Articles for tag: church leadership

July 6, 2011

Christian Standard

Admit Your Need

By Jessica Vana I attended college at an aeronautical university, which means I spent time brushing shoulders with a unique breed. Literally, I went to school with NASA interns and rocket scientists. My alma mater has one of the highest percentages of international students in the nation. Despite my colleagues” bright minds and tremendously diverse backgrounds, however, I began to notice a theme of need. A school like mine has an atypical amount of club involvement because, well, it wasn”t exactly the Greek system crowd. My club of choice, after being invited personally and repeatedly by two jaunty and entertaining

May 9, 2011

Christian Standard

Reaching Their Potential?

By Darrel Rowland Women”s ministry leaders across the country””plus a token guy””were asked: “Do most Christian churches/churches of Christ you”re aware of allow women to reach their full potential in Christ?” Paul Boatman, seminary dean at Lincoln (Illinois) Christian University Of course they do! The trick is to keep their full potential limited so that they are prevented from exercising any God-given talents that might impinge on our fantasies of masculine control. Some leadership roles just cannot be filled without testosterone! Having participated in at least a dozen ordinations of women to specialized ministries, I experience frustration at consistently seeing

April 15, 2011

Christian Standard

Trying to Keep Up with Books by “˜Us”

By LeRoy Lawson Superman on Earth: Reflections of a Fan Gary D. Robinson / Baltimore: PublishAmerica, 2010 Thoughtprints: Poems En Route Wilma Curtis Buckner / ©Wilma Buckner, 2009 Daily Disciple: A One-Year Devotional Guide Gary Holloway / Abilene: Leafwood Publishers, 2008 Steppes of Faith: Discovering God”s Goodness in Ukraine Janice Lemke / Purpose Press, 2010 Eyes of Integrity: The Porn Pandemic and How It Affects You Craig Gross and Jason Harper / Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2010 I remember grumbling with some fellow Christian church ministers many years ago that we did not seem to be a publishing fellowship. We

March 21, 2011

Christian Standard

Lesson for March 27, 2011: Compassionate Service (1 Timothy 5:1-8, 17-22)

This week”s treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson (for March 27) is written by Robert Woolfolk who serves with Agape Christian Church in Denver, Colorado. ____________ Compassionate Service (1 Timothy 5:1-8, 17-22) By Robert Woolfolk As we read Paul”s instructions to the young preacher Timothy, we gain wisdom about godly relationships in the church, which is the body of Christ. Families Godly family interaction is important to the health and vitality of the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. How we treat one another speaks louder than anything we teach, preach, or counsel. Paul”s instructions still reverberate 20 centuries

March 14, 2011

Christian Standard

Lesson for March 20, 2011: Leadership Priorities (1 Timothy 4:6-16)

This week”s treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson (for March 20) is written by Bruce Stoker who serves as adult education minister with Memorial Church of Christ in Livonia, Michigan. ____________ Leadership Priorities (1 Timothy 4:6-16) By Bruce Stoker It”s a shame we have made worship such a divisive thing within the church. If we can get back to the “heart of worship,” as Matt Redman”s song says, and recognize with him that it”s all about God, then Paul”s directives in 1 Timothy 4:6-16 ought to clarify the priorities of church leaders. When leaders have their priorities straight, division

March 7, 2011

Christian Standard

Lesson for March 13, 2011: Leadership Qualities (1 Timothy 3)

This week”s treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson (for March 13) is written by Cheryl Frey, a freelance proofreader and editor from Rochester, New York. ____________ Leadership Qualities (1 Timothy 3) By Cheryl Frey Because I make my living as a proofreader, I find it very hard to ever read a book for pleasure. But not wanting to miss out on all the wisdom to be found in good literature, I now check out books on tape or CD from the library. I especially love to listen to authors Brian Tracy, Zig Ziglar, Stephen Covey, and John Maxwell, who

February 7, 2011

Christian Standard

Improvisation Is Hard Work

By Kyle Baker A jazz musician and a church leader walk into a bar. No wait, the jazz musician walks into a bar, the church leader walks into a church. The jazz musician walks into a room with a band of misfits who will improvise on standard material. The church leader walks into a room with a team of experts who will play parts they”ve honed for years. No wait, the church leader has the band of improvising misfits; it”s the jazz musician who has the team of experts. I had the good fortune to study jazz trombone with Delfeayo

December 30, 2010

Christian Standard

Regrafting: A Matter of Motivation

Ken Swatman “Dying on the vine,” it seems to be the new catchphrase among leaders of struggling churches. Often I hear from these ministers and leaders that they do not want to “die on the vine.” Here are some key issues/questions that need to be addressed in order for a church to grow. I do not believe churches just die on the vine. Branches of a vine die because they are either diseased, malformed, infested with parasites, or somehow choked off from their source of nutrition and health. This is also true for churches. Churches wither and die because of

December 10, 2010

Christian Standard

Emerging for the Rest of Us

By Josh Tandy In 2003 I was in college and reading Brian McLaren”s A New Kind of Christian. It was unlike anything I had ever read in Christian literature. The book simultaneously bothered and encouraged me. I thought I understood about half of the issues discussed, but I actually grasped far less. Despite my ignorance, I was hooked””even though I didn”t fully know why. To varying degrees I think many church leaders, whether paid or unpaid, have had a similar experience with their first contact with the emerging church movement. Perhaps you were like me and had no context to

August 18, 2010

Edward Sanders

Christian leadership commitments

Prophetic Lessons for the 21st-Century Christian Leader (Part 2)

©Standard Publishing Christian Leadership Commitments from Jeremiah’s Call Edward Sanders reflects on Jeremiah’s call to show how Christian leaders today can make commitments rooted in trust, discipline, Christ-centered ministry, God’s authority, perseverance, and disciple-making purpose. The article connects Jeremiah’s difficult prophetic calling with the responsibilities of church leaders who serve under God’s authority. Christian leaders must place their complete trust in God alone. God’s discipline, authority, and presence shape authentic leadership. Jeremiah’s call points leaders toward Christ-centered, disciple-making ministry. (This is part 2 of a 2-part article.) By Edward Sanders The calling of Christian leaders today is different and more

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