Articles for tag: Gifts

Seven Things a Facilitator or Teacher Should Never Do

By Michael C. Mack 1. Depend on any resource more than the Bible. 2. Lose sight of your goals. Your main goal is to make mature disciples, not to teach a great lesson. 3. Teach more than you shepherd. Don”t forget that knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. 4. Try to lead using someone else”s gifts. Be yourself. God gave you specific gifts to use in building up the body of Christ. He gave others their gifts for the same reason. 5. Get into debates about little things. Check out 1 Timothy 6:4 and 2 Timothy 2:14 about this

FOR the City, Not Just IN It

By Rich Gorman When we waited on God and watched to see what he was already doing here, we discovered how he would work through us to accomplish his will. The voicemail we received the day after we moved to Chicago ended up having a greater impact than we could have imagined. My wife, Dori, and I could not remember who this woman was, though she knew of us from our ministry in Johnson City, Tennessee, during our time at Emmanuel Christian Seminary.  She said, “This may seem weird, but I was praying this morning and felt that God told

The Knife Wasn”t Even Sharp

By Robert Kitchen One day Vic came into my office to discuss a construction project at our church. Vic is a retired executive from a large machinery manufacturer, gentleman farmer, elder, and willing volunteer. Me? I”m a semiretired accountant, writer, woodworker, elder, and part-time business manager. I said, “Vic, you”re my friend and a willing volunteer. I need some surgery and I think you can do it. Do you have a pocketknife?” Vic knew my off-the-wall manner, so he played along. He pulled out his knife, held it to the light, and said, “It may need some sharpening.” I was

VBS Program Features Back2Back Ministries

“God”s Backyard Bible Camp,” Standard Publishing”s Vacation Bible School program for 2013, features Beth Guckenberger, cofounder of Back2Back Ministries. The “Backyard Bible Camp” includes separate VBS programs for day (“Under the Sun”) or evening (“Under the Stars”), and will carry a mission emphasis, which is where Back2Back Ministries comes in. We asked Beth to share some thoughts about Back2Back Ministries. It was 15 years ago that we started to share with a few friends and family our “whisper calling” to move to Mexico. This was met with mixed reactions. Some thought we were shortsighted or ill-equipped (they were right). Some

Good Gifts After Black Friday

By Mark A. Taylor I have a friend who works for a well-known benevolent organization not affiliated with any church, but providing a much-needed service to families in crisis. And at Christmastime, she sees the gifts pour in. People drive up every day in December with carloads of clothes, games, and food. But one donor stood out in my friend”s memory. The woman approached the front desk holding her daughter”s hand and carrying an armload of goodies. “We would like to meet the family who will receive our gifts,” she told the receptionist. “I want my little girl to experience

Johnson Honors Alums Featured on TV Show

By Jennifer Taylor In January, Johnson University (Knoxville, TN) surprised Daniel and Mandy Watson with full tuition scholarships for their three children and the establishment of a scholarship fund for children in The Restoration House program. The Watsons, 2001 graduates of Johnson University, now operate The Restoration House of East Tennessee, a nonprofit organization ministering to the needs of single mothers. The organization offers transitional housing, team mentoring, and connections to social services and local resources. Families participating in the program must meet weekly with a leader to set goals, pay 30 percent of their income toward rent and utilities,

birthday gifts and gratitude

Well Gifted

Mark A. Taylor reflects on birthday wishes, material abundance, global need, and the deeper gratitude that comes from knowing the Savior’s greatest gift.

Three Sides of Community Ministry

By John Sloper It”s the economy . . . well, maybe. At Broadway Christian Church in Mesa, Arizona, three separate ministries to help the economically disadvantaged are in place, and two of them began meeting needs long before the current economic downturn. Each has been responding to real needs on the east side of the Valley of the Sun in Arizona. Food Box Begun in the 1980s (its emphasis at first was clothing exchange), the Food Box Ministry has continued to grow and assisted almost 400 families in July 2009 (almost 1,500 individuals). The need has grown dramatically in the

wisdom

Wisdom Is a Good Thing

Reflecting on Ecclesiastes and James, Tom Ellsworth shares how God teaches wisdom through life experiences, relationships, and hard seasons—inviting believers to hold on loosely to this life and keep eternity in view.

Be Seen, Be Heard - A Live Online Workshop to Increase Online Visibility for Local Churches
(Tap the Flyer Below for Details)

be seen be heard online visibility workshop for churches by christian standard

Learn how to make the Sermon Content you’re already producing draw people into your local church.

For preachers, church media and website teams, and anyone who’d like to learn how to increase the visibility of their local church online.

 


GET EVENT DETAILS & RESERVE YOUR SPOT

No, thank you.
Transactions are 100% secure.
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