Articles for tag: Church Planting

December 12, 2010

Christian Standard

Blind Copies

By Mark A. Taylor Maybe you”ve noticed, as I have, the remarkable sameness greeting travelers at each stop along United States Interstates. Parachute a blindfolded visitor before the assortment of franchised restaurants assembled at any random exit, and ask him whether he”s landed in Kansas or Kentucky. He probably won”t be able to tell you. With a few regional exceptions, the same stuff is on the menu just about everywhere. And it”s true in churches too. Every October churches large and small, from California through the Bible Belt, promote Trunk “n” Treat as a Halloween alternative. Soon Christian Standard will

December 9, 2010

Christian Standard

A New Perspective for a “˜Bunch of Jerks”

By Chris Beard It was just a billboard. We saw it as little more than a tool to help our congregation reach out to our community. But God had an even bigger plan. At 8:30 Monday morning I received a call from an elder informing me that our billboard had been featured in the local newspaper”s blog. “Well, good,” I said, “that will be a good conversation starter for our people.” I had no idea that by the end of the week people would be calling and e-mailing from all over the United States to talk about our billboard. Afterthought

December 5, 2010

Christian Standard

A Story to Challenge All of Us

By Mark A. Taylor This week we”ve posted several encouraging accounts of new church plants in Greater Salt Lake City. But the bigger story tells how Christian leaders worked together and depended on God to see these happen. It”s a story about cooperation and collaboration. “The churches of the Restoration Movement had never attempted something like this,” says Steve Edwards. The collaboration began more than 15 years ago when the Salt Lake City church planting organization asked the Intermountain Church Planters Association based in Boise, Idaho, if they could work together under one name. Edwards became executive director of ICPA

December 3, 2010

Christian Standard

Built for Speed

By Brent Foulke Charles Hill runs at about 6,000 rpm all the time! To some degree, that”s normal for church planters””big dreams, tough challenges, long to-do lists, and expansive hearts. But when Charles and his wife, Tiffany, moved their family to plant a church in South Jordan, Utah, they entered a particularly challenging race. South Jordan is one of only two places in the world with two Mormon temples and almost no churches that follow Christ alone by the authority of the Bible alone. But the Hills intend to win this race by introducing Jesus as “the way and the truth

December 2, 2010

Christian Standard

Immeasurably More

By David Limiero When Bryan and Missy Meyers participated in a Stadia church planting assessment in the fall of 2009, they had a clear goal in mind””plant a church in northern Nevada in the fall of 2011. It seemed like the perfect plan. Bryan was serving as associate pastor at Hope Community Church in Reno, Nevada. Missy was the church”s preschool director. The church”s senior pastor, Bill Sherman, was solidly behind both the strategy and the timing. And Hope had just planted her first daughter church in nearby Fernley. Bryan and Missy”s church plant would be the next step in

December 1, 2010

Christian Standard

Interview with Kyle Costello

By Brad Dupray As a sixth-generation Mormon, Kyle Costello was steeped in the faith. But when preparing for his “mission,” he began to have doubts, and ultimately entered a Christian seminary and joined the staff of Central Christian Church in Las Vegas. What better preparation could a person have to plant a Christian church in Salt Lake City? Early this year, Kyle and his wife, Joy, and 30 Christians from their church in Portland, Oregon, moved to Salt Lake City to plant a church in the center of the Mormon faith. Missio Dei Community is not a church that is

December 1, 2010

Christian Standard

God on a Mission in Salt Lake City

By Brent Storms Kyle Costello was born in Provo, Utah, while his parents were attending Brigham Young University. He was raised in a small town on the Utah/Nevada border. Because his family was Mormon, they made frequent trips to Salt Lake City. As a 19-year-old, Kyle prepared for his two-year “mission.” He began to anticipate some of the questions people might ask him when he knocked on doors. His quest for answers began innocently enough. He really wanted to know how to defend his faith. But the more he explored, and the more he raised questions with his father (now

November 30, 2010

Christian Standard

Working to Expand Mission in Chile

By Jennifer Taylor Jim and Cheryl Green launched Conosur Christian Ministries in 1996 to oversee their work in Chile and planted a new church””Iglesia Cristiana Ciudad Satélite””during their eight years as missionaries there. Now the nonprofit ministry, based in Palmdale, California, where the Greens currently live, plans to build a Christian K-12 school to expand its mission. “The church began with a vision for reaching the emerging middle class in Chile, with an emphasis on future leaders who can influence a society becoming more secular,” says Jim. This focus on education was part of the Greens” work from the early

November 27, 2010

Christian Standard

Within Our Reach

By Greg Pruett For the great majority of the world, if we and our partners continue at the current rate, all the remaining Bible translation projects will begin during the next 20 years. The Land Cruiser was bouncing to a halt when the sound wave poured into the vehicle. We thought we had arrived unannounced to speak with one of the few churches among the Kono people of West Africa. But this struggling flock had already heard of Pioneer Bible Translators” interest in their language, and somehow they knew we were coming. They rolled out the red carpet for us. Generator-powered

November 26, 2010

Christian Standard

The Jonathan Project

By Graydon Jessup The objective of The Jonathan Project is to plant multiplying churches among the least-reached people groups on the planet. These are people who live under oppressive regimes, in inaccessible locations, and in areas where Christianity and Christians are the “infidel.” Nearly 2 billion people fall into this “least-reached” category. They have never heard the name of Jesus. They don”t have the faintest concept what a church is about. This 10-year-old ministry was designed by missionaries on the field in East Asia. The original goal was to plant a church a year, but the magnitude of the task soon

November 13, 2010

Christian Standard

My Journey to Journey

By Darin Brown I can still remember taking notes from a breakout session at the Eastern Christian Convention more than 10 years ago. Gene Appel was describing the transformation that had occurred at the church he was leading in Las Vegas and was presenting a simple yet profound formula for change. I wrote down “Dissatisfaction + Vision + Next Steps = Change.” As I listened to Appel explain these concepts, I had no idea my life and ministry would be heading down the same path. It should not have happened so quickly. I was the senior minister of a new

November 3, 2010

Christian Standard

From the Served to the Servant

By Chuck Booher Recently, God called a very popular pastor from our staff to start a new church. When it was announced, our people responded with excitement and cheers. I was sure his departure would cause our attendance to plunge, but it didn”t. I think I know the reason why, and that”s what I want to tell you in this article. Basic Training As I came to the office today, I walked by 10 young adults on our campus picking up trash, pulling weeds, and trimming trees. I could not help but smile because they exuded joy in the midst

October 22, 2010

Christian Standard

Starting a Church for People Who Don’t Like Church

This week Verve, a Christian church in Las Vegas, held “Vault,” a church planting lab “where current and future church planters can learn how to start a church for people who don”t like church.” The event began Monday and ends today, and included sessions on a variety of topics including “Understanding & Starting an Indigenous Church for Your Community” and “Marketing to the Unchurched.” Click here to learn more.

October 20, 2010

Christian Standard

The Just One Challenge

        By Kevin Ingram and Matt Proctor Bob Russell believes the Restoration Movement has a problem. The retired senior minister of Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, sees a declining number of students interested in ministry. “As I talk with our Bible college presidents, I”m seeing a real drop in students who want to preach the gospel,” says Bob Russell. Why? “Various factors may contribute,” he answers. “The secularization of society, the postmodern mind-set that denigrates anything authoritative, the declining number of teens in Christian service camps, and the passive involvement of ministers in the lives of teens.”

October 20, 2010

Christian Standard

Just One Sunday (a Special Emphasis on Nov. 14)

Imagine what could happen if every church in North America began to pray for the Lord to raise up preachers, missionaries, and other harvest workers! New kingdom leaders would be recruited, mission fields would be reached, churches would be planted, God”s Word would be preached, souls would be saved, wounded hearts would be healed, and God would be praised. So join with churches across the nation November 14, the Sunday before the National Missionary Convention, to be a part of the Just One Challenge. Make Matthew 9:38 a special prayer emphasis in your worship service that day. Visit www.justonechallenge.org for

October 16, 2010

Christian Standard

A Day for Church Planting

By Jennifer Taylor Last Sunday was 10-10-10 (October 10, 2010)–and churches developed several creative ways to celebrate the day. Some encouraged inviting others to church or talking to 10 people about Jesus; others collected special offerings or suggested members begin tithing. And some planted new churches! The team behind the Exponential Conference developed the 10-10-10 Initiative to focus attention on church planting. Individuals and congregations participated by praying, adopting a church plant for encouragement and financial support, or helping a new church hold its first services. In addition, Stadia: New Church Strategies (Irvine, California) asked each of its plants and

October 12, 2010

Christian Standard

The Behaviorally Based Interview

By David Limiero A good friend at church is the CEO of a growing manufacturing facility with more than 50 employees. He has advanced academic degrees and years of experience in business, but has only recently taken on the responsibility of interviewing potential employees. A few weeks ago he confided he still hasn”t figured out the secret to interviewing people for his staff. In particular, he”s had a number of people excel in the interview only to flounder on the job. Hiring the wrong people has cost him a significant amount of time, money, and productivity. If a seasoned, well-educated

October 7, 2010

Christian Standard

Checking References of Ministerial Candidates

By Brent Storms In my local church ministry, and now in my position as president of a church planting organization, I have considered more than 1,000 candidates for open positions in ministry. I have screened and interviewed hundreds, and have hired more than 30 people for ministry positions. As I look back on the hiring process, I understand there are few elements more important than checking references and previous employers. Let me share three examples. Not long ago I met a candidate for the position of lead planter for a new church to be started in one of our northeastern

September 26, 2010

Christian Standard

2010 NACC: The Why Behind Our Ministry Mistakes

By Vince Antonucci Why do we make the mistakes we make? Why does the senior minister have an affair with his secretary? Why won”t the youth pastor confront the student struggling with the not-so-secret sin? Why won”t the elder agree to the change that obviously needs to be made? Why does the preacher spend all his time counseling until the fatigue becomes too much and he leaves the ministry? Obviously, every situation is different, but in almost every case, most of the mistakes we make in ministry result from a lack of self-awareness. What do I mean by self-awareness? Well,

September 11, 2010

Christian Standard

LARGE-SIZED CHURCHES: A Church Planting Hick from French Lick

A Church Planting Hick from French Lick By Kent E. Fillinger Jasper, Indiana, is not likely on your bucket list of places to visit. If you are like me, you need the help of MapQuest to even find it. And Jasper also isn”t the type of town a typical church planter or church planting organization would pinpoint for a new church. But Darrel Land is not your typical church planter. At age 26, he was confident God was calling him to plant a church in this small, rural community of 14,000 people in southern Indiana. Land grew up about 30 minutes

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