January 10, 2023
Christian Standard's annual survey of churches is now available! This survey is designed for every Restoration Movement church (Independent Christian Churches and Churches of Christ). "We have made it much shorter and easier for you to respond [this year]," says editor editor Michael Mack. . . .
Many American churchgoers are asking: “When will God bring revival to this nation and restore our Christian foundations?” The desire for a country based on Christian morality and for revival is not unlike the concern in Jesus’ day for the restoration of Israel, its freedom, and economic prosperity. . . .
September 1, 2021
American generational history is defined by marker events. Terrible assassinations. Catastrophic disasters. Tragic failures. Bloody wars. Economic depressions. From Bunker Hill to Gettysburg to Vietnam, America has been shaped by Thomas Paine’s “the times that try men’s souls.” For those born in the last half of the 20th century, no event proved more horrific than the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. That moment was our generation’s “Pearl Harbor.” In its wake came transformational change in how America socialized, worked, learned, played, and churched. In telephone vocabulary, 9-1-1 is an emergency assistance call. So it’s strangely fitting that September 11,
August 15, 2020
By Jerry Harris Change is an essential part of life, but human beings seem to have a built-in resistance to it. I don’t think that’s all bad, as change for change’s sake may not produce the best results. However, oftentimes change is critical or even welcomed, especially in the midst of crisis. One of the hotly debated issues in the church world over the last few years has been whether or not online church is a legitimate form of church. On this discussion topic, the COVID-19 crisis forced an almost instantaneous pivot in the American church world. Virtually every church
May 17, 2020
By Tyler McKenzie I was born, raised, baptized, and ordained in Restoration Movement churches. I’ve served all my years in ministry in the Restoration Movement. I married a Restoration Movement girl. I got a Restoration Movement degree. I’m Restoration Movement tried and true. But that’s not why I love our movement. I love the Restoration Movement for what it stands for. It is a movement of churches aiming to restore the dynamic life of the first church in Acts. That church is worth restoring. It’s a movement marked by the pioneering grit of Jesus’ apostles trying to establish Jesus’ church
November 7, 2016
By Mark W. Hamilton What does a just community look like? Is the American church such a community? Do we live out the call of the prophet Micah to “do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly before God?”* These questions confront anyone who studies the history of American Christianity. From that history we learn that Christians used the Bible to defend slavery and oppose it, to silence women and empower them, to cheer on Bull Connor”s corrupt police in Birmingham, Alabama, and to walk through hostile crowds in Little Rock, Arkansas, and Selma, Alabama, during the civil rights movement. Today,
July 9, 2015
By Jennifer Johnson This past weekend Matt and I had the rare chance for a Friday night date and somehow, after cheesesteaks and The Imitation Game and overpriced desserts at a French bistro, our conversation turned to the future of the church in America. Yes, we are nerds. Yes, this is what happens when a blogger and a pastor get married. I predicted that many of the churches enjoying success today will no longer be recognizable in a few generations, since most communities go through cycles of growth and decline. I predicted that churches will continue to franchise, with large
June 24, 2015
By Jim Tune It”s no longer 1910 or the age of men. And if there once was a Christian age, it has come and gone. As recently as 1967, one might have argued that Canada was a Christian country. July 1, 1967 marked Canada”s centennial birthday celebration. Thousands gathered in Ottawa, the nation”s capital, for the festivities. The celebration began with a prayer service, which was carried on national television and was a centerpiece of the day”s events. The crowd waited expectantly as dignitaries arrived for the service, including all the main political leaders of the day: the prime minister
May 13, 2014
By Mark A. Taylor Don”t count CHRISTIAN STANDARD among today”s crop of church bashers. Even when we don”t headline our cover with “I love the church,” we make a point of encouraging the local church and its leaders. But posts at our site this month give special reasons to feel positive. For example, we couldn”t agree more with Bob Russell”s local-church cheerleading. Think of all the dysfunction and distress our world would face without the healing and help the church has extended through the centuries. Then there”s Kent Fillinger”s annual update on the state of megachurches and other churches among
January 10, 2014
By Rick Chromey While in Africa, I was blessed to worship at the influential Himo church, affiliated with the conservative Evangelical Lutheran Church in Africa. I had never experienced an authentic African church service and found the contrast from my American church background and experience significant. The Himo church is a true megachurch, boasting more than 1,000 in weekly attendance (most African churches are under 100). Rogers Mtui, an ordained clergyman in the African Evangelical Lutheran Church, serves as pastor; his congregation is the largest in the Kilimanjaro district. Of all Protestant denominations, the Lutheran church is the biggest and
June 24, 2012
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
November 1, 2011
By Matt Bortmess Why does it have to be so complicated? Because I crave simplicity in my life and my ministry, this is a question I find myself wrestling with more and more these days. My life has become so complex. Sixteen years into our marriage, now with four kids and a dog, my wife and I are finding a busy calendar crammed with appointments, ball games, birthday parties, school events, and . . . the list goes on and on. Add to that a church calendar filled with meetings, studies, and luncheons, and I”m presented with so many choices
September 12, 2010
By Rick Grover People ask me the same questions they probably ask you: “Is your church seeker-driven, purpose-driven, missional, attractional, emergent, or traditional?” I always find it difficult to answer these questions without getting into lengthy discussions about the meaning of words and terms. And I also dislike the notion of being pigeonholed. Who doesn”t? When I think of labels for churches, I”ve coined one that I especially hope will never be used to describe ours: “Tourist Church.” Are you familiar with this name? You should be, because it is quickly becoming an unfortunate description of the American church. While
February 14, 2010
By Ben Cachiaras When visiting Capernaum last summer, I paused on the rocky shoreline looking out at the Sea of Galilee. Knowing it could be the very stretch of beach Jesus walked when he called those first fishermen gave it a surreal sense of being holy ground. What struck me is that Jesus” call to them was abrupt and demanding: “Follow me!” Doing so would mean a life of perpetual movement and adventure, risk and change. It meant dropping familiar nets, leaving cherished family, and abandoning well-worn paths in pursuit of a leader who wanted to take them BEYOND any
November 26, 2008
By Mark A. Taylor The president of a Christian college commented to me about the staff cutbacks and salary reductions he initiated at his school several weeks ago. “This is difficult,” he admitted. “But I think good can come out of it. In the tough times we have the chance to demonstrate real leadership.” Indeed, throughout history nations, families, and individuals have made surprising accomplishments when the odds against them were the greatest. But we know not everyone rises to the challenge presented to them by difficult circumstances. Some who lost everything in the Great Depression of the last century
October 18, 2006
A young adult’s comment about wanting the “best speaker” raises a deeper question: have churches reduced Sunday to a sermon-centered product? With voices from theOOZE.com and 1 Corinthians 14:26, this piece calls for greater participation.
November 9, 2005
James may be practical, but it can be painfully hard to obey. This reflection contrasts American comfort with believers who face persecution and asks whether we will “consider it pure joy” when trials come.
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