Series: Ministry Today

March 27, 2014

Christian Standard

Evangelism & Discipleship

By Tim Harlow Imagine this scenario with me. You”re at a wedding. The idyllic young bride and groom are exchanging vows with that faraway look in their eyes, pledging their everlasting faithfulness. Warm fuzzies galore. That night, the groom returns to his bachelor pad, alone. The couple keeps separate checking accounts, independent schedules, and their own apartments. When you get a chance to speak with the mother of the groom, she defends the arrangement: “Well, he”s only 25, you know! He”s not ready to be a full-time husband. They don”t really have the same taste in food or furniture .

February 11, 2014

Christian Standard

Leaders Will

By Eddie Lowen   I”ve come to a surprising realization about all the churches where my friends and family lead: they all are healthy. In fact, many of these churches are outright thriving! Statistically, that reality is striking because research suggests the majority of churches are in decline, spiritually and numerically. Yet, among my close connections, I can”t think of anyone who presides over a dying or wilting church. And I think I know at least one reason why. Because we are fallen, individually and corporately, the tendency of a church is toward decline. My friends” and family”s churches defy that propensity because,

January 18, 2014

Christian Standard

We”re Not the Only Christians

By Tim Harlow I”m sure you”ve heard the joke in a sermon somewhere. It”s versatile””you can target any denomination. Peter is showing someone around Heaven. As he walks down the hallway, he says, “Here is the Lutheran room, here is the Methodist room, here is the Presbyterian room,” and then he starts whispering. “Shhh, we have to be quiet walking by this one. It”s the (fill in the blank) room, and they think they are the only ones here.” I grew up in the independent Christian churches, where it was my experience “independents” were the fill in the blank. I

November 30, 2013

Christian Standard

Life After Trayvon: What Should Jesus” People Do?

By Ben Cachiaras Before the George Zimmerman trial verdict was announced, we all knew that regardless of the outcome, many people would be upset, angry, and hurt. When a Florida jury found Zimmerman not guilty of second-degree murder and manslaughter in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin in July, both sides considered it a travesty””either because the system let a presumed guilty man go free, or because a presumed innocent man had to suffer such degradation. The fallout has been significant, the reaction ranging from violent to despairing. The death of a 17-year-old African-American boy in a hoodie with a

November 2, 2013

Christian Standard

Are They Wrong””or Are They Lost?

By Tim Harlow A friend and I were talking recently about the moral decline in the United States and the distinctly different reactions Christians are having toward the post-Christian era in which we live. When I was growing up, especially in the Bible Belt, people knew what was right and what was wrong. They didn”t always do the right things, but they knew the 10 Commandments and the Bible were the standards by which all things should be measured. But now the Supreme Court can”t even correctly define marriage. This leads some Christians to grab a soapbox and tell everyone

October 7, 2013

Christian Standard

What Would Jabez Do?

By Jim Tune   “Let me not live,” quoth he, “After my flame lacks oil, to be the snuff Of younger spirits, whose apprehensive senses All but new things disdain; whose judgments are Mere fathers of their garments; whose constancies Expire before their fashions.” “”William Shakespeare, All”s Well That Ends Well   In business marketing, companies are very interested in reaching the elusive consumer known as the early adopter. I suppose I fit into that category. My guess is a large majority of church planters are early adopters, or perhaps even innovators. It wouldn”t surprise me if someone discovered the

September 19, 2013

Christian Standard

I Did a Cannonball in the Jordan River

By Tim Harlow I”m writing this from Israel. We brought a group here to walk where Jesus walked, pray where Jesus prayed, and get baptized where Jesus got baptized. I did a cannonball. A cannonball is when you jump into the water with your arms holding your knees tight against your chest. It makes a huge splash. I thought it would make a good video moment for our church as we are in the last months of a capital campaign we”ve called “Cannonball””All in and Making Waves.” We borrowed the metaphor from our friends at Mountain Christian Church in Joppa,

August 25, 2013

Christian Standard

Disciples Who Make Disciples

By Greg Nettle I don”t believe I can overstate that one of the most effective ways to be a disciple who makes disciples is simply to model what it means to be a follower of Jesus. In other words, to say to those in our sphere of influence what the apostle Paul says to us: “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). How do we invite others to follow our example as we follow the example of Jesus? How do we become disciples who make disciples? The short answer is through relationships. But I

July 25, 2013

Christian Standard

Titles or Testimonies?

By Tim Harlow In his book Who Switched the Price Tags? Tony Campolo tells of an African-American pastor who was preaching to some students who were about to graduate. He said, “Children, you are going to die! One of these days the hearse is going to take you to the cemetery, drop you in a hole and everyone”s going back to the church to eat potato salad. When you were born, you were crying and everyone else was happy. Here is the question, “˜When you die, will you be the only happy one with everyone else crying?” The answer depends

June 17, 2013

Christian Standard

Keepers

By Eddie Lowen   When staff members demonstrate these qualities, hang on to them. “Would you hire him again?” The question was asked by the lead pastor of a faraway church who was deep into the process of hiring away one of our ministers. After I answered, there was an awkward pause, and then he asked, “Are you serious?” Hiring staff is an intimidating responsibility for senior leaders of churches. While there aren”t many horrible people in ministry, there are plenty you don”t want. They survive by knowing how to talk a good game. So, be afraid””be very afraid””afraid enough, at

May 20, 2013

Christian Standard

Dan Cathy = WWJD?

By Tim Harlow Dan Cathy is the president of Chick-fil-A and has borne the brunt of a great deal of criticism in the gay marriage debate because of a statement he made affirming biblical marriage values. That is NOT why I think he represents “What Would Jesus Do?” I know Jesus would affirm his Father”s plan for human sexuality, but he would never stop there. This Chick-fil-A debate was very unfortunate, in my opinion, because of the polarization it caused between the two sides. Cathy became the whipping boy for the gay lobby, representing all things evil about Christianity. I

April 20, 2013

Christian Standard

Lessons from a Fat Wallet

By Eddie Lowen Not long ago, removing my wallet from my pants pocket became difficult. That”s a good thing, right? On Subway restaurants” TV commercial, a thick wallet is evidence of frugal spending and increasing net worth. Dave Ramsey likes fat wallets. However, my wallet was gaining girth from items other than legal tender and dead presidents. Membership cards were to blame. Multiple membership cards. Some were plastic, others card stock. I emptied my wallet and discovered nearly a dozen membership cards to seemingly every organization in our city and beyond. A sampling of my memberships includes: Sam”s Club, which

March 22, 2013

Christian Standard

The Rise of the “˜Nones”

By Tim Harlow The front page of USA Today said, “Protestants lose majority status in the US” (October 9, 2012). It just happened to catch my eye as I walked past a newsstand. I thought to myself, OK, but what could have taken its place? Catholicism is dying””is this about Mormonism? The article explained that Protestant numbers are down from 53 percent in 2007 to 48 percent today. But these Protestants didn”t switch to a new religious brand. They just let go of any faith affiliation or label. According to the Pew Forum, one in five Americans now claims no religious identity.

February 24, 2013

Christian Standard

When Things Go Well

By Eddie Lowen When church leaders need to crack a code or solve a problem, help is everywhere. Books, blogs, coaches, conferences, e-zines, and webinars are so plentiful that the trick is no longer accessing information, but evaluating and organizing it. And there”s help for those tasks, too (there”s always an app for that). If you need a strategy that fits your vision, you can find it. If you face a mystery, someone can help solve it. If you need an expert who specializes in evangelizing 38.5-year-old suburban males who work in financial services and eat their cereal with tablespoons,

January 12, 2013

Christian Standard

When You Can”t Find Your Donkey

By Tim Harlow One day, Kish lost some donkeys, so he sent his son Saul out to find them. Saul looked for days but couldn”t find the donkeys anywhere, so he went to Samuel the prophet for advice. Little did Saul know God orchestrated the whole thing so that he and Samuel would meet, because God decided Saul would be the new king of Israel. When Samuel told Saul about God”s vision of leadership, Saul was understandably reluctant. One minute he was out looking for some stubborn animals, and the next he was being told God had picked him for

December 3, 2012

Christian Standard

Four Verses for Four Purses: a Teaching Outline About Giving

Fiscal health is a strength of the church I serve. A reason for this is how we challenge people to give. This article is a sample teaching outline for pastors on the theme of giving. For more help, contact me through the church website, www.wschurch.org, or via Twitter @EddieLowen. By Eddie Lowen Some contemporary innovations are nothing short of incredible: High-definition television has made football and golf so much more enjoyable to watch. GPS (global positioning system) navigation has transformed travel. When did you last see someone with a folding map? Smartphones are amazing (my iPhone 5 came today!). I

November 26, 2012

Christian Standard

What”s Your “˜However?”

By Tim Harlow It seems one can”t attend a gathering of church leaders without hearing a sad discussion about some brother or sister who has fallen. Sometimes it almost seems like having a fulfilling and successful life in the Lord is just as much about the things you DON”T do, as the things you DO. Sure, giftedness is important, and attitude, and a good team, and vision, and all of that. But you can have all of that and blow it just once and have it all come crashing down. There is always forgiveness and grace; and none of us

September 4, 2012

Christian Standard

The Whole in Our Gospel

By Tim Harlow The slogan I”m repeating these days: We”re called to bring Heaven to earth and take earth to Heaven. How well are we doing both? I took my dad to the World Series in Detroit in 2006. The Tigers were playing our beloved St. Louis Cardinals (we are lifelong Cardinal fans), and we had connections, so we went. I had never been to Tiger Stadium, so I relied on MapQuest to guide us there. We arrived at a stadium, but it looked pretty old and run down; the lights weren”t on, and there were no cars in the

August 29, 2012

Christian Standard

Surprise!

By Eddie Lowen On my 30th birthday, a sweet woman from the church I served interrupted the close of the worship service. She walked up the center aisle holding a large birthday cake decorated with my name in icing. Everyone sang “Happy Birthday.” It was a very kind gesture and, looking back, it was a harmless moment, perhaps even helpful. At the time, however, I didn”t like it. Why? I don”t like surprises””especially during the worship service! Since that birthday surprise, I”ve learned that minimizing surprises is feasible, but eliminating surprises is impossible. When you throw hundreds (or thousands) of

June 24, 2012

Christian Standard

What Would Bubba Do?

By Eddie Lowen I”m on the Bubba Bandwagon. This year”s Masters golf tournament concluded on Easter Sunday when a professional golfer named Bubba Watson hit an ultraremarkable winning shot from a grove of pine trees. “Bubba” is a surprising name for a Masters champion, but it”s better than being named “Boo.” Boo Weekley is a fellow pro who, ironically, hails from the same small Florida town as Bubba. Bubba and Boo””they sound like characters from the History Channel reality show Swamp People. But they have become to professional golf what the Blue Collar guys are to comedy. Trust me, their

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