March 2, 2025
The words challenge and hope describe well the focus of this issue. Ministry can be hard. And discouraging. But we stick with it because of hope—hope in whom we serve, and hope in the work to which he has called us.
I’ve been asked to reflect on some of the seemingly small ministry practices that have a way of compounding in remarkable results over time. My list is long, but I will share what might be the top three habits for meaningful ministry in today’s difficult context.
On June 1, the Christian Evangelistic Association, which has planted churches in the Pacific Northwest since 1961, will begin operating as the Evergreen Church Planting Network. . . . Also briefs about Mountain Christian Church (200th anniversary) and Northeast Christian Church (10 years of Love the 'Ville). . . .
March 1, 2024
A 200-year-old church in the Northeast bursting with life, vibrancy, growth, and impact!
January 24, 2024
A book by RENEW.org scholar Matthew Bates was selected as the top title in the Popular Theology category of Christianity Today's 2024 Book Awards. . . . Also a brief about a tragic auto accident in Illinois and a preview of the National Preaching Summit March 11-12 in Indianapolis. . . .
December 8, 2023
The National Preaching Summit will gather at The Creek in Indianapolis on March 11-12, 2024, to explore the theme, “Undivided: Preaching Unity in Turbulent Times.” . . .
November 1, 2023
By Ben Cachiaras Shortly before his recent unexpected passing, my friend, Christian Standard editor Mike Mack, asked me via email: “How can we love one another in a culture where there is so much sharp disagreement? . . . Would you write something on the challenge of fighting for relationships?” Before his untimely death, the burden on Mike’s heart—and likely many of our hearts—was to see Christ followers navigate the nasty culture wars, the lack of civility, and the political polarization to live out faith in God-honoring ways. “How do we disagree without hating?” he asked. Indeed, some people now
July 1, 2023
By Ben Cachiaras The surge in the number of celebrity pastors is a growing concern for the church. Multiple documentaries, articles, and podcasts (including “The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill”) have exposed this problem. And with so many high-profile pastors disqualifying themselves, one naturally wonders how much of their downfall was connected to the celebrity status that had become part of their identity. The terms Christian and celebrity have not meshed well historically. Over time, popularity has taken out more pastors than persecution. The church has been negatively impacted by this syndrome. A celebrity pastor is not easily replicable,
May 1, 2023
By Ben Cachiaras When asked about the key to his success, Dick Clark, of American Bandstand fame, replied, “I don’t set trends. I just find out what they are and exploit them.” Worrying about trends can get you into trouble. So can ignoring them. At the least, it seems wise for church leaders to strive to be like the men of Issachar “who understood the times and knew what Israel should do” (1 Chronicles 12:32). In this spirit, I was asked to consider how we might understand and respond to the rising trends noted in “A ‘Postdenominational’ Era: Inside the
May 1, 2023
By Daryl Reed I saw a cartoon that pictures a church membership class. The teacher is showing a diagram titled “Churches and Christian Movements Throughout History.” On the left side of the chart a dot is labeled “30 AD,” representing the first church. To the right of that is a large tree of many successive generations of Christian movements. The teacher is pointing to a place further out on the tree and says, “So this is where our movement came along and got the Bible right.” A student responds, “Jesus is so lucky to have us.” I’m embarrassed to say
March 1, 2023
Veteran Preachers Share Plans for Their 2023 Resurrection Sermons
November 17, 2022
"Why is the American Thanksgiving celebration characterized more by indulgence than gratitude?" editor Mark A. Taylor asked in 2007.
September 1, 2022
By Ben Cachiaras Over the last two years I have listened to pastors and witnessed churches across the country share sad stories. They tell of congregations splitting, longtime members leaving, and pastors getting fired. I’ve seen tight-knit small groups blow apart, families feud, and longtime friendships abruptly end. Has this happened primarily because of major scandal in the church or moral failure? Or was it false doctrine—a refusal to recognize the divinity of Christ? Or perhaps a mishandling of Scripture? No. It was politics. We can barely even discuss politics anymore. We polarize over every issue, demonize those with differing
July 1, 2022
By Ben Cachiaras We have a problem. Emotional well-being is in serious decline. It’s a palpable crisis that was bad before the pandemic. The isolation, social upheaval, polarization, and massive changes with work, school, and life have exacerbated the crisis, creating an extended ambiguity and heightened stress that’s a perfect cocktail for burnout and emotional struggle. (I first heard it put that way by Paul Alexander, president of Hope International University.) No wonder the World Health Organization’s recent scientific brief states that the global prevalence of anxiety and depression has increased 25 percent since the pandemic’s arrival in early 2020.
July 15, 2020
We asked several Christian leaders to share their memories of Marshall Leggett, a Christian minister and college administrator who served as president of Milligan College in Tennessee from 1982 to 1997. He died March 2 at the age of 90. _ _ _ In 1965 the elders of Southeast Christian approached Marshall about becoming the preacher of their new church in Louisville. They had narrowed their preference down to two men: Bob Shannon and Marshall Leggett, the two best young preachers in our brotherhood. Both men saw the potential in the new church but at the last minute both decided
June 14, 2020
What are you bringing to the political fire? By Ben Cachiaras Our nation is polarized politically. It seems everyone is politicked off. The flames of strife, disagreement, and contentiousness are burning everywhere, and each of us has a choice in how we respond. In one hand you hold a can of gasoline.It’s obvious what happens when you pour gas on a fire. The fire explodes, destruction follows, people are hurt. In your other hand is a bucket filled with water. Pour the water on a flame and you hear that defusing sound: tsssss. The bucket contains the Spirit’s calming waters
June 14, 2020
(This article is a sidebar to Ben Cachiaras’s “The Separation of Church and Hate”; that article and this sidebar both appear in our July 2020 issue.) Three Changes We Must Make to Stop the Infighting and Get Back to the Mission By Ben Cachiaras In his excellent book Dancing in No Man’s Land, Brian Jennings describes the elaborate bunkers used in World War I. Soldiers hunkered in deep trenches for months, close enough to shoot at their enemies but separated from them. They might raise up their head to hurl a grenade or take a shot, but they had to
May 20, 2020
By Chris Moon The leaders at Mountain Christian Church in Joppa, Md., had long thought about starting a podcast, but it took COVID-19 to spur them into action. “That was the little push we needed,” said Luke Erickson, the church’s executive pastor. Once the coronavirus hit, no in-person church services or group meetings were happening, and church staffers were looking for other ways to continue their work of disciple-making. The church launched its 6 Feet Apart video podcast—named for the familiar social distancing guideline—about a month ago. The weekly show is built around a conversation between Erickson and lead pastor
April 3, 2019
Compiled by Chris Moon and Jim Nieman Greenview (Ill.) Christian Church celebrated its 150th anniversary over the weekend. A special service Sunday included visits from previous ministers and then a luncheon. On Saturday, there was a joint service with nearby Sweetwater Christian Church, which started GCC in 1869. The service featured hymns from 150 years ago and a presentation on the history of both congregations. GCC senior minister Andy Nichols told The Courier, “There’s a reason that roughly half of the members have been almost lifelong members. [It’s] because they feel like they are part of a family once they are part of the church.” _ _ _ News
March 27, 2019
A recent article in Forbes features Karis Hortin, a student-athlete at Lincoln (Ill.) Christian University, who started a business as part of an entrepreneur program during her senior year in high school. Hortin says God’s been answering prayers throughout the process of starting and operating Jars of Hope, a pre-mixed meal company. The Forbes article states: “Hortin [says] it was her mother’s suggestion to donate part of Jars of Hope’s proceeds to charity. After praying on the topic, however, she decided to do more, donating all her profits to the orphanage where she lived until age 9. After fundraising to cover travel expenses, Hortin visited the orphanage in
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