Series: News

March 2, 2020

Christian Standard

China Institute at LCU and Mission Groups Forge Ahead as Coronavirus Spreads

By Chris Moon The coronavirus outbreak has shaken things up for mission organizations and other Restoration Movement groups that do work internationally. The China Institute at Lincoln (Ill.) Christian University—which assists the 20 Chinese students and their families who live on campus—had a student arrive at Lincoln in January after the outbreak of coronavirus, also known as COVID-19. The student came from Wuhan, China, which is the epicenter of the outbreak, said Weilun Lee, director of LCU’s China Institute. The student was checked out by local health officials and given the all clear. “We have done all the things we

February 26, 2020

Christian Standard

Alberta Bible College Adapts to Meet Needs of Today's Church

By Chris Moon Stanley Helton believes Alberta Bible College is in the middle of a turnaround. The president of the Christian college in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, has overseen doubling of the school’s enrollment during the past five years. Its adult learning population is starting to take off. And financially, the college finished 2019 in the black—the first time since 2014. “We’ve been steadily chipping away and putting things back in place,” Helton said. The turnaround has been five years in the making. The college hit hard times after several years of inconsistent leadership following the 26-year tenure of Ron Fraser

February 26, 2020

Christian Standard

Milligan's Webb Lectures to Feature Austin Gohn (Plus News Briefs)

Compiled by Jim Nieman and Chris Moon Austin Gohn will speak on “Finding My Roots in the Stone-Campbell Movement as a 20-Something Pastor” and “Three Movements that Will Shape the Stone-Campbell Movement in the Next Decade” at Milligan College’s annual Webb Lecture Series at 11 a.m. March 3 and 5, respectively. Coming up in June, Gohn will be writing about the near-term future of the Restoration Movement for Christian Standard. Gohn serves as lead pastor at Bellevue Christian Church in Pittsburgh. He also serves as a ministry coach for Milligan’s Ministry Leadership Program. Milligan’s Webb Lecture Series is named for

February 19, 2020

Christian Standard

Carolina Movement Seeks to Involve More Churches in Planting

By Chris Moon The Carolina Movement is growing and learning. The four-year-old church-planting group in North Carolina is in the process of putting together a more permanent organizational structure as it prepares for its second statewide conference in April. The group has planted 10 churches so far and has connected with more than 30 churches that are helping financially to start even more. The group is hoping for 150 pastors and church leaders to attend the conference in Asheboro, up from 50 at its first statewide conference last year. Chris Hankins, lead pastor of Point Church in Raleigh, N.C., and

February 19, 2020

Christian Standard

Northside Celebrates 50th Birthday at KFC Yum! Center (Plus News Briefs)

Compiled by Chris Moon and Jim Nieman Northside Christian Church, New Albany, Ind., celebrated its 50th anniversary last Wednesday with a worship service at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky. Leading up to the event, Northside reported it would be “the first time in 20 years we will gather as a WHOLE church for a night of worship, celebration and advance commitment to the next step of generosity God is calling each of us toward!” Christian recording artist Michael W. Smith was a special surprise guest at the service. “It was an absolutely beautiful service and a wonderful surprise

February 12, 2020

Christian Standard

Longtime Kentucky Pastor Makes Leap to Greater NYC Church

By Chris Moon From Keavy, Ky., to Long Island, N.Y. The change in environment and culture—at least within the United States—probably doesn’t get more drastic than that. And that’s exactly the jump that Tommy Lanham made. The longtime Kentucky pastor is now in his fifth month as co-pastor of Glen Cove (N.Y.) Christian Church, a small congregation on Long Island, about 15 miles northeast of Queens. Lanham says the culture shock wasn’t as bad as he thought it would be. “We always had heard that New Yorkers are rude,” he told Christian Standard. “That has not been our experience at

February 12, 2020

Christian Standard

CCU Faculty, Staff Relief Effort Distributes More Than $54,000

The GoFundMe effort on behalf of Cincinnati Christian University Faculty and Staff has disbursed $54,576 among 28 individuals left without jobs because of the school’s sudden closing last year. Gifts came from 132 individuals and ministries from around the world. Some of the largest gifts came from local congregations and parachurch ministries, including: Milford (Ohio) Christian Church, $1,000; Owensboro (Ky.) Christian Church, $2,500; Northeast Christian Church, Louisville, Ky., $5,000; Bob Russell Ministries, $5,000; SouthBrook Christian Church, Miamisburg, Ohio, $5,000; and Southland Christian Church, Lexington, Ky., $12,500. Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Mo., dedicated its first chapel offering of the second semester

February 12, 2020

Christian Standard

2|42 Community Church Celebrates 15th Birthday, Opens 3 Campuses (Plus News Briefs)

Compiled by Jim Nieman and Chris Moon It was a very big weekend for 2|42 Community Church in Michigan. The megachurch marked the 15th anniversary of its launch in 2005 in Brighton, Mich., by launching three new campuses in Livonia, Monroe, and Taylor, Mich. 2|42—which is consistently listed as one of the fastest-growing churches in America by Outreach magazine—now has seven campuses. The campus in Livonia came about in a unique way, as we reported last summer. The former Compass Christian Church in Livonia (previously known as Memorial Church of Christ) had played a significant role in helping start 2|42.

February 11, 2020

Christian Standard

Several Churches Host 'Night to Shine' Proms

Several Restoration Movement churches held “Night to Shine” proms for people with special needs this past weekend. The proms are sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation. More than 700 events were held this year. Here are some of the ones we heard about. In California, Real Life Church in Valencia partnered with the Tim Tebow Foundation for the first time this year—although this was the fifth consecutive year the church has held a prom for people with special needs. “When they walk off the bus, and their eyes light up and their parents burst into tears, that’s coming close to

February 10, 2020

Christian Standard

Christian Standard and The Lookout Merge!

For many years, Christian Standard Media has been challenged by steadily declining subscriptions to our print magazines, Christian Standard and The Lookout. The commensurate drop in revenue presented an opportunity for a non-profit ministry to purchase the magazines—and much of our Restoration Movement heritage—from a for-profit company. The change in ownership three years ago preserved the magazines and much of our heritage. Since that time, both Christian Standard and The Lookout have been retooled as we have endeavored to maintain and improve their appearance and content. We thank The Solomon Foundation for being the primary benefactor in this endeavor and

February 5, 2020

Christian Standard

More Nexus Church Planters Choosing Bi-Vocational Path

By Chris Moon If you’re going to coach it, it helps to live it. And so Phil Claycomb got another job. That is, he got an additional job. The executive director of Texas-based Nexus Church Planting during the past year and a half also has worked 10 to 12 hours weekly helping out a local church that is trying to resurrect itself after falling on hard times. Central Christian Church in Richardson, Texas, saw its attendance drop in half and its finances lag. The church convinced Claycomb to come serve as its pastor in 2018. Claycomb was happy to help.

February 5, 2020

Christian Standard

Scholarship Honors Mike & Sharon Bell (Plus News Briefs)

Compiled by Chris Moon and Jim Nieman Glendale (Ky.) Christian Church has established the Mike and Sharon Bell Scholarship to ensure a legacy of their kindness. Mike now serves as executive minister with GCC and has been with the church for 50 years. Sharon, his wife, passed away in 2015. The couple met at Louisville Bible College in 1965, married the next year, and moved to Glendale in 1970, according to an article in the News-Enterprise. The Bells impacted the entire community through their many civic activities. “Hardin County’s excellent reputation throughout the commonwealth is due in large part to

January 29, 2020

Christian Standard

Relocating the Now-Closed CCU Library a "Herculean" Task

By Chris Moon Jim Lloyd is facing the challenge of a lifetime. The longtime librarian at the now-closed Cincinnati Christian University has been tasked with preparing the school’s George Mark Elliott Library—all 150,000 print volumes as well as a large archival collection—for relocation. So far, Lloyd and some volunteers have filled 750 boxes with books. It’s likely to take 10,000 boxes to move it all. And after the library eventually is moved, the contents must be unpacked and reshelved. “It’s just a Herculean task,” Lloyd told Christian Standard. “It’s almost more than I can bear to think about sometimes.” And

January 29, 2020

Christian Standard

Dedicated Indiana Youth Minister, 36, Dies of Flu (Plus News Briefs)

Compiled by Jim Nieman and Chris Moon Allison Williams, 36, who had served as youth minister with Reddington Christian Church in Seymour, Ind., for just over a decade, died Jan. 20 after suffering from the flu for a few days. A funeral was conducted at the church on Thursday. “In my 34 years in the ministry, she is the best youth minister I’ve worked with,” senior minister Scott A. Brown told Fox 59. During Williams’s time as youth minister, the group grew from about a dozen to nearly 100. Brown told the TV station that Williams dedicated herself to the

January 22, 2020

Christian Standard

Baptisms a Marker of Success in Indiana Minister's Return to Coaching

By Chris Moon Kendall Wildey has been having quite a time in recent weeks. The associate pastor at East Columbus Christian Church in Indiana doubles as head basketball coach of nearby South Decatur High School. His team started its season 11-0, earning it the No. 6 ranking in the state and gaining statewide attention for its fast-tempo, high-scoring approach that has the team averaging more than 90 points per game. The Indianapolis Star recently wrote a feature article about Wildey and the team. But basketball is only half the story, if that much. On Jan. 5, Wildey baptized the team’s

January 22, 2020

Christian Standard

Traders Point, Southeast Starting New Campuses This Year

Megachurches in Indiana and Kentucky are starting new campuses this year. The new Midtown Campus of Traders Point Christian Church launched in a temporary space in Indianapolis this past Sunday. TPCC has purchased a former grocery store to house the Midtown Campus, with services likely to begin there in 2021. The church spent $7.6 million to purchase a 57,000-square-foot former Marsh Supermarket that sits on a 6.6-acre parcel, according to the Indianapolis Star. Planned improvements there include creation of an 800-seat auditorium. TPCC also plans to launch its new Northeast Campus in Fishers, Ind., on Feb. 23, also in a

January 22, 2020

Christian Standard

Milligan Starting Fly-Fishing Team (Plus News Briefs)

Compiled by Chris Moon and Jim Nieman Milligan College in Tennessee announced it is starting a fly-fishing team. The school (whose name officially changes to Milligan University on June 1) will begin offering fly-fishing scholarships to incoming students this fall. The team will be coached by Zack Nave, who also leads Milligan’s cycling and triathlon programs. “We’re excited, not only about the competition part of it, but teaching them about the intricacies of fly fishing, as well as some conservation initiatives we’ll be taking on as a part of the club,” Mark Fox, vice president of athletics and student development,

January 15, 2020

Christian Standard

Four Decades in, GNPI Solar Kits Still a High-Impact Tool for Ministry

By Chris Moon Tom Nutt keeps getting requests. “Right now, I have sent out two so far this year,” he told Christian Standard. “I’ve got four that need to go out in the next few weeks and an additional one that I will ship in March.” He’s talking about the solar kits Good News Productions International, based in Joplin, Mo., has been sending around the world for the past 39 years. Nutt, vice president of operations for GNPI, says the organization has sent out nearly 800 of them in its history—all in an effort to enable missionaries to show evangelistic

January 15, 2020

Christian Standard

Kairos Church Planting Names Clark as New Director (Plus News Briefs)

Compiled by Chris Moon and Jim Nieman Kairos Church Planting has named Ron Clark, of Portland, Ore., as its new executive director. Clark brings more than 30 years of ministry experience to the job, including 13 years as a lead church planter. Clark has served as lead minister with Agape Church of Christ since planting it in 2006. He also serves as an adjunct instructor and dissertation adviser for Portland Seminary and co-chairs the New Testament section of the Society of Biblical Literature’s Northwest region. Ron and Lori Clark have been married 32 years. Stan Granberg, founding director of Kairos,

January 8, 2020

Christian Standard

'Virtual Prayer Vigil' Saturday for Cincinnati Ministry Education (Plus News Briefs)

The president and trustees of the newly formed Christian Church Leadership Foundation are seeking prayer support this Saturday from those who desire the continuation of Cincinnati ministry education in the wake of the closing of Cincinnati Christian University. The CCLF was created largely through the efforts of Central Christian College of the Bible, Moberly, Mo., and contains the work of what were CCU’s Russell School of Ministry, the Center for Church Leadership, and the George Mark Elliott Library. The 24-hour “virtual prayer vigil” will begin at 12:01 a.m. Saturday. During that day, each member of CCLF’s leadership will pray for

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