Articles for tag: Churches of Christ

Christian Church Colleges?

By Darrel Rowland More students from non-Restoration Movement churches are attending colleges and universities associated with independent Christian churches and churches of Christ. Is that good news or bad? To find out, CHRISTIAN STANDARD contacted leaders of the movement”s institutions of higher learning. Those from 15 responded, together representing about 85 percent of total enrollment. The “good news” camp points to the benefits of exposure to faithful biblical teaching, which in several cases has led to baptisms””sometimes in college swimming pools. “We view having non-Restoration Movement students as a blessed opportunity to share our message with those who might never

What Are We Trying to Restore?

By Gary Weedman For the past 100 years or so, churches and Christians in our fellowship generally have professed to be part of the Restoration Movement. We have not always been clear, however, about what exactly we are working to restore. To this day, perhaps with a bit too much hubris, we say of our early leaders that Thomas Campbell restored the ancient book, Alexander Campbell the ancient order, Walter Scott the ancient gospel, and Barton Stone the ancient life. Work done. Case closed. But for much of the 20th century, many of the heirs of this historical movement thought

Church Planting Organizations

Compiled by R. Paige Mathews Christian churches and churches of Christ are committed to church planting! Just a quick look at this list will remind you that church leaders from coast to coast are working to reach non-Christians with new congregations. Church planting organizations and associations were asked to share information about their ministry beyond basic contact information. That information is condensed below, for those who answered our survey.   (For your convenience, this list is available as a pdf. Just click here: Church Planting Organizations.) “¢ “¢ “¢   Alabama State Evangelizing Association Philip King 3601 Lorna Ridge Drive Hoover, AL 35216

I Have a Family

By Jim Tune My father died just a few months ago. It hasn”t been easy, and I feel the loss keenly. His death has prompted a desire to know more about my dad, his extended family, and his heritage. As a godly father and a devoted worker for Christ, he has also marked me with a legacy””one I intend to celebrate, embrace, and pass on. No one would expect any less.   The Family I Chose From a faith perspective, I also have a family. I didn”t join it as the result of a father”s will or by accident. I

We Are a Worldwide Movement

By Gary Holloway The world is coming to Goiânia, Brazil, July 25-29, 2012! The churches in Goiânia, a vibrant growing city in Brazil, are hosting a global gathering of Christians in the Christian churches/churches of Christ”“Disciples of Christ family. These global gatherings occur every four years under the leadership of the World Convention. Did you know we had a World Convention? For 80 years, God has worked through the World Convention to connect Christians, Disciples, and churches of Christ globally every day. Stories of recent connections through the World Convention include: “¢ A Kenyan minister, greatly discouraged by his experiences

More Bible, Better Worship

By David Butzu How much of the Bible do we actually hear in church in any given year? What is the ratio of the amount of talking to the amount of Scripture we hear on Sundays? As our church considered those questions and others, we discovered a way to enrich worship and honor God by bringing more of his Word to our weekly gatherings. For a long time, the only kind of Christianity my family knew or cared about was Pentecostalism. Contrary to its caricatures, our Sunday worship was never wholly unbridled emotionalism; there was also a logical, right-brain dimension

A Perfect Place for Disciple-Making

By Mark A. Taylor As parents of 3 million college freshmen send them off to school this year, it seems they have plenty to worry about. How will we pay for it? College costs are increasing by almost 8 percent per year, more than 6 times the rate of inflation. Many of today”s graduates are facing the job market deep in debt (an average of $26,100 for the 65 percent of grads from nonprofit private colleges last year who had student loans). Will it be worth it? The New York Times reported this spring that only half the jobs taken

Inexpensive Downloads to Help Your Ministry

By Mark A. Taylor Here”s a reminder about a whole host of inexpensive, downloadable resources available for your church now. As you anticipate the after-summer ramp-up of activities and ministries, which of the following would help your ministry most? For new members and nonmembers””Our most popular “What Kind of Church Is This?” gives you 8 full-color pages that explain the unique and beautiful nondenominational position of Christian churches and churches of Christ. “Simply Christians,” which originally appeared in The Lookout, is a 12-page overview to accomplish the same purpose. One user called “Simply Christians” “the best short-form overview of the

Interview with Rick Atchley

By Brad Dupray As minister of the Word at The Hills Church of Christ, Rick Atchley leads a congregation that has expanded to three campuses in the Greater Fort Worth, Texas, area and ministers to 5,000 people each weekend. The Hills has a background as an a cappella church of Christ, but has transitioned over the past few years to include instrumental worship in most services. Since graduating from Abilene (Texas) Christian University, Atchley has been in the preaching ministry for 33 years and has served The Hills for the past 22 years. He has written several books, including Together

Solomon Foundation Offering Church Loans

By Jennifer Taylor The Solomon Foundation, a new church extension fund for the Christian churches and churches of Christ, launched several months ago with headquarters in Englewood, CO. Doug Crozier, formerly president of Church Development Fund (Irvine, CA), serves as chief executive officer of the new organization. Crossroads Christian Church (Grand Prairie, TX) and Christ”s Church of the Valley (Peoria, AZ) worked with Crozier and his team to fund the development and launch of the foundation. Leaders from Mount Pleasant Christian Church (Greenwood, IN), Real Life Ministries (Post Falls, ID), The Crossing (Quincy, IL), and Churchill Meadows Christian Church (Toronto,

What About Christian Churches?

We asked former contributing editor Robert Wetzel to get answers from scholars to a question we have considered in several different ways in recent months: What is the future of our movement of churches? By C. Robert Wetzel ________ The future always grows out of the past, of course, so this week we decided to put the question before three historians: Paul Blowers, Dean E. Walker professor of church history at Emmanuel Christian Seminary, Johnson City, Tennessee. Doug Foster, professor of church history; director, Center for Restoration Studies, Abilene Christian University, Abilene, Texas. Newell Williams, president and professor of modern

Our Decision, Our Opportunity

By Mark A. Taylor Some in Christian churches and churches of Christ are worried about the future of our movement. Others aren”t thinking about our movement much at all””its past or its future. But regardless of whether we”re fretting or forgetting about our future, it is still before us, and we ignore it at our peril. “The future doesn”t care if you believe in it,” says marketing guru and entrepreneur Seth Godin. Godin tells his audiences they can invent their own future. Part of that process involves looking carefully at what”s happening now. Some trends to consider: Denominationalism is dead.

Eubanks Institute Hosts “˜Forwarding Agents” Event

By Jennifer Taylor On May 23 and 24, the Eubanks Institute for Missions at Johnson Bible College (Knoxville, TN) hosted a gathering of forwarding agents, missionaries, and others interested in missions to discuss the agents” multifaceted and important role. Speakers at “The Work of the Forwarding Agent: Past, Present and Future” included Reggie Hundley, Ziden Nutt, Chris Templar, and Carrie Beth Lowe. Workshops and main sessions focused on finances, education, public relations, publishing, and more. The Eubanks Institute was established in 2006 and named in honor of former JBC President David Eubanks and his wife, Margaret, to recognize their significant

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