Articles for tag: Evangelism

October 20, 2016

Michael C. Mack

What Operating System Is Your Church Using?

By Michael C. Mack Chris Lagerlof is the executive catalyst at Mission Orange County (www.missionoc.org). In a Q&A with Exponential (www.exponential.org), “a growing community of leaders committed to accelerating the multiplication of healthy, reproducing faith communities,” Lagerlof talked about the biggest aha”™s he had while reading Becoming a Level 5 Multiplying Church by Todd Wilson and Dave Ferguson. He says he was moved by Chapter 1, “Rethinking Our Operating System.” He was especially struck by Wilson”™s words: Pause and reflect on the potential unintended consequences [of the prevailing operating systems, especially in megachurches]. We are called to make biblical disciples

October 15, 2016

Christian Standard

Fear Not

By Jennifer Johnson I am angry about the state of our union. And I”m not alone. But anger isn”t the core problem. In January, the Esquire/NBC News “American Rage Survey” reported that half of Americans are angrier than they were a year ago. In February, BBC.com reported that 69 percent of Americans are either “very angry” or “somewhat angry” about “the way things are going” in the United States. As I write this, the day after the Orlando nightclub shooting, I”m sure the numbers are even higher. We are angry about climate change, about those who deny climate change exists,

October 11, 2016

Mark A. Taylor

Real Patriots

By Mark A. Taylor Why devote so many pages, words, and ink to a question that can be answered with just one word? Can a Christian be a patriot? Yes! With two more words, let us be clear: of course! Readers of articles this month should not see any anti-Americanism here. But these articles offer a plea for us to put our patriotism in perspective: To thank God for America without assuming America is at the center of his will for the world. To ask God to bless America without believing that America”s interests are always God”s purposes. To respect

October 8, 2016

Christian Standard

Patriotism, Idolatry, and Evangelism

By Rubel Shelly In my opinion, the United States of America is a wonderful, though imperfect, country. One could even call it exceptional in many ways among all the nations of the world, but I refuse the designation “American exceptionalist.” An American woman can love her country and be deeply patriotic because she appreciates its uniqueness and marvelous history. She might point to such things as its abundant natural resources and favorable climate. More likely, she would talk even more about the freedoms of speech, press, and religion. There is the protection under law its citizens enjoy. She could reference its

August 28, 2016

Christian Standard

Growing Elders to Lead

By Jim Estep The leaders you want won”t sprout overnight, like weeds in a garden. Here”s how to develop strategies to nurture the crop of new leaders you need. The phone call is all too familiar. An elder begins the conversation stating the obvious, “We need new elders! All our elders are getting older, and no one is stepping up to serve.” I listen, perhaps ask about the church and the strengths of the current leadership; but eventually the inescapable question must be asked, “What have you been intentionally doing to bring up the next generation of leaders in your church?”

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 29, 2016

Christian Standard

God Was Working

By Ben Simms Abraham was a young man who knew trouble. At 12 years old, Abraham was involved in a gang and preferred life on the streets. But God was working. A new house church was being planted in Abraham”s hometown in El Salvador. Lifeline Christian Mission”s Bible Institute students and leaders went door-to-door inviting families to this new church. Two students approached Abraham and his friends and invited them to church. That moment changed Abraham”s life. Abraham visited the church and sat on the back row, listening intently. He was intrigued. Afterwards, as Pastor José greeted all who had

July 11, 2016

Christian Standard

Bad News or Good News?

By T.R. Robertson The narrative of bad news dominates our culture, a culture that increasingly sees religion as a major purveyor of bad news. “We”re living in a day and age that the news media is a drug-pusher. And negative news is their drug,” says Dr. Peter H. Diamandis. “And on every device that we get””our cell phones, our smart phones, our laptops, our newspapers, our radios””we are fed negative news 24 hours a day, seven days a week, over and over and over again.” Diamandis, speaking in 2013 at a conference called “Global Future 2045: Towards a New Strategy for

July 1, 2016

Michael C. Mack

Watching for Signs of Church Health

By Michael C. Mack The principles doctors use to diagnose health in our physical bodies are similar to those we can use in our congregations. Certain characteristics in the life of a church tell us that the church is healthy and thriving. A void of these characteristics would tell us the church needs attention and treatment. Let”™s examine a couple of church health issues that are always important. The Unity of the Congregation: The unity of a church is critical to its health. Disunity within the body brings division, strife, and risk the church won”™t fulfill its mission. If points

June 23, 2016

Christian Standard

Intentional Church Planting

By Mike Goldsworthy In 2007, I was sitting in a room filled with other pastors from Long Beach, California. We were a predominately Anglo audience listening to an expert describe the city”s rapidly changing demographics. According to the last two census reports, Long Beach is one of the most diverse large cities in the United States. This in a city that for many years had been fondly referred to as “Iowa by the Sea” because of the large number of residents who are migrants from Iowa. As I sat in that room, I was in the midst of a two-year

May 25, 2016

Christian Standard

Memo to the Blessed

By Jim Tune It”s staggering. We can buy Bible software that contains 2,000 Bible resources. We can read and search blogs of today”s top Christian leaders. We can attend conferences and hear the best speakers, or plug in our earbuds and listen to them preach. We can direct-message great leaders on Twitter. The resources at our fingertips are amazing. Not only that, but we can write and publish whatever we want. A few years ago we could read only those fortunate enough to be published. Now anyone can start a blog, post a video on YouTube, or publish a book.

April 17, 2016

Christian Standard

Lloyd Pelfrey and the Future of the Restoration Movement

By T.R. Robertson “Nobody knows more about the Restoration Movement in Missouri than Lloyd Pelfrey. In fact, he lived most of it.” Those words, spoken by Dan Sites, a preacher from Mexico, Missouri, were partially intended as a joke. Nevertheless, they ring true. Lloyd Pelfrey has been active in the movement for nearly 70 years. Pelfrey”s personal definition of the Restoration Movement is, “Unity by restoration for evangelism.” He always adds, “I”ve been using that line for so long, I don”t even know if it”s mine. But I think it is.” Restoration Past I arrived at Central Christian College of

April 16, 2016

Christian Standard

WHAT’S NEXT?: Look and Act Like Jesus

We asked several Christian leaders, “What should churches served by CHRISTIAN STANDARD strive to be or do or look like in the next decades?” ____ By Jeff Metzger I think the ultimate answer to this question is simple. The church should always strive to be and do and look as much like Jesus as possible! For 20 centuries, the church has always been at its best when it was most like Jesus. That will always be true. Our goal as disciples is to be like our teacher, Jesus. Here are some ways we can continue to make that happen. Jesus loves the nations.

April 14, 2016

Christian Standard

WHAT’S NEXT?: Teach and Reach

We asked several Christian leaders, “What should churches served by CHRISTIAN STANDARD strive to be or do or look like in the next decades?” Their answers are as diverse as they are challenging. ____ By James Book There is no question our facilities and the way we communicate with our church family and community will change over the next few years. We have come to expect constant change in this age of technology. The church need not back away from using every form of media outlet to convey the truth. Generations coming up are constantly using their cellular devices. People stare at computer screens

March 24, 2016

Christian Standard

140 Character: How to Be a Social Media Missionary

By T.R. Robertson I”ve dreamed of being a writer since I was just a kid, back in the 1970s. Being a writer would give me the chance to express myself, to share my thoughts and opinions. Little did I know by the time I became a published writer, anyone with Internet access would be able to instantly publish his or her thoughts. Social media enable everyone to have their say, whether insightful or spiteful, eloquent or ignorant. Twitter recorded 738 million tweets in the 10 days following the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. Social media drove the public

March 4, 2016

Christian Standard

What Are You Waiting For?

By Jennifer Johnson As you read this it”s March, but I”m writing it in December. The lead times for print mean I”m usually penning reflections for an issue months before it goes to press, so although you are currently preoccupied with final preparations for Easter, I am in the middle of Advent. I have a love/hate relationship with this part of the church calendar. Christmas is my favorite time of year, but that”s because most of us jump right to the celebrating. Music, lights, special events, too much special food””we go right from Thanksgiving to Emmanuel. But Advent reminds us

February 26, 2016

Christian Standard

Our Target? Everyone

By Eddie Lowen For a long time, I believed every church needed a target group: the irreligious, the unchurched, men, young families, singles, young adults . . . some group that is underrepresented in most established churches. But my thinking has shifted. I am now cautious about identifying target groups. Let me walk you through the New Testament passage that altered my philosophy and shaped our church”s mission language. Acts 10 introduces Cornelius, captain of the Italian Regiment. It”s safe to assume Cornelius looked and sounded much like the soldiers who brutalized and killed Jesus. That unsavory association made Cornelius

January 22, 2016

Christian Standard

Evangelical Warning, Improbable Convert, Uncommon Ministry

By LeRoy Lawson The Great Evangelical Recession: 6 Factors That Will Crash the American Church . . . and How to Prepare John S. Dickerson Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2013 Good God, Lousy World, and Me: The Improbable Journey of a Human Rights Activist from Unbelief to Faith Holly Burkhalter New York: Convergent Books, 2013 The Insanity of God: A True Story of Faith Resurrected Nik Ripken Nashville: B&H Publishing, 2013 John Dickerson”s The Great Evangelical Recession is depressing reading. Being told the truth isn”t always an “upper.” This book tells the truth. At least it tells the truth as things stand

December 17, 2015

Christian Standard

Heaven on Earth

By Tim Harlow God has promised us overflowing abundance, immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine. And that”s now””we don”t have to wait for Heaven. My life”s mantra is “Heaven to Earth, Earth to Heaven.” I have it tattooed on my arm. I would have a longer mantra, but my arm is rather limited. That our mission is to bring Earth to Heaven is a given. That”s why we”re here. The gospel. Anyone who knows me realizes if I get to talk about one thing, it”s going to be the Great Commission. However, Heaven to Earth is a big part of why God

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