Articles for tag: Church growth

April 9, 2006

Christian Standard

MEGACHURCH PROFILE: SouthBrook Christian Church

By Kent Fillinger While many churches and leaders quote the platitude, “Less is more,” few adopt it as a policy. SouthBrook Christian Church has committed to ongoing simplicity and clarity, and as a result, the church has grown by 103 percent over the last four years. During the 13-year tenure of senior pastor Charlie McMahan, the church has grown from fewer than 100 to almost 3,500. McMahan realized after a span of significant growth that the church had become too complex and needed a period of pruning. McMahan said the church is “ruthlessly continuing to focus” in hopes of achieving

April 5, 2006

Christian Standard

Calling All Leaders, Announcing All Megachurches

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

March 8, 2006

Christian Standard

The Truth About Elders and Ministers

By Mark A. Taylor You may jump to the wrong conclusion from hearing only the snippet of a conversation. And then again, sometimes a sentence or two summarizes the whole truth. What truth would you gather from these disconnected quotes? “¢ From the elder of a church who went with his preacher to a minister”s meeting: “Do all ministers feel as bad and talk as negatively about their elders as this group does?” “¢ From a young minister speaking with some of his church”s elders: “All the years I was growing up at home, my dad served as an elder

March 5, 2006

Christian Standard

Thinking Outside the Box

By Arron Chambers I don”t know why I say certain things, I just do. I just can”t seem to help myself. I could say, “We need to be unified as we begin this project,” but instead I say, “We need to make sure we”re on the same page.” I could say, “I want to improve our worship service,” but instead I say, “It”s time to take our worship service to the next level.” I could ask my team to think creatively, but it”s much more fun to ask them to “think outside the box.” To “think outside the box” is

March 5, 2006

Christian Standard

Our Acorn-to-Oak Story

By John Faust God”s design for growing a mighty oak tree is simple. Plant a healthy acorn in the ground and wait! Most big things result from small but power-packed origins, lots of patience, and hard work. What is true of oak trees is true of churches. Case in point””Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky. People ask, “Why is this church so big?” One answer, sometimes overlooked, is the healthy “acorn” of Southeast”s early church leaders. I want to thank and honor four elders who served faithfully during the 1960s and 1970s, presenting them as leadership models and examples of

November 27, 2005

Christian Standard

Survival Tips for Church Planters

By Jim Tune I recently heard a church planting consultant tell a story about seal rehabilitation. Apparently the average cost for dry cleaning a seal and reintroducing it to the wilds after the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska was $80,000. At a special ceremony, two of the most expensively rehabilitated animals were released into the wilds amid cheers and applause from onlookers. Less than a minute later, in full view of all those in attendance, a killer whale came up and ate both of them! This experience is well understood in church planting circles, as many planters face

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