Series: Featured

October 13, 2014

Christian Standard

Can We Let Artists Be Artists?

By Dan Drage The Christian church doesn”t inspire me. Unless one counts reaction against something to be inspiration. No, overall I find the Christian church quite dull and unimaginative.  If you”re reading this far, I trust you”ll respect me enough to hear me out. I”m an artist. Perhaps that says it all right there. And this is precisely what I”d like to talk about. Being an artist may account for my distaste with the Christian church. I am a part of the Restoration Movement. I have been for 33 years, since I was 3 years old. One could argue that

October 12, 2014

Christian Standard

The Power of the Arts

By C. Robert Wetzel “While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols” (Acts 17:16). How are we to understand Paul”s distress in seeing the city of Athens full of idols? Surely he had been in many cities whose streets and marketplaces were adorned with numerous idols. Perhaps his anguished reaction was because Athens was regarded as the intellectual capital of the Western world, and Athenians should have known better. Certainly some of the city”s philosophers had known better . . . and found themselves in trouble for

October 11, 2014

Christian Standard

Integrating Faith with Art

Joe D”Alessandro has been in the film industry since 1981. He has worked on such films as The Natural, Maximum Overdrive, Crimes of the Heart, The Prince of Tides, The Blind Side, The Hunger Games, Nell, The Hudsucker Proxy, and The Secret Life of Bees. Joe, his wife, Barbara, and their son, Giancarlo, live in Wilmington, North Carolina, where we caught up with him in the middle of filming Under the Dome, the Stephen King inspired CBS television series. In 1953, Joe”s parents moved to the United States from Italy. Joe says they were “the last vestiges of the traditional

October 10, 2014

Christian Standard

Interview with an Actor

By Jonathan Williams “Most people grind it out for years as servers, bartenders, and baristas before they book their first acting gig. I was lucky.” Ben Jeffery is lucky. After moving to New York from Kansas City, Missouri, almost five years ago, he found work in commercials and in TV shows, including Louie. “I mean, I did spend some time working as a barista at Starbucks,” Ben tells me with an affable nod, “but I basically got the chance to live out my dream as an actor right away.” For the past three years, Ben has entertained capacity crowds as

October 9, 2014

Christian Standard

Christian Arts?

By Tim Hartman Even though I was a Bible major at Milligan College during the early 1980s, I was convinced my future would include some unforeseeable role in what I liked to call the Christian arts. Whatever that is. I thought it was imperative to find some way to integrate my faith with my artistic skill set.  Milligan College didn”t really have a theater program when I was a student there, but the kids who loved performing had plenty of opportunities. The problem we had in college, though, is the same problem I have had to deal with for the

October 6, 2014

Christian Standard

Can a Polygamous Man Be an Elder in the Church?

By Doug Priest Dan Crum and Joe Cluff, along with their families, have served for many years as missionaries among the Maasai people of Kenya. They were interviewed by CHRISTIAN STANDARD contributing editor Doug Priest.   When did each of you arrive in Kenya and what has been your ministry through the years. DAN CRUM: We arrived in Kenya in 1988, and lived in rural Maasailand for 10 years in the ministry of evangelism, church planting, and leadership training. The next three years were focused on producing written materials in the Maasai language, followed by seven years as team leader.

October 5, 2014

Christian Standard

Avalanche

By Dudley Rutherford A well-known, yet misguided, quote says, “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.” The opposite is actually true. What happens in Vegas can stay with you the rest of your life.  In California, we have our own adage that rings true: “What happens in California will sweep across the country within 10 years.” My guess is it”s actually two or three years, but who”s counting? When I think of the moral decline on display in California today, the only word that comes to mind is avalanche. And I am not talking about a little snowball rolling down

October 4, 2014

Christian Standard

FOR the City, Not Just IN It

By Rich Gorman When we waited on God and watched to see what he was already doing here, we discovered how he would work through us to accomplish his will. The voicemail we received the day after we moved to Chicago ended up having a greater impact than we could have imagined. My wife, Dori, and I could not remember who this woman was, though she knew of us from our ministry in Johnson City, Tennessee, during our time at Emmanuel Christian Seminary.  She said, “This may seem weird, but I was praying this morning and felt that God told

October 3, 2014

Christian Standard

What Have We Done and Where Are We Going?

By Joe Boyd I am asked often to speak or write about church and culture. So much now that those two words seem to go together in a very natural way when I say them. I wonder what we really mean, though, when we talk about the church relating to culture.  Many of us who have worked to figure this out over the last two or three decades have moved beyond those early discussions about worship style and seeker sensitivity. I am blessed to be able to speak at a variety of churches in America and there is, without a

September 29, 2014

Christian Standard

Stages of Faith

By Ryan Connor Growing faith is a changing faith. Here”s a simple explanation of how this happens, why it”s good, and how we can help others through the process. A single verse of Scripture sums up the young life of Jesus: “And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men” (Luke 2:521). Human development includes each of the four areas Luke identified to describe the ways Jesus grew up (see the chart further down). The doctrine of the incarnation teaches us that Jesus underwent the full human experience. He was “made like His brethren

September 28, 2014

Christian Standard

Do You Suspect Someone You Love Has Alzheimer”s?

The Alzheimer”s Association lists 10 warning signs that may signal Alzheimer”s. A person who has difficulty in one or more of these areas should be evaluated*:  1. Memory loss that disrupts daily life 2. Challenges in planning or solving problems 3. Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work, or at leisure 4. Confusion with time or place 5. Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships 6. New problems with words in speaking or writing 7. Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps 8. Decreased or poor judgment 9. Withdrawal from work or social activities 10. Changes in

September 27, 2014

Christian Standard

Facing the Darkness as Children of Light

By Paul E. Boatman The words pierced even though they were not a surprise. “Mrs. Boatman, you have persistent and pervasive memory loss of an Alzheimer”s type.” Alzheimer”s! We did not want to hear the “A” word. Alzheimer”s has a dark, hopeless sound to it. My wife, Mary, had been exhibiting patterns of memory loss for a couple of years. The symptoms were occasionally amusing, frequently frustrating, and increasingly intrusive.  Our initial pursuit of answers was not taken seriously. “We all have forgetfulness as we age.” “Maybe some of your drugs are having adverse side-effects.” (With a history of surgeries

September 26, 2014

Christian Standard

When Ministry Isn”t Fun

By Susan Lawrence “I have to work hard enough at my job””and I get paid for that. Volunteering for ministry shouldn”t take that much effort. If it”s not going to be fun, I”m not going to waste my time. I have more important things I”d rather do.” It”s the new epidemic of faulty reasoning about serving in the local church. A previous generation often served sacrificially out of obligation or guilt, sometimes at the expense of joy. But too many today refuse to serve if the task doesn”t bring them excitement or at least pleasure. “No one can make me.

September 25, 2014

Christian Standard

Caring for Creation

By Carol O’Casey Desperate times call for desperate measures””such as when esteemed evolutionary biologist Edward O. Wilson issued a call to churches to “join forces with science to save the planet.” In his book The Creation: An Appeal to Save Life on Earth, Wilson pleads, “Pastor, we need your help. The Creation””living Nature””is in deep trouble.” Will we as a church heed the call to care for creation? I confess, as a biologist and a pastor”s wife, I”ve stood on the shores of indifference too long, afraid to wade into this hostile territory. But when God challenged me to enter

September 22, 2014

Christian Standard

Knowing When to Leave

By Mike Shannon One of our greatest problems in life is trying to make godly and wise decisions. We are so desperate to do the right thing that we often lapse into an almost superstitious view of trying to discern the will of God.  I don”t know about you, but I have often had to make decisions when I was not certain what God wanted me to do. Sometimes I thought I was certain, but later had to reconsider. Nowhere is this tension felt more acutely than when we are trying to decide whether or not to stay at a

September 21, 2014

Christian Standard

I”m Flexible, as Long as You Don”t Change Anything

By Daniel Schantz I reached for a bottle of my favorite shampoo and headed for checkout, reading the label as I went. “New formula, new bottle, with easy-open cap.” While waiting in line, I felt something cold on my right leg. I glanced down to see a long strand of pink slime running down my pants leg. Well, they were right about the easy-open cap. When I got home, I discovered the new, taller bottle would not fit in my cabinet, and when I washed my hair, the shampoo left my hair feeling waxy. I dropped the bottle in the

September 20, 2014

Christian Standard

Advice for Volunteers and Those Who Recruit Them

By Susan Lawrence Change affects people differently. Some people thrive and others struggle. Change excites some and paralyzes others. But ministry and service are not about us or our comfort level. If we”re volunteering to serve and honor God, we need to yield to him. When we yield, we grow. When we grow, we change, and that change includes our service.  But when should we change, and how can we change in healthy ways? What questions do we need to ask?   WHY ARE YOU SERVING? Ask yourself . . . “¢ What is the purpose of the ministry I”m

September 20, 2014

Christian Standard

Quitting Time

By Linda Ahlgrim Ever wonder if it”s quitting time? Every church volunteer has probably faced a time when they felt that way. More often than not, these frustrations arise from interpersonal conflict and should be seen as opportunities to practice humility and become more like Christ, not as reasons to quit.  But sometimes we do need to step away from our ministry. Sometimes quitting is the most unselfish choice we can make.  IT MAY BE QUITTING TIME IF . . .  You need to say “no” to a serving opportunity to make room for God”s bigger “yes” in your life.

September 15, 2014

Christian Standard

The Church of the Future

By Matt Smay One thing is certain as we contemplate all the changes the church is facing. Tomorrow”s church won”t look like the church we remember from days gone by. I try to keep things as simple as possible. When we overcomplicate things, we extend the time it takes to learn and become proficient at something new. It might explain why I”ve become enamored by one-room churches and schoolhouses that were established in small towns as people moved west across America, in a time when everything seemed so much simpler. (My ancestors helped establish one of those towns: Browns, Illinois.)

September 14, 2014

Christian Standard

The Brave New World of Church Ministry

By Dick Alexander When I graduated from seminary in the late 1960s, I had answers. Today I have questions. Back then, I thought I knew what a church should look like. There were some variations on a theme, but there was essentially one “model.” But today? Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Everything else is up for grabs. Back in the day, the world was different. When the neighborhood ruffians on our block were playing in the yard and wanted a drink of water, we drank out of a garden hose””none of this sissified bottled water. And there

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