Articles for tag: North American Christian Convention

NACC 2016: The Destination Is Worth the Journey

By Arron Chambers This past summer, instead of traveling across the country, we decided to have a staycation and experience some of the beauty and wonders close to home. My wife, who apparently also wanted us to experience a great deal of pain and discomfort, was intent that we all climb the Manitou Incline. The Manitou Incline is a popular hiking trail rising above Manitou Springs, Colorado. The 2,744-step trail is the remains of a railway whose tracks washed out during a rockslide in 1990. The incline is as steep as 68 percent in places, making it a difficult fitness

February 19, 2016

NACC 2016: California, Here We Come!

By Dave Stone It”s the right place and the right time for all of usÂ to discover “A Better Story.” Several years ago the North American Christian Convention called to ask me a two-part question: “Would you be willing to serve as the president in 2016 AND would you be willing to have the conference in California (where it hasn”t been in 24 years)?” Before I answered, I asked for some time to pray about it and talk with various pastors in the Southern California area. The next couple of months became a time of incredible discovery. I heard story after

January 1, 2016

NACC 2016: Schedule of Events

MONDAY, JULY 11Â TBA””ICOM Pre-Convention Event 7:30 p.m.””MOVE Evening Session TUESDAY, JULY 12Â TBA””ICOM Pre-Convention Event TBA”””Velocity” Event for Leaders Under Age 40 9:15 a.m.””MOVE Morning Session 7:30 p.m.””NACC Main Session (Dave Stone speaking) 7:30 p.m.””MOVE Evening Session 9:00 p.m.””President”s Reception WEDNESDAY, JULY 13 8:00 a.m.””Ministry Networking Breakfast 8:00 a.m.””Women in Ministry Breakfast 9:00 a.m.””Bible Study with Kyle Idleman 9:15 a.m.””MOVE Morning Session 10:30 a.m.””NACC Main Session (Dudley Rutherford speaking) 12:30 p.m.””Ladies” Luncheon (featuring Christine Caine) 2:30 p.m.””Workshop Session I 4:00 p.m.””Workshop Session II 7:30 p.m.””NACC Main Session (Gene Appel and Christine Caine speaking) 7:30 p.m.””MOVE Evening Session THURSDAY, JULY

December 29, 2015

Devotionals

Four Days Later””Still Time to Ponder

By Mark A. Taylor Today, just four days after Christmas, some of us are ready for the celebration to be over. We”re tired of travel (or worn out by our houseguests), we”ve exchanged or returned gifts that weren”t right, and we”re looking forward to a little rest or maybe even getting back to work. And even if we loved every minute of our family Christmas, we may still pause to wonder whether the impact of the incarnation penetrated our celebration. And so, today, here”s a word of inspiration. The following is adapted from a column first posted here two years

December 28, 2015

Rapper God?

By Jeff Walling Someone asked me why I like using hip-hop poetry, sometimes called “spoken word,” as sermon illustrations. I answered, simply, “Because God is a hip-hop artist.” Before you brand me a heretic, consider this: God is the original spoken word artist. From the first introduction of God in the Scriptures, the creator of all things seems to love using words to create art. He could have made the universe with a snap of his fingers or a nod of his head, but instead he spoke it into existence. And it”s not just any words he prefers, but poetic

September 14, 2015

Church & Ministry Leadership Development

25 Ways to Show Volunteers They Matter

Tips, tactics, and testimonies by church leaders who know the value of a volunteer. Compiled by Jennifer Johnson ________ 1.Â Last fall, I wrote a note to each Bible study leader mentioning specific strengths I see in her. Then I read the notes aloud in our start-up leader meeting. The fun thing was they weren”t expecting this type of affirmation at the beginning of the year. “”Nancy Karpenske, women and spiritual transformation pastor, LifeBridge Christian Church, Longmont, Colorado 2.Â A couple of times a year we hold major serving events in our community. In our weekend services after each of these events,

September 7, 2015

Baker Knew Speaker Choice Was Unconventional

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

September 6, 2015

Called to Speak

By Darrel Rowland This year”s NACC offered something from everyone, in a week filled with challenge, a few surprises, and at least one controversy. We speak . . . Both young and old . . . With voices from America to Asia . . . Through dynamic music to dramatic poetry . . . From hard-core theology to lighthearted comedy . . . Via onstage vignettes to on-screen video . . . By anointing with oil to acknowledging those who have gone to their reward . . . Every year it seems the North American Christian Convention offers something for

July 25, 2015

Church & Ministry Leadership Development

Bob Russell’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 severalÂ influential thinkers, writers, innovators, and leaders more of us should get to know. This response is fromÂ Bob Russell, retired senior minister of Southeast Christian Church, Louisville, Kentucky. ________ Those who have most significantly influenced my thinking in recent years would be: Ben Merold, retired minister, Harvester Christian Church, St. Charles, Missouri. I”ve learned a lot from observing Ben”s ministries and am thankful we”ve become close friends while conducting mentoring retreats together. At age 88, Ben”s joyful, energetic,

July 22, 2015

Culture & Public Square Reconciliation

A Conversation with John Perkins

John Perkins, one of the leading evangelical voices coming out of the U.S. civil rights movement, spoke with contributing editor Jennifer Johnson at the North American Christian Convention, June 2015. In this exclusive interview, he explains why many efforts toward racial reconciliation are like trying to cure cancer with Tylenol and what the church’s role in racial healing must be. See the interview here.

July 16, 2015

A Conversation with J.K. Jones

Lookout Editor Kelly Carr speaks with J.K. Jones, who led morning Bible study sessions throughout the 2015 North American Christian Convention. Jones, pastor of spiritual formation at Eastview Christian Church, Normal, Illinois, talks about his love for books and their importance in his spiritual formation. Listen to their conversation.

July 16, 2015

A Conversation with Sean Palmer

Sean Palmer talks about his church, The Vine, in Temple, Texas, and reacts to the predominantly white complexion of the North American Christian Convention. When asked about race relations in America, he answers, “The racial problem is a gospel problem.” In this exclusive interview with Mark A. Taylor, he shares his views on the major obstacle to racial reconciliation in the United States and shares his congregation”s strategy for evangelism: “Spend some time with people who are not like you.” See the interview here.

July 14, 2015

A Conversation with Jodi Hickerson

Jodi Hickerson, programming director with Mission Church in Ventura, California, talks about her journey and how God has opened doors for her to serve his church. See the exclusive interview with Lookout Editor Kelly Carr here.

July 14, 2015

Christian Living

Claiming the Right Identity

By Mark A. Taylor It is easy, too easy for me to make my identity all about me. Can you relate? For example, many of us take identity from our family relationships. (Whose son are you? Which child is yours?) Or we boost identity with what we can afford to buy or experience. (Is this your new car? You live in that neighborhood? Your cruise lasted how long?) We claim identity from the title behind our names. (Instructor or professor or dean? Manager or director or vice president?) But when life changes””and life always changes””when the job ends or the

July 13, 2015

Church & Ministry Leadership Development

A Conversation with Chris Seidman

Chris Seidman, senior minister of The Branch Church, Dallas, Texas, speaks with CHRISTIAN STANDARD contributing editor Jennifer Johnson about “serving as a missionary in the land of religion” and how being debt-free has allowed his church to be “spontaneously generous.” Seidman was a main-session speaker at the 2015 North American Christian Convention in Cincinnati, Ohio. See the exclusive interview.

July 9, 2015

A Conversation with Daniel Overdorf

Daniel Overdorf shares his enthusiasm for training Christian workers and comments on how the church and the college can tap each others’ best to do a better job of equipping Christian leaders. This preaching professor also talks about how preaching has changed””not only for good””and how it needs to change. See the exclusive interview with Mark Taylor here.

July 6, 2015

A Conversation with John Mark Hicks

John Mark Hicks tells what thrills him when he looks at the Christian churches and churches of Christ. “We need an infusion of church-planting enthusiasm among the a cappella churches of Christ,” he says. In this exclusive interview with Editor Mark Taylor, he explains the trend he sees with Baptists and Stone-Campbell churches coming closer to each other on the position of baptism. “Does God do something through baptism?” Answers to the question are creating new dialogue. See the interview here.

July 3, 2015

A Conversation with LeRoy Lawson

Roy Lawson, 2015 North American Christian Convention speaker, spoke with Mark Taylor about how and why the NACC has changed and prospered and how an older Christian can guard against depression, bitterness, or cynicism as he or she experiences advancing years. See our exclusive interview here.

July 2, 2015