Series: News

January 6, 2021

Christian Standard

Christian College Athletic Departments Stressing Faith and Sports

By Chris Moon A pair of Christian colleges saw a wave of baptisms of student-athletes in the fall as coaches continue to make the gospel a priority while still teaching the Xs and Os of their sports. Kentucky Christian University saw six of its football players baptized. That was in addition to at least five baptisms of student-athletes from the school’s volleyball and basketball programs. Point University in Georgia, meanwhile, saw four members of its football program baptized in a six-day span in October. Videos from several of those baptisms were posted to social media. “It’s amazing how it all

January 6, 2021

Christian Standard

News Briefs for Jan. 13

Spire Huddles will be resuming at 1 p.m. (EST) Wednesday, Jan. 13. Huddles offer an online, interactive, conversational, and free way to connect with other church leaders and discuss important topics presented by expert speakers. There is a different huddle focus and host/presenter each week. Huddles (and hosts) over the next few weeks include: • Jan. 13, Church Planting (Jeff Reed of Stadia) • Jan. 20, Preaching Teams (Arron Chambers) • Jan. 27, Children, Students, & Families (Keith Parker) The huddles last roughly 90 minutes. An additional 30 minutes are allotted for final questions at the end of the main

December 30, 2020

Christian Standard

Ordinary Guy

By John Caldwell (adapted from his new book) I am a pretty ordinary guy. I’m not dumb, but neither am I brilliant. While I love sports, I’m certainly not athletically gifted. I was a decent trumpet player in my high school and college days, but I was second chair, not first chair. I don’t light up a room when I enter it. Actually, I’m pretty much an introvert who, if given the choice, would sit in a chair in the corner and read a book rather than socialize. I’m not ugly, but neither would most consider handsome (my wife and

December 30, 2020

Christian Standard

COVID-19 Claims Indiana Pastor, 2 Family Members (Plus News Briefs)

Jim Applegate, 54, pastor for 21 years of Westview Christian Church in Campbellsburg, Ind., died of COVID-19 on Dec. 20, followed by virus-related deaths of his mother (12 hours later), and his sister (on Christmas Eve). “The thing that’s keeping me going is . . . hope in Jesus because I know where they’re at,” Nicholas Applegate, the pastor’s son and WCC’s youth pastor, told WHAS11.com. “The first few weeks in December our community had seen a lot of COVID cases, especially here in our church family.” In addition to the death of his father, Nicholas Applegate’s grandmother, Pat Applegate,

December 23, 2020

Christian Standard

Retired Ministry Couple Continues to Share Jesus as Mr. and Mrs. Claus

By Chris Moon After 35 years in ministry, Vernon and Ellen Landreth found a new way to share the story of Jesus Christ—as Mr. and Mrs. Claus. The couple have spent more than a decade serving their Idaho community as the jolly couple in red. They created a business to match—The Santa Couple—and typically do 60 to 70 “gigs” per year, Ellen Landreth said. They make home and business visits and join customers on carriage rides. They’ll even drop off presents wherever they are needed. And they’ll tell the story of the birth of Jesus Christ “at every opportunity we

December 23, 2020

Christian Standard

News Briefs for Dec. 23

Compiled by Jim Nieman Victor Glover, an astronaut now serving a six-month mission on the International Space Station, recently was chosen as one of 18 members of NASA’s Artemis team, which the space agency said “will help pave the way for the next astronaut missions on and around the moon,” the Christian Chronicle reported. Glover is a member of a noninstrumental church of Christ in the Houston area. In an earlier article, the Chronicle wrote that Glover sent up Communion cups and a Bible to the space station before blasting off on his mission Nov. 15. _ _ _ In

December 22, 2020

Christian Standard

MACU’s Heritage Hall Undergoes Partial Demolition

Partial demolition of Heritage Hall began last week at Mid-Atlantic Christian University. “This is a delicate removal of the second floor to review if the first floor is salvageable,” MACU reported on its website. “Current expectation from the insurance company is to rebuild the middle section of Heritage Hall and try to salvage the end sections and first floor of the building.” Leaders at the Elizabeth City, N.C., school say they are concerned weather may have caused further damage to the building in the three-plus months since the roof’s collapse. Discussions with the insurance company and consultants are ongoing. Heritage

December 16, 2020

Christian Standard

Churches Tweak Christmas Eve Plans as COVID-19 Continues

By Chris Moon Churches are making a variety of changes to their Christmas Eve traditions to accommodate social distancing needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. And pastors are doing so while wondering when life finally will return to normal. “It’s been crazy,” said Ross Frisbie, senior minister at Tonganoxie Christian Church in Kansas. “I never thought by December we still would be dealing with this, and even more so now with cases going up. It’s crazy. I’m looking forward to normal.” Frisbie said his church will have three Christmas Eve services while offering churchgoers three options by which they can attend

December 16, 2020

Christian Standard

Recent MACU Grad Named N.C. Student Teacher of the Year

By Jim Nieman A 2020 graduate of Mid-Atlantic Christian University was honored as the North Carolina Student Teacher of the Year for her work this spring with J.C. Sawyer Elementary School in Elizabeth City, N.C. Grace Minter, who is blind, graduated from MACU in May with a degree in elementary education and a minor in Bible. She was valedictorian. Minter now serves as a Braille education teacher with Governor Morehead School, a school for the blind in Raleigh, N.C. In email correspondence with Christian Standard, Minter credited MACU’s “superior” teacher education program, dedicated teachers, and mentorship relationships with helping prepare

December 16, 2020

Christian Standard

News Briefs for Dec. 16

Compiled by Jim Nieman The 26th installment of New Hope Christian Church’s annual outdoor “Journey to Bethlehem” underwent a major change this year due to COVID-19. The interactive Nativity, which traditionally starts in the Washington, Ind., church’s building and then leads participants out to a wooded area for a series of scenes telling the story of Jesus’ birth, was filmed this year for presentation via Facebook and YouTube. “We’ve always done it live but we knew that would not be an option this year,” senior pastor Joe Coquillard told the Tribune-Star. The goal of the video “is not just to

December 9, 2020

Christian Standard

Myrtle Beach Church Launches Projects to House Vulnerable People

By Chris Moon In honor of its late pastor, Joel Wilson, Myrtle Beach Christian Church in South Carolina is working to help and house vulnerable people in its community. The church recently opened a shelter for mothers in crisis, such as those who come out of abusive relationships or who are homeless. The shelter is located in apartment units adjacent to the church. The church also is planning 24 senior apartments on its property. It plans to build the first 5 to 10 units next year. “To God be the glory. You write that,” senior minister Danny Banks told Christian

December 9, 2020

Christian Standard

Students Recognized for Scholarly Papers at SCJ Conference

Several students were recognized for their scholarship at the Stone-Campbell Journal Conference in September. For the second consecutive year, Joel Childers, a graduate student at Abilene (Texas) Christian University, received the Isaac Errett Award. His winning paper this year was titled, “Responses to the Attack on Pearl Harbor in Journals from the Methodist Church and Churches of Christ.” Childers received a $250 prize provided by the Disciples of Christ Historical Society. Students from Emmanuel Christian Seminary at Milligan (in Tennessee) and Johnson University Florida were winners of the 2020 Student Paper Competitions. Samuel Guy of ECS won the graduate division

December 2, 2020

Christian Standard

The Solomon Foundation Celebrating 10 Years (Plus News Briefs)

This coming Monday marks one of three key dates in the 10-year anniversary celebration of The Solomon Foundation, the nation’s fastest-growing church extension fund. On Dec. 7, 2010, TSF had its first board meeting in Indianapolis. Elected to that first board were Barry Cameron, Jerry Harris, Chris Philbeck, Jim Putman, Tony Burgarello, Gary Beyschau, Jim Tune, and Doug Crozier (ex officio). Crozier was appointed chief executive officer and Cameron was elected as the first chairman of the board. Two other key events in the history of TSF occurred about that same time. On Oct. 29, 2010, in the Green Room

December 1, 2020

Christian Standard

Raders Persevere in Planting NYC Church During Pandemic

By Jim Nieman The launch of Reunion Church in the heart of New York City hasn’t gone off exactly as planned this year . . . but few things in life have escaped the far-reaching impact of COVID-19.   “There’s no book on how to do what we are doing,” says Russel Rader, who is launching Reunion in the Union Square neighborhood with his wife, Katie, and the help of a core launch team, Orchard Group, and churches from across the country. “On Wednesday, March 11th, our community had an amazing evening of hospitality in our home with a group

November 25, 2020

Christian Standard

Every Church Is Now a Church Plant

Three Significant Considerations for Every Church in the Midst of and Post-COVID-19 By Trevor DeVage As every aspect of our daily lives is being reconsidered and refashioned by the pandemic, churches are rethinking their futures, too. Or at least they should be. But I’m afraid some are anticipating the days ahead only with a vision of the years behind. And I’m convinced this just won’t work. My thinking on this was influenced by the recent mentoring retreat I attended with Cal Jernigan, lead pastor with Central Christian Church in Arizona. I get together several times a year with Cal and

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