September 26, 2022
If you think about things like food, frustrations, family, finances, and the future, you are not alone. It’s natural and necessary to ponder subjects like these. But let’s not forget about faith!
This is one of the few parables where Jesus inserts “God” into a secular story. God called the man a fool (not an atheist but someone who has no moral compass). Death is a great wake-up call. . . .
I’m a sports fan, but I’m alarmed by the swift expansion of sports betting. Gambling is addictive and it threatens the integrity of athletic competition. . . .
The 2021 Church Report
Residents of western Ukraine are hosting refugees in their homes and helping them obtain provisions as these displaced people attempt to flee to Poland and other Eastern European countries.
November 9, 2021
LifePointe Christian Church in Toano, Va., which started in 2006, is finally moving into its first permanent home—a horse farm on 10 acres it purchased in 2018.
KCU's president is concerned we are inadvertently deemphasizing the biblical concept of the offering as worship.
July 1, 2021
Do you have a sense you are on “special assignment”—that something important has been given to you to do . . . a calling that matters?
A Lilly Endowment grant will support efforts by Emmanuel Christian Seminary at Milligan University in addressing challenges that limit prospective students and underrepresented populations from attending and graduating.
February 1, 2021
A few weeks before the pandemic’s arrival in early 2020, my wife and I drove to Grand Island, Nebraska, to speak to a conference of rural churches from across the state. We had the privilege of encouraging 125 leaders. That was a pretty long trip, even in a hybrid vehicle, so we needed to stop every so often to fill up with gas. If we were to run out of gas, it would be pretty silly to get mad at the car. It’s our responsibility to fuel up when needed. In a similar way, we need regular fuel stops to
January 17, 2021
In this latter half of Matthew 6, Jesus employed at least 18 different metaphors or images to drive home his point. He spoke of treasures, moths, vermin, and thieves. He spoke of eyes, light, darkness, masters, money . . .
January 1, 2021
Money helps fuel ministry, so it’s critical for leaders to pause and understand the state of their church’s finances as they start a new year. I encourage leaders to consider short-term strategies to keep their congregation focused on the mission and a long-term approach to develop disciples who are generous. Here are four steps you can take to improve the short-term and long-term financial health of your church. Conduct a “Giving Audit” People’s giving habits can be indications of their spiritual journey; a church typically has givers at various points on that journey. PushPay identified the following eight categories of
January 1, 2021
How Our Church Prioritized Our Spending and Resources During the Pandemic News about the coronavirus in mid-March sent fearful shockwaves down my spine. I had no idea what it all meant for the nation, for Southeast Christian Church in Parker, Colorado—which I serve—or for the people who call Southeast home. I had received no instruction in how to lead a church through a global pandemic, nor did I have practical experience in doing so. Consequently, while considering next steps for the church, I immediately thought of the worst-case scenario of people at Southeast—and young people especially—dying of COVID-19. There
October 26, 2020
This “Application” column goes with the Bible Lesson for Nov. 1, 2020: God Is Faithful (2 Timothy 2:11-13; 4:6-8, 16-18) ________ By David Faust I learned a lot of practical lessons on the farm where I grew up. Dad was good at fixing things. I wasn’t. He didn’t have a college degree, but he deserved an honorary doctorate in the school of hard knocks. He knew how to weld metal, mend fences, install electrical wiring, fix leaky water pipes, help a cow give birth, and grow a flourishing garden. He knew his Bible well. Neighbors and church members respected his
September 22, 2020
By Kent E. Fillinger As I write this in late June, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to morph daily as it impacts the world, economy, and church in innumerable ways. During the week of June 7, I conducted a COVID-19 Church Impact Survey to take a “snapshot” of how churches fared during the initial three months of quarantine (March to May) and what they anticipated would be happening over the next three months (June to August) as many started to regather for in-person worship services. A total of 334 church leaders from 39 states responded, providing a balanced cross-section of all-sized
August 15, 2020
Generosity, Responsibility, Humility: The Church’s Threefold Response to COVID-19 By Gary Johnson and Jared Johnson “History repeats itself” is a familiar phrase because it’s true. In the opening pages of Scripture, Egypt was a world superpower. That nation experienced prosperity like no other realm had ever known. The years of unprecedented bounty, though, were followed by seven years of famine. Is something similar occurring in America? In recent years, the United States has enjoyed an era of prosperity—from record low unemployment to record high returns in the financial markets. However, an insidious and destructive virus circled the globe and within
December 23, 2019
(This editorial appeared on p. 10 of the December 25, 1930, issue of Christian Standard.) The Festival of the Second Mile Christmas . . . is a special glorification of unselfishness. Essentially the Christmas spirit is the spirit of doing, at least to one’s loved ones, the things that will make them happy. We study for a month or so the wishes of these friends; we endeavor to learn from their own actions and from the observations of those near them “what they want;” then we proceed to give them what they want. And we find an unwonted happiness in
August 12, 2019
(We shined a “Spotlight” on four large and medium churches of note in our August print issue. Here’s a bonus article about Rise City Church of Lakeside, Calif., the second-fastest-growing large church [average weekly attendance of 500 to 999] in our most recent survey.) By Chris Moon Rise City Church of Lakeside, Calif., is showing she was aptly named. The church has seen a strong, steady rise in attendance since being planted six years ago. Attendance at Rise City grew by 31.8 percent in 2018. It averaged 837 people each Sunday, making it the second-fastest-growing church in Christian Standard’s list
July 8, 2019
Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri. This lesson treatment is published in issue no. 5 (weeks 25-28; June 23–July 14, 2019) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ Lesson Aim: Speak up by trusting Christ enough to give. ______ By Mark Scott Famous Methodist preacher Clovis Chappell said, “I love to preach on giving. I love to watch the generous smile and love to watch the stingy squirm.” We preach sermons by what we say, by how we live,
February 24, 2019
By Julie Bullock I was asked a question by my good friend Jerry Harris (lead pastor of The Crossing in Quincy, Illinois) the first time we spoke on the phone a few years ago: “Julie, do campaigns really still work? I mean, I know you have to say they do because it’s your job to do them, but do they still work? Shoot me straight.” An hour of vibrant conversation ensued as I sat in an airport lounge in Dallas and had the privilege of sharing with one of America’s great pastors why yes, campaigns—or generosity initiatives, as I prefer
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June 3, 2026
David Faust
June 3, 2026
Kent Fillinger
June 2, 2026
Erick Riddle