Articles for tag: Normal Illinois

November 3, 2018

Christian Standard

Nondenominationalish News Briefs

  The annual meeting at Middle of the Road Christian Church is generating a level of excitement never seen before, as a faction of the congregation that loudly supports candidate for elder MacDonald Blunt, a self-styled real estate developer, squares off against their rivals, supporters of Richland Tweed, a psychiatrist and adjunct professor at the local university. A key issue is the use of paper or electronic ballots. Senior minister David McStraddles has taken no position. The election will take place after worship on Sunday, Nov. 18—immediately prior to the church’s Thanksgiving meal together. _ _ _ Another tight elder’s

July 30, 2015

Christian Standard

Mike Baker’s Thought Leaders

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.

April 14, 2015

Mark A. Taylor

Finding Our Place, Claiming Our Heritage

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

July 8, 2012

Christian Standard

How a Good Team Is Getting Better

By Barton Shaw This is my sixth year serving as an elder in our church, Eastview Christian Church, Normal, Illinois, and I can honestly say it is one of the most challenging and rewarding roles I have. Over the years, I have had the pleasure to serve with 14 other men””all of them godly and devoted Christ followers whom I deeply respect. Though we are united in a common love for the church, it probably comes as no surprise that we are a collection of men from different stages of life with varied careers, temperaments, and perspectives. This is a

May 18, 2012

Christian Standard

Interview with Mike Baker

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

Christian Standard

Our Year in Deuteronomy

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,

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