January 20, 2026
ICOM has announced Rob Maupin as its next Executive Director, succeeding David Empson after 25 years of leadership. Maupin will begin as transitional director April 1 and assume the role September 1.
September 2, 2024
Lifeline Christian Mission recently hit the milestone of having packed 100 million meals for people in need.
November 1, 2023
By Ben Simms “How can we love people without compromising truth?” This is a complex and challenging question, yet Jesus demonstrated it throughout his ministry. In a world that increasingly seems to want to bring down the church and challenge the teachings of Jesus, we must seek to love. As culture wages war with the truth, we are constantly bombarded with messages that run counter to how Scripture calls us to live. One of our primary purposes on earth is to love people toward the kingdom of Jesus. The culture wars, while significant, can be a way for Satan to
November 13, 2018
Lifeline Christian Mission partners with churches, schools, and others to provide the supplies—and opportunities—to serve people locally and globally through food-packing events. By Ben Simms Mix. Weigh. Seal. Ship. These four simple steps involve several generations, as participants gather to package shelf-stable meals for the hungry. A meal-packing event is one of the easiest and most popular ways to engage a group of people, whether large or small, in a service project together. The fun begins as you bring your group together, whether it’s your church, school, or employees. You host the meal-packing event at your location across the
July 29, 2016
By Ben Simms Abraham was a young man who knew trouble. At 12 years old, Abraham was involved in a gang and preferred life on the streets. But God was working. A new house church was being planted in Abraham”s hometown in El Salvador. Lifeline Christian Mission”s Bible Institute students and leaders went door-to-door inviting families to this new church. Two students approached Abraham and his friends and invited them to church. That moment changed Abraham”s life. Abraham visited the church and sat on the back row, listening intently. He was intrigued. Afterwards, as Pastor José greeted all who had
July 15, 2013
BEN SIMMS Executive vice president and chief operating officer, Lifeline Christian Mission, Westerville, Ohio Vision. Passion. Humility. These are three qualities that come to mind when I think about Ben Simms. I believe his vision for ministry is God”s vision because it includes the entire world. An ever-increasing number of people are called “visionary,” but their vision is often limited to one concept, project, or area of ministry. Not so with Ben Simms. He is able to see potential and possibilities when others focus solely on the obstacles and difficulties accompanying any opportunity. Passion is an indispensable attribute in ministry, but unbridled
September 9, 2009
By Mark A. Taylor Late last year when Kent Fillinger, Ben Simms, and I were planning our annual megachurch issue, Kent and Ben had a new idea. “Why don”t we do the same research with a group of smaller churches?” I thought that idea sounded interesting, and the result is the issue you”re holding in your hands. As is always true with projects of this kind, getting churches to send us their data is the most difficult part. For this issue, we invited churches in repeated printed and e-mailed announcements. Kent and Ben made several personal contacts. We fell short
August 16, 2009
 by Ben Simms What happens when you mix hungry kids in need with churches hungry to serve? A perfect recipe for an incredible project. Dozens of churches across the United States have teamed with Lifeline Christian Mission”s Kids Helping Kids ministry in partnership with Kids Against Hunger, to bag tons of food for hungry kids in Haiti.  While not as tasty as Grandma”s turkey dinner, the food packed at each bagging event is certainly more than rice and water. The Kids Against Hunger mix is a specially formulated, fast-cooking, rice-based combination of vitamins, soy, dehydrated vegetables, and other nutrients
June 17, 2009
By Mark A. Taylor The votes are in, each round of balloting has finished, and the winner in our first-ever Church Branding Competition has been named. Congratulations to Compass Christian Church whose logo rose to the top and garnered the most votes in each of four face-offs. The competition began the week of April 19 with 16 church logos (see list below). Eight were eliminated the first week, and four more the second week, leaving the top four vote-getters. The third round of voting determined the final match-up: Parkway Christian Church (Surprise, Arizona; see below) vs. Compass Christian (a multisite
April 13, 2008
Christian Standard’s annual megachurch issue expands its reporting with more analysis, health indicators, and an interview with Kent Fillinger. Learn about the 2007 Megachurch Report: Deluxe Edition and how readers can help identify missing churches.
April 13, 2008
Northside Christian Church, Yorktown VA, Larry Jones, 2007 Megachurches, megachurch list, emerging megachurches, weekend worship attendance,
megachurch attendance is summarized here with average size figures, total weekend and Easter attendance, and baptisms across 113 churches. Megachurch attendance averages and growth highlights This snapshot also lists state-by-state counts, fastest-growing churches, and baptism ratio leaders. Average sizes are shown for megachurches, emerging megachurches, and all 113 churches. Growth highlights include fastest-growing churches (2007, since 1997, and since 2002) and a growth overview. Baptism totals, a baptism-per-100 ratio, and top churches by baptism ratio and total baptisms are included. By Kent Fillinger and Ben Simms WHAT IS “AVERAGE”? The 52 megachurches’ average size: 4,019 The 61 emerging megachurches’ average
April 9, 2008
Kent Fillinger explains how megachurch metrics can become meaningful for smaller congregations, why adaptability matters, and how leadership transitions and succession planning may shape the movement’s future.
April 9, 2008
A look at this year’s megachurch reports highlights standout growth and baptism numbers, notes a recent decline in overall totals, and points readers to the 2007 Megachurch Report: Deluxe Edition for deeper analysis.
By Mark A. Taylor When we say CHRISTIAN STANDARD is a magazine for leaders in the local church, immediately we create a problem. Just who is a leader? At no time is that question more clearly answered than when we consider the Leaders in Christian Service program cosponsored by Milligan College and Standard Publishing. Leaders in Christian Service recognizes men and women who have discovered the beauty in the paradox presented by Christ: “Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant” (Matthew 20:26, New Living Translation ). Those who have received this reward in the past
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