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April 6, 2017

Christian Standard

New Testament Theology & Bible

Coming Near

By Jennifer Johnson One of the most commonly quoted verses from Eugene Peterson”s The Message Bible is John 1:14: “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.” This metaphor for the incarnation is referenced so often because, like all good poetic language, it succinctly describes a profound truth: Jesus not only came to earth to be with us, he came to be one of us. Following Jesus means following his example and “incarnating” the gospel in our own neighborhoods. Sometimes this means tutoring children or planting a church. For Salt & Light, it meant offering opportunities to

April 6, 2017

Christian Standard

Church & Ministry Community Outreach

Changing the Solution for the Needy in Champaign

By Jennifer Johnson Like many organizations committed to helping people in need, Salt & Light Ministries in Champaign, IL, began by giving away food, clothing, and other items. Unlike many of those organizations, however, Salt & Light eventually changed its structure and its systems to empower people to meet their own needs””and the ministry is thriving. “For years we did the “˜free stuff” model,” says Lisa Sheltra, associate director. “In fact, we were the largest emergency food pantry in Champaign County, feeding hundreds of households each week. But we still ran out of food and had to turn people away,

April 4, 2017

Christian Standard Updates News & Updates

Michael Mack Named Christian Standard Editor

Michael C. Mack has been named the 12th editor of CHRISTIAN STANDARD. Jerry Harris, newly appointed publisher of Christian Standard Media, announced that Mack will join him on the staff of the magazine, beginning with its July issue. “We at Christian Standard Media are truly blessed to have on our team the combination of talent and passion we find in Michael Mack!” Harris said. “We welcome Mike and his wife, Heidi, into a bright future with CHRISTIAN STANDARD.” Mack comes to the position with 28 years of experience in publishing, local church ministry, and national small groups leadership. He is

March 23, 2017

Christian Standard

Discipleship & Spiritual Formation

Focusing on Discipleship

By Jennifer Johnson You may know Exponential as the premier conference for church planting, but you may not know that a similar event exists for leaders focused on discipleship””and that some of the same people are behind both. Todd Wilson, founder and director of Exponential, and Bobby Harrington, lead pastor at Harpeth Christian Church in Franklin, TN, launched the National Disciple Making Forum in 2014 at Saddleback Church in Southern California as a way for disciple-making leaders around the country to learn, pray, worship, and grow together. “I wasn”t sure if I wanted to take this on, honestly,” Harrington says.

March 20, 2017

Christian Standard

Church & Ministry Leadership Development

Basic Training

By Jennifer Johnson A few years ago I wrote a proposal for an online initiative that would provide customizable resources for churches wanting to develop their pastors, worship leaders, campus ministers, church planters, elders, and key volunteers. I suggested an online portal with everything from 101 to seminary-level books, articles, podcasts, and videos, as well as suggested “tracks” with curated lists of resources for specific groups. I referred to research from the Barna Group and Ed Stetzer as well as insights from the leaders of Orchard Group, Stadia, and some of our megachurches to support my argument. It was summarily

March 20, 2017

Christian Standard

Colleges & Seminaries Organizations & Events

Milligan, Stadia Partner Together

By Jennifer Johnson Milligan College and Stadia recently announced they have partnered to raise awareness of church planting and further the mission of both institutions. The new partnership was announced in December during a “Church Planting Emphasis Week” at Milligan College and Emmanuel Christian Seminary in Tennessee. The partnership opens a variety of opportunities for both organizations, including theological training for church planters at Milligan/Emmanuel, Stadia-developed church planting courses for students, new internship opportunities for Milligan and Emmanuel students at church plants, and Stadia speakers for Milligan”s Youth in Ministry Student Leadership Conference. Phyllis Fox, who served as director of

March 13, 2017

Christian Standard Updates News & Updates

Restoration Movement Media Announces Christian Standard Media Publisher Transition

PARKER, CO””The president of Restoration Movement Media, Doug Crozier, along with its board is very pleased to announce the next chapter of leadership for Christian Standard Media. Jerry Harris, senior pastor of The Crossing based in Quincy, Illinois, has been named the new publisher of CHRISTIAN STANDARD and The Lookout magazines. He will serve in this role while continuing his leadership at The Crossing. The transition coincides with the retirement of the current publisher, Mark A. Taylor, on June 30, 2017. “Mark Taylor has faithfully served in a variety of roles at Christian Standard Media, formerly Standard Publishing, for more

March 3, 2017

Eleanor Daniel, ‘The Queen of Deans,’ Passes Away

Dr. Eleanor A. Daniel, 77, of Urbana, IL, referred to in a recent CHRISTIAN STANDARD article as “The Queen of Deans” because of her service as academic dean at three seminaries, died on March 2, 2017. She was born Feb. 28, 1940, near Milton, IL, to Donald W. and Bernice (Hillig) Daniel. She spent more than 40 years ministering in churches, colleges, seminaries, and overseas. She earned a BA and an MA at Lincoln (IL) Christian University, and an MEd and PhD from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. She held ministries in Tuscola, IL; Buchanan, MI; Oklahoma City, OK; Lincoln,

February 20, 2017

Christian Standard

Church & Ministry Church Growth

A Next Chapter

By Jennifer Johnson Several years ago I wrote a series of case studies for Kairos Legacy Partners that described their work with dying and declining churches across the country. Kairos works with these churches to evaluate their impact, their finances, and overall health and determine whether it makes sense for them to stay open as a congregation. If the decision is no, Kairos also works with those churches to help them “recycle” their facilities and financial resources in ways that can fund another ministry. I”m a fan of Kairos and I appreciate its desire to honor the sacrifices of past

February 20, 2017

Christian Standard

Church & Ministry Church Growth

Church Moves from Mortgage to Ministry

By Jennifer Johnson It”s common for church plants to meet in school buildings, and leaders in those new churches happily haul gear, set up rooms for children, and tear down worship spaces each week. It”s much less common for decades-old congregations to give up their buildings and go back to this way of worshipping, but for Journey Christian Church in Roswell, GA, this facility decision is opening up new opportunities for ministry. When Dan Garrett became lead pastor at Journey (then First Christian Church of Roswell) in 2011, the church was paying off $2.5 million in debt. The church had

February 19, 2017

Christian Standard

Family & Relationships

Single on Purpose, with a Purpose

By Jennifer Johnson Northeast Christian Church (Louisville, KY) has a history of giving money to church members who want to use the funds to make a difference””and the recipients of these donations have a proven track record of changing lives with the money. Several years ago as part ofÂ a sermon series, Northeast”s leadership team chose 100 people and gave each one a hundred dollar bill with instructionsÂ to use the money for something God was calling them to do. From this investment came a number of ongoing ministries, including a “Mom”s Closet” which helps single moms with education, food, and clothing,

February 13, 2017

Christian Standard Updates Ministries & Nonprofits News & Updates

New Owners for Christian Standard Media

Parker, Colorado February 13, 2017 The Solomon Foundation (TSF), a church extension fund serving the Christian churches and churches of Christ with headquarters in Parker, Colorado, has acquired Christian Standard Media, according to TSF chief executive officer Doug Crozier. Christian Standard Media consists of The Lookout and Christian Standard magazines. “Christian Standard and The Lookout, so important to the Christian churches and churches of Christ for 15 decades, are now residing where they belong,” Crozier said, “with a ministry also committed to the congregations in this fellowship.” “We’re delighted by this opportunity to grow in our service to the churches,”

February 10, 2017

Christian Standard

Christian Living

Submit News

We”re happy to post news from Christian churches, churches of Christ, and missions, colleges, and other parachurch agencies serving them. News items will appear on this Web site soon (usually within 3-5 days) after you submit them. Some items also run in the print magazine about six or seven weeks after that. All news items must include name and daytime phone number of sender. We cannot accept phoned submissions. Be sure to include name of church or organization as well as city and state. Submit all news to ch***************@********************ia.com. Digital photos (jpeg format, between 1-3mb in size) are welcome. Designate

February 1, 2017

Christian Standard

Colleges & Seminaries Organizations & Events

Ozark Christian College to Celebrate 75th Anniversary

Nationally known speakers and hundreds of alumni and friends will converge on the campus of Ozark Christian College in February as the college honors its 75th anniversary. OCC”s annual Preaching-Teaching Convention will take place Feb. 20″“22 on its campus in Joplin, MO. This year”s convention, “A Jesus People,” welcomes best-selling authors and Ozark grads Kyle Idleman and Jon Weece, as well as the college”s former president, Ken Idleman, among many others. The convention begins Monday evening and includes a special 75th anniversary celebration at the annual President”s Banquet on Wednesday. The convention also offers events for college alumni, networking lunches,

January 14, 2017

Christian Standard

Church Leadership

Strategic Solutions for Significant Stages

By Jennifer Johnson Writers of short-think pieces like this one love to quote statistics about the hundreds or even thousands of pastors who are leaving the ministry each month. However, as Ed Stetzer pointed out on his blog last October, those provocative numbers have yet to be backed up with any solid data or reliable sources. In fact, actual recent surveys, like the September 2015 study conducted by LifeWay Research, show that while the demands of pastoring a church can frequently feel “overwhelming” to more than 50 percent of senior pastors, the vast majority (92 percent!) also feel regularly encouraged

January 13, 2017

Christian Standard

Church & Ministry Church Leadership Ministry Training & Education

Making Longer-term Connections

By Jennifer Johnson Although internships are invaluable for helping college students determine their vocational path””and although many Christian colleges and universities now require them for students across a variety of disciplines””ministry internships can be difficult for both students and churches. “The shorter internships, especially, are challenging,” says Tim Dunn, minister at LifeSpring Christian Church in Cincinnati, OH. “With just a few hours a week, you don”t have time to really influence or invest in the students, especially when they are also participating in mission trips or camps. It”s hard to really include them in the life of the church.” Cincinnati

January 13, 2017

Christian Standard

Church & Ministry Church Leadership Ministry Training & Education

Helping Ministry Leaders Develop Skills, Relationships

By Jennifer Johnson This month, more than a dozen pastors in the Greater Los Angeles area will begin a journey of learning, leadership, and change as Pepperdine University (Malibu, CA) kicks off its second Communitas cohort. The program, which began as part of the Lilly Endowment, is designed to connect senior leaders who have served in ministry for 5 to 10 years and help them develop greater leadership skills; grow in their understanding of significant issues facing their communities; build networks with civic, business, and political leaders throughout the city; and develop strong relationships with each other. “Lilly discovered there

January 6, 2017

Christian Standard

Obituaries for 2016

The most recently received obituaries are listed first. An alphabetical listing of all 2016 obituaries begins further down. William Breckenridge Gulick, 86, of Mason, OH, died Dec. 21, 2016. Abandoned when he was 3 to 5 months old in Covington, KY, on Sept. 15, 1930, he was taken in by Fred and Betty Gulick, who gave him a name and chose a birthday. He lived in Covington until age 12. He lived with several families in Cincinnati, OH, until graduation from Western Hills High School in 1947. He graduated from Cincinnati Bible Seminary in 1951. In 1949, he married Ethel

December 24, 2016

Christian Standard

Mission & Evangelism

Mexico Ministry Making Difference for Deaf, Families

By Jennifer Johnson Jesus often told the people listening to his teaching, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.” In the United States we understand that for the deaf, “hearing” must happen with eyes and teaching must happen with hands using American Sign Language. But what about those in other countries who can”t hear and have no signs to see? Michelle ZuÃ±iga, an Ozark Christian College graduate, learned both Spanish and sign language to bring the gospel to the deaf in Matamoros, Mexico. ZuÃ±iga approached Workers for Mexico Mission with the idea of reaching the deaf in Mexico in

December 9, 2016

Christian Standard

Church & Ministry Community Outreach

I Could Totally/Never Do That!

By Jennifer Johnson Two mistakes are easy to make when reading B.J. Leonard“s story. The first is to think you could never do what he did””give up your dream house in the suburbs to move into the inner city with your wife and three young kids. The second is to believe you could totally do what he did because you”ve romanticized it as a sequel to The Blind Side. B.J., his wife, Mary, and his daughters aren”t reaching out to urban Decatur, IL, because it”s easy, but they”re also not doing it to experience the warm fuzzy feelings of “saving”