Series: Mark A. Taylor

September 27, 2016

Mark A. Taylor

Back to the Middle

By Mark A. Taylor “We need to rediscover the midsize groups of 20-50 people,” Alex Absalom told our interviewer Kent Fillinger not long ago. When I read that quote, I knew I wanted to know more. For years I”ve grieved the virtual abandonment of adult Bible fellowships””Sunday school classes””by most local churches. Among the many reasons for their demise is the fact that few Christian church/church of Christ leaders were taught how to use adult Sunday school as something more than a place for often-mediocre Bible teaching. Early in my ministry I was trained to use such adult groups as

September 20, 2016

Mark A. Taylor

How to Protect Your Church”s Tax Exempt Status at Election Time

By Mark A. Taylor Sometimes it”s important to repeat what we think everyone already knows. This week we”re giving space to advice from a Christian lawyer in Maryland to remind us what churches and church spokespersons can and cannot say as our national election approaches. Philip Chong, an attorney with the international law firm Duane Morris LLP, and treasurer and board member at the Baltimore Church of Christ, sent the following advice, which we”re pleased to post here. You may want to share this information with a Christian leader you know. Just because everyone seems to be talking about the

September 13, 2016

Mark A. Taylor

Two Questions about the Gifts in Your Church

By Mark A. Taylor You might say the idea for posts at our site this month began with a blog entry that appeared in December 2014. Sandra Crawford Williamson asked, “Why Are Working Women Starting to Unplug from Their Churches?” in a piece posted at the Institute for Faith, Work, and Economics.* One of her answers centered on the contrast between the work responsibilities of many women and the service opportunities the church offers them. A woman “may run a multibillion-dollar firm, argue a legal case, or manage a $500 million investment portfolio,” Williams said. But at church, women “are

September 6, 2016

Mark A. Taylor

Shattered Certainties and the Challenge to Change

By Mark A. Taylor Good changes lead to happy results, right? Consider: The alcoholic decides to quit drinking. The dieter sheds unhealthy weight. A family, once separated by a parent”s overseas assignment, is reunited. But then: The addict doesn”t replace the payoff he has been receiving from his fix, and so he returns to his habit. The dieter doesn”t realize he must make a lifelong attitude adjustment about food and exercise, and so he regains the weight. The no-longer-single parent must give up some of her own autonomy now, and the result is conflict. Anyone experiencing or hoping to lead

August 30, 2016

Mark A. Taylor

More Writers You Know

Mark A. Taylor Two weeks ago I posted a list of writers from the Christian churches who have publishing success in the larger Evangelical market. It was inevitable that my list wasn”t complete, so today I”m adding three more names. Two of these, Laura Dingman (a writer for Christian Standard) and Diane Stortz (a former colleague) I should have remembered the first time around. One, Steve Carter, was suggested by a reader. I”m guessing this second list won”t be my last one. Please feel free to tell me about others we should include here. This Invitational Life, by Steve Carter,

August 30, 2016

Mark A. Taylor

Cartwheels Wanted

Mark A. Taylor Last week a message popped up on my phone that”s just too good not to share. A friend, a longtime member of the Christian churches, had taken advantage of our summer subscription push, and she wrote to tell me how she feels about it. I”ve received my first two issues of CHRISTIAN STANDARD, and I”m kicking myself for not following through sooner on my urge to subscribe. It is relevant, inspirational, motivational, and implementable. I was expecting very good and traditional. What I got was excellent and cutting edge! I”m over here doing cartwheels! Words to make

August 23, 2016

Mark A. Taylor

All We Need Is . . . Love?

By Mark A. Taylor Wisconsin state Sen. Lena Taylor offered a thoughtful evaluation of why riots erupted in Milwaukee August 13, after a policeman shot an armed black man running from a traffic stop. There”s much to consider in her perspective, but today I”m posting about a problem even bigger than America”s racial divide. At the end of Taylor”s interview, the host asked her this: “So as a leader in this community, what is your message now to the people living in Milwaukee who are experiencing this unrest, this anger, this expression of frustration that is in many cases taking

August 16, 2016

Mark A. Taylor

Writers You Know

By Mark A. Taylor Here”s one more indication that Christian churches and their leaders are having an impact on America: many today are sought-after book authors. I remember a conversation with a Standard Publishing salesman two or three decades ago who said this would never happen. Christian church preachers and professors just would not be accepted in the general Evangelical world, he explained. I don”t remember all his reasons, but I thought of him when I skimmed through the latest edition of a little catalog called Pastor Resources. The 62-page digest-size booklet contains ads for everything from Christian camps to

August 9, 2016

Mark A. Taylor

How My Church Pointed Me Toward Ministry

By Mark A. Taylor With his list of ways your church can move more young people toward vocational ministry, Matt Proctor implies this is a goal off the radar for too many today. I”m glad that wasn”t true in the congregation I attended while I was in high school. Central Christian Church in Waukegan, Illinois, was a small, simple congregation by today”s standards. Of course, this was almost 50 years ago, when almost every church approached ministry with less sophistication than many today. The Preacher Training Class led by ministers of the church was a simple idea, too. Get some

August 2, 2016

Mark A. Taylor

Beyond Fear

By Mark A. Taylor Gene Appel spoke of fear at Eastside Christian Church (Anaheim, California) July 10. This was the first Sunday after two black men, one in Louisiana and another in Minnesota, were shot by white police officers and later in the same week five officers were killed by a black sniper after a peaceful rally in Dallas, Texas. These tragedies were on everyone”s mind that week, along with the continual staccato of news about global terrorism and political upheaval. “When the disciples huddled in secret after Christ”s crucifixion, they were afraid, too,” Appel said. And then he introduced

July 26, 2016

Mark A. Taylor

NACC””You Didn”t Have to Be There 

By Mark A. Taylor Of course, if you had attended the North American Christian Convention in Anaheim, California, July 12-15, you would have experienced many good things . . . We enjoyed dry, warm days amid the beautiful palm-tree setting of the Anaheim Convention Center We shared the enthusiasm of California Christians, many of whom had never experienced an NACC before. Over half the crowd at the packed opening-night assembly were Californians. A similar number said this was their first NACC. Gene Appel, minister with Eastside Christian Church in Anaheim, praised convention President Dave Stone for the hard work he

July 19, 2016

Mark A. Taylor

10 Reasons to Attend the Global Gathering in New Delhi Next January

By Mark A. Taylor As I”m reflecting on the soul-refreshing experience of last week”s North American Christian Convention in Anaheim, California, I”m filled with anticipation for another similar opportunity. Similar, because it promises rich fellowship and unique worship with committed believers. Similar, because it offers the chance to learn from Christian leaders extending the gospel in ways I may not have considered. But the convention I”m anticipating is different in many special ways from the NACC just finished. This month I”m encouraging Christians from across America to go with me to the 19th Global Gathering of the World Convention January

July 12, 2016

Mark A. Taylor

Your Story Is Not About You Alone

By Mark A. Taylor Like every great novel or memorable movie, your story has a cast of compelling characters. And no matter how much you may hear about telling or improving your story, it will never be about you alone. These other characters in your story set its plot even before you were born. Your parents and theirs, your siblings and your childhood have all colored and directed your story, probably in ways you don”t realize. This is why your counselor pokes and prods to know more about your family and your growing-up years. Your story is not about you

July 5, 2016

Mark A. Taylor

Prayer for America

By Mark A. Taylor Last Sunday, the day before the Fourth of July, I had the chance to lead worship in my home congregation. While I don”t believe Sunday-morning worship is the place for patriotic rallies (I”ve written about this before), I do believe we should be praying for our country as Christians gathered. So I wrote the following prayer as a responsive reading for the service I led. Maybe it will encourage some readers today. And some might even personalize it to use in their own congregations. Leader: Dear God, as we think about the freedoms, privilege, and possibilities

June 28, 2016

Mark A. Taylor

Where Patriotism Belongs

By Mark A. Taylor The below piece, first posted here five years ago, still resonates with me as we approach the Sunday before the Fourth of July. As one commenter said when it first appeared, “Our patriotism is for our freedom and way of life in a free country; our worship is reserved only for our Creator God.” More than a decade ago, my congregation hosted a patriotic pageant each year called “Sea to Shining Sea.” We had a huge adult choir, a children”s choir, a live orchestra, actors, and dancers. We welcomed color guards from all the armed services.

June 21, 2016

Mark A. Taylor

Three Ways Churches Can Address Biblical Skepticism

By Mark A. Taylor Americans are less engaged with the Bible than ever, according to research released by the Barna Group last week. The trend is “toward biblical skepticism,” Barna President David Kinnaman reported. The report shows, for example, that only a third of Americans agree strongly with the statement, “The Bible is totally accurate in all of the principles it teaches,” down from 48 percent in 2011. Only 45 percent agree with this statement: “The Bible contains everything a person needs to know to live a meaningful life,” down from 53 percent in 2011. “With each passing year, the

June 14, 2016

Mark A. Taylor

Just a Beginning

By Mark A. Taylor We know at least two things about our posts about racial justice at this site this month. First, we know they are inadequate. They do not convey the scope or the whole burden of the race problem in America. “¢ They only hint at the fact that America”s fortunes were built and wealth was created on the backs of those enslaved in a land that abused them while proclaiming “All men are created equal.” “¢ They barely mention the long history of egregious statements from both church and state claiming that Africans and African-Americans are somehow

June 7, 2016

Mark A. Taylor

Fresh Air This Summer

Mark A. Taylor Summer”s here””or almost, anyway. And by June, most of us, unfortunately, have given up on all those resolutions we considered January 1. Well, how about a fresh start? Summertime is the perfect time to try something new or do something special. Break the routine and give your spiritual life a boost. Here are six possibilities for fresh air this summer. 1.  Spend the summer with Jesus. If you”ve bogged down on the Bible-reading plan you began in January, set yourself a summer goal. The Bible books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John contain 89 chapters. Start this

May 31, 2016

Christian Standard

It”s Time to Talk About Money

By Mark A. Taylor Do a Google search for “minister dropout statistics” and you”ll find a sea of bad news. Sorting out fact from fiction can be a challenge, but even conservative estimates say half of all ministers leave that calling for some other career. The reasons for this are many, but research conducted by the Center for Church Leadership in Cincinnati found financial concerns as the top challenges facing the ministers they interviewed. Heading the list was personal and educational debt; 71 percent of those interviewed mentioned this concern, according to a report to be published in the July

May 24, 2016

Mark A. Taylor

The First Step Toward Unity

By Mark A. Taylor What does Christian unity look like? Sometimes it takes the form of two or three preachers getting together just to talk and share common experiences, dreams, and convictions. Often this leads to joint ministry projects and worship services between congregations creating new associations where once there was only suspicion and separation. Maybe the sweet aroma of unity will create a longing for it among others ready to include more people among “us” and fewer as “them.” And that can create an expression of unity in a large, public event attracting hundreds of separated brothers and sisters

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