Articles for tag: Foreign Missions

A ‘Singular’ Mission

By Jerry Harris Some might argue it’s a fine point to draw a line between the “n” and the “s” in the word missions, but I have always felt it there. Having graduated from a Bible college that emphasized the need of going “to the uttermost part of the earth,” I felt my commitment to Christ was measured by the space between where I started and where I went. There were mission requirements for my degree, and I remember asking the head of the missions department whether he valued foreign mission work over domestic ministry. I chose a domestic path

SPOTLIGHT: Manchester Christian Church, Manchester, New Hampshire

A Decentralized Approach to Church Growth By Steve Carr The church must look different tomorrow than it does today. This is the conviction of Bo Chancey, lead minister of Manchester Christian Church in New England. It is a fascinating observation, considering Manchester Christian, which now averages about 4,000 weekly, is already the largest Protestant church in New Hampshire, the second most dechurched region in America. Still, the church’s strategy relies upon continual risk-taking and nontraditional approaches to growth. Change is an essential part of Manchester Christian’s DNA. “Churches always change, because the church is people, and people are constantly changing,”

Taking a Break: Reevaluating the Post-High School Path

By Emily Drayne Education is crucial for success in life, but many students just graduating high school, and any number of students already studying at college, have no clear goal or plan for the next 30 to 40 years . . . or even the next 5. Are there other paths available besides a four-year college program? If you know someone who is about to graduate high school or who is struggling for direction in college, a new program starting up later this year might prove a good alternative. I am a millennial (born between 1981 and 1996), and it

An Epistle on Debt from Mrs. Alexander Campbell

This brief article by and about the second wife of Alexander Campbell developed in a roundabout way. The February issue of Christian Standard deals with finances, including “In the Arena” articles by Matt Merold and Chris Philbeck that take stands on the question, “Should churches embrace and utilize debt?” (Matt says yes; Chris says no.) I wondered if writers from the magazine’s past had weighed in on this subject, so I dug into the archives of the Christian Standard’s first 100 years of publication. I turned to the listing for DEBT—an obvious place to begin the search—and was surprised to

What’s New? [‘Standing . . . at the Edge of 1969’]

– Dec. 28, 1968 – Please forgive me for rerunning yet another classic editorial. This, by my count, is the third week in a row. And yet, after scouring a half-dozen end-of-the-year issues searching for something to share, I think this editorial from the final issue of 1968—one of the most turbulent years in our nation’s history—will stimulate the most thoughts. Editor Edwin V. Hayden wrote this one. _ _ _ What’s New Standing as we do at the edge of 1969, with the moving hand of time prepared to push us into it whether we like it or no,

‘Young Missionary’ J. Russell Morse Discusses Foreign Mission Methods

If you haven’t taken the opportunity to read Russell Johnson’s article from our November 2018 issue titled “Prayer, Power, Purpose: J. Russell & Gertrude Morse and Four Generations of Ministry to Southeast Asia and Beyond,” please be sure to treat yourself. The article details hardship, heartache, discouragement, and imprisonment, but also the prayers, purpose, and perseverance through which God’s Word has been faithfully preached over the past century. Thousands of people in isolated areas have heard the message and accepted Christ through God’s grace and the Morse family’s efforts. I scanned Christian Standard’s archives and reviewed the headlines of numerous

Six Tips for Dealing with Difficult Family Members

By Kevin DeValk You”ve made the pledge. You”ve taken the call to move to Africa, China, or somewhere else in the world to share the gospel, perhaps for years.  Upon hearing the news, parents and a small crowd of other relatives look at you skeptically. “You”re moving to WHERE?” Maybe they”re concerned about your safety and their grandkids” well-being. Maybe they”re struggling with your being so far away. Or they might be antagonistic toward the Bible in general. Whatever the cause, opposition from parents and siblings is faced by many new missionaries, even those with Christian parents. Here are a

Missions Ministries that Work: Academy Christian Church

By Carol Norris From its beginning in 1973, Academy Christian Church”s leaders and members have emphasized missions. The program”s successes are due, in part, to the formal, documented policies and systems set up to help with decision- making and the ongoing operations of the mission team. These mission policies include a purpose statement, financial and selection policies, and responsibilities of the missionary, the church, and the team. There are also questionnaires for missionaries and organizations that request support; their responses are evaluated against set criteria. Mission support is an integral part of ACC. We believe missionary work is vital to

The Other Side of the Table

By David A. Fiensy I”ve served on the ministerial staff of five churches (four of them part-time), and I must say I”ve never had a bad experience with the elders. One hears some horror stories from other ministers, but God has blessed. As a matter of fact, I can remember sitting across the table from elders during meetings and thinking, If I am ever an elder, I hope I can have this guy”s openness to change or that man”s levelheaded understanding of things. Well, now I am sitting on the other side of the table; I am an elder. Things

This Is What”s “˜Actually Happening”

By Mark A. Taylor If you read only one article in this special NACC Preview Issue, be sure you see the interview with convention president Cam Huxford. Here”s a dialogue with a contemporary church builder who knows about evangelism, preaching, and servanthood. Here”s a preacher who speaks with humility about great leaders in our fellowship while ignoring the fact that he has become one of them. Here”s a fellow with his eyes focused on the future, but he shows no enthusiasm for throwing out the past. He”s young enough to appeal to emerging leaders and old enough to speak with

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