Articles for tag: Local Outreach

August 11, 2017

Christian Standard

Medium-Church Insights

By Kent Fillinger From Abingdon, Virginia, to Woodland Park, Colorado, medium-size churches are a vital part of our annual church survey. Over the last three years, 160 different medium-size churches (average weekly attendance of 250 to 499) from 37 states have participated in our research study. On average, 93 medium churches have responded each of the last three years. Most recently, 88 medium churches completed the survey. I hope to see the number of medium churches that participate grow in the future! Here”s a quick statistical overview of the 88 medium-size churches based on 2016 data. The list of these

June 20, 2017

Christian Standard

Large-Church Insights

By Kent Fillinger I”m excited to share key metrics and findings of 94 large churches (average weekly worship attendance of 500 to 999) from our recent church survey. The August issue of Christian Standard will provide an overview of the 88 medium-size churches surveyed. And if you missed the big picture snapshot of the 133 megachurches and emerging megachurches, check out the May issue online. Growth & Attendance The large churches we surveyed grew 4.3 percent last year, faster than any other segment of churches. Large churches have grown an average of 4.4 percent annually over the last three years.

May 2, 2015

Christian Standard

More than the Numbers

By Kent E. Fillinger Numbers evoke an array of emotions. How many readers, for example, regularly step on their bathroom scales with more than a bit of trepidation? But the Bible is full of numbers, and almost every healthy church is counting something. We believe the special report of church statistics published here each year is a great time to recognize the uniqueness of our tribe of churches and to capture and celebrate the historic work God is doing. A record 347 churches responded to the survey this year, and I hope we double or triple that number next year!

January 15, 2015

Christian Standard

A Healthy Church Has a Robust Missions Program

By Rob Maupin My wife and I entered the local sub shop and began to order. The young man serving us noticed our tired, but happy faces and asked what we had been doing. We told him our church had packed 500,000 meals for hungry kids in Haiti, and it took us (and more than 1,000 volunteers) well over 11 hours of really hard work. We explained that even though it was tiring, we had a truly wonderful experience. “Why did your church do that?” he asked quietly. As we conversed, he said, “I”d like to be a part of

November 9, 2014

Christian Standard

Missions Ministries that Work: Bright Christian Church

By Jeff Stone Bright, Indiana, is a rural bedroom community located near Cincinnati, Ohio. It has no traffic light or post office, but thankfully, it does have a Skyline Chili. Located in this sleepy town is the Bright Christian Church, a congregation of 1,000 people that has been meeting for 119 years and is continuing to impact the world locally and globally. Bright has always been a faithful mission-supporting church, but over the past several years we”ve stepped up our personal involvement in global missions. Food bagging events with Lifeline Christian Mission created intergenerational participation. In 2009 eight of our

May 18, 2013

Christian Standard

New Home Brings New Growth

By Kent E. Fillinger What a difference a new home makes! Legacy Christian Church of Senoia, Georgia, started in March 2009 with a core group of 59 believers. Legacy met in an inconveniently located elementary school for three and one-half years. The church desired a permanent home and looked for an existing warehouse or storefront to meet its needs. The church”s leaders looked at 66 different properties but couldn”t find one with the right combination of space and parking. Eventually God opened the door to a great 20-acre property two counties away. The new location had excellent visibility from a

May 16, 2013

Christian Standard

Growing in the Cape

By Kent E. Fillinger A mother church and a legacy church provided a great foundation for the birth of Crosspoint Christian Church in Cape Coral, Florida, in January 2006. Jeff Swearingen, lead pastor at Crosspoint, was on staff at First Christian Church in Fort Myers when discussions about a church plant started. He initially resisted the idea of planting a church, but God eventually changed his mind. About 150 people from First Christian committed to help birth Crosspoint. The church also benefited financially from a local Christian church that closed, sold its property, and then invested a significant amount into

April 27, 2013

Christian Standard

Changing Church Culture

By Jim Powell Recently, several leaders from a local church asked to meet with me to discuss their congregation”s decline. They wanted advice on how to turn things around. When I sat down to visit with them, I noticed all of their questions were exclusively programmatic in nature. What kind of music do you play? What do you wear on Sundays? How do you present announcements? Do you serve coffee and doughnuts? There is value in asking such questions because we need to contextualize the gospel, and having relevant methods can make a difference. Yet I was concerned that they

November 17, 2010

Christian Standard

Skipping Dinner to Make a Difference

On Sunday, Rochester (IL) Christian Church celebrated “THANKSgiving, living, loving.” “Instead of our annual Thanksgiving dinner (which none of us needed!), we collected items to fill 200 Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes, 82 duffel bags filled with toiletries and gifts for foster kids, and 42 Thanksgiving meal baskets for local families,” says Matt Bortmess, senior associate minister. On Sunday families, small groups, and friends worked together to assemble the gifts. The special outreach is part of RCC”s “DO Something” series; throughout the series the church also shared other local and global ways individuals could “do something” to make a difference.

December 30, 2009

Christian Standard

Interview with Alan Baumlein

By Brad Dupray When the leaders of Mount Pleasant Christian Church, Greenwood, Indiana, considered developing a new worship center, they prayed over their decision and determined to take a transitional step by first building a community life center. As executive pastor at Mount Pleasant, Alan Baumlein oversaw construction of the $7 million facility and, since its opening in September 2008, he oversees its use. This month Alan celebrates his 10th anniversary on staff at Mount Pleasant, where he served as outreach pastor the first four years. Alan joined Mount Pleasant in 1992 and later transitioned into ministry after a successful

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