June 22, 2015
Our thoughts and prayers for God”s comfort and peace go out to all those affected by the violence at Charleston”s Emanuel AME Church. May you be covered by God’s love during this tragic time.
June 22, 2015
By Chris DeWelt Josh Quade, college age minister at College Heights Christian Church in Joplin, Missouri, has led us in choosing a church-based model of outreach and ministry. This allows us to pursue students on four major college campuses while simultaneously connecting them to a healthy, multidimensional church community. We see the church-based, intergenerational approach as an important discipling strategy where we walk with young adults as they prepare for their future career with a strong spiritual foundation. Personally, as an elder in a church with the word college in its very title, I find that the most important thing
June 21, 2015
By Sean Palmer Maxine was stunned when Jason and Kari Martin, along with their children, Aidan and Regan, stood outside her front door with expectant eyes. As far as Jason and Kari knew, they”d been invited to dinner at the home of our church”s matriarch. If there”s an unquestioned sage at The Vine Church, it”s Maxine. She and her late husband, Ron, served as medical missionaries in Africa, raised three children (one of whom is an elder at The Vine), and around our church, once Maxine says something, nothing else needs to be said. The reason the Martins were at
June 20, 2015
By Karl Schad After months of seeking God in prayer, we prepared to launch three worship services designed to better reach all the generations in our community. We would offer blended traditional, contemporary, and modern services on Sunday mornings, each designed with a specific demographic in mind. Every service would include elements handpicked to engage the generational diversity of our community as we identified the distinct needs of the different age groups and planned to meet them. Three service styles would allow our community to express their worship to God in the way that best connected them to the Lord.
June 19, 2015
By Tom Ellsworth I”m not sure when it happened. I distinctly remember being a young minister just starting out who desperately wanted to bridge the gulf between the generation I so respected and my generation, which also needed to find a place in church leadership. Suddenly””at least it seems that way””I find myself moving into a different stage. I turned 60 this year and have become part of the generation to which I was trying to build that bridge years ago. I hasten to add that 60 is not old (my perspective), but neither is it young. So I want
June 18, 2015
See the sidebar, “Understanding and Appreciating the Four Generations“ ________ By Gary Zustiak It seems everywhere you look””from book titles to magazine articles to blog posts””there is a panicked cry about the church”s failure to reach the millennial generation. Josh McDowell is quoted as saying: “It is clear that we have all but lost our young people to a godless culture.”1 The Southern Baptist Convention Council on Family Life”s research indicated “88 percent of evangelical children are leaving the church shortly after they graduate from high school.”2 Eric Tryggestad, in an article entitled “Are We Losing Our Young People?” claims only
June 15, 2015
We asked three leaders to react to Jim Putman’s article describing his church’s decision to plant churches instead of develop multisites. By Brent Storms, president, The Orchard Group (www.orchardgroup.org) ONE OF THE BIGGEST FACTORS in starting healthy churches is the quality of the lead planter. One of the characteristics of the best church planters is that they are great communicators. The only way to develop one”s communication gift is to be afforded frequent opportunities to speak and receive helpful feedback. I share Jim”s concern that the trend toward campuses that are video venues effectively reduces the opportunities younger leaders have to preach. That
June 14, 2015
By Jim Putman Our facilities were jammed. Our leaders were overextended. Our growth was stymied. We had three choices: Build larger. Create multisites. Or plant new churches. This is why we chose the third option. Eight years ago the church I lead, Real Life Ministries, was averaging 8,500 people in five weekend services. We were far past the 80 percent rule in our main services (i.e., our auditorium was beyond 80 percent full; we wouldn”t grow any larger in those services). And the times of the other services were not convenient enough to be attractive to newcomers. Our staff and
By Richard J. Cherok People and movements frequently search for pithy statements to encapsulate ideas they deem worthy of remembering. Within United States history, for instance, citizens were once called upon to “Remember the Alamo” or vote for “Tippecanoe and Tyler too.” Whatever the slogan or motto, it is meant to strike an emotional chord and evoke a precise belief or action. One such statement within the Restoration Movement goes something like this: “In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things, charity.” Though often expressed with variant wording, this slogan has become one of the movement”s most enduring mottoes.
By T.R. Robertson For Christians who seek to chart a path down the radical center of a hostile culture, the road can be rocky. There are others navigating a parallel route, fellow travelers whose experiences are instructive. Following the July 7, 2005, terrorist bombings in the United Kingdom, anti-Muslim sentiment spiked among the British populace, just as it did among Americans in the wake of 9/11. In response, Dr. Fuad Nahdi, editor in chief of Q-News, a leading international Muslim magazine, formed an organization called Radical Middle Way (RMW). His purpose was to use modern strategic communication methods to promote
By Ian DiOrio Gone are the days in our society when Christians could hope to occupy a “moral majority.” But two biblical qualities, modeled by Jesus and taught by the apostles, offer us strategies for relating to those unlike ourselves. “United” has become an ironic descriptor for America, for if the United States is anything during the 21st century, it is divided. Divided over power. Who should have it and how should they wield it? Is the shape of society better molded by the masses, or does history show us it best moves forward if a select few wield tremendous influence? Divided over ethics. Are moral truths merely personal restrictions of human activity, like
June 7, 2015
By Matt Johnson Is your church liberal or conservative? The question is a land mine, often meant to act as a test of fellowship. Christians who wish to honor God with their hearts as well as their minds see this question as a false choice. For this audience, Adam Hamilton has written Seeing Gray in a World of Black and White: Thoughts on Religion, Morality, and Politics (Abington Press, 2008). Radical Center Hamilton divides his book into three parts. First he lays a foundation for what he calls the “radical center.” His goal is not to arrive at tepid, middle-of-the-road
By Ben Cachiaras Contemporary examples to demonstrate the value of “and.” “¢ Jim Collins coined the phrase “embrace the and” in his 1994 book Built to Last. He and coauthor Jerry Porras reported on extensive studies at Stanford University School of Business revealing best practices of exceptional companies. One such trait among enduringly great companies was their ability to embrace the “and.” The authors” point was that choosing between seemingly contradictory concepts””focusing on this or that””leads to missed opportunities. Is the product low cost or high quality? Do I focus on short-term opportunities or long-term strategy? Should the company be
June 5, 2015
By Rubel Shelly No irreverence intended, so please don”t hear it as anything other than what is intended. Jesus of Nazareth is the ideal middleman. As proof of my thesis, I quote Paul: “There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity””the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone” (1 Timothy 2:5, 6, New Living Translation). The notion of mediation involves standing between parties for the sake of communication. The ultimate hope in most of these situations is for more than communication; the mediator seeks understanding and reconciliation. A mediator seeks
June 4, 2015
By Ben Cachiaras If you want people to buy your book, read your blog, or retweet your thoughts, try to say something extreme. To be considered edgy, you must sit on the edge. Take a bold stance that sounds radical. To accomplish this, do your best to cleverly discredit the opposing view so as to create a clear divide between its inferiority and your brilliant, better way. Newspeople understand this. That”s why our screens are often filled with controversial “experts” from polarized positions who appear in little boxes like they”re on Hollywood Squares. Via satellite feed, they take turns talking
May 28, 2015
By Scott Caulley How long has it been since you really read the Gospels? Maybe, like I, you remember stories about Jesus brought to “life” with flannelgraph figures in Sunday school classes. Because of my upbringing, I am blessed with wonderful memories of Jesus with the lost sheep, Jesus with the man born blind, Jesus and the lame man lowered through the roof by his faithful friends. And maybe you, like I, have heard many sermons taken from these Gospel stories. For us, as well as for children, these stories are brief, action filled, and work well as freestanding units.
By Shan Caldwell It is time for the church to begin taking part in MORE conflict””to the glory of God. Growing up, I used to listen to a song by Kenny Rogers called “The Coward of the County.” In it, a young man”s courage is called into question because of a promise he”d made as a 10-year-old to his dying father that he would always “walk away from trouble.” However, when the girl he loves is attacked, the “coward” doesn”t walk away””he stands his ground for her sake. Now, I don”t generally live my life according to the ethical codes
May 18, 2015
Interview by Mark A. Taylor Dave Ferguson founded Community Christian Church, Naperville, Illinois, with his brother, Jon, 25 years ago. Finding Your Way Back to God was released March 3, and we talked with them shortly before that about the purpose and their dreams for their new book. (The book is now available at Amazon.com.) Why write Finding Your Way Back to God? Jon: As many as 92 percent of people who live in the United States would say they believe in God, but research also tells us the majority of those people feel distant or disconnected from God. We sense a
May 17, 2015
By Cathy Mogus When I married Allen, fishing came with the territory. Not only would I enjoy the thrill of hooking salmon off Canada”s west coast, but I would also experience “fishing for people” in ways I never expected. After a dramatic conversion to Christ in 1993, my fisherman husband had a new passion: “catching people” for Jesus. Together we discovered similar rules held true for both kinds of fishing. Here they are. Rule 1: Go Where the Fish Are Allen and his buddies fished for salmon in one area for more than 20 years. But as the fish became
May 15, 2015
By T.R. Robertson Believers want to share their faith. According to a 2013 study by the Barna Group, 73 percent of born-again Christians say it is their personal duty to share their faith. The bad news is, only 52 percent said they had actually done so at least once in the past year.1 Experience tells me many of those Christians don”t share their faith frequently or regularly. That same study breaks down the results by age group, socioeconomic group, and denominational affiliation. I”ve yet to see a study, though, of the frequency of evangelism as it breaks down by personality
Sponsored
Sponsored
Sponsored
July 23, 2026
Lonetta McKee
July 21, 2026
David Faust
July 21, 2026
Tyler McKenzie