Articles for tag: Dave Ferguson

March 24, 2015

Mark A. Taylor

Bookin” It

By Mark A. Taylor I remember a conversation 30 years or more ago about book publishing by writers in the Christian church and church of Christ. “Evangelical publishers won”t publish books by Christian church writers,” a Standard Publishing salesman said. “And if Standard Publishing publishes books by Christian church writers, Christian bookstores won”t sell them.” I don”t know if that was true then, but I can promise you it”s not true today. Last year we published essays about book writing by Mark Atteberry, Arron Chambers, Dave Ferguson, Anne Milam, Daniel Overdorf, and Jamie Snyder. Each of them is a leader among Restoration Movement churches.

January 1, 2015

Michael C. Mack

Reach Retirees for Christ

A popular expression among some churches goes something like, “Grow younger to grow larger.” Yet today, with the rising trend of retiring baby boomers (roughly 10 million per year), that motto may be as out-of-date as Grandpa”s vinyl records. Community Christian Church in Naperville, Illinois, has come up with a successful model for reaching what senior minister Dave Ferguson calls one of the “fastest-growing demographics.” About 12 years ago, the Chicagoland church began partnering with a small, struggling congregation that met in the clubhouse of a nearby 55-plus gated retirement community, and today the weekly attendance of this Community Christian

October 19, 2014

Christian Standard

So You Want to Write a Book: Three Essential Ingredients

By Dave Ferguson Since I had never written a book, I was flattered when I received an e-mail from a representative of a big publisher asking to meet me. I agreed to meet, and over coffee, we talked about me authoring a book. I was very excited about the possibilities! However, within minutes I could tell this rep had made a huge mistake. He thought he was meeting with Dr. David Ferguson, the counselor and Oxford scholar. Instead he was meeting with Dave Ferguson, the church planter. Oops! We had a good laugh, finished our coffee, and I left thinking,

October 7, 2014

Mark A. Taylor

Creating, Not Attacking, the Culture

By Mark A. Taylor We were visiting the beautiful Cloisters museum and gardens in New York City and browsing through its remarkable displays of 5,000 works of medieval art. Most of the paintings, sculpture, and stained-glass windows depicted Christian images, and I found myself wondering, “Centuries from now what great art from the West will the world find as a Christian witness?” Several writers at our site this month are trying to answer that question. And all of our “Christians and culture” articles appearing here present a challenge to positive culture-shaping initiatives, some of them in ways far removed from the arts.

September 16, 2013

Christian Standard

Chicago Impact

By Tammy Melchien “We need to plant campuses in the city!” It was a simple text. I typed the eight words to Community Christian Church”s lead pastor, Dave Ferguson, and hit SEND as I was finishing an overnight getaway in downtown Chicago. I was energized by the past 24 hours in the city. I”ve always loved big cities. The energy. The life. The opportunities. Dave”s reply was simple too: “We do and we will!” It wasn”t until the car ride back to my suburban home that it hit me. I was supposed to be part of the vision to reach

September 1, 2013

Christian Standard

Recalling a “˜Master” Plan for Housing

By Jennifer Johnson Many people know the Ferguson brothers, Dave and Jon, as cofounders of Community Christian Church in Naperville, IL, and as strategic visionaries behind the multisite movement. But many people don”t know the story of the church”s first multisite, or the innovative thinking behind it. A few real estate development professionals were members of a small group with the Fergusons; the group began dreaming about creating neighborhoods designed to intentionally drive strong community life, centered around a church. Eventually the real estate company and CCC partnered to create the Institute For Community and launched a master-planned area in

May 31, 2013

Christian Standard

What”s Next for the Missional Church?

By Brian Mavis Alan Hirsch is the founding director of Forge Mission Training Network. He also coleads Future Travelers, an innovative learning program helping megachurches become missional movements. Hirsch is known for his innovative approach to mission, and is considered to be a thought leader and key mission strategist for churches across the Western world. He is not only gifted in understanding the origin of movements, he is able to envision how to create new movements within Christianity.  Hirsch is the author of The Forgotten Ways, and is coauthor of The Shaping of Things to Come, ReJesus, and The Faith

October 29, 2011

Christian Standard

You Must Read This . . . Recognizing Leadership Potential

By Mandy Smith The Contrarian”s Guide to Leadership Stephen B. Sample San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2003 It seems the church is ready for some contrary thinking on leadership, not for the sake of being contrary, but to challenge assumptions that may not be scriptural or right for our era. Consider several examples: “¢ Rex Miller explains that for the past 60 years, organizations have rewarded “skills like persuasion, a high-profile image, innovation, risk taking . . . leaps up the success ladder, interpersonal skills, the ability to think on one”s feet, and so forth. . . . But congregants in the

April 25, 2011

Christian Standard

Restore Community Church

By Kent E. Fillinger It all began at the 2007 North American Christian Convention. Church planting was the theme of the gathering in Kansas City, Missouri, that year. And Dave Ferguson, convention vice president and lead pastor of Community Christian Church, Naperville, Illinois, had the idea of using the convention to help launch a new church in Kansas City. Restore Community Church is the result of that vision. Ferguson shared his vision with Troy McMahon, who had been serving with him as campus pastor for Community”s first multisite location, in Romeoville, Illinois, since 1998. Interestingly, McMahon had started as a

March 25, 2011

Christian Standard

Community Christian Launches Two Campuses

By Jennifer Taylor Not one but TWO new campuses of Community Christian Church (Naperville, IL) launched this past weekend! Campus pastor Dave Richa and his team rehabbed the former Shale Harbor Church in Lemont, IL. “Currently, Shale Harbor has multiple small church communities around the country,” says an article about the new site. “When Shale Harbor members felt the Lemont church wasn”t realizing its redemptive potential, they sought out the partnership with Community Christian, said Dave Ferguson, lead pastor of Community Christian Church.” The launch team included people from both Shale Harbor and CCC. Community also launched a new campus

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

August 30, 2009

Christian Standard

The Multisite Phenomenom: Here to Stay?

  by Darrel Rowland Terms to Know Multisite“”Commonly described as “one church meeting in several locations,” a concept often attributed to church growth guru Elmer Towns from the late 1980s. Typically each remote site has its own live services except for the sermon, which is shown on large video screens. The message usually is recorded in advance, although some use simulcasts. Each location usually has its own “campus minister” or “campus pastor,” but all are governed by the home church leadership. Multivenue“”A different style, setup, and/or music from a church”s main service. These can be held at remote locations or

August 5, 2009

Christian Standard

More Than Technology, and Not Boring at All

By Mark A. Taylor Troy McMahon walked into his local Starbucks June 18 and was surprised his friend, the barista, mentioned Troy”s recent trip to San Francisco. “How did you know about that?” Troy asked. “I”ve been following you on Facebook,” came the answer. The coffee server doesn”t attend Restore Community Church where Troy preaches””yet! But he”s one of many people the church planter reaches by using the sometimes maligned Internet social networking site Facebook. Paul Williams struck a responsive chord with his curmudgeonly critique of Facebook May 31. “On Facebook it seems all of life has been trivialized and

December 7, 2008

Christian Standard

Stop Baptizing!

By Dave Ferguson Here is my challenge for every leader and paid staff person of every Christian church””stop baptizing! Just so you understand the challenge, let me say it again””STOP BAPTIZING! If you think this is merely an attention-grabber, you are only partially correct. Let me explain. I recently started leading a new small group. In preparation for the first group gathering, I met my apprentice leader at my favorite Starbucks to go over leadership expectations and to make other preparations. This was all new to him; he had never been a leader, never been in a group, and finished

October 12, 2008

Christian Standard

The National New Church Conference”s “˜Exponential” Development

By Jennifer Taylor From multisite campuses to nationwide networks, interest in church planting is at a new high. Restoration Movement leaders have been planting churches and sharing their experiences for decades, but this renewed focus on reproducing churches””plus a commitment to cross-denominational collaboration””has made the National New Church Conference the premier church planting event in the country.   Historical The National New Church Conference (NNCC) first met in 1969 as the “First National Colloquy on New Church Evangelism.” According to John Wasem”s August 2006 article in Christian Standard, 38 people attended this first event held at Great Lakes Bible College

October 12, 2008

Christian Standard

Helping People Find Their Way Back to God in Kansas City

By Troy McMahon I was sitting on a park bench at Ozark Christian College, next to the young woman who would soon become my bride, when I made the decision. I was going to live a life without regrets.  I had just attended the National Youth Leaders Conference where I heard Tony Campolo speak. He shared some statistics about people in their 90s. When asked what they would do differently in their lives if they had to do it all over again, three themes emerged. First, they would take more risks; second, they would reflect more; and third, they would

September 7, 2008

Christian Standard

Golf Scores & Dashboards: Keeping Track of How the Church Is Doing

By Dave Ferguson Golfer 1: “What was your score?” Golfer 2: “Seventy-two.” Golfer 1: “That”s not too bad at all!” Golfer 2: “Thanks! I hope I”ll do better on the second hole.” When a golfer steps up to a tee, he knows how to keep score. It”s simple: Every time he hits the ball it counts as a stroke. At the end of 18 holes, he tallies up how many strokes he took, and that is his score. WHAT”S THE SCORE AT YOUR CHURCH? So, how does your church keep score? Usually churches keep score by counting the attendance and

June 25, 2008

Christian Standard

What Part of Speech Should “˜Christian” Be?

By Mark A. Taylor What does it mean to write a Christian novel? To do Christian service? To add one”s name to a directory of Christian businesses? Must a work of art or some other endeavor be called Christian to be Christian? And does that mean what we don”t call Christian, isn”t? Lynn Gardner and the writers he quotes this week assert that everything the Christian does should be for the glory of God. (Read “Wholehearted Christians.”) They would surely agree with Rob Bell who told an audience in April he believes Christian “is a bit dodgy as an adjective.

May 25, 2008

Christian Standard

Spiritual Seismic Shifts Are Changing Our World

By Dave Ferguson “We don”t know exactly when, but we do know the earthquake is coming.” That is what seismologists who study our shifting earth are saying about impending catastrophic earthquakes. These experts can now tell us with absolute certainty where earthquakes will happen, but they don”t know exactly when. They have even created a list of the world”s most earthquake-vulnerable cities. At the top of the list is Kathmandu, Nepal, where they predict a 6.0-magnitude earthquake will occur and could kill approximately 69,000 people. Also on the hit list is Manila, Philippines, where a quake that will register close

April 13, 2008

Christian Standard

Multisite Momentum

By Kent Fillinger The second coming of the megachurch appears to be the multisite movement””or perhaps the next generation of multisite ministry arrived before you were even introduced to the original version. Dave Ferguson, lead pastor of Community Christian (Naperville, Illinois), is an often quoted and passionate proponent of multisite ministry. He introduced a new concept””the “polysite church”””in an article in the February 24 Christian Standard. He described the polysite church as the next wave in church reproduction. A recent article in Rev! magazine titled “Mega, Schmega” (March/April 2008) described multisite ministry as the answer for the future church. Some

Help Keep Christian Standard Free & Accessible with a Tax Deductible Donation

We can do more together!

Every gift makes a difference!

No, thank you.
100% secure transactions - receipts provided.
Does Your Church Want to Support Christian Standard?

Would your church consider including support for Christian Standard in its annual missions budget? Your support would help us not only continue the 160-year legacy of this unifying ministry, but also expand the free resources, cooperative opportunities, and practical guidance we provide to strengthen churches in the U.S. and around the world.

We can do more together!

Every gift makes a difference!

No, thank you.
100% secure transactions - receipts provided.
Secret Link