Articles for tag: Letter from the Editor

February 2, 2019

Michael C. Mack

Financial Issues: Don’t Be Discouraged!

By Michael C. Mack The statistic is alarming. According to a Christian university study reported by the Center for Church Leadership, over a 10-year period 70 percent of ministers drop out of ministry. And some of the biggest reasons for that high attrition rate are financial. CCL’s September 2016 State of the Ministry research study of Christian church/church of Christ ministers reveals that 74 percent of responders who serve in vocational ministry have debt. It also found that 54 percent of churches do not provide retirement benefits and 47 percent don’t offer health/medical insurance. No wonder the survey determined 85

January 3, 2019

Michael C. Mack

Racial Reconciliation: Strides in the Right Direction

By Michael C. Mack Most of us can agree on a few facts about racial prejudice, division, and conflict. It’s real. It has existed in our culture and in our churches in the past. It persists today. And it will likely  continue to be an issue for some time. Thank God, it will not exist in Heaven. I think we’d all agree it’s wrong. It’s unbiblical. It’s definitely not Christlike. Most of us know the Bible verses: Matthew 28:19; Galatians 3:28; Colossians 3:11; 1 John 4:8-11; Revelation 7:9; and others. Many of us know something I didn’t. Most Restoration Movement

December 9, 2018

Michael C. Mack

When God Doesn’t Feel Like ‘Immanuel’

By Michael C. Mack What do you do when everyone around you is singing about joy and glad tidings and peace on earth . . . but your life reflects none of it? How do you get through “the most wonderful time of year” when your season is anything but merry and bright? And let me ask leaders, how do you lead others to experience Immanuel, God with us, when God feels far away this Christmas? Let’s face it, we are surrounded by people who are experiencing sadness, depression, sorrow, discouragement, and pain this December. Perhaps you are among them.

November 4, 2018

Michael C. Mack

Paper Christians

By Michael C. Mack The cafeteria in my old workplace was a microcosm of the world. When I worked at Standard Publishing in the early 1990s, the seven-acre building was divided distinctly into two parts: the front housed the editorial, management, and sales departments, and the back was the printing plant. As you might suspect, the editors in this Christian publishing company were active in their faith; many were teachers, preachers, and elders in their local churches. There was no spiritual requirement to work in the back. The cafeteria was situated in the middle of the building. My first day

October 7, 2018

Michael C. Mack

You Do You

By Michael C. Mack   You do you. When managing editor Jim Nieman asked what I’ve learned over the last year and a half as Christian Standard editor, this is the first thing that came to mind. You do you. It’s a common catchphrase in today’s culture that means “Just be yourself.” (It can also be used as a sarcastic response to someone who is doing something simply because they want to. Pastor Jeremy: “My new 10-week sermon series is titled, ‘Spiritual Lessons from Paddington 2.’” Elder Frank: “You do you, pal.” Or . . . Student: “I’m having Declaration

September 9, 2018

Jerry Harris

Two Minutes till Midnight

By Jerry Harris It was a beautiful Saturday morning in Hawaii when, at 8:07 on January 13, 2018, push notifications were sent to all cell phones and mobile devices, and television and radio stations across the state activated the Emergency Alert System. The message was clear: “BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT INBOUND TO HAWAII. SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.” Some people were just stepping into the shower. Others were on a morning commute. Many were enjoying breakfast with their families. Some people knew that they had about 12 minutes till impact. Some parents removed manhole covers and ushered their

September 2, 2018

Michael C. Mack

Urban Ministry, Disagreement, Changes

By Michael C. Mack This month we focus on the urban church. This topic may bring about disagreement among readers. Our cities, after all, often serve as the stage for highly charged emotional issues in our culture. In addition, we also tackle the contentious question of online church; is it really church? And how do we even discuss debatable issues in a sane and unifying manner? (We cover that too.) Finally, I want you to know about a few changes we’re making to serve you better.   What Urban Ministry Means to You As several writers point out, the New

July 12, 2018

Michael C. Mack

A Continuing Commitment to Discipling Our Children

By Michael C. Mack The Standard Publishing Company that I worked for many years ago had an obvious commitment to children’s and youth ministry. We produced top-selling VBS materials, children’s and youth Sunday school curriculum, take-home papers for middle and high school students, and more. We trained teachers and leaders in our Teacher-Leader Conferences (known as TLCs) across the country. Today, Christian Standard Media has that same DNA, that same commitment to and passion for children and youth, though it may not seem so obvious at first glance. The Lookout and Christian Standard work in tandem to play a vital

June 15, 2018

Michael C. Mack

Why I, Too, Love the Restoration Movement

By Michael C. Mack   Like Rick Chromey, I love the Restoration Movement . . . but for very different reasons. Rick grew up in an independent Christian church. I had never heard of these churches until I was 27. In his article, “Why I Love the Restoration Movement,” Rick says he is thankful for his upbringing in the church; I’m thankful for a church, and a movement of churches, that exist to carry out the mission of Jesus to go and make disciples. I am an example of someone whose life was forever changed because a church in our

May 24, 2018

Michael C. Mack

The Disturbing Truth

By Michael C. Mack “Do Not Disturb.” The unseen sign hung noticeably on Bob and Mary’s heart. The boomer minister had retired and was replaced by a millennial lead pastor. More millennials joined the staff and eldership. The church’s mission statement was reworded and the music updated. The pulpit disappeared as the new guy preached noteless. New signs were added above the doors declaring the vision to reach people “out there.” This month we ask an important question: How can we minister effectively to—and with—multiple generations? Many of our articles this month seek to answer that question. Haydn Shaw  tells

April 12, 2018

Michael C. Mack

Church Statistics: A Healthy Approach

By Michael C. Mack How you view the statistics in this and the next two issues depends on the attitude you decide to take. I suppose you could look at the numbers with a competitive spirit, comparing your figures with those of a nearby church or one in your size category, with envy, suspicion, or snobbery. Some of us might do the same with churches of Bible college friends (and foes), churches where we used to work, or those hip, one-word-name churches—you know, like Vibe, Collage, 24|7, and TheUnpretentiousDeliberatelyIntentionalChurchofAuthenticRelevantChristianCommunity (“Unpretentious” for short). I’d like to suggest two healthier ways to

February 15, 2018

Michael C. Mack

In Search of a Happy Ending

By Michael C. Mack and Jim Nieman It was intended as a feel-good story for the October 2017 issue. Managing editor Jim Nieman reported on a son turning his life around, through God’s grace, and returning to his hometown to minister to those who are “down on their luck.” It was a story with a stern warning and a storybook ending. And then everything utterly collapsed. The preacher’s son who had battled years of addiction to opiates during and immediately after high school, and then managed to turn his life around and graduate from Christian college and return to his

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