Jim Macdonald's quest to provide a solid education for his three daughters in the 1980s has grown and morphed through the years into Onward Christian Academy, an affordable online alternative to public schools. . . .
By Les Christie A youth-ministry expert tells why and how the church must partner with parents to bring their kids to spiritual maturity. Fifty years ago youth leaders in churches were still largely volunteers, many of them parents of teenagers. When I was in high school and attending Cardiff Avenue Christian Church in West Los Angeles, I remember Mrs. Curry (who turns 100 this year and still drives a car””yikes!) was a parent volunteer in the youth department. Jim Irby was our part-time youth minister. Both strongly influenced my early years, and I still stay in touch with them. Churches
May 28, 2016
By Jennifer Johnson Three years ago, North Boulevard Church of Christ (Murfreesboro, TN) embarked on a “20/20 Vision” initiative to accomplish several goals, including paying off the loan on their current building, devoting themselves to prayer, growing in diversity among their church body, planting more churches””and developing a School of Christian Thought to help people think critically and with a Christian worldview. “The leadership team voted unanimously to pursue this vision, and we began praying about raising the funds and casting the vision for our church,” says Renée Sproles, director of the school. “We needed $1.6 million to accomplish it
March 16, 2015
By Daniel Schantz The sharp blade of my shovel slices into the soft dirt. I am planting an apple tree. I lift the heavy scoop of brown gold and fling it to the side, and the fragrance of fresh earth meets my nostrils. When the crater is about a foot deep and three feet wide, I stand my bare root apple stock in the middle and spread out the spidery roots. Then, I pack black loam over the roots until the cavity is filled, and stand back to admire my work. There”s not much to see. Just a “stick” about
February 29, 2012
By Lana West These kids are confronted with special opportunities and unique problems. The first step to helping them is understanding the world through their eyes. The issue of taking children to a foreign mission field and raising them overseas has long been a matter of debate. Grandparents wonder, “Will they be safe? How will they be educated? Will they have proper medical care?” The local church asks, “How can we support a family with so many children? Why do they have so many children? How can they do the work they are called to do and care for their
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