Left Behind

From After Class Podcast It began as an ordinary Sunday for lead evangelist âDunkerâ Dave, but no one anticipated how it might end. âWe were only joking,â explained James Murray, chairman of the elders. âI guess some people canâ™t stomach a good ribbing. We all feel terrible now.â The first service went off without a hitch; the second, not so muchâan April Foolsâ™ joke gone awry. âThe boy performed splendidly,â explained deacon Joey Gatton, âperhaps too splendidly!â Dunker Dave beamed with pride when Murrayâ™s son came forward to be baptized. The two of them went back to the dressing room

July 14, 2013

Christian Standard

Church Leadership

40 Under 40: Melissa Sandel

MELISSA SANDEL Director of ministries, West Side Christian Church, Springfield, Illinois Five years ago, the growth of West Side Christian Church”s staff required that I expand the senior staff leadership team. I hope timing isn”t everything, because I promoted Melissa Sandel to director of ministries on April 1, 2008. Melissa jokes that her role is the world”s longest-running April Fools” Day prank! Melissa was only 26 years old when promoted from small groups director to senior staff. Her initial challenge was to supervise a diverse ministry staff, including employees whose tenures began when she was a child. While many leaders