July 1, 2015
Lysa TerKeurst shared with contributing editor Jennifer Johnson just before speaking to hundreds at the 2015 North American Christian Convention ladies luncheon. Hear what she has to say about how to discover God’s best for us and why “there are no isolated choices.”
June 30, 2015
By Mark A. Taylor The Internet is buzzing with reactions to last week”s Supreme Court decision legalizing gay marriage. Advocates are adding the #LoveWins hashtag to every tweet, and Christian leaders are urging the church not to be discouraged in the face of what many view as a terrible loss. Amid all the chatter, Caleb Kaltenbach”s perspective offers a voice as refreshing as it is calm. “Some say this is the defining issue of the day,” he said when I interviewed him last week at the North American Christian Convention. “But I believe the church is getting it wrong.” We
June 29, 2015
Mark Taylor interviewed Caleb Kaltenbach at the 2015 NACC in Cincinnati. Hear Caleb talk about his new book, Messy Grace, and give his answers to “Will your church baptize a homosexual?” “Is the gay issue the biggest issue facing the church today?” and “How do we maintain our theological convictions while still loving the practicing homosexual?”
June 23, 2015
By Mark A. Taylor Here”s another reason the North American Christian Convention is such a productive gathering. At the NACC we do a lot of walking! And, according to a new study by researchers at Stanford University, that”s good! A summary from Stanford News puts it this way: “Creative thinking improves while a person is walking and shortly thereafter.” That means we can generate a MOUNTAIN of creativity at the NACC. Granted, the Cincinnati convention center and downtown are more compact than what we”ve found in some cities. But even at its best, the convention requires blocks of walking between
By Michael C. Mack Elders and other church leaders often sense the need to change, to move out of entrenchment and inaction, but are unsure of what needs to change first. Where can one turn for new ideas and direction? Dr. James Estep, dean of the School of Undergraduate Studies at Lincoln (IL) Christian University, listed nine ideas on e2elders.org: 1. Visit other churches to see what they are doing. Ask their leaders to spend some time with you answering your questions. 2. Subscribe to Christian leadership magazines, such as the Christian Standard, to glean a broader perspective on church
By Mont Mitchell I turned my numbers in to CHRISTIAN STANDARD for the attendance list today. For the last bunch of years we have been on the emerging megachurch list . . . you know, churches with an average attendance more than 1,000 (but less than 2,000). However, for the last several years, our church has been going through some challenges and changes and transitions. (I”ll get to that in a bit.) The result: We”re bumped from the list. Westbrook Christian Church, Bolingbrook, Illinois, used to be an emerging megachurch. Today, we are just a large church. Now, don”t get
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 30, 2015
By LeRoy Lawson Life on Mission: God”s People Finding God”s Heart for the World Tim Harlow Pastors.com, 2014 Timeless: Devotions Based on the Sermons of Floyd Strater Kim Hamilton Self published, 2014 (available at amazon.com & lulu.com) No More Dragons: Get Free from Broken Dreams, Lost Hope, Bad Religion, and Other Monsters Jim Burgen Nashville: Nelson Books, 2014 The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity (Future of Christianity Trilogy) Philip Jenkins New York: Oxford University Press, 2011 The 2014 North American Christian Convention was a profitable one for me. In addition to Ian DiOrio”s Trivial Pursuits, which I reviewed in last month”s column,
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.
March 21, 2015
By Tim Harlow I don”t fancy myself an extreme environmentalist. I”m not a “tree hugger,” but I do respect nature. I have cut down a few trees that were past their prime, and I once accidently killed a small one with a golf cart, but I do love trees. Where I live, the only trees are ones someone planted. So the story of Jesus “zapping” a tree is fascinating to me. Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it
By Mark A. Taylor It happened again, this time on the campus of Lincoln Christian University on a cold Friday night a couple of weeks ago. Mark Mittelberg, a best-selling author, widely traveled speaker, and well-known Christian apologist, was speaking to leaders about LCU”s initiative “Room for Doubt.” But before he talked about the materials he”s helping to develop for this ministry, he paused to speak about the movement of churches that will promote and use them. Mittelberg is something of a celebrity in general Evangelical churches; his résumé includes stints on staff at Willow Creek Community Church outside Chicago and
February 23, 2015
By Stephanie Young Into the turbulent chaos of our times rings a signal: “Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below””you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way” (1 Kings 8:23). So begins a prayer for the nation of Israel by her king, as he stood before the whole assembly, spreading his hands toward Heaven. The national concerns were strikingly similar to our present day””unjust treatment by a fellow man, defeat at the hands of an enemy, disaster and disease, foreigners who
February 23, 2015
By Linda Hutchinson Excitement is building for the 2015 NACC Women”s Conference. It won”t be long before women of all ages and color descend on Cincinnati”s Duke Energy Convention Center for four days of worship, learning, and fellowship. It”s a conference within the conference designed by women for women. Many exciting things are planned to grow and minister to ladies in all seasons of life. If you”ve never been to the North American Christian Convention or its Women”s Conference, 2015 is the year to give it a try. You can drive in for the day or bring your family and
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
December 28, 2014
By Jennifer Johnson At this summer”s North American Christian Convention, representatives from Emmanuel Christian Seminary, Ozark Christian College, Milligan College, and several churches participated in a workshop to discuss how our churches and our schools can partner to build stronger relationships and develop the leaders we need. “The changing landscape in America requires kingdom workers with a global perspective who can confront a secular culture with a Christian worldview,” says Phyllis Fox, director of church relations and the Youth in Ministry program at Milligan College and the coordinator of the workshop. “How can our Christian colleges and universities best prepare
November 24, 2014
By LeRoy Lawson Four Steps to Spiritual Freedom Thomas Ryan Mahwah: Paulist Press, 2003 Younger Next Year: Live Strong, Fit, and Sexy””Until You”re 80 and Beyond Chris Crowley and Henry S. Lodge, M.D. New York City: Workman Publishing, 2007 Generation iY:Â Our Last Chance to Save Their Future Tim Elmore Atlanta: Poet Gardener, 2010 Made in America Bill Bryson New York: William Morrow Paperbacks, reprint edition, 2001 I teach a seminary course called Theological Integration. Students take it in their final semester. First comes this class, then commencement. As the name indicates, the course is designed to encourage a summing up
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