April 15, 2024
The Question that Matters
We come to this table having answered the most crucial question . . .
Articles for tag: disillusioned
March 1, 2024
Traders Point Christian Church: 190 Years of Kingdom-Centered Service
Many people assume TPCC is younger than it really is . . .
January 29, 2024
Look to the Cross
When God sees our sin, he looks to Jesus’ work on the cross . . .
May 10, 2023
‘Mom, I Love You’: How Four Little Words Transformed My Life
In Celebrate Recovery, making amends is one of the final steps. This step demands a person seek forgiveness from anyone they’ve hurt or offended, as well as grant pardon to those who’ve hurt or offended them. I still had one last person to pardon . . . and she had hurt me most. It was my own mother. But to understand the end, let’s start from the beginning. . . .
September 1, 2022
What’s the Problem with Politics in the Church?
By Ben Cachiaras Over the last two years I have listened to pastors and witnessed churches across the country share sad stories. They tell of congregations splitting, longtime members leaving, and pastors getting fired. I’ve seen tight-knit small groups blow apart, families feud, and longtime friendships abruptly end. Has this happened primarily because of major scandal in the church or moral failure? Or was it false doctrine—a refusal to recognize the divinity of Christ? Or perhaps a mishandling of Scripture? No. It was politics. We can barely even discuss politics anymore. We polarize over every issue, demonize those with differing
May 26, 2022
A Response to the Southern Baptist Convention Report
As SBC Leaders release the results of an investigation of sexual abuse and cover-up, what can Independent Christian Church leaders learn?
August 31, 2020
Manna
By Jon Wren They were living in “unprecedented times.” It was their “new normal.” And they were all “in this together.” They were a group of desert nomads wandering in the wilderness with no idea of what would happen one day to the next. Some missed the certainty of the past, others had a mixture of hope and skepticism about the future, but they all were tired and disillusioned with the present. Sound familiar? Even though the events of Exodus 16 took place among very different people and in very different circumstances than our own, it’s hard not to see
August 2, 2016
Beyond Fear
By Mark A. Taylor Gene Appel spoke of fear at Eastside Christian Church (Anaheim, California) July 10. This was the first Sunday after two black men, one in Louisiana and another in Minnesota, were shot by white police officers and later in the same week five officers were killed by a black sniper after a peaceful rally in Dallas, Texas. These tragedies were on everyone”s mind that week, along with the continual staccato of news about global terrorism and political upheaval. “When the disciples huddled in secret after Christ”s crucifixion, they were afraid, too,” Appel said. And then he introduced
May 26, 2016
Want Millennials Back in the Pews? Stop Trying to Make Church Cool
By Rachel Held Evans EDITOR”S NOTE: Obviously, this essay, adapted from one that first appeared in the Washington Post on April 30, 2015, does not represent the position of CHRISTIAN STANDARD on every issue. But it provides a prod to our thinking and practice that can stimulate some healthy discussion. We invite our readers to react. Add a comment below or send us an e-mail. Bass reverberates through the auditorium floor as a heavily bearded worship leader pauses to invite the congregation, bathed in the light of two giant screens, to tweet using #JesusLives. The scent of freshly brewed coffee
October 17, 2015
Gut Check
By Eddie Lowen Pixar”s movie Inside Out is clever. It”s about an 11-year-old girl whose family moves from Minnesota to San Francisco. The genius of the film is its vivid and humorous portrayal of the memories, thoughts, and emotions that compete to control the girl”s behavior. If I had to select one word to capture all three of those elements””memory, thought, and emotion””I”d choose the word instinct. How good are your instincts? Let me guess: pretty good. As you read my question, you thought, I trust my gut. My instincts are above average. That”s the problem. Everyone thinks his or
July 8, 2014
My Only Hope
By Jim Tune When I read the Gospels, I encounter a Jesus who proclaims peace for the fringe dwellers. Indistinct and frequently offensive, they reached for his cloak, cried out in desperation, or fell forward to make contact with real love. Convention would treat them as nonpersons, insisting they be kept barely visible and hidden behind a veil of shame. But Jesus was unconventional. Life”s losers sense this. They crash the party and find themselves not only accepted, but favored and blessed as well. With Jesus, they get the seats of honor. For someone with as many opportunities as I”ve
March 4, 2014
Brighter Days Ahead?
By Mark A. Taylor For the person enduring dark times, the biblical story of Joseph can be an inspiration. As a young man he went from favored son to captured slave to a position of authority to years in prison and then, finally, to his place as the second-in-command to the Egyptian pharaoh. When my men”s Bible study looked at his life, we focused on the happy ending to Joseph”s many years of recurring disappointments and confusion. What”s the lesson for our lives today? Our study guide pointed us to a verse Christians love to quote: “In all things God
October 11, 2013
What I Want to Tell Church Planters
By Aaron Brockett Six months after the grand opening of our church plant, I hit a wall. The combination of seeing the last of the “well-wishers” depart, watching our first disillusioned family leave the church, and experiencing the drought of summer attendance was too much. I”d given everything I had to get this young church started, and now the needle of my emotional tank was firmly planted on empty. I wanted to bail. To be honest, I was irritated with the stories of church planters turned megachurch pastors who made it look so easy (or so I thought). On paper,
April 26, 2012
Interview with Mike Bowling
By Paul Boatman Mike Bowling has spent 19 years in ministry with Englewood Christian Church of Indianapolis, Indiana, an inner-city church with an impressive history and a unique present-day witness. How did inner-city Indianapolis become the place for you to do ministry? I grew up and went to college and seminary in mostly rural East Tennessee. Two influences put me on the track to this place. When I became a Christian at age 15, West Side Christian Church in Elizabethton challenged me to radical discipleship. In seminary, under Dr. Charles Taber, I became enraptured with urban missions. When I
June 18, 2011
Mighty Big Shoes to Fill
By Cheryl A. Moen My father”s shoes were big””huge in fact. My dad, Burdett Wakeman, wore size 15AAA shoes””a size so large and unique that every pair of shoes he purchased had to be specially ordered. And even then, they were known to arrive in two separate boxes! Dad was a preacher, and I am certain no other minister was ever introduced by Romans 10:15 more than he was. “And how can they preach unless they are sent? . . . “˜How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”” But Dad was a great sport and just
January 23, 2011
The Bible Is Good for Me . . . and for You!
By Dave Stone Since I was fairly young, I”ve had a favorite Bible verse that has stuck with me through every phase of my life: Acts 4:13. Yes, I get the same look from everybody when I reveal the verse because it really isn”t a common passage; most people are like, “Uh . . . really?” and they don”t know whether to act like they know it. It”s such a cool passage because the disciples are being intensely persecuted but continue to preach about Jesus Christ being resurrected, and this is the observation the Jewish people have as they look
September 15, 2010
Sad Because She Left Us
By Mark A. Taylor My wife and I discovered something wonderful when we returned to our church after three vacation Sundays away: people there missed us. Amid all the friendly pats and hearty greetings”””Welcome back!” “We loved your pictures on Facebook!” “Was your trip wonderful?”””I thought about this column I promised to write when we returned. This continues a discussion begun in last week”s issue. There I reported on and reacted to author Anne Rice”s public announcement of her decision to walk away from Christianity. She said her faith in Christ is “central” to her life, but “following Christ does
December 13, 2009
Pastoral Care in the Midst of Crisis
By Ken Swatman The phone rang at 11:00 p.m. (never a good sign). It was the local police department, where I serve as a chaplain. A young single mother had just found her 4-month-old baby girl unconscious and not breathing. I grabbed my coat and ran out the door. When I arrived at the house I found the young mother sitting on the kitchen floor, devastated. As a pastor and chaplain I was being asked to bring some kind of comfort, care, and peace to an event that was tragic beyond words. When tragedy strikes our congregations and communities, we
May 4, 2008
The Church: A Place to Belong
By Jud Wilhite “What do you do in Vegas?” the waitress in Virginia asked me. “I”m a pastor at a church,” I said. “No you aren”t,” she fired back. “Yes, I am,” I replied. “No, you aren”t,” she said matter-of-factly. “There are no churches in Las Vegas.” Her certainty was absolute. After five minutes I gave up trying to convince her that churches can and do exist in unlikely places and minister to unlikely people. Her perception of the church just could not make room for Vegas. When you hear the word church, what comes to your mind? Do you
July 10, 2005
The Changing Church
Rick Chromey argues the church must adapt its “wineskins” to a new cultural moment—moving from club to community, rules to relationships, and words to images—without weakening the gospel.
