April 6, 2026
Uncommon Men’s Conference is a men’s event hosted locally by participating churches across the country. Each conference is designed to encourage men through biblical teaching, fellowship, and practical challenge for faithful Christian living. Registration is managed directly through the local host site.
July 1, 2023
By Jerry Harris Earlier this year, it seemed the whole country was caught up in the cancellation of Bud Light, America’s best-selling beer. The turmoil resulted from a promotion that connected the brand to Dylan Mulvaney, a transgender TikTok influencer; Bud Light sent personalized beer cans to Mulvaney celebrating both March Madness and Mulvaney’s yearlong transition to identify as a woman. Mulvaney’s videos on social media triggered a backlash that caused many Bud Light beer drinkers to reject the iconic brand. In just a few weeks, Anheuser-Busch lost $5 billion in market value, 17 percent in sales, and 21 percent
March 30, 2023
Two people in a small plane were injured when it crashed at about 7:30 Wednesday night on land that until recently was part of Lincoln Christian University in Lincoln, Ill., president Silas McCormick confirmed this morning. . . .
November 30, 2020
An arson fire early Saturday morning seriously damaged Mattoon (Ill.) Christian Church. No one was injured.
November 11, 2020
By Jim Nieman A first-time political candidate from eastern Illinois who attends a small-town Christian church—where her husband serves as an elder—was elected to Congress with more than 70 percent of the vote, according to unofficial totals. Republican Mary Miller—described as “a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a local farmer, and a business manager,” by her website—is set to represent Illinois’ 15th Congressional District, which includes 33 counties that cover most of the southeastern part of the state. In her spare time, she teaches Sunday School and Vacation Bible School, according to her website. Mary and her husband, Chris, attend
January 29, 2020
This Church’s Outreach Approach Recycles Much More than Clothing and Furniture _ _ _ “I needed clothes and you clothed me.” By L. Mackenzie On December 15, 2008, leaders of The Crossing in Quincy, Illinois, were discussing possible changes to their benevolence strategy. Several of them had just visited a church in Post Falls, Idaho, where they sought out ideas for growth. Elder Bruce Freeman was among those who listened as an idea for a thrift store ministry was discussed. Freeman was head of benevolence, a man passionate about helping others. He also had 25 years of experience working in
October 17, 2018
By Jim Nieman The first John Deere GP tractor ever built is one of two tractors donated for auction to benefit a building shared by Taylorville (Ill.) Christian Church and VisionWay Christian School. The 1928 general purpose tractor was the first of more than 30,000 John Deere GPs built and sold through the mid-1930s; its distinction as No. 1 was made during an authentication process conducted by Aumann Auctions, Nokomis, Ill. The anonymous benefactor was informed of the tractor’s historic significance, Aumann marketing director Tyson Reed told the Shelbyville Daily Union. Some thought the man might want the tractor back,
February 9, 2018
By Kelly Carr Ben and Pat Merold—most folks seldom say one of their names without the other, and that’s just fine with them. When they talk, you hear their love for one another, the joy they feel together, and the immense pride they have about the other’s ministry. One could easily declare that Ben and Pat Merold are who we all hope to be when we grow up! Ben and Pat share their story of a lifelong love for serving the Lord and for each other. Jumping into Ministry The year was 1948. Pat, a freshman at Johnson
January 1, 2016
By Eddie Lowen Before you decide you want your church to grow, let me tell you the price you will pay. After taking the staff and elders of a former church to a leadership simulcast in the late 1990s, I learned that I still had a lot to learn. For several years, Rick Warren”s book The Purpose Driven Church had been making a huge impact on churches applying its principles. The simulcast was a way for our leaders to catch this kind of vision. Our church was already growing in size and health, but I knew there was another level
January 22, 2015
Tim Harlow, senior minister at Parkview Christian Church in Orland Park, Illinois (which ranked No. 52 on Outreach magazine”s fastest-growing church list in 2013, and which now ranks as the 66th largest church in America), talked about the turning points for the church, which averaged 150 per weekend when he arrived in 1990 and now averages 7,510. “Since 1998 we have grown an average of 21 percent a year,” he told Outreach. “I firmly believe that the reason Parkview is on any of these lists is because God looked down on a group of dedicated leaders who made one single
September 1, 2011
By Shane Taylor It was 1988 and the end of my second year at the state university. My prodigal journey took all sorts of twists and turns, mostly while I was under the influence of Budweiser and the liberal arts department of the secular campus. For me, college was an opportunity to rid myself of the flannelgraph stories from Sunday school lessons of bygone days. My dorm room was littered with dirty laundry and stacks of unread textbooks. I majored in procrastination and pushing God away. And yet Jesus loves to interact with people who push him away. The Gospels
By Katie Barbee There are so many things we, as adults, must teach children about prayer””persistence being one of them. I believe that teaching children how to pray certainly starts at home. After praying for a baby brother or sister for nearly one and one-half years, our 5-year-old son Drew prayed aloud one night: “Dear God, thank you for my family. Thank you for my friends . . . could you please give us a baby, whenever you think it”s time? Oh, never mind””could you just give me a puppy?” My husband and I tried not to laugh until we
April 30, 2011
Dave and Marcy Rudin launched Lifeline Christian Church in a familiar Chicago-area community, meeting in a bowling alley that opened doors for worship, children’s programming, and outreach.
April 6, 2011
Mark A. Taylor reflects on why church growth numbers matter, pointing to attendance, baptisms, and ministry statistics as tools for encouragement, evaluation, and faithful congregational growth.
April 19, 2009
Kent Fillinger highlights survey findings from megachurches and emerging megachurches, urging leaders to pursue unique vision while learning from growth, recession, and baptism trends.
December 9, 2007
Jon Zabrocki reviews Joseph Myers’s Organic Community, challenging one-size-fits-all small-group models and urging churches to measure community by shared stories and real-life connection rather than charts and infrastructure.
October 14, 2007
First Christian Church in Fairfield, Illinois, has used faith-promise giving for decades to support missions. Learn the keys that sustained the vision, protected the fund, and kept missions engagement growing across generations.
Download The Christian Standard’s two most recent Christian colleges charts (2006 and 2005). Note: a correction updates the April 23, 2006 chart to include complete accreditation details for Lincoln (Illinois) Christian College and Seminary.
April 16, 2006
Jim Dalrymple urges churches to recover the radical meaning of the Good Confession in Matthew 16. Peter’s declaration draws a line of loyalty and carries responsibilities that must be lived out, not merely repeated.
July 17, 2005
Darrel D. Malcom recounts how Poplar Creek Church established a lifetime $1,000 monthly “legacy” payment honoring decades of ministry service—offering stability, freedom to keep serving, and a model other churches could consider for aging ministers.
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