Articles for tag: Imagine

May 16, 2018

Christian Standard

Beyond Building Concepts and Renovations

LifePointe Christian Church in Elk Grove, California, develops a new space to reflect what they already have—deep relationships.   By Mel McGowan “Imagine the church being the community of people that it’s supposed to be, where we are choosing to connect in deep, meaningful ways with others through relationship so we can pursue life to the fullest in Jesus,” says Chris Delfs, senior pastor of LifePointe Christian Church in Elk Grove, California. Delfs is talking about something that goes beyond building concepts and renovations. He desires to re-create his congregation’s current space into something that is warm and welcoming—a beautiful

April 11, 2018

Christian Standard

3 Ways ‘Blade Runner’ Predicted the Future of Church and Why We Should Pay Attention

By Mel McGowan A highlight for me during 2017 was the opportunity to revisit the world of my favorite movie of all time—Blade Runner—with the release of an updated installment called Blade Runner 2049. More people likely would have seen the original Blade Runner in 1982 but for its misfortune of coming out the same summer as E.T. But for me, the original was life-changing. It is the movie God used to drive me to study film and architecture and, ultimately, to instill in me a lifelong passion for creating the future. Sci-fi author William Gibson said, “Blade Runner changed

March 14, 2018

Christian Standard

Worn-Out Boots and Real-Life Ministry

By Mel McGowan   Real Life Ministries in Post Falls, Idaho, strives to meet people where they are and then walk a mile or even a lifetime alongside them. This church does not attempt to impress its community but, rather, exposes its own raw, real character to draw in “messy, ordinary people.” My company learned this firsthand when we presented a storyboard to them that included a photo of nice, new work boots, and the church leaders’ immediate pushback was that the boots wouldn’t be theirs. That’s because the shoes they walk in would be a pair of boots borrowed

January 24, 2018

Christian Standard

Vibrant Church Rebrands and Rebuilds

By Mel McGowan Imagine if a small church in the rolling hills of central Pennsylvania could pick up the torch from William Penn’s “Holy Experiment” through the development of a postmodern village green. Vibrant Church, previously known as Capital Area Christian Church, has offered its surrounding community a simple, relationship-centric approach to Christianity for 35 years. Vibrant serves the Susquehanna Valley, Mechanicsburg, and Harrisburg areas, where they generously and relentlessly pursue close connection with church members and the community alike. Vibrant’s mission is to be a gift to and destination for the surrounding community. In addition to an all-in-one, multifunctional

December 19, 2017

Christian Standard

Blurring Lines Between Ministry and Marketplace

By Mel McGowan Imagine a pastor­­­”s kid who wants to be a pastor just like his dad. Now imagine that God has a different plan. Some people are called to minister on staff at a church or parachurch organization. Some are called to be real estate developers. Darren Sloniger apparently was called to do both. Darren, founder of West Ridge Community Church, also serves as president and chief investment officer of Marquette Companies, where he has led in the execution of more than a billion dollars of acquisition and development projects. Chris Seay, pastor of Ecclesia Houston and a mutual friend

December 1, 2017

Christian Standard

Lighting Up the Valley

By Mel McGowan A campus redesign is helping Shepherd Church to be an influence in Hollywood, Los Angeles, and the world. Imagine if the world”s cultural capital and dream factory exported God”s truth instead of Hollywood”s “false north” of political correctness and moral relativism. Imagine if a church in Los Angeles expressed the diversity of the City of Angels and offered a taste of kingdom come, where “all the colors will bleed into one,” as Bono sang. Dudley Rutherford””an Ozark Christian College and Hope International University alumnus””leads the 12,000-member Shepherd Church, called “the most racially diverse church in Los Angeles”

February 24, 2017

Christian Standard

We Started Slowly

How men”s ministry has grown at Northside Christian Church By Gary Olsby About 12 years ago, I took our men”s leadership team to a Man in the Mirror Conference entitled “No Man Left Behind.” We learned many principles for successful ministry to men, but the thing that stood out for many of us was a statement that building a thriving men”s ministry takes 10 years. So we started slowly””with one men”s Bible study group that studied Robert Lewis”s Men”s Fraternity video series. The group met on Wednesday mornings at 6. Since then we have added a group on Thursday evenings

September 23, 2016

Christian Standard

“˜When They Had Sung a Hymn”

By C. Robert Wetzel We often look to the Gospel of Matthew for an account of the institution of the Lord”s Supper. It is here that we read, While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”Â Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:26-28).

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