Articles for tag: Canada

June 18, 2014

Christian Standard

Interview with Gary Johnson

By Paul Boatman   Gary Johnson serves as lead pastor/elder with The Creek, formerly Indian Creek Christian Church, in Indianapolis, Indiana.   How has your approach to God been altered over the years? Growing up, I went to church week after week without ever realizing that one could have a personal walk with God through his Son, Jesus Christ. I was following a religion, not pursuing a relationship. Leah”s family introduced me to a relationship with Jesus.   And has your approach to Christian leadership changed too? About 15 years ago I went through a period of deep introspection. We

October 14, 2013

Christian Standard

New Signs of Hope in Eastern Canada

By Jim Tune Eastern Canada (Ontario and the Maritime provinces) was the seedbed for what finally became known as the Restoration Movement in Canada. Long before the thoughts of Barton Stone were circulated north of the 49th parallel, and several decades before Alexander Campbell visited the Canadian churches, a simple movement””similar, but not identical to that in the United States””took root in Canada. It was an appeal to model the church according to the simple doctrine and polity of the New Testament, to pursue unity, and to discard denominational labels and creeds. Scottish “restorationists” arrived upon the shores of New

July 28, 2013

Christian Standard

Interview with Russ Kuykendall

By Paul Boatman   Russ Kuykendall is a lifelong Christian who spent his youth and young adulthood preparing for ministry. For the past 20 years he has ministered in the arena of Canadian politics.   How did you happen to choose a career in politics? I did not really choose a political career. I chose to live a life in ministry. I was raised on a farm near Grande Prairie, Alberta. My family loved the church and wanted us to live a Christian life in interface with our wider community and events of the world. Serving Christ was my life”s

March 1, 2013

Christian Standard

Christian Colleges on the Move!

Read these reports from Christian colleges around the world to discover their progress, plans, and creative initiatives to educate Christian leaders for tomorrow.   Boise Bible College Boise Bible College develops well-equipped servant leaders with integrity and a biblical worldview for the global church. Classroom instruction, campus events, and practical ministry opportunities help BBC students grow in knowledge and faith. The college begins the year with a rafting trip and an all-school retreat that allows staff, returning students, and new students to get to know each other while growing spiritually. Students are involved in off-campus service events like “Rake-up Boise”

December 9, 2012

Christian Standard

The Passion of Barton Stone

By Jim Tune Barton Warren Stone was one of the foremost leaders for religious freedom on the western frontier during the first half of the 19th century. He led a movement with goals many—including me—are still pursuing today. Barton Stone was born in Maryland in 1772 and as a boy decided to become a preacher. At age 19 he was ordained a minister in the Presbyterian church. In 1801, Stone moved to Cane Ridge, Kentucky. As he took up his preaching ministry, he discovered that some of the things he read in his Bible seemed inconsistent with the strong Calvinist

July 5, 2012

Christian Standard

A Ministry to Immigrants in Canada

By Jennifer Taylor “When you first get here, even the most basic things can be difficult,” says Javier Bustillos, who is originally from Cali, Colombia, and lived in the United States before arriving in Toronto, Canada, in 2003. “You don”t know where to shop for food, what school your children should attend, where to live. It”s a confusing time.” Bustillos and a small group of other Spanish-speaking members from Churchill Meadows Christian Church (also in Toronto) began visiting a local shelter to become friends with the refugees and immigrants. “We didn”t begin with a plan,” he admits. “We just listened

July 3, 2012

Christian Standard

What I”ve Learned, What I Believe About Immigration

By Gayla Cooper Congdon and Erin Illingworth As a resident of an international border city, I encounter immigration issues on a regular basis. Every time I drive down Interstate 805 to my office in San Ysidro, California, a warning sign reminds me to watch out for people running across the freeway. That sign is there to protect those who cross the border on foot and are in danger of being hit by cars. Each time I travel to our camp in Mexico near the border towns of Tijuana and Tecate, I see a fence that was constructed to keep people

May 23, 2012

Christian Standard

Impacting Canada

By Kent E. Fillinger Toronto, Canada, is the most ethnically diverse city in the world. On the west side of Toronto, where Churchill Meadows Christian Church meets, 55 percent of the population speaks a language other than English in their homes. All totaled, more than 140 languages and dialects are spoken in the city. People of Muslim and Hindu backgrounds outnumber the people with any form of Christian background. Additionally, only 4 percent of the population is churched, which means the majority of people have no frame of reference for Christianity. Culturally, Canada resembles Western Europe more than the United

May 7, 2012

Christian Standard

Policy Governance: Adapt, Don”t Adopt

By Don Green Since Lincoln Christian University”s board of trustees made a transition in governance several years ago, I have been an advocate of John Carver”s model of Policy Governance for churches and Christian organizations. Now that I have helped several churches in their leadership transition, I have come to appreciate the importance of adapting these principles. However, I have some concern about adopting the Carver model without thinking theologically and biblically about church structures and governance process. From more than 30 years of working with churches and church leaders, I know that governance structures and decision-making systems are especially

May 2, 2012

Christian Standard

Elders, Submission, and the Rebel in Me!

By Jim Tune With so many poor models of leadership around us today, we may cringe when words like submission, authority, and rule come up. “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” With that line in the final chapter of Animal Farm, George Orwell delivered his critique of Karl Marx and the government of the Soviet Union. We know the story: animals rise up, a barnyard revolt is launched, and the animals displace the human owners of the farm and begin to run the farm for their own benefit. It was a paradise run by

February 18, 2012

Christian Standard

Heritage Center Ready to Add to Collection

By Jennifer Taylor   In the fall of 2009, Pepperdine University opened the Churches of Christ Heritage Center on its campus in Malibu, CA. Today the collection of books, photographs, congregational histories, speeches, and other documents fills a room in the school”s library. “Many of these “˜artifacts” are connected to Pepperdine, like the catalog from the school”s first year in 1937,” says Jerry Rushford, director. “But there are also unusual pieces like a device from the 1920s used to fill Communion cups. A church in Idaho donated it to us.” In fact, the collection was created primarily with donations from

August 12, 2011

Christian Standard

An Embarrassment of Riches (Part 3: The Most Popular Translations)

By Mark S. Krause   Last week we looked at numbers eight through five on the list of top-selling English Bibles. The article included a survey of the presuppositions behind the translations, and their audiences. This week we will look at the top four. As before, we will compare the treatment of Psalm 8:4 and Matthew 16:18 in each version reviewed (see bottom for fuller explanation of our test verses).   4. New Living Translation The New Living Translation (NLT) first appeared in 1996 with a substantial update in 2007. Its roots can be traced to Kenneth Taylor”s The Living

July 1, 2011

Christian Standard

A Church Planting Milestone in Canada

By Jennifer Taylor   According to Jim Tune, senior minister with Churchill Meadows Christian Church and director of Impact Ministry Group (both Ontario, Canada), the area is home to only six other Christian churches””and their combined attendance is less than 500. So CMCC”s new building””and the more than 1,200 people who attended the opening services in March””is a milestone for Canadian church planting. “Churches are closing faster in Canada than any other area, including Western Europe,” Tune says. “Church just isn”t on the radar. In fact, people assumed our building was an industrial complex or school because they don”t have

May 31, 2011

Christian Standard

A Biblical Response to the Gospel

By Jim Tune Whenever someone is ready to begin a life of faith and discipleship, he or she rightly asks, “What must I do now?” While salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus, most believers in Christ would agree that something must be done. Many modern-day evangelists would encourage the new believer to “come forward” at an “altar call.” Others might encourage the spiritual seeker to say the “sinner”s prayer.” That prayer might go something like this: “Father, I am sorry for my sins and want to turn away from my sinful life. I believe your Son Jesus died

March 30, 2011

Christian Standard

New Building for Churchill Meadows

This past Sunday, Churchill Meadows Christian Church (Mississauga, Ontario) celebrated the grand opening of their new building. Senior minister Jim Tune and his wife, Claudia, planted CMCC in 2001 and the church broke ground on the building in June 2008. The project””Church Development Fund“s first international loan””will provide the first permanent facility for Churchill Meadows, which has grown to be the largest independent Christian church in Canada.

January 31, 2011

Christian Standard

New Church Plant in Brazilian Community of Toronto

By Jennifer Taylor Impact Canada is working with Jose and Regina Fernandes to plant a church in the Brazilian community in Toronto. As reported in the August 22 Buzz, Impact Canada continues to work toward a merge with Global Missionary Ministries and is pursuing approval of its new name, Impact Ministry Group. www.impactcanada.org ________________ Jennifer Taylor, one of CHRISTIAN STANDARD”s contributing editors and bloggers, lives in Nashville, Tennessee. Do you know of a church breaking new ground or leading innovative ministry? Contact bu**@*********ub.com.

December 23, 2010

Christian Standard

Canadian Church Hosts Celtic Christmas

Churchill Meadows Christian Church (Ontario, Canada) held its annual Celtic Christmas celebration this past weekend. The event features fiddlers, bagpipe music, authentic step-dancing, and other ancient elements. Popular Celtic songs and traditional Christmas carols are performed and CMCC minister Jim Tune shares a Christmas message.  Read more about this and other ways churches are celebrating Christmas in this week”s Buzz!

September 30, 2010

Christian Standard

“˜We Are Intentionally Multicultural”

By Darrel Rowland The elders are from the United States and the Philippines. The deacons include a member from the Caribbean. The pastor and musical director are Canadian. And the congregation looks like a mini-United Nations. Sure Keele Street Christian Church is located in one of the most multicultural cities of the world, Toronto. But the church”s tremendous diversity wasn”t an accident. “Are we intentionally multicultural? Absolutely,” says pastor Grant MacDonald. “Those who are here at Keele are here because they want to be part of a multicultural church. There are other options in Toronto to be sure. You can

September 1, 2010

Christian Standard

Growing Like Jesus: The Bad Bounce

By Jim Tune (Jim Tune was among eight Christian leaders asked to share what helps them mature just as Jesus did. Tune is executive director of Impact Canada, a church-planting ministry based outside Toronto, Canada (www.impactcanada.org), and a contributing editor for CHRISTIAN STANDARD.) __________________ Soccer”s World Cup is a big deal in the multicultural city of Toronto. Who knew one of the most controversial components of the tournament would be the ball itself? The ball is the Adidas Jubulani and it had goalkeepers and strikers worrying and complaining from the start of the contest. The manufacturer claims it is the most

August 18, 2010

Christian Standard

Extending Help, Hope to a Guatemalan Valley

By Jennifer Taylor School “˜Project” Most people in the Ulpan Valley of Guatemala live in poverty. Many can”t read. Surprisingly, a small team of engineers from middle Tennessee is changing the situation. Engineering professors and students from Lipscomb University (Nashville, Tennessee) have volunteered on short-term mission trips to Central America since 2004. They help with disaster relief or by building bridges and water towers. But short-term missions have limited value, according to Kerry Patterson, associate professor of mechanical engineering at Lipscomb, in a recent Tennessean article. “You are there for a week or 10 days, and then you are gone,”

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