porch is not a good thing. Not at all. It”s a smelly, disgusting, and completely unappealing in every way kind of thing. In my experience as a marriage coach, I”ve come to believe that every married couple will have a pile of “manure” fall onto their “porch” at one time or another. Bad stuff happens to good married couples. And when the unexpected pile of manure

May 18, 2017

Christian Standard

The Isaac Principle

By Victor Knowles Several years ago I was driving west to Denver, Colorado. Somewhere in Kansas, I found a radio station playing a prerecorded sermon by someone whose name I can”t remember. But I have never forgotten his text. “Isaac built an altar there and called on the name of the Lord. There he pitched his tent, and there his servants dug a well” (Genesis 26:25). There are three nouns in this verse that can forever change the structure of your life. Understanding these simple words can help you determine proper priorities. In fact, the three words can assure you

May 17, 2017

Christian Standard

The Best Youth Ministers

By Les Christie A youth-ministry expert tells why and how the church must partner with parents to bring their kids to spiritual maturity. Fifty years ago youth leaders in churches were still largely volunteers, many of them parents of teenagers. When I was in high school and attending Cardiff Avenue Christian Church in West Los Angeles, I remember Mrs. Curry (who turns 100 this year and still drives a car””yikes!) was a parent volunteer in the youth department. Jim Irby was our part-time youth minister. Both strongly influenced my early years, and I still stay in touch with them. Churches

May 15, 2017

Christian Standard

Preaching to the Post-Nuclear Family

By Ian DiOrio Confronted with the confusion and diversity in family arrangements today, how does a minister preach and teach biblical values that offer true help and real hope? On a trip to Boston, I had the opportunity to tour the Old North Church, a National Historic Landmark. The beautifully constructed church, built in 1723, still carries powerful resonances of the spiritual climate of America before the climatic year of 1776. One of the most notable features of the church are the pews, many of which are sectioned off by family. Families who attended the church had their own small,

May 14, 2017

Christian Standard

Teach Your Children to Be Critical Thinkers

By Tricia Johnson She was the professor of theology; my son was her student. He attended a secular university, and when he needed an extra elective, he thought theology would be a breeze, so he took the class. Her teaching was right on target most of the time, which was surprising since it was a secular university, but when she taught about Abraham and Lot, my son had to disagree with her summation of one particular scene. You may recall, Abraham and Lot were about to part ways, as Genesis 13:1-13 tells us. They traveled from Egypt to Bethel. They

May 13, 2017

Christian Standard

Stepfamilies Are REAL Families

Stepfamilies have real problems too often misunderstood or ignored by the local church. Here”s what stepfamilies around you are facing and feeling and how your congregation can help them. *  *  * By Jeff and Judi Parziale John and Stephanie were married about two years before they started attending a nearby church. Each brought two children into the marriage. Stephanie”s children were with her full time; her former spouse had left the state and had almost no contact with his children. John shared custody with his former spouse, Pam. Every week their two sons transitioned from one house to the other.Â

May 12, 2017

Christian Standard

Our Grandparenting Ministry””and Yours

(This article is a sidebar to “Grandparenting Ministry” by Michael Crosley.)   By Michael Crosley We have a core team of nine grandparents guiding the ministry and working closely with the Next Gen Ministry team. Future plans include: 1. Developing strategies to incorporate the concepts of intentional grandparenting into the thinking of our church. This will be achieved through using social media and regular references about grandparenting in church publications and services. 2. Providing equipping opportunities such as classes and occasional seminars. 3. Sponsoring “grand events.” We plan to have two or three special events each year just for grandparents

May 11, 2017

Christian Standard

Grandparenting Ministry

Secret weapon. Unrealized potential. By Michael Crosley A secret weapon””does your church have one? Recently Jeff Faull, our senior minister at Mt. Gilead Church in Mooresville, Indiana, said in a sermon, “We are unleashing a secret weapon . . . grandparents.” He was inviting all grandparents to attend a seminar on the biblical mandate to teach God”s Word “to your children and to their children after them” (Deuteronomy 4:9). We were astounded by the response. Four weeks later, more than 90 grandparents of 325 grandchildren participated in a Saturday morning vision-casting seminar that launched a grandparenting ministry at Mt. Gilead. The

May 10, 2017

Christian Standard

It Takes More Than a Village

By Paul E. Boatman In a rapidly changing culture, Christians look for a foundation for healthy life. We can”t ignore what”s happening around us. But we can decide how to handle our homes. Family! This oldest of all institutions of God stirs amazingly conflicted images in the current American cultural climate. Some have Norman Rockwell-style family memories. Some view traditional family values as an evil to be fought and destroyed. Some enshrine idealized images of the family in a way that smacks of idolatry. Each of these perspectives may be found among leaders of American churches. Whatever one”s value perspective,

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