November 2, 2022
The traditional “Living Flag” performances at Mahomet (Ill.) Christian Church will be presented again this year, paying tribute not only to our nation’s service members and veterans, but also to David Johnson, the senior minister who founded the patriotic concerts 18 years ago. Johnson passed away in February at age 69.
November 28, 2018
River Valley Christian Church, Goshen, Ky., has approved a merger with Southeast Christian Church, Louisville. Leaders from River Valley approached Southeast a few months ago and discussions led to the agreement to merge, pending Sunday’s approval by RVCC’s congregation. “We’re grateful that River Valley and Southeast are like-minded churches who have similar missions, and who are unified under the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Eph. 4:13),” SECC pastors Dave Stone and Kyle Idleman wrote in an email. “Join us as we praise God for this unique opportunity to continue to build His church as we share the hope and love of
September 30, 2018
(This is a sidebar to Jerry Harris’s October 2018 Letter from the Publisher: “The NACC: Celebrating Our Wins . . . and Starting an Inspiring New Season”) By Jerry Harris Seventy-seven names. As one scans them, a history of the modern independent Christian church forms. These men strove to hold together in unity an independent movement while, at the same time, cherishing its individuality. They worked hard to inspire a movement of healthy, growing churches. They had their own ministries, but they generously gave their time, talent, and treasure to advance a tribe and cause in which they believed.
September 7, 2015
By Darrel Rowland “I did not set out to do radical stuff,” says this year”s NACC president, Mike Baker. But he knew “it was going to be a bit of a risk to our tradition” to schedule a woman to preach at a main session, for one of the very few times in convention history. “There”s two things about me,” Baker said. “I”m an old-school Christian churcher, so I know full well that both my dad and my grandfather, who have passed on, would not approve of me having a woman speaker. But I”m also a word guy, and I”m
We asked 35 Christian leaders, “Who is the influencer with the biggest impact on your life and ministry?” Most of these leaders listed several influential thinkers, writers, innovators, and leaders more of us should get to know. This response is from Mike Baker, senior pastor with Eastview Christian Church, Normal, Illinois. ________ Two men have helped me think both as a Christian and a pastor for nearly 25 years. Both Cal Jernigan, senior pastor at Central Christian Church of Mesa, Arizona, and J.K. Jones, pastor of spiritual formation at Eastview Christian Church, Normal, Illinois, have impacted my thinking in great ways. J.K.
July 2, 2015
North American Christian Convention President Mike Baker interrupted his duties to speak with The Lookout Editor Kelly Carr about his 20-year ministry at Eastview Christian Church and how his perspective on the Restoration Movement has broadened.
April 14, 2015
By Mark A. Taylor Talk to Mike Baker and you”ll discover a guy who”s serious about his work while not taking himself too seriously at all. In fact, in our latest episode of Beyond the Standard, Baker used the word unfortunate to describe the “celebrity culture” in today”s church climate. “There are a lot of great preachers and leaders in churches of 150 and 200 who in their part of the world are really doing great things for God and for his kingdom,” he said. “But they”re just not ever going to get the accolades” that often come to leaders
March 24, 2015
By Mark A. Taylor I remember a conversation 30 years or more ago about book publishing by writers in the Christian church and church of Christ. “Evangelical publishers won”t publish books by Christian church writers,” a Standard Publishing salesman said. “And if Standard Publishing publishes books by Christian church writers, Christian bookstores won”t sell them.” I don”t know if that was true then, but I can promise you it”s not true today. Last year we published essays about book writing by Mark Atteberry, Arron Chambers, Dave Ferguson, Anne Milam, Daniel Overdorf, and Jamie Snyder. Each of them is a leader among Restoration Movement churches.
February 22, 2015
By Trevor DeVage I never dreamed preaching is what I would be doing. I had my sights set on living out the “American dream.” I was going to be an attorney. I had prepped my entire adolescent life for that path. In high school, I worked for an attorney”s office, was on the mock trial team at our school, and watched Law and Order and Matlock. Preaching was never on my radar””it just couldn”t generate income the way busting criminals would. But something happened during my junior year of high school. I was visiting a friend in the hospital and
February 21, 2015
By J.K. Jones Whether five eager beavers show up or 500, I will be prepared to teach morning Bible study at the 2015 North American Christian Convention. Teaching puts a smile on my face. I wholeheartedly embrace the morning and I cherish Bible study. More than anything, I hunger to know Jesus and make him known. So, consider this brief article an official invitation. The NACC morning Bible study time is a perfectly splendid way of devouring and ruminating upon President Mike Baker”s theme, “We Speak.” On three successive mornings, Wednesday through Friday, June 24-26, the study will come from
February 20, 2015
By Caleb Kaltenbach Maybe you”ve gone to many leadership ministry conferences, and maybe many of them seem like the same conference experience over and over again. You walk away with a lot of good information, but wish there had been the opportunity to ask questions, get feedback, or discuss a speaker”s point a little deeper. What if you could have a more personal experience with seasoned ministry leaders? Now”s your chance! The 2015 NACC”s preconference event, “PROPEL,” will be unlike any such event you have ever attended. “PROPEL” is a one-day conference from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, June
February 20, 2015
By Mike Baker 2015 NACC President God is a talker. In the beginning, he thundered the creatively explosive words, “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3), and everything we know and see came into being. And he didn”t stop there. He spoke throughout the history of his chosen people: “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways” (Hebrews 1:1). But God had more to say, so he reiterated his Word to the world through the person of Jesus. According to the apostle John, “In the beginning was the Word” (John 1:1),
January 1, 2015
TUESDAY, JUNE 23Â 8:30 a.m.”” Cane Ridge Adventure Tour (tickets required) 9:00 a.m.”” PROPEL Pre-Lab Event (information on page 50) 1:00 p.m.””Logos Bible Software Training (tickets required) 6:45 p.m.””Evening Main Session (Mike Baker speaking) 8:30 p.m.””College Fair 8:30 p.m.””President”s Reception WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24 7:30 a.m.””Ministry Networking Breakfast (tickets required) 8:00 a.m.”” Ministers” Wives” Breakfast (tickets required) 8:30 a.m.”” Bible Study with J.K. Jones 9:45 a.m.””Morning Main Session (“Next Generation” preachers and LeRoy Lawson speaking) Noon””Seniors” Luncheon with John and Bob Russell (tickets required) 2:00 p.m.””Seminars/Workshops 3:30 p.m.””Performance by Michael Jr., Christian comedian 5:00 p.m.”” President”s Banquet (tickets required) 6:45
September 6, 2014
By Tim Harlow I made a joke the final day of the North American Christian Convention when I appointed my friend Mike Baker as next year”s president. I knighted him with a sword (because Mike and I are weird that way), and then I said, “But I”m keeping the sword””because you might be tempted to fall on it sometime this year.” In case you are wondering, there is no pay involved in being the president. Actually it”s the opposite; your church or organization will likely have to spend money on it, and it will cost you in many ways. Is
February 12, 2013
By Mike Baker I am unashamed to tell you I want my church to grow! I want it to grow numerically because every person counted on a Sunday morning is a life that matters, a story of redemption, and a person in need of a Savior. But numeric growth is not the only growth God desires for his church. With increased attendance and baptisms come the responsibility of encouraging spiritual growth in those God has entrusted to our care. Early in my ministry, I was easily impressed. I often thought, Cool, our numbers are growing, naively believing our work was
May 18, 2012
By Paul Boatman Mike Baker has been senior pastor at Eastview Christian Church in Normal, Illinois, since 2007. He first served at Eastview as youth pastor, beginning in 1995, and became associate pastor in 2002. How do you happen to be in ministry? I was called to preach when I was 6 years old. It is all I have ever wanted to do. I did a side trip of 16 years in youth ministry. That let me be part of a team, learning from leaders in growing churches. I still preached””to the youth, occasionally to the whole church.
November 28, 2011
By Mike Baker I had just become senior pastor two months earlier and now, at the annual sermon planning retreat, I was to give direction for our preaching for the upcoming year. Our church was known for biblical preaching, but I sensed we were in a topic-driven rut that basically had rotated a handful of relevant biblical themes in our teaching year after year. It was time for a change, and so I suggested a yearlong study through the book of Deuteronomy. My wife”s reaction was a big “thumbs down.” When a staff member heard my proposal, she simply said,
November 10, 2010
Mike Baker It is very popular these days to write books, make statements, post blogs, and write articles that scold, criticize, and ridicule the church (especially the 21st-century American version). Is anyone but me getting just a little defensive? Honestly, these revelations don”t inspire me, they make me want to scream, “Hey, wait a minute, you”re talking about my church!” We are talking about Christ”s bride here. Shouldn”t we be a little more careful about how we flippantly describe Jesus” wife as irrelevant, corrupt, hypocritical, and ineffective? Indulge me just a little as I defend the church I have come
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