July 1, 2023
The Power of Faith and Forgiveness
How a Senseless Tragedy Became a Witness to the Grace of Jesus
July 1, 2023
How a Senseless Tragedy Became a Witness to the Grace of Jesus
By Ken Idleman I call it “ecclesiastical matchmaking,” playing cupid to help a local church get together with a minister or a minister together with a church. Part of the experience involves coaching leaders and churches through the courting/calling process. And I”ve done quite a bit of it. After decades of church consulting, including 30 years of helping churches and leaders as a Christian college president, I”ve logged some experiences and come to some conclusions about ministerial succession in local churches. Here are my observations. Defining Terms First let”s define some terms. Pastoral transition and pastoral succession are not the same
July 12, 2014
By Ken Idleman (From our series “The Best or Worst Advice I’ve Ever Received.”) The worst leadership advice I ever received was during the second year of my presidency at Ozark Christian College. It was unsolicited, from a member of the teaching faculty. At age 32, I was still just getting oriented to my new role. One day I sent out an impulsive written communication to the staff. After sleeping on it that night, I realized I had made a mistake. The very next day I distributed a follow-up letter, explaining and apologizing in print. My former colleague came rushing
July 17, 2013
JAMIE SNYDER Lead pastor, Lakeside Christian Church, Lakeside, Kentucky I have long subscribed to the Christian leadership axiom, “The best indicator of future performance is past performance.” Now, to be sure, it is not the only indicator; but the track record of any emerging Christian leader should not be ignored, especially in the area of their character. This being true, it is encouraging to see the picture and name of Jamie Snyder on CHRISTIAN STANDARD”s list of “40 Leaders Under 40.” Even from his student days at Ozark Christian College, Jamie has been a young man with genuine humility and
By Jennifer Taylor Since February, Crossroads Christian Church (Newburgh, Indiana) has worked with Habitat for Humanity and local organizations to pilot an energy conservation project for urban housing. The “mission” included weatherizing dozens of homes to reduce energy costs for low-income families. Volunteers caulked and foamed cracks, replaced furnace filters, added attic insulation, and more. CCC coordinated serving days from February through May and provided training for all participants. www.crossroadschristian.com ________________ Jennifer Taylor, one of Christian Standard’s contributing editors, lives in Nashville, Tennessee. Read her blog at www.christianstandard.com. Do you know of a church breaking new ground or leading innovative
December 13, 2010
By Jennifer Taylor Crossroads Christian Church (Newburgh, Indiana) encourages its thousands of members to participate in churchwide outreach events, volunteer with ministry partners like Habitat for Humanity, and attend seminars on generational poverty, evangelism, and more. But Eric Cummings, community outreach pastor at Crossroads, says the church”s “inner-city van tours” are the most valuable educational tool they”ve developed. Each month, 10-12 adults participate in the two-hour experience, seeing the reality of crime, poverty, and homelessness while also stopping at many of the schools, government agencies, and ministries working to help the city”s residents. “We don”t get out of the van,