Articles for tag: Great Commission

April 12, 2020

Mark Scott

Lesson for April 19, 2020: Power Over All of Creation (John 21:1-14, 24, 25)

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 the April 2020 issue of Christian Standard + The Lookout. (Subscribe to our print edition.) ________ Lesson Aim: Let the knowledge of Jesus’ power over all give you confidence and hope. ________ By Mark Scott To ensure the disciples had a convinced and informed faith, Jesus appeared to them over a period of 40 days following his resurrection from the dead (Acts 1:1-5). During these appearances, Jesus gave many “convincing

February 22, 2020

Mark Kitts

If You Lead Alone, You're Doing It Wrong

A Cutting-Edge Way to Find New Ministry Partners Online . . . and in Person By Mark Kitts I’m still smarting from the recent closing of my alma mater, once known as “the Flagship College” of the independent Christian churches (ICC). Our schools, publications, and national gatherings have historically been unifying bastions of the Restoration Movement. But these institutions have been losing influence as people have voted with their feet and their wallets. Is it because Restoration ideals have lost their relevance? I don’t think so. I see these ideals being adopted as never before. Denominationalism is declining at an

February 19, 2020

Rusty George

How to Develop an Online Church Campus

By Rusty George “Church online isn’t church.” Yep, that’s what I used to say. Of course, I also thought texting would never last and Facebook was a fad. But hey, what do I know? I guess you might call me a late adopter. Needless to say, starting an online campus wasn’t at the top of my list. But six years ago we decided to add an online option at our church, and I’ve changed my mind about its importance. The First Question: Why Mess with It? It sounds like a lot of work when a simple website with service times

February 19, 2020

Mark Kitts

If You Lead Alone, You're Doing It Wrong

A Cutting-Edge Way to Find New Ministry Partners Online . . . and in Person By Mark Kitts I’m still smarting from the recent closing of my alma mater, once known as “the Flagship College” of the independent Christian churches (ICC). Our schools, publications, and national gatherings have historically been unifying bastions of the Restoration Movement. But these institutions have been losing influence as people have voted with their feet and their wallets. Is it because Restoration ideals have lost their relevance? I don’t think so. I see these ideals being adopted as never before. Denominationalism is declining at an

January 22, 2020

Christian Standard

Don't Lessen "the Least of These" (Matthew 25:31-46)

By Jon Weatherly _ _ _ “The impious Galilaeans support not only their own poor but ours as well.”Julian, Letters, 22 _ _ _ The scene is dramatic. The language is poetic. The effect is chilling. The Son of Man sits on the divine throne, surrounded by angels. Before him are the peoples of the world. He sorts them like a shepherd separating the more valuable sheep from the less valuable goats. But they are sorted for blessing and punishment, for a reason none quite expects. “Truly I tell you, whatever you did [or ‘did not do’] for one of

January 8, 2020

Kent E. Fillinger

Kent E. Fillinger

The Power of Invitation

By Kent E. Fillinger Jesus told the parable of a man who planned a great feast and invited many people to attend (see Luke 14:15-24). When preparations were completed, he sent his servant to tell his invited guests, “Come, for everything is now ready.” Surprisingly, the people on the guest list made multiple excuses for why they couldn’t attend. This angered the master, who told his servant to invite the poor, crippled, blind, and lame to come. After they arrived, there still was room. So, the master told the servant to invite anyone he could find to come to the

October 18, 2019

Jerry Harris

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

September 20, 2019

Christian Standard

Small Churches: Responding to Some Stereotypes

In this repost of a classic article that first appeared in Christian Standard on May 20, 2012, Tom Claibourne responds to some fairly typical stereotypes about small churches. Claibourne is in his 40th year serving with Bethlehem Church of Christ, Winchester, Ohio. He recently was inducted into the Christian Village Communities Hall of Faith; his induction video celebrating his life of ministry is available at the church’s Facebook page. (Read our October 2019 issue for articles about challenges facing rural and small churches . . . and possible solutions.) _ _ _ By Tom Claibourne Small church. What is the

August 8, 2019

Christian Standard

W. R. Walker: “The Counselor’s Question Box”

In last week’s column we acquainted readers with W. R. Walker by sharing a 1963 article about him published a few weeks after his death. Walker preached for almost two decades in churches in northeast Ohio and, later, for 28 years (1920-48) at Indianola Church of Christ in Columbus, Ohio. In between, from approximately 1914 to 1920, he taught at Christian colleges. Walker also was part of Standard Publishing for about 40 years. In addition to serving as president from the 1920s until 1955, Walker was listed as “editorial counselor” within the pages of Christian Standard from 1945 until his

July 22, 2019

Christian Standard

Why We Must Go to the Cities

God’s Word, Urbanization, Generational Shifts Compel Us to Plant Urban Churches Now  By Nathan “Chivo” Hawkins and Josie Barton People are drawn to cities for many reasons: education, employment, entertainment, economic and social opportunities. People have also been overwhelmed by cities; the exposure to poverty, illness, and other symptoms of brokenness have caused many people to flee urban centers. But whether pulled or repulsed, the Great Commission compels us to minister in cities. Biblical Rationale for Urban Ministry Social justice has become such a buzz phrase that followers of Jesus might dismiss urban ministry as a fad. Yet, we have

June 22, 2019

Michael C. Mack

Spending Time with the Teacher: A Christian Standard Interview with Robert Coleman

By Michael C. Mack As he talks about Heaven, he reminds me of a young bride on her wedding day. He is a mixture of excitement, confidence, reverence, and awe. He is wide-eyed with anticipation for the doors to open and the music to begin. This 91-year-old man has studied and taught about Heaven for years, yet he humbly acknowledges his finite understanding. His wife, Marietta; his older sister, Joy; his friend Billy Graham; and many others he has known and served with over the years are already there. I had saved my question about Heaven for last—I knew it

June 22, 2019

Christian Standard

Practicing the Implications of Truth: How We Become Doers of the Word and Not Hearers Only

By Wes Sebree Not even an extremely gifted communicator can rival experience as a teacher. My good friend Mike would add, “Truth is discovered, not downloaded.” In other words, truth must be experienced to take root. If these statements are accurate—and they are—we need to consider whether we want to proclaim the truth or whether we want to equip people to live faithfully. The first can be accomplished without doing the second. Additionally, equating information transfer with spiritual growth robs Christ’s body of experiencing God’s truth and love in tangible ways. This results in a subtle brand of gnosticism where

May 22, 2019

Megan Rawlings

THE BOLD MOVEMENT

Training Multiple Generations of Women to Carry Their Swords and Use Them Properly By Megan Rawlings The alarm wakes me early on a Saturday morning. A few minutes later, I grab my Bible and race out the door, headed to a Bob Evans an hour away. I pray as I drive, asking God for boldness and that my millennial heart will be content with him receiving all the glory. I walk into the bustling restaurant and sit down in a booth across from a new disciple of Christ. The waitress brings me my usual, a cup of half coffee, half

May 22, 2019

Jim Estep

What Is the Restoration Movement?

By Jim Estep The United States is becoming increasingly divided politically. Conservatives keep moving further to the right, liberals are gravitating toward the left, and those in the center are stretched between the two. It’s similar to what has happened to the Restoration Movement. A Formula for Effectiveness When I attempt to describe the Restoration Movement to someone, I draw on this formula: Biblical Authority + Church Unity → Global Disciple-Making The Restoration Movement affirms biblical authority and binds it to a strong commitment to church unity (beyond the level of unity by agreement), all for the sake of making

February 9, 2019

Christian Standard

A Profitable Sermon on Generosity, Any Way You Slice It

By Jim Nieman Mark Jones is glad he opted for a simple devotion one week in the midst of his sermon series on generosity. The decision resulted in a finale that had greater impact, and which, at the same time, garnered quite a bit of positive press. Jones opted for the devotion one Sunday when “horrific weather” swept through the Bardstown, Ky., region and Nelson Christian Church saw lower-than-average attendance. But that set things up nicely for the final message, Feb. 3—which happened to be Super Bowl Sunday—when Jones called in a pizza order from the stage early in his

February 2, 2019

Kent E. Fillinger

Kent E. Fillinger

Church Multiplication Scorecard

By Kent Fillinger  A new question on our last annual church survey asked, “Using the scale created by Exponential.org, which of the following best describes your church in 2017?”              Level 1: Declining (attendance going down) Level 2: Holding Even (attendance largely unchanged) Level 3: Growing (attendance growth by 5 percent or more) Level 4: Adding/Reproducing (we directly launched another new campus or church plant) Level 5: Multiplying (a campus or church we helped to start has itself become a reproducing church) In Exponential’s e-book Becoming a Level Five Multiplying Church Field Guide, Todd Wilson, Dave Ferguson, and Alan Hirsch provided

January 29, 2019

Christian Standard

A Call to Church Leaders: How to Overcome Pharisaism in the 21st-Century Church

By Jeffrey Derico Two critical challenges facing churches and their leaders today are to identify hurdles that undermine relevant ministry and then to eliminate them. The stakes are high because failure to overcome either hurdle will result in countless people never hearing the gospel, and eventually that church will permanently close its doors—and neither of these are acceptable outcomes. Yet both are becoming more common as churches across America struggle to effectively live out the Great Commission and then decline to the point they can no longer afford to pay the bills. During nearly two decades of teaching and consulting

January 29, 2019

Christian Standard

How Is ICOM Making a Lasting Impact on the Church?

By Emily Drayne Youth conferences, weeks of camp, training conferences for adults, and mission trips are all mountaintop experiences. Participants come home refreshed, revitalized, and more passionate about the things they spent time focusing on. But life inevitably slows down, the daily humdrum returns, and the fire inside begins to flicker. There is at least one Great Commission-focused event, however, from which there seems to be no post-event letdown: the International Conference On Missions. What makes ICOM different? I’m convinced it’s the on-fire vibe that permeates the conference. People attend ICOM to do something: win the world for Christ, find

December 4, 2018

Christian Standard

Three Greats: A Humble Reminder of Our King and Our Calling

By David Dummitt In all honesty, sometimes I just want to get through the Christmas season. As a pastor, Christmas usually means work. Lots more work. I can start to allow productivity and busyness for God’s kingdom to outweigh sacred wonder and worship of the King who has come for us. Earlier this year at a leadership retreat, my friend and fellow pastor Patrick O’Connell, the global leader of NewThing, led a devotional for a group of ministry leaders from all over the United States. He shared three “greats” that Jesus gave to us, and as he spoke, I watched

December 4, 2018

Christian Standard

A Sign and a Prediction, Both Fulfilled

(This Communion meditation originally appeared in our December 1, 1998, edition.)   By Kent Fillinger The year was 734 BC. King Ahaz of Judah was under attack by the countries of Syria and Ephraim, which were trying to dethrone him. In order to encourage King Ahaz, God told King Ahaz to ask Him for a sign. When the ruler asked, God said, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14, New International Version). “Immanuel” means “God with us.” This

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