Articles for tag: Church Planting

April 17, 2017

Christian Standard

My Riskiest Move for God: I Still Remember His Faithfulness 20 Years Ago

Five Christian leaders tell what God did when they took a surprising step of faith. By Greg Lee My riskiest move ever? It was 20 years ago. God was faithful, and that step established a way of life and a way of leading that has stayed with me ever since. I was 21 years old, six months from getting married, and five months from graduation at Lincoln Christian College. I was from a small town and liked it. I wanted to preach (anything but youth ministry)! I wanted a full-time job to support my new family. Then I met John Wasem.

April 13, 2017

Christian Standard

My Riskiest Move for God: Kansas? You Want Us to Go to Kansas?

Five Christian leaders tell what God did when they took a surprising step of faith. By Laurie Montague As I sat on the front row ready to take my place as the keynote speaker for the women”s retreat, the director concluded her introduction with these words, “And now, here”s our fearless leader.” Of all the things that could be said of me! I would never describe myself as a “fearless leader.” In fact, at several points in my life, a more accurate description would have included the words “scared silly!” Yet, like many others, I”ve learned that making risky moves for

April 13, 2017

Christian Standard

My Riskiest Move for God: I Had More to Lose Than Ever

Five Christian leaders tell what God did when they took a surprising step of faith. By Vince Antonucci I”ve heard people say faith in a big God allows you to take big risks. I”d say that doesn”t go far enough. Faith doesn”t just allow you to take risks; faith requires that you take risks. In fact, faith IS risk. When I became a Christian, I had a full scholarship to a top law school. I loved law school. The average first-year salary coming out of my law school was $80,000. While attending there, I felt God calling me into the ministry.

March 20, 2017

Christian Standard

Basic Training

By Jennifer Johnson A few years ago I wrote a proposal for an online initiative that would provide customizable resources for churches wanting to develop their pastors, worship leaders, campus ministers, church planters, elders, and key volunteers. I suggested an online portal with everything from 101 to seminary-level books, articles, podcasts, and videos, as well as suggested “tracks” with curated lists of resources for specific groups. I referred to research from the Barna Group and Ed Stetzer as well as insights from the leaders of Orchard Group, Stadia, and some of our megachurches to support my argument. It was summarily

March 20, 2017

Christian Standard

Milligan, Stadia Partner Together

By Jennifer Johnson Milligan College and Stadia recently announced they have partnered to raise awareness of church planting and further the mission of both institutions. The new partnership was announced in December during a “Church Planting Emphasis Week” at Milligan College and Emmanuel Christian Seminary in Tennessee. The partnership opens a variety of opportunities for both organizations, including theological training for church planters at Milligan/Emmanuel, Stadia-developed church planting courses for students, new internship opportunities for Milligan and Emmanuel students at church plants, and Stadia speakers for Milligan”s Youth in Ministry Student Leadership Conference. Phyllis Fox, who served as director of

March 6, 2017

Christian Standard

Close to God”s Heart

By Bethany Anderson When Solidarity started almost 15 years ago in a troubled neighborhood of Fullerton, California,1 we were simply an idealistic group of college students eager to change the world in the name of Jesus. That desire, although rooted in privilege and a slight savior complex, led us to a deeper understanding of Jesus, his heart for us, and specifically his heart for immigrants. It also led us to move from an organization that just runs after-school programs in immigrant neighborhoods to one that acts as a bridge between the local churches and immigrant neighborhoods throughout our city. As

February 22, 2017

Kelly Carr

The Simplest Way to Change the World

  By Jim Tune Twelve people sat in silence. They had traveled from Minnesota to Orlando for a weeklong course on evangelism with Steve Childers, one of the country”™s top church-planting strategists. “You know what the key to evangelism in the 21st century will be, don”™t you?” Childers asked them. He had them captivated. He waited an uncomfortably long time. Finally he answered: “Hospitality.” David Mathis, who records this story, writes: In a progressively post-Christian society, the importance of hospitality as an evangelistic asset is growing rapidly. Increasingly, the most strategic turf on which to engage the unbelieving with the

January 27, 2017

Christian Standard

How Residencies Prepare Emerging Church Leaders

By Dave Ferguson and Warren Bird How and why residencies have become standard operating practice for all of NewThing”s new church planters. When you think about a residency program, you might envision doctors in training, honing their craft under the tutelage of seasoned physicians. For NewThing (www.newthing.org, an international church-planting network birthed out of the Chicago-based Community Christian Church, www.communitychristian.org), a 9- to 12-month residency is required for any emerging leader who wants to start a church in NewThing”s network. It”s standard operating procedure for all of their new church planters. “For us, residency is the chute before you launch

January 1, 2017

Christian Standard

The Best Sermon I”ve Ever Heard (18)

By Arron Chambers Christian leaders, some of them preachers themselves, tell us about a sermon they can”t forget””and maybe you won”t either. Rick Chromey Rick Chromey has served as a youth minister, professor of youth and family, church consultant and, most recently, “edu-trainer.” Rick also writes extensively and teaches online graduate courses for Hope International University, Fullerton, California. He currently serves as director of leadership for KidZ at Heart International and travels widely equipping teachers and leaders. Rick and his wife, Linda, live in Meridian, Idaho, near their four children. His website is www.rickchromey.com. Rick”s Best Sermon: The best sermon

December 30, 2016

Jerry Harris

Growing the Kingdom

By Bruce Webster The Bible”s mandate is to grow quickly, not to grow large. Look what happens when believers today take their strategy from the New Testament instead of the church in the West.  Are you like me? For many years when I read the parable of the mustard seed1, I pictured a tiny seed growing slowly like an oak tree, attaining good height as it matured. But when the people listening to Jesus heard him tell that parable, they had a very different picture. They knew the mustard plant didn”t grow very big””maximum height about 10 feet””but it grew

November 20, 2016

Christian Standard

Studying the City: Ozark Christian College

By Jennifer Johnson Several of the colleges and universities affiliated with our movement understand the need to reach their own cities while preparing students for an urban future. Here”s what one of them is doing. ________ OZARK CHRISTIAN COLLEGE Joplin, Missouri At first glance, Ozark seems an unlikely place to study urban ministry. “Most of our students come from small-to-medium-size towns,” says Mike Ackerman, professor of church planting and New Testament. “Some of them have never even been to a large city. But we need to care about cities because the world is moving to cities.” Previous study opportunities included

October 30, 2016

Christian Standard

God Spoke through the Sermons

What I learned from a year”s break from preaching By Dustin Fulton A few years ago, after a difficult season of ministry, my wife and I sensed a definite call to plant a church. Since we were weary, we were advised to take a sabbatical, as well as quit our jobs, sell our house, move out of town, and wait to see where God was leading us. Of the many aspects of the sabbatical, one that really excited me was getting to refresh my preaching skills by hearing from as many preachers as possible during my year”s break from the

October 27, 2016

Michael C. Mack

The Pastor”™s Wife: 7 Discoveries She Wishes She Had Understood Sooner

By Michael C. Mack Christine Hoover has been a pastor”™s wife for 14 years and is author of The Church Planting Wife. She says when she and her husband, Kyle, started in ministry, she felt unprepared and afraid. After all, she says, “There is no training ground for ministry life for the pastor”™s wife, there is just the doing it.” If she could go back in time to the beginning of their ministry life together, she says on her blog at www.gracecoversme.com, she”™d tell that young girl these seven things: 1.  Humbly yet boldly accept the opportunity to influence others

September 21, 2016

Christian Standard

14 Observations about Church Today

By Jim Tune As a pastor and leader, I”ve noticed some changes in the spiritual climate of North America. Here are some of my observations about the current situation. 1. There”s very little nominalism anymore. This is a good thing. Cultural Christianity is dying. If someone attends church, it”s usually because he or she is investigating Christianity or committed to it. 2. Attending church isn”t on people”s minds. We used to talk about building churches with programs that would attract unbelievers. No matter how good your music, sermons, parking, or programs, most people won”t even think of coming. 3. People

September 15, 2016

Christian Standard

The Flip Side of Spiritual Gifts

By T.R. Robertson Spiritual gifts aren”t always predictable. They don”t necessarily show up on a survey of interests and tendencies. Sometimes they”re best seen in the weaknesses or temptations that often accompany them. I met Jane in prison, where she is serving a life sentence. Her lifestyle of self-absorption had led her on a downward spiral of unspeakable cruelty and violence. In prison, she was led to Christ. Soon she developed the Spirit-driven gift of encouraging other people, much to the surprise of people who knew her before. What surprised her, though, was the unexpected flip side that came with the

August 27, 2016

Mark A. Taylor

What About Tomorrow?

By Mark A. Taylor In recognition of CHRISTIAN STANDARD”s 150th birthday earlier this year, the North American Christian Convention featured a workshop led by three of the magazine”s contributing editors. We asked each of them to think about hopes and challenges they see for the future of the churches served by this magazine for a century and a half.  The comments below are edited from the hour-long workshop. See the whole session here. Matt Proctor What will be the future of the independent Christian churches? As I considered the churches I”ve seen, I thought of three answers to that question:

August 1, 2016

Christian Standard

The Best Sermon I”ve Ever Heard (13)

By Arron Chambers Christian leaders, some of them preachers themselves, tell us about a sermon they can”t forget””and maybe you won”t either. SHAWN GRANT Shawn Grant is a walking cliché: born on Saturday, in church on Sunday. His father, Mike Grant, has been preaching in Stone-Campbell churches for more than 35 years, and Shawn decided to follow suit. He became a follower of Christ in elementary school. He received a BA in preaching and Bible from Florida Christian College (now Johnson University Florida), an MA in church history/historical theology from Lincoln (Illinois) Christian Seminary, and a PhD in interdisciplinary humanities

July 21, 2016

Christian Standard

“˜You Choose”

By Bobby Wallace I was a mess. On the outside, I seemed like I had it all together. But on the inside, I was wrecked. I grew up in church. Yet I didn”t become a Christian until I was heading to college””and only then, after years of procrastination, because I feared I would be a hypocrite. Deep down I knew I was running away from conviction. When I got to college, I had every intention of living for Jesus. I attended Campus Christian Fellowship from day one and even lived in the campus house, but my resolve didn”t last long.

July 8, 2016

Christian Standard

Trio Helping Facilitate the Future of Missions

By Jennifer Johnson It”s been a busy year for Stephen Burris. In January, Burris, along with Mark Krause and Kendi Howells Douglas, bought Urban Loft Publishers, an independent publisher of books focusing on urban ministry, church planting, theology, sociology, and even urban planning and architecture. “My friend Sean Benesh started the company a few years ago, and when he offered me the chance to buy it, I jumped at the chance,” Burris says. “It was both a defensive and offensive decision; defensive because we are aware there are many large publishers buying up small ones and putting them on the

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