Series: Featured

September 8, 2013

Christian Standard

Phoenix: New Approaches at New City

By Brian Kruckenberg “Do you own this gallery?” (As a pastor of a local church, it wasn”t a question I had ever expected to be asked.) “Well, sort of. Yes.” (Not the most eloquent answer, perhaps, but an honest one.) Over the past two and one-half years, I have been asked that question, and similar ones, time and time again in a place we call the New City Studio, one of New City Church”s venues. New City Studio is the place we intersect the message of the gospel with the world of art. I am pastor of this church, started

September 7, 2013

Christian Standard

An Urban Kingdom Church Planter Entrepreneur in Los Angeles

By Thomas F. Jones Jr. I met Kevin Haah in a church planting assessment event in Johnson City, Tennessee. I was immediately impressed by this bright, but humble, Korean-American Christian. Haah”s path to church planting was not a simple one. After graduating from Cornell Law School he married Grace (also a lawyer), and they had three kids. He became partner at a prestigious law firm in Los Angeles only to give up law to pursue a master of divinity degree at Fuller Theological Seminary. Soon he became a pastor, and then a church planter. And now he is the key

September 6, 2013

Christian Standard

Broadway Stays in Downtown Lexington

By Ernie Perry “We believe God still has us downtown for a purpose.” Those were the elders” words when I interviewed for the senior minister”s position at Broadway Christian Church in Lexington, Kentucky. It was December 2010. I was in my 12th year as an associate at the suburban daughter church, Southland Christian. I”d known of Broadway since I was 6 years old, having attended children”s sessions of the North American Christian Convention there in 1963. I sang there with The Watchmen quartet when my preaching hero, Marshall Leggett, was the minister. His predecessor, and the dean of preachers, Ard

September 5, 2013

Christian Standard

Giving Up Home-Field Advantage in Memphis

By Josh Ross The local church is at its best when it gives up home-field advantage. It doesn”t mean we must neglect our buildings or that facilities are anti-gospel, but it does mean God doesn”t just stand on the stage in the sanctuary waving people into a church. He also stands in the streets waving the church into the world. On April 28, the Sycamore View Church in Memphis did what many other churches have done for 2,000 years, we left the church building to engage in service projects of restoration. We got together on Sunday, sang a few songs,

September 2, 2013

Christian Standard

Victorious: The theme needed most by the president

By Darrel Rowland The February weekend Matt Proctor found out his wife, Katie, had cancer was filled with tears, fears, and scary portents. The Sunday morning lesson he had to teach didn”t help; it was on Ruth and Naomi, both widowed when their spouses died. Emotionally wrung out by Sunday night, he suggested his kids pick out a movie and they would all gather downstairs and watch it together. The choice was the Disney-Pixar animated film Up. Within the first few minutes of the movie, the husband loses his wife. “I had tears rolling down my cheeks,” Proctor says. Less

September 2, 2013

Christian Standard

A Conversation with Matt Proctor

Meet Our Contributing Editors: This month we talk with Ozark Christian College President Matt Proctor about the impact of a convention theme, the health of the churches in our fellowship, and the genius of the Restoration Movement. Interview By Jennifer Johnson Well, two big things have been part of your life this past year: the North American Christian Convention and your wife”s cancer. Of course, that”s in addition to your work leading Ozark Christian College. I want to talk about all of it””let”s start with the NACC. What have you discovered about our churches this past year? It”s been an honor to

August 30, 2013

Christian Standard

Changing Who Waits

“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world” (James 1:27, English Standard Version). By Chris Barras I”ve read James 1:27 many times, and I”ve taught it on it a few occasions. I”ve always found it a difficult text to apply. James says we should care for widows and orphans, but in a young church like the one I serve, I just don”t know any widows. I”m not sure I know any orphans, either. And I don”t think I”m the only

August 22, 2013

Christian Standard

The Extended Family in America

By Gregory K. Moffatt The phrase extended family largely meant the same thing for generations. These were families living under a single roof, a household that commonly included grandparents, adult children, and other relatives or close family friends. But our evolving culture has changed the meaning of extended family. This change has come about due to economic difficulties, the advent of our digital and mobile culture, and today”s ever-changing multicultural environment. The once distinct lines defining our past concept of family blend into today”s complex cultural melting pot. These changes present critical implications to the Christian church as we attempt

August 19, 2013

Christian Standard

The Pearl Group: More than a Donation

By Nancy Karpenske The Pearl Group is a nonprofit that helps single parents in specialized ways. This group was launched by business owners from LifeBridge Christian Church who wanted to do more than just donate money. The Pearl Group can apply for grants, seek donors, and arrange partnerships with foundations and agencies that might not give to a church. The Pearl programs offer a wide array of services: “¢ A car clinic happens on Saturdays every other month. Two local garages open their doors for teams of volunteer mechanics. “¢ The Closet is a free clothing bank for moms and

August 19, 2013

Christian Standard

How We Serve Single Moms

For nearly a decade LifeBridge Christian Church in Longmont, Colorado, has been trying to figure out how to bless single moms. We”ve had some breakthroughs and some setbacks. Here is the one clear truth: God doesn”t measure success the same way we do.  By Nancy Karpenske I”ll call her Debbie. When she started attending our group, she sat hunched over, making no eye contact. I kept expecting her to storm out. Ever so slowly her protective layers of hostility began to melt, just a few degrees. She has three children, each with a special needs diagnosis. She typically works three

August 18, 2013

Christian Standard

They Need to See Faith

By Phil Allen Discipleship is the foundation for all I believe God has called me to do as a pastor. My own experience as a new Christian tells me every Christian needs someone to show and not just tell how to honor God with his or her own life. This is why discipleship is the foundation for what we do at The Vine college/young adult ministry at Shepherd of the Hills Church. When I say discipleship, I am talking about life-on-life, transparent and genuine, not-afraid-to-get-messy mentorship. A professor of mine said, “How can you change something that you”re afraid to

August 18, 2013

Christian Standard

Parenting: The Stewardship of Preparation

By Becky Ahlberg Parenting is not for the faint of heart””or those who can”t take the long view in life. Few things require more of a person””physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually””than parenting. Even in the best situations, parenting is stressful. It is full of emergencies, urgencies, inconsistencies, sleepless nights, second-guessing, and unending challenges! And to top it off, most people feel unprepared for the adventure! But, oh what a ride! It is thrilling, joy-filled, stretching, enriching, humbling, exhilarating, and more, so much more. But parenting is especially precarious for many today. The numbers paint an alarming picture. In 2012, 43

August 17, 2013

Christian Standard

The “˜Real World” After College: The Spiritual Care and Feeding of Twentysomethings

Three young adults show why traditional, typical approaches to reaching them may not always work.    By David Embree   Ben Metzger grew up in a small town where his family was active in a tight-knit, Bible-believing church. Before he even moved into his college dorm room, his congregation”s youth leaders connected him with a campus ministry where he developed close friendships and studied the Word of God intently.  As a part of the campus ministry, he went on mission trips and led small groups that helped younger students face the spiritual and intellectual battles of the university experience. Ben enjoyed the “college-age”

August 16, 2013

Christian Standard

I Was a Stranger and You Invited Me In

“I had never met any Christians back home, and even had a negative attitude towards any kind of belief . . . and Christianity was one of them.” “”Megumi, student from Japan By C.A. Rose* More than 900,000 international students and visiting scholars walk the sidewalks of our university campuses today. How exciting to have these bright, future leaders studying here! Yet, at the same time, statistics tell us that most international students (70 percent) will never enter an American home. Many come from restricted-access countries where Christianity is ignored or oppressed. They arrive on our soil with an attitude

August 15, 2013

Christian Standard

List of Campus Ministries for 2013

Click here to access a downloadable pdf of the 2013 Campus Ministries List of more than 100 campus ministries in the United States (and a handful of international campus ministries). For your convenience, we are also listing the campus ministries below. ________ x ALABAMA Auburn University Auburn Christian Fellowship 334-821-3963 Perry Rubin www.impactsouthbend.com au***********************@***il.com   ARKANSAS University of Arkansas Christ on Campus 479-521-8358 Mike Armstrong www.christoncampus.org mi**@************us.org   COLORADO Colorado State University Impact Colorado 970-493-0094 Matt Harris www.impactingcolorado.com ma**@***************do.com   University of Colorado””Colorado Springs Kairos Christian Fellowship 719-357-7739 Wade Gardner www.KairosHasCome.org wa**@***********me.org   University of Northern Colorado Impact Colorado 970-493-0094 Trevor Petty www.impactingcolorado.com

August 15, 2013

Christian Standard

An Open Letter to Chris (a new freshman just arriving on a state college campus)

By Gretchen Magruder   Dear Chris, I have this friend named Apryl whose father seemed to enjoy embarrassing her in front of her teenage friends when she was growing up. As they would leave the house, he”d yell “helpful” reminders: “Remember who you are!” “Remember where you”re going!” “Remember how to get home!” Chris, as you begin this four-year (or longer) journey, these reminders are well worth considering.   Remember Who You Are Going to college is a privilege. According to a Harvard study, just 6.7 percent of the world”s population earns a college degree.1 Take the opportunity seriously””go to

August 12, 2013

Christian Standard

What about the Preacher”s Family?

By Dennis Bratton Fifty percent of preachers” marriages will end in divorce. Eighty percent of preachers believe pastoral ministry has negatively affected their families. Thirty-three percent say being in the ministry is an outright hazard to their family. Local churches can change this picture. Here are some simple ideas any congregation can follow to make sure their preacher”s family is an example for every family. Preachers live in a continuum of unfinished tasks. At the end of nearly every day, the preacher can think of calls he needs to return, a sermon or lesson he needs to write, someone who requires a personal visit,

August 11, 2013

Christian Standard

Family: What’s the Biblical Ideal?

Interview a dozen people on a street corner, and you may get 12 different definitions for family. The Bible”s picture is more diverse and multifaceted than we might first realize, so let”s look at Scripture”s definitions. By Gary Zustiak People seem to have their own ideas of what constitutes a family these days. A sampling of two dictionaries shows eight and nine definitions, respectively, for the word family. I remember when I discovered some people”s concept of family didn”t match my own. Our family had just finished an early dinner. Our youngest son, who was then a junior in high school, asked

August 10, 2013

Christian Standard

A Conversation with Arron Chambers

Meet Our Contributing Editors: This month we continue a series of interviews with CHRISTIAN STANDARD”s contributing editors. Arron Chambers, lead minister with Journey Christian Church in Greeley, Colorado, talks about intimacy in marriage and intimacy with Jesus and says the two are remarkably similar. Interview by Jennifer Johnson What”s going on at Journey these days? We”ve been looking for a new facility, and a church in town has a great building that”s twice as big as ours. They suggested we buy their building and they buy ours. To raise the money, we decided to scrap the capital campaign and do something that fits

August 9, 2013

Christian Standard

A Lifetime Love

Why do some married couples grow deeper in love, while others experience more pain with each passing season of life? What can we do to keep a new love young until we”re old? By Randy Gariss As the old couple held hands and slowly rose to their feet, so did the audience. The congregation”s ovation was sweet and deafening. We were recognizing a couple in our congregation for their 71 years of marriage. And everyone could see not only that John and Phyllis”s love survived the tests of time, but they had the marriage all young couples long for. There is something winsome

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