Articles for tag: Hope International University

The Origins of Hope International University

Announcement of John Derry’s retirement as president of Hope International University this coming August after 15 years in that office served to remind me it is the 90th anniversary of that institution, which originally was known as Pacific Bible Seminary. Christian Standard announced the launch of that school with a front-page story Dec. 1, 1928, and also with an editorial in that same issue. Following are excerpts from the article, but some of its details open up a bit of mystery. _ _ _ Pacific Bible Seminary New School for the Training of Loyal Christian Preachers Is Launched in Los

January 30, 2019

John Derry to Step Down as HIU’s President (Plus News Briefs)

Hope International University President John L. Derry has announced his retirement. Derry will step down on Aug. 15 after 15 years as Hope’s president, HIU said in a news release. “Over the past several months, Jane and I have been praying and considering when would be the best time for us to transition to retirement,” Derry said. “A decision like this is certainly not easy and in no way reflects on our confidence in the future of the university.” The Derrys have grandchildren in Texas and Ohio and hope to spend more time with them. Since becoming president of HIU,

October 24, 2018

Fastest-Growing Church Listing Includes 8 from Our Fellowship (Plus News Briefs)

Eight churches from our fellowship made Outreach magazine’s listing of 100 fastest-growing churches. Those churches include: No. 11: Eastside Christian Church, Anaheim, Calif. (Gene Appel, senior pastor); attendance of 8,665; grew by 21 percent. (Eastside’s logo is pictured above.) No. 12: Crossroads Christian Church, Corona, Calif. (Chuck Booher, senior pastor); 5,617; 24 percent. No. 19: Mountain Christian Church, Joppa, Md. (Ben Cachiaras, lead pastor); 6,118; 19 percent. No. 55: Christ’s Church of the Valley, Peoria, Ariz. (Ashley Wooldridge, senior pastor); 29,025; 7 percent. No. 56: Traders Point Christian Church, Indianapolis (Aaron Brockett, lead pastor); 8,144; 9 percent. No. 75: 2|42

September 19, 2018

Church & Ministry Church Growth

Small Church Takes Big Leap, Buys Crossroads College Site

By Jim Nieman A church of 150 in Rochester, Minn., has purchased and relocated to the former Crossroads College property, is renting apartments on the 37-acre site for below-market rates, and is revamping “commercial space” for use by nonprofits. Bear Creek Christian Church lead pastor Aaron Wager and outreach pastor Jeff Urban refer to this undertaking as the church’s “Big Holy Audacious God Goal” (with apologies to Jim Collins, author of Good to Great). So far, it seems to be working—though not without some bumps. From Conversation to Reality When the property was up for sale, Wager and Urban mused

September 19, 2018

Crossroads College Will Transform into HIU-Minnesota

By Jim Nieman After suspending classroom instruction in August 2016, Crossroads College in Rochester, Minn., seemed to be an educational institution in name only, but work has been going on behind the scenes and two significant steps forward have occurred this summer. The college sold its 37-acre campus to Bear Creek Christian Church at the end of June (click here to read that story), and on Sept. 8, Crossroads’ representatives signed a memorandum of understanding with Hope International University, Fullerton, Calif., to establish HIU–Minnesota. The next goal, according to Curtis McGinnis, chief operating officer of Crossroads College, is to begin

August 25, 2018

Christian Standard Updates News & Updates

Christian Living

Freshmen Shocked: Bible College Nothing Like CIY

By Caleb Kaltenbach JOPLIN, MO—Record numbers of incoming freshmen are dismayed that Bible college isn’t another Christ in Youth experience. “There’s no morning encounter speaker at Hope International University,” reported Charlie Bowdrey. “I listen to my church history professor every morning, but he doesn’t help me encounter anything other than this angry dude named Martin Luther.” Bowdrey wasn’t the only surprised student this year. For Manhattan Christian College freshman Jessica West, the disappointment started almost immediately. “When I got to my dorm, I was ready to go to the evening session and stay up late, but the other students were

August 1, 2018

Shawn McMullen

Hillsboro Family Camp: A Favorite Week of Summer (Plus News Briefs)

Last week the editors of Christian Standard and The Lookout spent several days at the Hillsboro Family Camp in Hillsboro, Ohio. Family Camp is sponsored by Person to Person Ministries and led by executive director Kerry Allen. For 46 years (since 1972) Person to Person Ministries has organized this annual gathering of families for the purposes of instruction, edification, and fellowship. The camp provides programming for adults, teens, and children. Many families bring tents, campers, motor homes, and vans to Restoration Acres, a 158-acre campground owned by the ministry, to participate in Family Camp. This year there were 273 camping

July 26, 2018

Church Leadership

What 50 Years of Youth Ministry Have Taught Me

By Les Christie Who would have thought 50 years would pass by so quickly? I was born in Liverpool, England, and came to West Los Angeles, California, with my parents and sister by ship and train when I was 5 years old. I did not grow up in the church, I’m sorry to say. I started attending the small Cardiff Avenue Christian Church in West Los Angeles during my junior year of high school. My friend Buckley Simmons invited me. Jim Irby was the part-time youth minister—he was terrific. Harry Bucalstein, the pastor, suggested I go to Pacific Christian College

April 19, 2018

HEADLINES: May 2018

By Chris Moon KCU Grad Uses Art for the Kingdom A Kentucky Christian University graduate is putting his art to work for Jesus. Cody Sabol always loved to paint. After his freshman year in college, he asked God how he could use his art for the kingdom. God began to answer that prayer when one of Sabol’s friends asked him to paint during an event where the friend was performing. Sabol initially resisted, but then relented after being offered two Taco Bell tacos. (College students can be bribed.) “The paintings turned out awful. A-W-F-U-L,” Sabol wrote on his website,

February 22, 2018

Headlines: July 2018

By Chris Moon Churches Unite to Carry the Cross Campton (Ky.) Christian Church brought the message of the cross to its region in the lead-up to Easter. The church’s “Cross Across Wolfe County” event brought churches and other believers together to carry a large wooden cross from one end of Wolfe County, Ky., to the other. The event took place on the Saturday before Easter. Churches, youth groups, and families signed up to carry the cross in 2-mile segments. The cross covered a distance of about 20 miles. Local law enforcement provided an escort for participants, and an assist

December 15, 2017

HEADLINES: January 2018

By Chris Moon Â Church Planter Helps with Recovery in Dominican Republic Church planter Chris Hornbrook had to weather the storm last fall in his mission work in the Dominican Republic. Hornbrook is working to start a church-planting movement on the Caribbean island and watched as Hurricane Maria spun by, doing significant damage to the region. It generated a lot of work for Hornbrook and his team, according to the Daily Journal in Franklin, Ind., which wrote about Hornbrook”s efforts. “We”re working through our local churches and pastors so that they can help the people in their communities,” Hornbrook told

August 25, 2017

Headlines: September 2017

Singer Overcomes Major Obstacle, Wins Over Harshest of Critics Mandy Harvey, 29, a singer-songwriter (who happens to be deaf) from St. Cloud, Fla., won over the judges””including notorious critic Simon Cowell””when she auditioned on NBC”s America”s Got Talent on June 6. Mandy”s father, Joe Harvey, an associate professor of ministry with Johnson University Florida in Kissimmee, wrote about his daughter in “Mandy”s Story” in the April 2015 issue of Christian Standard. Mandy became deaf during her first (and only) year studying music education at Colorado State University. Joe Harvey accompanied Mandy to the AGT performance and was interviewed as part

July 21, 2017

Headlines: August 2017

Baptisms Surge at Kentucky Church Thanks to Jail Ministry A Kentucky church is using a jail ministry to add hundreds of lives to God”s kingdom each year. Jessamine Christian Church baptized 227 people during 2016″”a number that is notable because the church averages 525 in weekly worship attendance. That”s an average of 43 baptisms per 100 people in attendance. Only a handful of churches in Christian Standard“s annual church statistics issue””which was compiled by Kent Fillinger and published in May””reached a baptism ratio of 10 per 100 in attendance. Wally Rendel, senior minister of the church in Nicholasville, a city

March 4, 2017

Culture & Public Square Politics & Government

Immigration: What You Can Do

By Kevin Lines American communities today contain more migrants than ever before. The ends of the earth have come to us! You and your church can reach out to the immigrants living close to you. Within our fellowship of churches, multiple organizations have joined together to form the RISE (Refugee and International Student Engagement) Project. If you are interested in starting a ministry to refugees or international students through your church, the RISE Project website (www.theriseproject.com) has great resources and training materials. Your church can even apply for a grant to help start a new ministry! Volunteer If you”re not

March 3, 2017

Culture & Public Square Politics & Government

Immigration: What Does the Bible Say?

By Kevin Lines There are more international migrants today than at any other time in history””more than 240 million. While two out of three international migrants live in Asia and Europe, the United States hosts 19 percent of international migrants, the most in the world. It should come as no surprise that our nation, founded by immigrants and often relying on waves of new immigrants as the labor force for our economic growth, would continue to host migrants. The United States is still seen by many in the world as a land of opportunity; a place where, no matter your

January 31, 2017

Mark A. Taylor

Culture & Public Square Politics & Government

Welcome the Immigrant

By Mark A. Taylor Some Christians are ready to retreat from the barrage of controversy surrounding the first days of Donald Trump”s presidency. Some are so upset by his policies and pronouncements, they”ve just decided to turn off the news and stay away from Facebook. Others are congratulating him for keeping campaign promises, regardless of the style in which he does so. And many have taken to the streets to protest his policies. The news has reported waves of turmoil because of his executive order refusing entry to refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries. CHRISTIAN STANDARD is not a political magazine,

November 21, 2016

Culture & Public Square Justice

Studying the City: Hope International University

By Jennifer Johnson Several of the colleges and universities affiliated with our movement understand the need to reach their own cities while preparing students for an urban future. Here”s what one of them is doing. ________ HOPE INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY Fullerton, California The U.S. Census Bureau defines an urban area as “comprising one or more central places, and the adjacent densely-settled surrounding territory, that together have a minimum of 50,000 people.” So while cities like New York and Chicago certainly qualify as urban, so do urban sprawl areas like Anaheim, California. “Anaheim is home to 350,000 people,” says Kip Lines, professor

November 15, 2016

Mark A. Taylor

Tell and Show

By Mark A. Taylor It”s one thing to talk about justice; it”s another to work for it. It”s one thing to study justice; it”s another to seek it. But talking and studying are important, of course, especially at first. So in posts at this site this month we”re talking about the justice God seeks for those beaten down by society and circumstances. Three writers look at Scripture to see God”s compassion and the gospel”s concern for those ill served by the systems and situations trapping them in poverty, homelessness, or despair. Look again at the prophecy of Amos, the experience

November 13, 2016

Church & Ministry Community Outreach

The Church Needs the Hood

By Justin Horey It took a gang member for Tommy Nixon to understand grace. In 2002, Nixon cofounded Solidarity, a ministry designed to “help churches transform their cities,” but after a decade living and working in the low-income neighborhoods of Fullerton, California, he was frustrated. Nixon”s work with Solidarity had introduced him to a number of local gang members, and he had been ministering to one in particular for 10 years””but the young man”s life wasn”t changing. Despite Nixon”s efforts to help him, the gang member wound up in jail, and even was deported. Nixon recalls turning to God in

October 1, 2016