Series: Featured

February 19, 2013

Christian Standard

Witnesses from Around the World (Previewing the 2013 NACC)

By Chris DeWelt An exciting component of the 2013 North American Christian Convention in Louisville, Kentucky, will be the powerful testimonies of six followers of Christ who come from six different parts of our world. Each will offer pungent and powerful words from the front lines where the gospel is actively pushing back the kingdom of darkness. At each of the six main sessions, you will hear godly leaders from other nations who are living out lives of faithful service, often at great personal risk and frequently with life-altering consequences. Their active witness of today”s victorious faith in the face

February 19, 2013

Christian Standard

Victorious (Previewing the 2013 NACC)

By Matt Proctor Someone wrote that 10 years ago our world had Bob Hope, Johnny Cash, and Steve Jobs. Now we have no Jobs, no Cash, and no Hope! Maybe you”ve experienced those moments of “no hope.” The normal challenges of life””financial shortfall, physical illness, family conflict””are tough enough. But for believers, life can be even harder. In John 16:33, Jesus promised, “In this world you will have trouble.” In Acts 14:22, Paul said, “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.” You may know those hardships very well: You”ve struggled to get free of a

February 19, 2013

Christian Standard

2013 NACC Schedule of Events

TUESDAY, JULY 9 8:30 a.m.””Preconference events (some are ticketed) Noon””Exhibit Hall opens 7:00 p.m.””Evening Main Session (Matt Proctor speaking) 8:30 p.m.””NACC President”s Opening Night Reception 10:00″”Exhibit Hall closes   WEDNESDAY, JULY 10 7:30 a.m.””NACC Ministry Networking Breakfast (ticketed) 8:30 a.m.””Bible Study with Mark Scott 9:00 a.m.””Exhibit Hall Opens 10:00 a.m.””Morning Main Session (Aaron Brockett and Randy Harris speaking) Noon””NACC Seniors” Luncheon (ticketed) 1:30 p.m.””Seminars 3:30 p.m.””Seminars 5:15 p.m.””NACC President”s Banquet with Ken Davis (open to all, ticketed) 7:00 p.m.””Evening Main Session (Jon Weece speaking) 8:30 p.m.””Receptions 9:00 p.m.””Exhibit Hall closes   THURSDAY, JULY 11 7:30 a.m.””NACC Ministry Networking Breakfast (ticketed) 8:30

February 18, 2013

Christian Standard

Why Dwell in a House of Fear?

By Neal Windham A word may not mean what we think it means, especially if our emotions or preconceptions get in the way. Nowhere is this more true than when we talk about words associated with Spiritual formation. At age 2, my grandson Whit sometimes misunderstood the words of the songs he was learning. For example, “Jesus loves meat, this I know, for the Bible tells me so,” and “You make all things beautiful out of dups” (not “dust”). Not surprisingly, as a 5-year-old, his father, Luke, used to sing, “Elsha died, Elsha died” in a minor key, dirgelike, weeping

February 17, 2013

Christian Standard

Abundant Solitude

By Tony Twist He saw strangers coming toward his home. Years of persecutions had sensitized him to the schemes and seductions of the enemy, and alarm bells were ringing in his head. He quickly put his most precious possessions, his wife and two young daughters, in the hiding place. Sure enough, the men burst into the house looking for his girls (ages 9 and 11). Their intention was to gang rape, traumatize, and dishonor them so they would never have Christian children. For the radical Muslim leaders fighting “infidels,” this was a calculation of war. For our student, it would have been a devastation of his family. We now have almost 100

February 16, 2013

Christian Standard

The Continual Process of Spiritual Formation

By Jim Powell The goal of being like Christ will never be completed. Until we take our last breath, we will struggle in our desire to be the person Jesus calls us to be. Despite our best intentions, and even with noticeable progress, we will still fail in acts of omission and commission with attitudes, thoughts, words, and deeds. What is true for the individual believer is true for the community of faith. To move a congregation toward Christlikeness is a perpetual challenge that will never be mastered and tends to produce as many failures as successes. As our church

February 15, 2013

Christian Standard

The Pastor as Spiritual Companion

A pastor as spiritual companion not only makes disciples, he offers spiritual direction. The intent of both ministries is to cultivate a deeper and more intimate encounter with God, an encounter that touches mind, heart, soul, and spirit. By Kevin Dell In his desire to connect with God, the young man finally makes his decision. He repents of an empty way of living, confesses Jesus as Lord and Savior, is immersed in baptismal waters, and entrusts his life to following Jesus. By God”s grace, he responds with faith and receives a new life, a fresh start, and a hopeful heart.

February 12, 2013

Christian Standard

What We’re Learning on Our Walk (Part 2)

By Mike Baker I am unashamed to tell you I want my church to grow! I want it to grow numerically because every person counted on a Sunday morning is a life that matters, a story of redemption, and a person in need of a Savior. But numeric growth is not the only growth God desires for his church. With increased attendance and baptisms come the responsibility of encouraging spiritual growth in those God has entrusted to our care. Early in my ministry, I was easily impressed. I often thought, Cool, our numbers are growing, naively believing our work was

February 12, 2013

Christian Standard

What We’re Learning on Our Walk (Part 1)

By Jim Probst At Eastview Christian Church (Bloomington, IL), we were searching for a way to convey spiritual formation to our congregation. For many, this would be a new idea. Others would see it as the next step in their journey. For all of us the right metaphor could frame a common experience with a common language. In our church, which has grown well beyond 5,000 on a typical Sunday, this would be a major effort requiring coordination between church leaders and many departments. After months of praying, planning, and writing, we determined to develop a churchwide study through our

February 11, 2013

Christian Standard

The Spirit in Spiritual Formation

By J.K. Jones Jr. I”m grateful for our emphasis on logic and reason, but I believe the Holy Spirit is larger than something we can capture or fully understand. But starting with the words of Scripture, we can begin to grasp the Spirit”s role in the life God has planned for us to enjoy. Some things are so big they nearly resist explanation. Consider the way of an eagle in the sky. I”ve watched our national bird soar over the Mississippi River, gliding effortlessly on waves of unseen air currents, then dive at light speed to scoop breakfast from the

February 10, 2013

Christian Standard

Spiritual, Like Jesus

By Les Hardin When it comes to spirituality, I find myself caught between two conflicting truths. The first truth is I was born and raised in the church. My parents took me to church when I was only two weeks old, and there”s never been a time in my life when I didn”t know Jesus on some level. I am descended from elders and deacons, trained at the seminary by serious men: a discipler, a teacher of Israel, and a ministry veteran. But here”s the second truth: in spite of my upbringing and training, I have no idea what it

February 9, 2013

Christian Standard

Living in Rhythm with Jesus

By Casey Tygrett Let”s face it. We can”t dance. Most of us, anyway. Perhaps you are one of the chosen few who can actually dance, but that takes rhythm. And the kind of rhythm involved in dancing is a gift I was not blessed with. There is no rhythm in this overcommitted and under-paused culture, either. But Jesus offers a solution for that. The rhythm we create for ourselves is fragile and broken and built on selfish foundations that turn and fade with the seasons of our lives. It”s not that our seasons aren”t important, but when we travel the

February 8, 2013

Christian Standard

Spiritual Disciplines Are Not About YOU

By Jan Johnson When people ask about the college classes I teach, I hesitate to name this one: Developing Spiritual Disciplines. Why? Because they usually look at me as if I”d just asked to give them a flu shot. So I quickly add, “But we have a wonderful time! Students do interesting experiments and report encounters with God that make me cry when I grade their papers.” Then their faces soften. The idea of spiritual disciplines is frequently misunderstood. The crux of a person”s misunderstanding is in thinking that disciplines are about them. No, spiritual disciplines are about God. So

February 5, 2013

Christian Standard

Spiritual Formation””Defining the Terms

By Casey Tygrett   Abide Abide is the central word in Jesus” teaching on the vine and the branches in John 15. It is a key teaching because it emphasizes our need to remain in the life, teachings, and transforming presence of Jesus throughout our lives. A life of abiding is key to Christian spiritual formation. Abiding can be a form of prayer in which a person concentrates on just being with God without needing to make requests or even use words. Abiding is a key concept to spiritual formation because it essentially is the “base camp” out of which

February 4, 2013

Christian Standard

Re: Formation — Studying Spiritual Formation in Our Colleges and Universities

By Jennifer Johnson In the last few years, several Christian church and church of Christ colleges and universities have created new degree programs in spiritual formation. It”s representative of a wider movement in the academic world; as Richard Foster wrote in a recent article on TheOoze.com, “Seminary courses in spiritual formation proliferate like baby rabbits.” However, these new programs are purposeful as well as popular””each one is designed to develop mature leaders who are growing in the image of Christ and taking him into the world. Here are several of the degrees and programs we”ve discovered among these schools. Lincoln

February 3, 2013

Christian Standard

Growing Like a Garden

By Casey Tygrett I remember the first time I planted seeds to make a garden. I tilled. I prepared the soil. I planted. I watered. I waited. Eventually, things began to grow, and I had a chance to watch the plants mature each day. It was a series of holy moments. I cannot think of a better metaphor to help describe Christian spiritual formation. The planting of the seed of the kingdom of God in our hearts through salvation, and cultivating that seed through habits and disciplines produces spiritual fruit. This is a great way of explaining Christian spiritual formation.

January 29, 2013

Christian Standard

How Do You Solve the Leadership Challenge?

By Kent E. Fillinger Quality leaders and effective leadership can make the difference in whether a local church or any organization succeeds or fails. So we asked a few dozen leaders from churches of all sizes to tell us how they develop leaders where they serve. (The 43 congregations surveyed have average attendances from 275 to 8,500.) Most of those surveyed (77 percent) said every staff member is responsible to train leaders and volunteers within each of their ministries. Four of the megachurches surveyed have a staff person focused solely on leadership development, yet these churches still rely on a

January 28, 2013

Christian Standard

Get in the Game! Volunteer Anxiety Disorder

By Craig Wilson I thought God and I had a deal that I would never have to go to a hospital to have any form of surgery. I have a very real fear of being put under anesthesia, cut open, and stitched back up like a teddy bear that”s losing its stuffing. I don”t like the idea of an IV needle in my arm, and had never had to have one. Apparently God was not aware of this deal, because there I was, just two days after my 43rd birthday, lying in a hospital bed with an IV in my

January 28, 2013

Christian Standard

Get in the Game! Values, Vehicles, and Victories

By Jim Probst The Pareto Principle highlights the tendency for 80 percent of the work to be done by 20 percent of the people. We”ve all heard of this 80/20 principle, and we often see it as an inescapable rule inchurch cultures. Our beloved 20 percent have the “curse of competence” . . . or at least the “curse of obligation” . . . that fuels the fire to fill the volunteer void again and again. Meanwhile, the under-responsive masses settle into an uninspired consumer Christianity. As this scenario occurs and reoccurs in our churches, we are left with an

January 27, 2013

Christian Standard

Get in the Game! Why I Love Volunteers!

By Eugene DePorter While visiting a church recently, I heard a young preacher say, “I hate volunteers.” It shocked and distracted me so much I wasn”t able to grasp what he was trying to communicate. In my 26 years of ministry at Southeast Christian Church, Louisville, Kentucky, I have depended greatly on the faithful, unselfish efforts of volunteers. They have contributed to helping many people know Jesus, and I will always be grateful for their impact. Most churches appreciate the value of volunteers, but recruiting these servants is a continual challenge. Jesus told his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but

Help Keep Christian Standard Free & Accessible with a Tax Deductible Donation

We can do more together!

Every gift makes a difference!

No, thank you.
100% secure transactions - receipts provided.
Does Your Church Want to Support Christian Standard?

Would your church consider including support for Christian Standard in its annual missions budget? Your support would help us not only continue the 160-year legacy of this unifying ministry, but also expand the free resources, cooperative opportunities, and practical guidance we provide to strengthen churches in the U.S. and around the world.

We can do more together!

Every gift makes a difference!

No, thank you.
100% secure transactions - receipts provided.
Secret Link