River Christian Church has seen God work in some interesting places—including the three years they met at a local funeral home and cemetery. The church also has seen God work at some interesting times—like during the COVID-19 pandemic when they have grown weekend attendance from 950 to nearly 1,500. . . .
May 1, 2023
By Michael C. Mack “Jesus loves this. He loves humility. He loves unity.” A leader at Asbury University spoke these words amid what some have called revival. I visited Asbury in February and witnessed what I would call a gentle moving of God’s Spirit among people both young and old—but led by the young (Gen Z). Several things were noticeably missing at the college, however. Not once did I hear anyone refer to the denomination or tribe they belonged to or the name of the preacher at their church. I heard no arguments about worship style, Bible versions, or any
May 1, 2023
By Ben Cachiaras When asked about the key to his success, Dick Clark, of American Bandstand fame, replied, “I don’t set trends. I just find out what they are and exploit them.” Worrying about trends can get you into trouble. So can ignoring them. At the least, it seems wise for church leaders to strive to be like the men of Issachar “who understood the times and knew what Israel should do” (1 Chronicles 12:32). In this spirit, I was asked to consider how we might understand and respond to the rising trends noted in “A ‘Postdenominational’ Era: Inside the
May 1, 2023
3 Christian Leaders Share Their Perspectives on a Crucial Topic for Today’s Church
May 1, 2023
By Daryl Reed I saw a cartoon that pictures a church membership class. The teacher is showing a diagram titled “Churches and Christian Movements Throughout History.” On the left side of the chart a dot is labeled “30 AD,” representing the first church. To the right of that is a large tree of many successive generations of Christian movements. The teacher is pointing to a place further out on the tree and says, “So this is where our movement came along and got the Bible right.” A student responds, “Jesus is so lucky to have us.” I’m embarrassed to say
March 21, 2023
"It’s been five years since the final NACC, [but] I still go to the North American Christian conventions. And I think you should too," writes Matt Proctor. "By 'conventions,' I mean our three biggest national gatherings that are still largely Independent Christian Church folks . . ."
February 28, 2023
Men for Christ, a 71-year-old men’s ministry in central Kentucky, is discovering new life after the COVID-19 storm. The long-standing mission of the group has been to support new church plants. And the group has a multimillion endowment fund that supports churches with building improvement and maintenance needs. . . .
January 24, 2023
In our quest to collect comprehensive data that accurately reflects our movement, Christian Standard has extended until Feb. 1 the deadline for completing our annual church survey.
January 18, 2023
Only a few days remain to complete Christian Standard's annual survey designed for every Restoration Movement church (Independent Christian Churches and Churches of Christ). The deadline is Monday, Jan. 23.
January 10, 2023
Christian Standard's annual survey of churches is now available! This survey is designed for every Restoration Movement church (Independent Christian Churches and Churches of Christ). "We have made it much shorter and easier for you to respond [this year]," says editor editor Michael Mack. . . .
Thirteen women, including eight prisoners, received Master of Arts in Christian Ministry degrees from Lipscomb University in mid-December after taking classes for years on Wednesday nights. Also briefs about Rusty Russell, Stanley Helton, a Gallup survey about chaplains, and more.
November 14, 2022
In the 1980s, young people from Christian City made a profound impact on Dan Garrett's youth ministry in Atlanta. Today, Garrett serves as director of church relations for the nonprofit that is still serving vulnerable kids (and also senior adults).
September 1, 2022
By Renee Little with Marshall Mead and Daryl Reed I sit through long meetings to review and approve loans twice each month. We review financials, discuss property location and value, and debate ratios of risk in order to decide whether to approve funding. As a lending institution, due diligence is required, but as lovers of Jesus, we have an even larger responsibility to review and discuss doctrine, leadership, and church direction. We are more than a lender; we are, in fact, a ministry partner. Our mission is to honor God, and the best way to honor him is not just
No longer are we stunned to read, “A Christian college is closing its doors!” . . . By 1980, about 40 colleges were committed to preparing the next generation of servant-leaders among the independent Christian churches. What has happened in recent years to reduce that number to fewer than 20?
July 1, 2022
By Matt Proctor The movie Apollo 13 tells the true story of astronauts James Lovell, Fred Haise, and John L. “Jack” Swigert. On their way to the moon in April 1970, an explosion left them in a crippled spacecraft 200,000 miles from Earth—low on power, losing cabin heat, flight trajectories off. “Houston, we have a problem.” As John Ortberg relates the story in Everybody’s Normal Till You Get to Know Them, suddenly, these three astronauts needed a community of NASA scientists to save them, and these scientists were not your normal movie heroes—no chiseled good looks or superpowers. They were
By Wes Beavis What relevance does Charles Darwin, the father of evolutionary theory, have to the Restoration Movement? A lot. As a clinical psychologist, I spend most of my time counseling RM ministry leaders. I can attest to the relevancy of Darwin’s oft-quoted phrase, “survival of the fittest.” Simply put, those organisms that can adjust favorably to their environment are the ones that survive. If they can’t adapt, they die out. Finding Support in Autonomous Churches This “survival of the fittest” concept is very much a part of our movement’s construct. Pastors who can adapt and overcome their prevailing difficulties
May 1, 2022
Can We Restore the Unity of the Restoration Movement?
A New Collaboration with NationsUniversity to Develop Leaders Where They Are Already Planted and Working
The merger of Central Christian College of the Bible and St. Louis Christian College is in its final stages, with the two Restoration Movement schools slated to join forces by about June 1.
February 9, 2022
For the past two months, since a tornado struck its town on Dec. 10, Bowling Green (Ky.) Christian Church has been helping its community with the able assistance of IDES.
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