Articles for tag: Becky Ahlberg

March 5, 2015

Christian Standard

Getting Ready for Easter: Plainfield (IN) Christian Church

Remembering the Final Week By Todd Dillon, worship arts pastor, Plainfield (Indiana) Christian Church We always have a pre-Resurrection Day service on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. Some of our favorite have been Tenebrae services based on different approaches to the final week before the crucifixion. Some of these have been based on the last seven words of Christ, as told through the eyes of various biblical characters, entwined with Scripture and music. We have used the traditional Tenebrae approach, using lighted candles that we extinguish at intervals until we are left in darkness. Another favorite was “a meal of remembrance.” We had tables

December 12, 2014

Christian Standard

Creating a Framework, Unleashing Potential

Book Reviews by Becky Ahlberg A Framework for Understanding Poverty By Ruby K. Payne, PhD Highlands: aha! Process, 2013 Ruby Payne”s book, A Framework for Understanding Poverty, is already considered a classic and must reading for people working with families in poverty. It is a simple book and a fast read, but it is truly an eye-opener. Its initial audience was educators trying to break through to children in poverty. It has since become an industry standard training course for employers, policy makers, and service providers of all kinds. What makes it so valuable are the practical, clear tools and

December 11, 2014

Christian Standard

50 Ways Your Church Can Fight Poverty

By Jennifer Johnson Most Christians want to do something to address the problems of poverty. But many of us just don”t know where to start. Here are 50 ideas, shared by 15 Christian leaders from around the world, to help you show the love of Jesus to those who are poor. Almost any of us could try at least one of these strategies.   Get Practical 1. Create a community garden. Each year ours produces thousands of pounds of healthy food that is distributed to hundreds of families in our community who live below the poverty line. They are invited to

December 9, 2014

Mark A. Taylor

Taking Time

By Mark A. Taylor Too many in the developed, Western world feel trapped in the treadmill of now. They work for companies whose investors demand profit growth this quarter, not next year. They go to doctors and expect a drug to cure their aches and pains today. They rush from work to meetings, sports events, or kids activities with hardly time to eat. So they grab fast food, quick take-out, or an instant dinner from the grocery store shelves full of them. And church leaders are not immune. We expect to see higher giving after a 12-week class, or more

September 16, 2014

Mark A. Taylor

A Choice, Not a Prayer Request

By Mark A. Taylor I”ve written before about a friend in ministry who was dealing with some difficult people. “Why don”t you show them why they need to approach this problem in a different way?” I asked her. “Because people don”t change,” she said. “My telling them another way is better won”t make any difference. They”re going to do this the way they want to do it, not the way I say they should.” If she”s right, how do we ever see change happen? At least a part of the answer comes in the excellent essays by Casey Tygrett  and

September 8, 2014

Christian Standard

Here’s Where Change Begins

By Becky Ahlberg There is no one in the world you can change but yourself. No one. That is the consistent””some would say incessant””mantra at My Safe Harbor, a ministry begun by Anaheim (California) First Christian Church that helps single mothers break the dysfunctional cycle of broken homes. You can manipulate, coerce, or even try persuasion, but in the end, a person must want to change, and she must do it herself. And yet, so much of our emotional energy is spent both believing in and pursuing change in others. We think if we could change the people around us,

March 9, 2014

Christian Standard

Aid to Stick

By Jennifer Johnson Why do we always want to Band-Aid the solution? Never mind. I know why. Whether it”s homelessness or abortion or violence in schools, it”s easier to organize a sock giveaway, stand on a picket line, or bicker about gun control than to address the systemic social issues that first led to the problem. I relearned this a few months ago when interviewing my friend Becky Ahlberg about My Safe Harbor, a nonprofit she (and Anaheim First Christian Church) launched in 2008 to serve a city ravaged by gang violence, crime, and poverty. It might have been easier

October 28, 2013

Christian Standard

Becoming the “˜Go-To” Church

By Jennifer Johnson “We were doing missional before it was cool,” says Becky Ahlberg with a smile. In 2005, Anaheim (California) First Christian Church decided to stay in its rapidly changing neighborhood, connect with its residents, and work strategically to be part of the solution. Since then the church has elevated its community profile and even founded My Safe Harbor, a nonprofit ministry that empowers low-income single moms with relationships, life skills training, and personal development. Through its own relationship building, the church also has strong partnerships with a variety of community agencies, the school district, city government, and the

October 3, 2013

Christian Standard

A Conversation with Becky Ahlberg

Meet Our Contributing Editors: This month, in our ongoing series of interviews with CHRISTIAN STANDARD”s contributing editors, we speak with one who is leading a dynamic urban ministry. Interview by Jennifer Johnson  A lot has happened since the last time we talked about your ministry. Fill me in on the latest. Anaheim [California] First Christian Church started My Safe Harbor in 2008. We discovered that 70 percent of kids who join gangs, drop out of high school, commit suicide, run away, and get pregnant are from single-mother homes, so our goal is to make a difference now and in future generations by

August 18, 2013

Christian Standard

Parenting: The Stewardship of Preparation

By Becky Ahlberg Parenting is not for the faint of heart””or those who can”t take the long view in life. Few things require more of a person””physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually””than parenting. Even in the best situations, parenting is stressful. It is full of emergencies, urgencies, inconsistencies, sleepless nights, second-guessing, and unending challenges! And to top it off, most people feel unprepared for the adventure! But, oh what a ride! It is thrilling, joy-filled, stretching, enriching, humbling, exhilarating, and more, so much more. But parenting is especially precarious for many today. The numbers paint an alarming picture. In 2012, 43

October 15, 2012

Christian Standard

Sticky Conversations: Alcohol

THIS IS THE FIRST IN A SERIES OF FIVE “STICKY CONVERSATIONS”   By Tim Harlow In matters of opinion, beer? “In matters of faith, unity; in matters of opinion, liberty; in all things, love.” It”s such a beautiful sentiment, but how do we know which is which? There wouldn”t be 30,000 different sects of Christianity in the world if it were really that easy. Consider the subject of alcohol. It”s always been confusing to me because, as I grew up in the Christian church, I was always told alcohol was bad/sinful. But Paul told Timothy to drink some wine for his

July 11, 2012

Christian Standard

A Mission, Not Just a Mission Trip

By Mark A. Taylor Maybe the best line in the panel interview article posted this week comes close to the end of it. Luke Erickson, from Mountain Christian Church, in Joppa, Maryland, shared the question the church asks anyone interested in community service projects or mission trips overseas: “How are you engaged in your own neighborhood?” It”s a question born of genius. It prods the would-be servant to get out of himself and into the church”s mission. For example, I may feel good about “sacrificing” a couple hours to work in a food pantry; I may think I”ve given a

October 25, 2011

Christian Standard

You Must Read This . . . A Spiritual Retreat

By Becky Ahlberg Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense By N.T. Wright New York: HarperCollins, 2006 I found this gem during my search for help in writing the spiritual formation curriculum for an intensive yearlong program for low-income single mothers. As is often the case, when you teach, you learn the most. For this teacher, this book was like fresh water to a parched soul. In its simplicity and clarity it brought into bold relief how truly dry I was! Page after page the author brings to life the theology we often “know” and yet don”t understand in a personal way.

March 29, 2011

Christian Standard

In Praise of Congregational Participation

By Becky Ahlberg Contrary to what you might think, “worship wars” have been going on for centuries. I”ll not slip back into my music history professor role and bore you with all the details, but suffice it to say that, from early church days, how we worship has been the topic of a lively, ongoing debate. As is the norm for humans, we tend to swing the pendulum from one extreme to another, rarely finding that center of balance. I suppose if we carry through with that analogy, though, the good news is that it is the swinging pendulum that

September 2, 2010

Christian Standard

Growing Like Jesus (Intro)

Mention growth to a Christian audience, and their thinking quickly goes to the spiritual. Yet “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men” (Luke 2:51, 52). He showed us that growing close to God is connected with every other kind of growth, too. The intellectual, physical, and social dimensions of life all connect to the spiritual. And growth in any of these areas is most successful when accompanied by growth in the other three. This week we asked eight friends, Christian Standard contributing editors or members of our Publishing Committee, “What has helped you grow?”

April 1, 2009

Christian Standard

More Than One Way to Use a Magazine

By Mark A. Taylor Since 2003 we have recruited a group of contributing editors to help us make this magazine all it can be. One way we hear from them is at a brief retreat each January. The group gathers to brainstorm ideas for the magazine, not only what it should contain but how it can influence our whole family of churches. Of course, we can”t lead where we aren”t read, and our contributing editors have ideas for making that happen too. Randy Gariss, for example, reported that his congregation buys CHRISTIAN STANDARD for every elder, deacon, and staff member.

July 13, 2008

Christian Standard

INTRO: Does the Restoration Movement Matter?

By Staff Who cares about the Restoration Movement? We”ve been asking that question with different groups in different ways, and this week we”ll share what we”ve been hearing. For starters, follow the links below to see how certain individuals answered. (Note from webmaster: We will try to relink these after the archiving process is completed.) We wrote one set of questions and sent them to six leaders in our fellowship. (One of them passed the list on to her son for an additional perspective.) They sent us their answers without consulting with each other, and we”re sharing most of what

July 2, 2006

Becky Ahlberg

worship wars

Collateral Damage

After decades of “worship wars,” Becky Ahlberg urges churches to stop wounding their own leaders through “friendly fire.” Before making staff changes, invest in development, check motives, and plan transitions that build up rather than tear down.

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