April 18, 2011
Making Disciples?
Kent E. Fillinger reports survey findings showing how small group Bible studies, Sunday school classes, and combined discipleship models relate to church growth and baptism ratios.
Articles for tag: Megachurches
April 17, 2011
Interview with Justin Miller
Justin Miller reflects on leading Real Life Christian Church through repentance, leadership change, authenticity, and systems that helped prepare the congregation for growth.
April 11, 2011
2|42 Community Church
By Kent E. Fillinger Bob Smith was eager to see a new church planted in his hometown of Brighton, Michigan. Brighton is located in Livingston County, which at the time was one of the fastest-growing counties in America. Smith believed a new church was needed to reach the new people who were moving in. But Smith was neither a preacher nor a church planter. Smith classified himself as “just a cop.” Smith raised $50,000 in seed money. He created homemade brochures touting the need for a church plant in Brighton, and he started to attend Exponential, the national church planting
April 10, 2011
The Crossing, A Christian Church
The Crossing, A Christian Church in Las Vegas, grew from a third-generation church plant into a rapidly growing megachurch with a renewed commitment to local and global outreach.
April 8, 2011
Numbers Matter
Edward Sanders reflects on how attendance and offering numbers can offer tangible encouragement for ministry work that often feels difficult to measure.
April 7, 2011
Megachurches: The 2010 List
CHRISTIAN STANDARD’s 2010 megachurch chart lists more than 100 megachurches and emerging megachurches, including Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky.
April 6, 2011
God Is Giving the Increase
Kent E. Fillinger reports survey findings from 234 Christian churches and churches of Christ, highlighting attendance growth, baptisms, senior ministers, elders, and worship practices across four church-size categories.
April 6, 2011
Counter Culture
Mark A. Taylor reflects on why church growth numbers matter, pointing to attendance, baptisms, and ministry statistics as tools for encouragement, evaluation, and faithful congregational growth.
March 13, 2011
Beyond Borders
Mike Schrage reflects on megachurch baptism costs and challenges churches to consider how global mission investment can help reach fertile fields beyond U.S. borders.
February 23, 2011
A Troubled Continent, a New Dream
LeRoy Lawson reviews two histories of post-independence Africa and David Platt’s Radical, connecting Africa’s suffering with the church’s call to sacrificial Great Commission living.
February 19, 2011
Why I Participate
Herb Botts reflects on the North American Christian Convention’s progress toward greater diversity and urges Christians to help build a gathering place that reflects God’s kingdom.
February 2, 2011
So Long to Good-Byes
By Cal Jernigan Perhaps you heard the story of the man who was stranded alone on a deserted island for a number of years. One day a ship appeared on the horizon, noticed him, and sent some men ashore to rescue him. While helping him gather his scant belongings, the rescuers noticed three huts clustered together and asked the man about them. The man pointed to one of the huts and explained that it served as his house, and then he pointed to another and explained that it was where he went to church. The man stopped without mentioning the
January 26, 2011
Calculating Our Generosity
Mark A. Taylor reflects on Evangelical generosity, missions giving, and the broad impact Christian churches and churches of Christ make through support for ministries around the world.
December 12, 2010
Blind Copies
Mark A. Taylor considers how churches can move beyond copycat ministry models and embrace missional imagination shaped by their unique calling, community, and purpose.
October 5, 2010
“Nondenominational” Wins the Day!
Christian Churches and the Growth of Nondenominational Congregations This article reflects on Marshall Leggett’s comments at the Congress of Elders about the strengths of independent Christian churches. It also notes the growing number of large and fast-growing churches identifying as nondenominational, including many congregations connected with the Christian churches. Marshall Leggett described Christian churches as “radically congregationally governed.” Outreach magazine’s lists showed many large and fast-growing churches identifying as nondenominational. The article argues that Christian churches may be well positioned for growth amid declining denominational loyalty. The north entrance of Savannah (Georgia) Christian Church By Mark A. Taylor “We in
September 8, 2010
LARGE-SIZED CHURCHES: A New Name and New Numbers
Kent E. Fillinger reports on 2009 data from large-sized Christian churches, noting slower attendance growth, increased baptisms, younger senior ministers, worship venue trends, multisite ministry, and finances.
June 13, 2010
Responses to Lawson and Alexander’s Articles
Readers respond to LeRoy Lawson and Dick Alexander on the future of the Restoration Movement, weighing unity, Scripture, preaching, restoration, church identity, and New Testament Christianity.
June 13, 2010
Two Views About the Future of the Restoration Movement: Let’s Keep Moving!
Why the Restoration Movement Still Matters LeRoy Lawson reflects on whether the Restoration Movement should continue as a distinct movement or dissolve into the broader church. He argues that the movement still has a vital role to play through nondenominational connectedness, unity, New Testament authority, spiritual gifts, and shared mission. The article asks whether the Restoration Movement still needs to exist. Lawson argues that institutions do not define the movement; the church’s mission does. He identifies 10 values the Restoration Movement can still offer to the larger Christian enterprise. By Leroy Lawson This January, Standard Publishing’s Publishing Committee, CHRISTIAN STANDARD’s
June 9, 2010
Never More Movement, Never More Questions
Mark A. Taylor reflects on the vitality, uncertainty, and renewed questions facing Christian churches and churches of Christ as the Restoration Movement considers its identity and future.
April 11, 2010
Megachurches: The 2009 List
CHRISTIAN STANDARD’s 2009 megachurch chart lists 114 megachurches and emerging megachurches, including churches with weekly attendance of 1,000 or more.
