April 6, 2026
Polishing the Pulpit East 2026 is a week of worship, Bible study, edification, and training designed to renew, refresh, and recharge Christians for faithful service. Hosted in the Smoky Mountains, this annual event gathers believers for preaching, classes, fellowship, and spiritual growth in a conference setting built to encourage the whole church.
October 28, 2024
Our hearts were moved to stand at the river, boots on the ground, and spend a short couple of weeks with the Ukrainians who continue to suffer the loss of so much.
September 9, 2024
The Lord doesn’t force his way in. He knocks. He calls. He invites. He wants to come in and spend time with us at a table of fellowship, but we must open the door.
April 29, 2024
There is a home which will fulfill all our dreams. Jesus talked about it. . . .
April 17, 2024
Larry Griffin of Mid-South Christian College (Memphis, Tenn.) has announced he intends to step away from his role as president of MSCC when a suitable replacement is found. Griffin has served as president for 25 years. . . . Also, briefs about Dr. Gerald Dyson of Kentucky Christian University . . . GLCC, RENEW.org, and two Church of Christ institutions.
February 12, 2024
God has always placed a premium on faithfulness. . . .
February 5, 2024
The golden table contained twelve loaves of “face bread” or the “bread of the Presence” (Exodus 25:30). . . .
This short news item from 1933 is notable mainly for describing the lengths to which the congregation in Streator, Ill., went to heat their church building during the Great Depression. . . .
December 15, 2022
Certain groups in Christendom do not observe Christmas nor do they commemorate the birth of Christ under any designation. One such body maintains that no such commemoration is required by Scripture. . . .
June 13, 2022
David Faust writes: What should you do when “locusts” threaten to consume your dreams and devour your joy? Joel suggested three ways to respond. . . .
May 1, 2022
Let not your heart be troubled as you review our annual church survey report. Your congregation may not be in the church-size category where you expect it. For some churches, it may appear, at first glance, as if your attendance has declined over the last couple years, even if it hasn’t. It may look like some megachurches and emerging megachurches have suddenly vanished or that many of their regular attenders have dropped out. What’s going on? While Christian Standard reported combined in-person and online attendance numbers the previous several years (which was especially significant during the pandemic), our 2021 charts
May 1, 2022
By Megan Rawlings Women’s ministry has a nebulous reputation. Whenever I say those two words together, women’s ministry, I get different reactions depending on the audience. I despise overgeneralizations, but I will make one here. People in Generation Z (those born 1999–2015) and millennials (1981–1998) nearly gag when the mere idea of women’s ministry surfaces in conversation. Am I coming on too strong? Have a chat with a few women in those generations and see for yourself. I don’t think it needs to be this way. After studying the situation for the last few years, I have five suggestions that
April 20, 2022
News briefs from churches in Illinois, Florida, Missouri, West Virginia, and Tennessee, plus a Ukraine update from Glen Elliott.
December 27, 2021
al, but they did not. However, it wasn’t just the days of Christ’s ministry for which they longed. Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses saw a better day in the distance when God’s rule will be restored. Their hope has now become our hope.
February 8, 2021
What does it mean to be a Christian? How are we different from nonbelievers? What distinguishes the people who follow Jesus from those who ignore or neglect him? We might think the difference is most clearly evident when comparing our Sunday activities. On the first day of the week, Christians gather to study what’s written in the Bible. We seek Scripture’s insights into living moral lives and overcoming temptations. We focus much effort on identifying sins that threaten our faith and corrupt our communities. We see the regular gathering of disciples as vital expressions of encouragement and fellowship among Christians.
March 23, 2020
By Michael C. Mack If you were to look up the word communion in a dictionary, you’d see it defined as “intimate fellowship or rapport.” It comes from the same word as community or communication or communal. Under normal circumstances, this is a communal experience. So, how do we accomplish this aspect of Communion in a time of social distancing? First, we should remember that social distancing does not mean social isolation. For now, we are wise not to get together in large gatherings, but we can still find ways to love one another, carry each other’s burdens, encourage one
January 14, 2020
By Stuart Powell Have you ever wondered if Jesus would eat a meal at your house? Have you ever imagined yourself living in a first-century village in Galilee the day Jesus came to visit? Would you have been bold enough to ask a miracle-working prophet to join you at your table? I think if I had the courage to ask, Jesus would have accepted the invitation. Why do I think that? Because Jesus had a reputation among the pious in Judea. The Gospel writer offered a glimpse of how the Jewish leaders summarized Jesus’ social standards: “Now the tax collectors
November 4, 2015
By Jennifer Johnson The Virginia Evangelizing Fellowship and Envision (North Carolina), two mid-Atlantic evangelizing associations, publicly announced their merger at last week”s International Conference on Missions. The two groups are joining to become Waypoint Church Partners. The two organizations completed a two-year process syncing their legal, financial, and organizational structures to form a new regional alliance. Envision, once known as the Piedmont Evangelizing Association, had been involved with more than 30 new church projects in North Carolina over the past 45 years. VEF, in existence since 1938, planted more than 80 churches in Virginia and more recently in the adjoining
July 23, 2015
We asked 35 Christian leaders, “Who is the influencer with the biggest impact on your life and ministry?” Most of these leaders listed several influential thinkers, writers, innovators, and leaders more of us should get to know. This response is from Sean Palmer, lead minister of The Vine Church, Temple, Texas. ________ If N.T. Wright isn”t the world”s greatest living theologian, he”s certainly the one influencing my life and work the most. In fact, among my pastor and theologian friends, I”ve begun to call Wright “Q” because he is the source of a great deal of what is now being preached and
May 15, 2015
In 1997 CHRISTIAN STANDARD began publishing an annual listing of churches in our fellowship that averaged 1,000 or more in weekly worship attendance during the previous year. Beginning with the 2005 list (published April 9, 2006), the magazine took a nod from national church growth writers and changed our definition of megachurch. Since that time, a church that averages 2,000 or more in weekly worship attendance is considered a megachurch, while a church averaging 1,000 to 1,999 weekly is considered an emerging megachurch. We make a concerted effort each year to contact churches that average 1,000 or more in attendance, although some choose not to participate.
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April 28, 2026
Rick Cherok
April 28, 2026
David Faust
April 28, 2026
Rick Cherok