Series: News

Point University Appoints Chief Diversity Officer (Plus News Briefs)

Compiled by Jim Nieman and Chris Moon Leonard Phillips has been appointed chief diversity officer at Point University, West Point, Ga. In this newly created position, Phillips will report to university president Dean C. Collins and lead all of Point’s diversity initiatives. He will also work to facilitate racial unity through the church in the various communities Point serves. Phillips has served the past two years as vice president of church and business partnerships with Point. “Leonard’s extensive background in the Atlanta business community and as a lay pastor in various churches makes him immensely qualified for this important role,”

June 24, 2020

Emmanuel Adds New Concentration to MDIV Program (Plus News Briefs)

Compiled by Jim Nieman and Chris Moon Emmanuel Christian Seminary at Milligan will offer a new concentration in Christian Spiritual Formation as part of its Master of Divinity program starting this fall. The concentration will provide a professional course of study focusing on the processes and traditions of practice that support a transformative, flourishing, and joyful life of Christian discipleship. “Spiritual formation is at the core of what we do at Emmanuel,” said Dr. Gary Selby, professor of ministerial formation. “As we prepare the next generation . . . , we aim to strengthen spiritual formation in a way that

June 24, 2020

Retired Prof Takes Theological Expertise to the Local Church

By Chris Moon Joe Grana is staying active in retirement. The former longtime professor and administrator at Hope International University in Fullerton, Calif.—who retired June 1—has taken his expansive biblical knowledge to the local church. Grana has signed on as an associate pastor at Refinery Christian Church in Goodyear, Ariz., near Phoenix. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Grana has been producing three-minute videos for the church teaching basic theological concepts, from baptism to the inspiration of Scripture. The idea for these “3-Minute Theology” videos is to better equip the Refinery church with theological truth, something Grana senses many Christians need today.

June 17, 2020

Church Life

Small Churches Find Unique Ways to Deal with COVID-19 Challenges

By Chris Moon Dave Richmond was standing in the parking lot of his church in rural Virginia. In one direction, he could hear chainsaws. Someone was cutting down a tree. In the other direction was a tobacco field. Asked whether living and ministering in a remote environment proved to be an advantage during the COVID-19 pandemic, the preaching minister at Cool Spring Christian Church near Keysville, Va., said he sensed that it was—for the most part. “We’re naturally spread out,” Richmond said. “There have not been a lot of cases in our area. We’ve had very little impact because of

June 17, 2020

LCU Honors Two Longtime Servants (Plus News Briefs)

Compiled by Jim Nieman and Chris Moon Lincoln Christian University president Don Green recently recognized two longtime LCU workers with Distinguished Service Awards. Lynn Laughlin has retired and Freddie Tedrick will end his service with the school at the end of summer. Laughlin began working with Lincoln upon his graduation from the institution in 1964. He first served as assistant basketball coach and director of the physical education program. Eventually he served in a variety of roles: head coach of both basketball and baseball, athletic director, instructor in New Testament, admissions director, dean of students, and finally as vice president

June 15, 2020

Culture & Public Square Reconciliation

Four Important Questions to Advance Reconciliation

By Larry Griffin, LaTanya Tyson, and David Fincher (The column about racial justice, equality, and reconciliation was written by three Christian college presidents. Larry Griffin serves as president of Mid-South Christian College, Memphis, Tenn.; Dr. LaTanya Tyson serves as president of Carolina Christian College, Winston-Salem, N.C.; and Dr. David Fincher serves as president of Central Christian College of the Bible, Moberly, Mo., while also leading the Association of Christian Church Colleges and Universities.) As presidents of Christian church colleges that serve the Restoration Movement, we lament the examples of injustice and division that have sadly become too commonplace in America.

June 10, 2020

Conferences & Gatherings Organizations & Events

CIY ‘Rocked Financially’ by Coronavirus Pandemic

By Chris Moon The COVID-19 pandemic dealt a major financial blow to Joplin, Mo.-based Christ In Youth, which hosts dozens of popular student ministry conferences across the country each year. CIY has canceled all of its high school MOVE and middle school MIX conferences this summer—56 events in all—because of the impossibility of holding those large events during the pandemic. The organization also had to cancel dozens of weekend events in March and April because of the outbreak. Those events represented virtually all of CIY’s revenue stream for the year. Ninety percent of CIY’s revenue comes from fees churches pay

June 10, 2020

Local Churches Organizations & Events

Crossroads Resumes In-Person Services, Formally Launches Online Campus (Plus News Briefs)

Compiled by Jim Nieman and Chris Moon Crossroads Christian Church, Washington Court House, Ohio, formally launched an online campus on Sunday, the church’s first weekend back with in-person services after shutting down their building in mid-March due to the coronavirus. “We did an online poll and found 35 percent of our people said they will not return to in-person church until the fall,” explained Adam Lynch, lead pastor of the church, which has been sharing recorded services online for several weeks. “Knowing that almost half of our growing church is going to be watching online, we decided to livestream and

June 9, 2020

Church Leadership

Ministry Training & Resource Site to Open Near Cincinnati in Fall

The Christian Church Leadership Center is slated to open this fall in Northern Kentucky. The CCL Center will serve as the hub of ministry education and church support in the Greater Cincinnati area through the work of the Russell School of Ministry and the CCL Network. The center will also house a library that provides biblical, ministry, and historical resources for churches and Christian leaders. Plus, it will be home to the Christian Church Leadership Foundation. The Russell School of Ministry and Central Christian College of the Bible, Moberly, Mo., will offer courses at the CCL Center, 8095 Connector Drive

June 3, 2020

Northeast Organizes 200-plus ‘Campuses’ as Restrictions Ease

By Chris Moon Louisville’s Northeast Christian Church seized the opportunity. With Kentucky loosening pandemic restrictions slightly, the church quickly organized more than 200 “watch parties”—some would call them 200 new “campuses”—to tune into the church’s worship services this past Sunday. Church members gathered groups of no more than 10 people in homes to worship, pray, and listen to the Sunday sermon. And it certainly was a fitting occasion, since Sunday was Pentecost. “We were just trying to help people look at weekend services a little differently given the state we were in,” said David McKinley, director of marketing and communications

June 3, 2020

News Briefs for June 3

Compiled by Jim Nieman and Chris Moon A team of 45 volunteers from Real Life Christian Church in Clermont, Fla., created more than 3,000 custom-made masks for local public high school seniors to wear during their graduation ceremonies. The masks were fitted with the students’ school colors and mascots. They were delivered to Lake County Schools Superintendent Diane Kornegay. “I’m extremely grateful for the support of this community,” Kornegay told the Daily Commercial. “They have rallied to make masks for all of our seniors. Keeping our seniors and our guests safe is our top priority.” _ _ _ The Daily

June 3, 2020

Culture & Public Square Race

Churches, Colleges Respond to George Floyd’s Death, National Discord

Christian churches and colleges across the country have called for prayer, dialogue, and reconciliation in response to outrage and demonstrations over George Floyd’s death while in the custody of Minneapolis police on May 25. Among the many examples: • Dudley Rutherford, pastor of Shepherd Church, Porter Ranch, Calif., had a conversation with several leaders in the black community, most of whom attend Shepherd regularly, about topics that included Floyd, the Black Lives Matter movement, and the current state of our country. (View it at the church’s Facebook page.) • A dozen staff members of Crossroads Christian Church, Corona, Calif., spent about

May 27, 2020

News Briefs for May 27

Compiled by Chris Moon and Jim Nieman Third City Christian Church in Grand Island, Neb., organized a large food-distribution effort to coincide with Memorial Day weekend. The church, along with a local food charity, gathered enough food to put two bags of groceries in 861 cars on Saturday. The idea was to give each family a picnic meal to go, according to the Grand Island Independent. Nick Schonlau, small groups and care minister with the church, told Fox Nebraska the church was able to raise more than $15,000 to help its community during the COVID-19 pandemic. The money made the

May 27, 2020

Church & Ministry Youth & Children's Ministry

COVID-19 Causing Children’s Minister to ‘Rethink Everything’

By Chris Moon In her 20 years in children’s ministry at Fairview Christian Church in Carthage, Mo., Angie Fewin has never seen anything like COVID-19 and the effects it has had on the local church. “We’ve had to rethink everything,” she said. Just as senior pastors and church elders across the country have been working out how to reestablish in-person worship services as government stay-at-home orders are lifting, so children’s ministers are trying to figure out how to return their ministries to some semblance of normal—or at least to a new normal. And there’s no time to lose. Summer—the highlight

May 26, 2020

Ministries & Nonprofits Organizations & Events

TSF, CDF, CFR Helping Partner Churches to Weather COVID-19

The three church extension funds that provide loans to independent Christian churches and churches of Christ have been working to accommodate and help their partner churches during the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Solomon Foundation has thus far helped 34 churches secure $8.4 million in SBA Payroll Protection Program forgivable loans through its bank partnerships. TSF also initiated a special program for those unable to obtain PPP funds which has provided grants totaling more than $425,000 to 26 churches and organizations. (TSF and 13 partnering churches provided funds for this endeavor.) Additionally, the TSF Tithe program disbursed

May 26, 2020

Family & Relationships

Powell Quintuplets Graduating from High School

When the Powell quintuplets were born in 2001, all of Kentucky celebrated, including Southeast Christian Church, where the Powells are longtime members. Now the quints are 18 and are all headed to the same university.

May 20, 2020

Local Churches Organizations & Events

Mountain Christian’s New Podcast Accessible to All—Including Skeptics

By Chris Moon The leaders at Mountain Christian Church in Joppa, Md., had long thought about starting a podcast, but it took COVID-19 to spur them into action. “That was the little push we needed,” said Luke Erickson, the church’s executive pastor. Once the coronavirus hit, no in-person church services or group meetings were happening, and church staffers were looking for other ways to continue their work of disciple-making. The church launched its 6 Feet Apart video podcast—named for the familiar social distancing guideline—about a month ago. The weekly show is built around a conversation between Erickson and lead pastor

May 20, 2020

Unser Jr. to Share with Indiana Church (Plus News Briefs)

Compiled by Jim Nieman and Chris Moon Auto racing fans know that “the greatest spectacle in racing”—the Indianapolis 500—won’t be taking place as originally planned this Sunday due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but all racing fans have the option of watching two-time winner Al Unser Jr. interviewed that day by John Dickerson, lead pastor of Connection Pointe Christian Church, Brownsburg, Ind. The interview will be part of the church’s weekend services both Saturday and Sunday. It will be viewable at connectionpointe.org/life and Facebook Live. The theme is “When Life Doesn’t Go as Planned.” Dickerson recently told Fox-59 TV that Unser

May 13, 2020

As Restrictions Ease, Church Leaders Facing Tough Challenges

By Chris Moon As coronavirus-related social-distancing rules are eased and churches crack open the doors to their buildings, they do so knowing many things will be different—some for the worse, but possibly some for the better. Churches will need to figure out how to make the most of the challenges and opportunities. SAME STORM, DIFFERENT BOATS“We’re all in the same storm, but we’re not all in the same boat,” said Rick Rusaw, chief executive officer of the Spire Network and former pastor of LifeBridge Christian Church in Longmont, Colo. Spire has been surveying pastors and church members about their attitudes

May 13, 2020