Articles for tag: Bloomington Indiana

October 24, 2020

Christian Standard

Sharing the Bread of Life with a Used Table

How Our Church Is Making a World of Difference with International Students By Tom Ellsworth The bursts rang out on that sultry, July 4 Sunday morning in 1999. They weren’t firecrackers, but gunshots . . .  fired at attendees gathered in front of the Korean United Methodist Church in Bloomington, Indiana. Won-Joon Yoon, a Korean student at Indiana University, was gunned down on his way into worship. The cowardly white supremacist had fired randomly into the crowd and taken an innocent life. The city was stunned. At the time, my dear friend Carthell Everett—part of the Sherwood Oaks Christian Church

August 15, 2020

Christian Standard

Wandering through the Coronavirus Wilderness

How the Church Can Serve the Most Vulnerable in Our Spiritual Families By Tom Ellsworth Thirty-five years ago, Indiana issued a license plate with the slogan, “Wander Indiana.” I understood the invitation to casually tour the state for all it has to offer, but the wording felt more like an invitation to lazy futility. Can you fathom what it was like for the Israelites to spend 40 years plodding through a barren land on a journey that could have been accomplished in a matter of weeks? And many of them knew they would never set foot in Canaan, which only

April 15, 2020

Christian Standard

Ellsworth’s Farewell Sermon On Hold Until Church Can Gather Again

By Chris Moon Tom Ellsworth jokes that his “crystal ball” must have been broken when he announced last year his plan to retire at the end this month. Ellsworth has put in nearly 40 years of service as pastor of Sherwood Oaks Christian Church in Bloomington, Ind. He’s seen the church grow from an attendance of about 80 people to more than 3,000 on two campuses. But 40 years is a good biblical number, and Ellsworth had his 65th birthday earlier this year. The church began working on a retirement plan a couple of years ago, and Shawn Green was

August 20, 2019

Christian Standard

Ellsworth Plans to Retire from Sherwood Oaks; Green to Replace

Tom Ellsworth plans to retire as senior minister with Sherwood Oaks Christian Church next spring after serving the church since January 1981. During his ministry, the Bloomington, Ind., congregation has grown from 80 people to nearly 3,000 people across three locations. “What a joy it has been to lead Sherwood Oaks Christian Church and to serve the Bloomington and Bedford communities,” Ellsworth said. “It’s been an incredible journey, and I’m excited for all that is ahead.” Ellsworth and his wife, Elsie—who will be retiring as Sherwood Oaks’ marriage coordinator and premarital counseling coordinator—say they want to take their years of

March 10, 2017

Christian Standard

OUR MINISTRY TO REFUGEES: A “˜loaves and fishes” alternative

By Brad Pontius In an effort to help displaced victims of violence by the Islamic State (IS) in the Middle East, Sherwood Oaks Christian Church in Bloomington, Indiana, discovered a different way to assist thousands of Iraqi Christians who have been forced from their homes. An initial effort to host refugees in Hoosierland was transformed into a campaign to provide necessary, life-giving tools to 125,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs), Christians who lived in the Ninevah Plains near Kurdistan, Northern Iraq. It all began simply enough: an Indiana University undergrad asked Rawand, a Kurdish student from Iraq, “Can I help you?”

July 28, 2016

Christian Standard

Living the Parable

By Tom Ellsworth Jesus” parable of the vineyard laborers who all received the same wage (despite the fact that some started at the 11th hour) has created more questions than answers for me. It just didn”t seem . . . fair. When I talked with Kenny Ooley regarding his relationship with the Lord, he shared his struggle. He didn”t struggle with his faith; he struggled with his past. How could a perfect God love and forgive him for a lifetime of lousy choices? Could God be that generous? Could forgiveness extend that far? After all, he had wasted a lifetime

July 31, 2015

Christian Standard

Tom Ellsworth’s Thought Leaders

We asked 35 Christian leaders, “Who is the influencer with the biggest impact on your life and ministry?” Most of these leaders listed several influential thinkers, writers, innovators, and leaders more of us should get to know. This response is from Tom Ellsworth, senior minister with Sherwood Oaks Christian Church, Bloomington, Indiana. ________ Theology: Jack Cottrell Devotional study: Max Lucado, Ken Gire, Mark Atteberry A deeper challenge: N.T. Wright, Dallas Willard Cultural study: Thom Rainer Inspiration and perhaps my all-around favorite: John Ortberg

June 19, 2015

Christian Standard

Millennial Bridge

By Tom Ellsworth I”m not sure when it happened. I distinctly remember being a young minister just starting out who desperately wanted to bridge the gulf between the generation I so respected and my generation, which also needed to find a place in church leadership. Suddenly””at least it seems that way””I find myself moving into a different stage. I turned 60 this year and have become part of the generation to which I was trying to build that bridge years ago. I hasten to add that 60 is not old (my perspective), but neither is it young. So I want

November 1, 2010

Christian Standard

Fun and Games

By Jennifer Taylor Sherwood Oaks Christian Church (Bloomington, Indiana) doesn”t usually offer midweek programming during the summer, but this year it tried something new””and discovered a program adaptable to any church at any time of the year. SOCC developed the approach around Tom Ellsworth”s new It”s Your Move books, which connect the fun of popular board games to Bible study and real-life application. Ellsworth, senior minister at the church, wrote the books for small group use but found the material translated well to a larger gathering. “We spent the first half hour or so playing the game together around tables;

May 5, 2010

Christian Standard

Interview with Bill and Mike Buher

Bill Buher and his wife, Mary, raised their two sons in an a cappella church of Christ in southern Indiana and then, a few years ago, transferred membership to Sherwood Oaks Christian Church in Bloomington. Bill was called to serve as an elder at Sherwood Oaks and was one proud dad when his son Mike was similarly called to serve at Mountain Christian Church in Joppa, Maryland. Bill, retired for about 10 years, finds plenty of ways to keep busy serving Christ. Mike is an audit partner for Grant Thornton, an international accounting firm. Did you grow up in the

January 13, 2008

Christian Standard

Standard”s VBS: More Than Learning, Beyond Fun

By Joni Baker “The greatest form of praise is the sound of consecrated feet seeking out the lost and helpless.” “”Billy Graham, as quoted in Beyond Your Backyard, by Tom Ellsworth (Standard Publishing)     Churches today are rediscovering the world outside their four walls. In fact, a movement of “externally focused” churches reaches out to show love in practical service to schools, parks, nonprofit organizations, and individuals in their communities. Within these churches, all ages can serve together. Even small children learn the joy of helping others. But even though the value of service in Christ”s name has been

June 19, 2005

Tom Ellsworth

Experiencing the Awe of God

‘Awe’ Moments

From ocean waves to a helicopter view of the Grand Canyon, Tom Ellsworth explores “awe” moments that point to God’s majesty—and to the greatest awe of all: Christ’s total sacrifice for us.

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