Articles for tag: Leadership Development

April 25, 2011

Christian Standard

Restore Community Church

By Kent E. Fillinger It all began at the 2007 North American Christian Convention. Church planting was the theme of the gathering in Kansas City, Missouri, that year. And Dave Ferguson, convention vice president and lead pastor of Community Christian Church, Naperville, Illinois, had the idea of using the convention to help launch a new church in Kansas City. Restore Community Church is the result of that vision. Ferguson shared his vision with Troy McMahon, who had been serving with him as campus pastor for Community”s first multisite location, in Romeoville, Illinois, since 1998. Interestingly, McMahon had started as a

January 31, 2011

Christian Standard

A Light for the Way

By Larry Travis When I was a young boy in Mount Vernon, Kentucky, my Sunday school teacher, Joe Henderson, taught our class a song and a pledge . . . to the Bible. The song went like this: “The B-I-B-L-E, yes, that”s the book for me, I stand alone on the word of God, the B-I-B-L-E.” The pledge to the Bible was spoken in unison and with open hands . . . palms up. With all our hearts we would all proclaim, “I pledge allegiance to the Bible, God”s Holy Word . . . a lamp unto my feet and

December 1, 2010

Christian Standard

TCMII Reaches Merger Agreement

Last week, Training Christians for Ministry International Institute (TCMII) and the European Evangelistic Society (EES) announced a merger agreement. EES will become a wholly owned subsidiary of TCMII. For nearly 60 years the EES has been a witness to the gospel at Tübingen University in Germany. The organization has also helped sponsor a colloquium for international doctoral students. TCMI has ministered to believers throughout Eastern Europe and Russia for more than 50 years and established the institute in 1991 after the collapse of the USSR. Today TCMII enrolls more than 800 students from 28 countries and provides leadership development and

November 30, 2010

Christian Standard

Working to Expand Mission in Chile

By Jennifer Taylor Jim and Cheryl Green launched Conosur Christian Ministries in 1996 to oversee their work in Chile and planted a new church””Iglesia Cristiana Ciudad Satélite””during their eight years as missionaries there. Now the nonprofit ministry, based in Palmdale, California, where the Greens currently live, plans to build a Christian K-12 school to expand its mission. “The church began with a vision for reaching the emerging middle class in Chile, with an emphasis on future leaders who can influence a society becoming more secular,” says Jim. This focus on education was part of the Greens” work from the early

November 24, 2010

Christian Standard

More Stories About “˜Just One” Sunday

Churches continue to share stories about their “Just One” Sunday. In addition to joining with other participating churches in praying for more laborers for the harvest, Crossroads Christian Church (Newburgh, IN) also used the three weekends before the Nov. 14 emphasis to challenge every Christ follower in the church body to identify “Just One” person with whom they would build a relationship, share Jesus, and include in some expression of Christian community. CCC plans to continue this emphasis on making disciples and raising up Christian leaders throughout 2011. During its services that Sunday, Greencastle (IN) Christian Church displayed pictures of

April 11, 2010

Christian Standard

Megachurches: The Church of the Decade Is Real Life Ministries (Web-only Feature)

By Kent Fillinger Real Life Ministries is currently the sixth-largest Christian church/church of Christ in the country. Started by Jim Putman with only four families in 1998 in Post Falls, Idaho, Real Life has grown to an average worship attendance of 8,500. Real Life first appeared on CHRISTIAN STANDARD”s megachurch list in 2001 with an average attendance of 1,497. Real Life has remained focused on “making disciples in relational environments” and resisted chasing fads or shooting for “the big show” like some other churches. “The church should not be a gathering place, but a launching pad,” said Putman, who believes the

April 11, 2010

Christian Standard

Megachurches: Navigating at Compass

By Kent Fillinger Bedford Christian Church began in 1966 with 12 couples and has evolved into a church-planting church. In 1994, Bedford relocated and changed its name to reflect its new location. The church adopted the name of the adjoining subdivision and became Highland Meadows Christian Church. The church grew from 500 to a peak attendance of 1,500 in 2000. By the time current senior minister Drew Sherman arrived in 2002, however, attendance had been declining slightly for two years. Sherman realized many people in the church were hurting, so he gradually embarked on casting the vision for loving people

April 11, 2010

Christian Standard

Megachurches: Repentance Leads to Real Life

By Kent Fillinger At age 28, when Justin Miller transitioned from the role of youth minister to senior minister at Real Life Christian Church (Clermont, Florida), the church was in the midst of a nine-month spending freeze. It was 2002, the church had no money, and Miller”s paychecks often came with a note attached: “Do not cash until . . . “ The elders hired him to be the solution to the church”s problems; they told him, “We”re putting our hope in you.” But Miller quickly realized God didn”t choose him for this position for any of the reasons the

March 21, 2010

Christian Standard

Ask Yourself Some Questions Before You Fire

By Ken Swatman It was Monday morning and I sat at my desk feeling tired and frustrated, trying to decide if it was time for a staff change in a key position. I had been over the issues again and again in my mind, Did the staff member just not understand his leadership role or ministry expectations, or did he not have the skills necessary to be effective in his ministry position? I knew we weren”t getting what we needed and something had to change, but was firing him the right answer? As pastors and church leaders, we never want

February 28, 2010

Christian Standard

Leadership Coaching in the Local Church (Developing Leaders of Leaders)

By Janet McMahon “The fruit of my work grows up on other people”s trees.” (Bob Buford)1 The phone call went something like this, “I was praying for you last night; how did it go?” I was juggling my 6-month-old son on one hip while wedging the phone between my ear and shoulder. “It went OK . . . I think,” I replied. What was this conversation? This was a coaching call. I had led my first women”s small group at Community Christian Church in Naperville, Illinois, the night before. The call was from Sue, my coach. She wanted to know

January 17, 2010

Christian Standard

A Sabbatical for Volunteers

By Wilbur Reid III Volunteer church leaders are busy. In addition to the typically demanding workweek, they have family responsibilities: driving kids to practices, maintaining the lawn, staying up with housework and laundry, and everything else that makes a healthy and happy home. On top of that, they feel a calling and responsibility to support the kingdom of God in their local church. They spend hours each week as elders, deacons, Sunday school teachers, nursery workers, and small group leaders. They maintain the building and grounds, sing in the choir, and work with the youth group. This busyness leads to

January 13, 2010

Christian Standard

Time-Consuming . . . and Effective!

By Mark A. Taylor One of the most time-consuming methods for developing volunteers is also one of the most effective””and most overlooked. Some call it discipleship. Lately the popular word has been mentoring. Both terms describe a similar approach: ongoing, individualized attention to a person for the purpose of helping him or her grow spiritually and discover his call to Christian service. A number of methods, strategies, and approaches are out there. But I”ll never forget the advice Dr. Steven Hancock gave me and the rest of his Christian education students in seminary many years ago. “Whenever you do anything

December 2, 2009

Christian Standard

Interview with David Bycroft

By Brad Dupray Tyro, Kansas, is a city of 250 people with a post office, a secondhand store and a church: Tyro Christian Church. David Bycroft started preaching at the church as a weekend minister in 1969 while a junior at Ozark Christian College in Joplin, Missouri. After graduation he was called by the church to preach full time and he has been leading Tyro Christian ever since. David”s wife, Kathy, grew up in the Tyro church and was baptized there in her youth. David and Kathy recently celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary. Their three children are involved in local

November 15, 2009

Christian Standard

Keys to Cultivating Leaders

By Glen Schneiders READ THE MAIN ARTICLE: “Developing the Leadership Culture“     Don”t Shortcut the Selection Process for Potential Leaders You will pay in the long run for shortsighted personnel decisions (paid and unpaid). In the early days of church planting, the tendency is to fill slots with “warm bodies,” and often we have to do that. But as you do, assess which people have the capacity to lead. Don”t hand over control too quickly; it is much harder to reclaim it. David Cottrell puts it this way, If you hire tough, it will be a whole lot easier

November 15, 2009

Christian Standard

Growing Leaders in a Young Church: Infancy to Eldership

by Dave Smith I walked into the mailroom at TCM International in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was January 31, 1994. In my mailbox was a letter from a church in Princeton, New Jersey. Ever the optimistic fund-raiser, I assumed it contained: (a) a very large check, (b) a commitment to support TCM until Jesus returns, or (c) both of the above. Much to my surprise, it was a letter asking me to consider leading a church planting team to New England. New England! My immediate reaction was that it was too cold, too far away, too expensive, too unfriendly. But 13

November 11, 2009

Christian Standard

The Most Important Leadership Task

By Mark A. Taylor Say leader to someone who is not a leader, and he”s likely to picture a public person: the convincing speaker, the meeting chairman, the decision-maker with the last word or the authority to sign-off. Those who actually lead, however, know much of their work happens in private, behind the scenes, one-on-one, or even alone. But leaders as well as followers sometimes miss one dimension of leadership, and that”s the responsibility highlighted in this week”s issue: Leaders must develop new leaders. The leaders writing this week know this. They speak in the context of a new church,

August 16, 2009

Christian Standard

A Perspective on a Long Ministry

   by Randy Gariss Preacher, You”ve Got Friends This article is adapted from a chapter that appeared originally in Preacher, You”ve Got Friends, compiled by Murray Hollis. This collection of life and ministry stories and advice is written by 25 Christian leaders, all of them with considerable ministry experience. The book is available for $15 plus $3 shipping at www.christianfriendsconnexion.com. Or write Christian Friends Connexion, 1111 Windsor, Joplin, MO 64801.   In 27 years at the same ministry, there have been multiple opportunities and reasons to leave. Sometimes the temptation to resign and start fresh somewhere else involved joy and

June 17, 2009

Christian Standard

Interview with Bob Harrington

By Brad Dupray Bob Harrington has had a front-row seat in the “simple church” arena””as described and advocated in the book Simple Church (Broadman & Holman Publishers). The church where he ministers (Harpeth Community Church, Franklin, Tennessee) has embraced the simple church concept. As director of Church Planting Networks with Stadia East and lead trainer with Church Coaching Solution”s church planter bootcamp, he has trained many church leaders in implementing simple church strategies. And as a student, Bob studied under Thom S. Rainer, coauthor of Simple Church with Eric Geiger. Bob completed his DMin at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in

November 2, 2008

Christian Standard

The Knife Wasn”t Even Sharp (A Parable for Elders)

By Robert Kitchen One day Vic came into my office to discuss a construction project at our church. Vic is a retired executive from a large machinery manufacturer, gentleman farmer, elder, and willing volunteer. Me? I”m a semiretired accountant, writer, woodworker, elder, and part-time business manager. I said, “Vic, you”re my friend and a willing volunteer. I need some surgery and I think you can do it. Do you have a pocketknife?” Vic knew my off-the-wall manner, so he played along. He pulled out his knife, held it to the light, and said, “It may need some sharpening.” I was

October 5, 2008

Christian Standard

Raising Up the Next Generation of Genuine Leaders

By John Derry   Sociologists have identified certain characteristics associated with contemporary generations, differences church leaders will find helpful as they seek to resolve conflict and bring generations together to achieve common goals. One generation is not better or worse than another. They are just different, each with their own strengths and weaknesses.   DIFFERENT GENERATIONS The Silent Generation or “Tradition-alists” (born between 1925 and 1946) lived through the Great Depression and World War II and experienced the postwar boom in America. They are known for loyalty, a strong work ethic, respect for authority, and resistance to change. They are

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