March 13, 2026
How Good and Pleasant It Could Be!
Psalm 133 invites believers to “behold” the goodness of unity. David Faust reflects on why unity is winsome, why it can be messy, and how God’s blessing flows through a united church.
Articles for tag: Christian Unity
Christian Heritage Month Sparks a Wave of Faith and Unity Across North America
On December 6, 2025, believers from every denomination will gather in Toronto for a landmark Christian Heritage Month Unity Event—an evening of worship, testimony, and fellowship celebrating Jesus Christ as the cornerstone of North American faith and heritage.
March 1, 2024
The Restoration Movement: A History of Separation
Exploring the pivotal issues that gave rise to two major divisions (and a number of smaller ones) . . .
November 1, 2023
Fighting for Relationships: Striving for Unity in Politically Divisive Times
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
September 19, 2023
‘One Body’ Marks 40 Years of Promoting Christian Unity
"One Body," edited by Victor Knowles, has promoted the unity of all Christians for the sake of world evangelism (as Jesus prayed for in John 17:21) for 40 years, but its focus has been on unity within the Restoration Movement . . .
THROWBACK THURSDAY: ‘When Christians Disagree’ (1957)
Dr. Henry E. Webb wrote in 1957: "A necessary condition for the success of any approach to Christian unity is the development of a satisfactory concept of Christian liberty—one that recognizes the right of another person to exercise his sincere mental and spiritual faculties with the freedom we demand for ourselves. . . ."
May 30, 2023
What I’ve Learned in Switching to an A Cappella Church of Christ
In the fall of 2020, as COVID restrictions were being eased, my wife and I were church “free agents.” I suggested we try an a cappella congregation I knew in Louisville, Ky. We jumped in, and two years later I joined the staff as involvement minister—a lifelong Christian Church guy now teaching, discipling, and worshipping in four-part harmony. Here are five observations from my experiences serving in an a cappella church. . . .
May 1, 2023
A Homecoming of the Heart: The Secret in Our Search for Unity
By Drew Baker The unfortunate consensus in the United States demands that our leaders come across as having all the answers. Whether politicians or preachers, we expect them to have perfect wisdom even if we know it’s an impossible ask. I can’t imagine a politician getting elected on a platform of humility and a willingness to learn even from political opponents. When it comes to preaching, we tend to expect more answers than questions from our pulpits. “Give us this day our daily truth, lead us not into contemplation, and deliver us from mystery.” In such a culture, it is
May 1, 2023
Distinct Views on Christian Unity
3 Christian Leaders Share Their Perspectives on a Crucial Topic for Today’s Church
September 1, 2022
The Church’s Identity Issue
By Michael C. Mack Never has our culture been more perplexed about how to answer the seemingly simple question, “Who am I?” It’s hardly a surprise: The more the world drifts from the Creator, the more people struggle with their identity. We lose our sense of who we are when we forget whose we are. Satan is complicit, of course, in this case of identity theft. In this issue, we address various matters of identity today. Our writers look at identity biblically, speaking truth in love, with a positive, humble attitude. And we hope our readers will have a similar
July 1, 2022
Can Our Churches Continue to Grow and Bear Fruit?
By Matt Proctor The movie Apollo 13 tells the true story of astronauts James Lovell, Fred Haise, and John L. “Jack” Swigert. On their way to the moon in April 1970, an explosion left them in a crippled spacecraft 200,000 miles from Earth—low on power, losing cabin heat, flight trajectories off. “Houston, we have a problem.” As John Ortberg relates the story in Everybody’s Normal Till You Get to Know Them, suddenly, these three astronauts needed a community of NASA scientists to save them, and these scientists were not your normal movie heroes—no chiseled good looks or superpowers. They were
May 1, 2022
A Passion for John 17: The Legacy of Don DeWelt
By Chris DeWelt Sometimes a cataclysmic event can sharpen one’s focus. Sometimes a difficult trial can give new meaning to all the pieces in one’s life. Sometimes suffering is the key in finding clarity of vision. My father, Don DeWelt, possessed a passion for the body of Christ to live out the prayer of Jesus for his followers: I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in
February 7, 2022
Harmony
When believers gather to share in the loaf and the cup of the Lord’s Supper, we too come together in harmony . . .
January 24, 2022
Jan. 30 | Discovery
In Romans 14:1-5, 13-23, what surface-level issues were people in the church having with one another . . . and what deeper issues may have been behind those problems?
August 16, 2021
Aug. 22 | Application
The word "free" gets tossed around a lot. Advertisers push fat-free, sugar-free, and gluten-free foods. Financial planners coach us to be debt-free. True freedom, though, seems elusive.
SPIRE NETWORK: Growing a Legacy of Connection, Contribution, and Collaboration
Spire Network is built on the vision of seeking measurable kingdom impact through practical ministry support. . . . It is a community linked together with a common identity that is working to help accelerate our movement of restorative Christian churches.
February 1, 2021
What’s Wrong with Our Movement? Why Can’t We Unify? Why Can’t We Reconcile?
(Read “When Brothers Dwell in Unity,” a companion article by Fate Hagood’s brother, Rudy Hagood.) Our movement, like many other movements, has been fractured, fragmented, and frustrated. I grew up in the Church of Christ vein of the Restoration Movement during a time when our purpose and passion were crystal clear. We saw the Bible speaking of one church. That one church could be discovered through a simple reading of Scripture and a commonsense understanding of what Scripture teaches. The idea of restoration is about going back to the primitive church of the first century and attempting to be that
February 1, 2021
A Core Conviction
(for All of Us)
(Read “When Brothers Dwell in Unity,” a companion article by Rudy Hagood’s brother, Fate Hagood.) Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore (Psalm 133, all Scripture quotations are from the English Standard Version). I have always been passionate about unity. While it might be a manifestation
September 22, 2020
10 Foundation Stones of the Church—No. 6: Communion
By Jerry Harris The church established in Acts 2 identified two sacred observances: baptism, which was discussed in week 1 of this series (May 2020), and Communion, termed “the breaking of bread” in Acts 2:42, that this article discusses. The word sacred is used to describe baptism and Communion for a reason. These rituals are often labeled as “ordinances,” but they are much more than obligations to adhere to, for they possess an aspect of holiness that connect us to the blood of a sacrifice. This blood is connected to both cleansing and the forgiveness of sin (Hebrews 9:22), meaning
August 24, 2020
A Time for Boldness (Aug. 30 Lesson Application)
By David Faust When astronauts take untethered space walks, they float in outer space without anything attaching them to the space station. What a feeling of complete freedom! They are untethered and free from all restraints—but in grave danger. I’m sure those astronauts feel relieved when they scramble safely back into the spaceship. They couldn’t survive out there alone. Do you want to be untethered and free from any restraint? Consider what it was like during the raucous era of the Judges. “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit” (Judges 17:6, 21:25)—and that remains
