Articles for tag: Indianapolis

October 11, 2012

Christian Standard

Leaders Are Readers

By Mark A. Taylor Buying books is cheaper than changing ministries. So goes the advice often attributed to Russ Blowers when he was minister of East 91st Street Christian Church in Indianapolis. But are young leaders today heeding the advice? All of us following a leader hope so! We want our leaders to know more than what they find on Facebook or ESPN. We need to hear more from our preachers than their own experiences. We expect our teachers to challenge us with ideas loftier than their own. We need those helping us live the Christian life to examine the

June 26, 2012

Christian Standard

Deep Change

By Mark A. Taylor The discussion was about missions, but the topic was change. And I couldn”t stop thinking about the church”s task in a world changing faster than we may realize. Steve Moore, president of Missio Nexus (missionexus.org), was leading about 30 of us at the Cincinnati installment of Reset Tour, a 10-city event sponsored by the International Conference on Missions (ICOM). The Tour, which concluded with a West Coast swing in May, was expected to reach 250 missions-minded members and leaders of Christian churches and churches of Christ, according to David Empson, executive director of ICOM. From this

June 9, 2012

Christian Standard

Casual Conversation Grows into Citywide Event

By Jennifer Taylor Danielle Ott, a member at Traders Point Christian Church (Indianapolis, IN), began dreaming about the possibility of a citywide foster care/adoption event coordinated by several area churches. A conversation with one like-minded acquaintance grew to a small group of people from five churches meeting at Starbucks to discuss ideas. The Answer the Call Conference launched May 19. “There are so many people who feel God”s call to adopt or participate in the foster care system, but they don”t know where to start,” she says. “We wanted to encourage and equip them to move forward in a meaningful

May 17, 2012

Christian Standard

How to Follow a Great Act

By Kent E. Fillinger Succeeding a well-known, well-loved, successful, retiring senior minister is a daunting task for virtually anyone. But Aaron Brockett also faced stepping into the ministry of a church with minimal growth for five years prior to a major relocation and building project. Granted, several factors contributed to the lengthy attendance stall at Traders Point Christian Church, Indianapolis, Indiana. “¢ A prolonged relocation process kept the church idling in an undersized facility. “¢ A daughter church grew out of Traders Point”s young adult ministry””a good development that nevertheless cleared the bench of younger, upcoming leaders for a time. “¢

May 15, 2012

Christian Standard

CreekView: Moving to an Exciting Future

By Kent Fillinger Suppose you could describe most emerging megachurches by combining their characteristics into a description of just one congregation. The story you”d tell would likely look something like the composite picture presented here. Things were going well at CreekView Christian Church. Like many large-size churches (those with an average worship attendance of 500 to 999) it had grown large enough to feel successful but remained small enough for the minister to feel comfortable. He could know most in the congregation, at least by face, if not by name. The church”s building was attractive. The church staff had grown

April 29, 2012

Christian Standard

Fair-Trade Project Producing Prom Dresses

By Jennifer Taylor Many organizations currently produce fair-trade clothing, accessories, coffee, and other products, but Nicole Krajewski didn”t know any that focused on clothing for special events. With her background in fashion design and a friend who owns a bridal shop, Krajewski created The Daughters Project to fill a hole in the market and to rescue girls from forced slavery. “We connected with the Center for Global Impact here in Indianapolis, which works with small businesses that want to make a difference in social and humanitarian issues,” she says. “After our first visit to Cambodia with CGI, we realized our

January 30, 2012

Christian Standard

A Preacher”s Kid”s Hopes for His Own PKs

By Shan Caldwell I was born a preacher”s son. As such, I felt it was my duty to help my dad out as much as I could. I thoughtfully provided sermon illustration fodder for the first 16 years of my life. I enlivened dull sermons by whispering or passing notes, obliging my father to interrupt his message by calling me out””by name””in front of the whole congregation. My dad may not have always appreciated my “help,” but I did (and do) appreciate growing up in a preacher”s family. My dad traveled in evangelistic work for the first six years of

September 26, 2011

Christian Standard

NACC Crowd Reaction: “˜Spiritually Uplifting”

By Darrel Rowland James and Deborah Dixon had no plans to attend the North American Christian Convention. In fact, they hadn”t even heard of it. They traveled from their home in Indianapolis to Cincinnati just to get away for a few days after July 4th. But when they saw the people crowded around the convention center, they decided to check it out. “It was very spiritually uplifting,” James Dixon said. The couple attends New Life Worship Center in Indianapolis. It wasn”t just the newbies giving two thumbs up to this year”s NACC. “I thought it was fantastic,” said Rich Bowie

September 20, 2011

Christian Standard

Indiana Church Shows Knack for Winning Grants

By Jennifer Taylor In the last four years, Jamestown (IN) Christian Church has received 14 grants totaling more than $110,000″”including one used to learn how to write grant applications! The congregation, located about 30 miles west of Indianapolis, began researching the process in 2003 and was awarded its first grant in 2007. JCC has received grants for a variety of uses, including beautifying its 17-acre property, building a shelter house for public use, and maintaining its food and clothing pantry. In 2010 the church received a grant of matching funds from the Indianapolis Center for Congregations to hire a design

June 16, 2011

Christian Standard

East 91st Holding Summer Lunch Program

In conjunction with the Indianapolis (IN) Parks and the Second Helpings organization, East 91st Street Christian Church (Indianapolis) is holding a summer lunch program. The initiative, which began last week and continues until the end of July, offers a welcoming atmosphere and a free nutritious meal for children and adults in the community each Monday through Friday. Throughout the summer, East 91st also plans fun activities for kids and families.

March 30, 2011

Christian Standard

Indian Creek Starts Police Ministry

Indian Creek Christian Church (Indianapolis, IN) recently launched a new ministry for police officers, their spouses, and families. The Creek developed the ministry to help this group with challenges like odd work hours and bringing difficult experiences home from the job. All active and retired police officers and their families were invited to join the ministry and share support and encouragement.

January 7, 2011

Christian Standard

Hope Partnership Kids Making the Grade in Kenya

This past week, Christian Missionary Fellowship (Indianapolis, IN) received word that of the 96 kids from the Hope Partnership who sat for their high school entrance exam, 93 passed””a 97 percent pass rate! This is the second consecutive year that 97 percent of Hope Partnership students passed, in a country with an average pass rate of 40 percent. “These kids are all from the slums,” says Executive Director Doug Priest. “None of them are children of privilege.” The Hope Partnership is an initiative that serves the poor in Nairobi, Kenya, with Community Health Evangelism, a microfinance program, child sponsorship, and

October 30, 2010

Christian Standard

Container Transformed into Command Center

By Jennifer Taylor In our June 27 issue, we shared news about the KORE Foundation and its work providing resources and vocational training as sustainable alternatives to poverty for the chronically poor in other countries. One of the ministry”s “kore” projects is recycling metal shipping containers entering the Jacksonville, Florida, ports and stocking them with supplies so recipients can begin welding, sewing, or farming businesses. Later this year, KORE will send a stocked crate to the Christian Missionary Fellowship work in Kenya. But before the container makes the voyage, it”s helping another ministry here in the States””and it”s been housing

October 14, 2010

Christian Standard

Partnering with God to Help a New Orleans Church

By Jennifer Taylor Indian Creek Christian Church (Indianapolis, Indiana) is more than halfway through “Project 52″“”a 52-day challenge to complete construction on a new church building in New Orleans with at least 5,200 hours of labor and an additional $52,000 in funding. Five years after Hurricane Katrina ripped through the city, New Orleans residents “are still rebuilding their lives, particularly spiritually,” writes Indian Creek senior minister Gary Johnson. “That”s why a group of people has formed a church called The Gathering and have established it . . . where some of the greatest destruction occurred.” The time, money, and labor

October 3, 2010

Christian Standard

235 Baptisms in One Weekend!

Congratulations to Traders Point Christian Church (Indianapolis, IN) for 235 baptisms this past weekend! Estranged spouses were baptized together. People confessed past sins. A man stepped into the tank of water and said it was his first Sunday in church in 13 years. One of the band members stopped playing mid-song so he could be baptized. “We may have different opinions on styles of worship and buildings and programs . . . but we can be unified on what Jesus has called us to do,” said Aaron Brockett, lead minister, in a follow-up video. “And that”s a beautiful, beautiful thing.”

September 24, 2010

Christian Standard

2010 NACC: A Man and His Church

By Darrel Rowland Line after line, page after page, the neat dark handwriting lovingly chronicles the intertwined history of Don Pollock”s family and their church. March 1902: Grandpa and Grandma join the church on successive Sundays. January 1924: Parsonage next to church building dedicated. And October 1927: “First North American Christian Convention held at Cadle Tabernacle””P.H. Welshimer, president.” Pollock was there, just before his ninth birthday. And he was there nearly 83 years later, when the convention returned to Indianapolis last summer. As a youth, it didn”t seem unusual that he would accompany his parents to a church gathering, “Back

September 21, 2010

Christian Standard

Special for Many Reasons

By Mark A. Taylor What made the North American Christian Convention this year so special? The question has more than one answer. Certainly, the theme itself struck a chord with many. These were not self-help sermons meant to calm their hearers. Instead, “Disturb me”””President Ben Cachiaras”s prayer for months before the convention””underscored every main session. His vision was not so much to encourage us where we are as to challenge us to go someplace we”ve never been. Listeners resonated with the possibility to be and do something new for God. This substance””both in content and in spirit””permeated the convention. Workshop

February 14, 2010

Christian Standard

NACC: BEYOND

By Ben Cachiaras When visiting Capernaum last summer, I paused on the rocky shoreline looking out at the Sea of Galilee. Knowing it could be the very stretch of beach Jesus walked when he called those first fishermen gave it a surreal sense of being holy ground. What struck me is that Jesus” call to them was abrupt and demanding: “Follow me!” Doing so would mean a life of perpetual movement and adventure, risk and change. It meant dropping familiar nets, leaving cherished family, and abandoning well-worn paths in pursuit of a leader who wanted to take them BEYOND any

February 14, 2010

Christian Standard

NACC: Jesus Calls Us to Go BEYOND

By Ben Cachiaras Here are some of the sessions planned for this summer’s North American Christian Convention in Indianapolis, July 6-9: “BEYOND the Great Omission” is about making more and better disciples””with Jesus-like passion for both. Instead of omitting one-half of the Great Commission, God wants to stir a passion in us for reaching those far from him””and an equal passion for growing mature disciples. “BEYOND Racial Zones” is about moving past our sectors of separation until our churches reflect the complexion we find in Christ”s church in Acts and Revelation. It is not about affirmative action or being politically

February 14, 2010

Christian Standard

The NACC Is for Students Too!

By Phyllis Fox Youth in Ministry (YiM) is excited to go BEYOND with the North American Christian Convention”s Student Convention in Indianapolis this summer. Our goal is to encourage students to go BEYOND ordinary worship and BEYOND radical discipleship. We have several familiar program elements plus new features that will excite students and their parents. What’s New We are encouraged by the many churches enjoying intergenerational worship, so we are trying something new in the 2010 Student Convention by having the students join the adults for the evening sessions. When students are in high school it is critical that they

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