Articles for tag: Northeast Christian Church

Church & Ministry Community Outreach

The Summer Ministry Cycle

By Michael C. Mack Do you have bicyclists at your church? Invite them to be involved in ministry together. Here are a few ideas: “¢ Many cyclists are already riding for various good causes: diabetes and cancer research, to support the Arthritis Foundation, and many others. Support them financially and with prayer as they train and ride in these events. Sponsor a cycling team that wears jerseys with the church logo. Promote the events to get more people to ride for these causes. Show up and cheer along the course. “¢ Members of Northeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky, started

August 7, 2014

Church & Ministry Community Outreach

Blitz Your Community

By Michael C. Mack In May, Northeast Christian Church, Louisville, Kentucky, canceled weekend church services, opting instead to serve an urban community of the city where the church has a campus. Nearly 2,000 church members rode buses to Clifton, where they were mobilized for more than 4,000 hours of service. How does a church plan a serving event of this scale? Randy Gordon, “Go and Do” minister at Northeast, suggested that church leaders “establish points of contact in the community to identify the legitimate needs.” Northeast staff and volunteers visited schools, businesses, government leaders, community ministries, and a bar owner

August 24, 2013

The Secret to Small Group Multiplication

This is the time of year to plan for the long-term health, growth, and continual expansion of your small group ministry. Here are some tips for making that happen. By Michael C. Mack One of the most “reproductive” leaders I”ve ever known is Laura. I lost count of how many times her group multiplied. Since she was an expert, I asked her to conduct a training session for other leaders on how to multiply a group. Her response offers a clue to the secret of multiplication: “I have no idea what to teach others about this,” she told me. “It

June 16, 2013

What Is a Small Group?

By Michael C. Mack The question keeps popping up. At conferences, in Internet discussion groups, whenever small group leaders get together, the question is asked, discussed, and sometimes even argued. You”d think we”d know the answer by now. A small group minister asked, “What exactly is a small group? There is a crucial advantage to having groups that are highly intentional about spiritual growth, external ministry, and living missionally””that is, reproducing both disciples and groups. At the same time, many people in the church are not ready to be part of such a group. Some people are just looking to

May 9, 2011

Mission & Evangelism

Reaching Their Potential?

By Darrel Rowland Women”s ministry leaders across the country””plus a token guy””were asked: “Do most Christian churches/churches of Christ you”re aware of allow women to reach their full potential in Christ?” Paul Boatman, seminary dean at Lincoln (Illinois) Christian University Of course they do! The trick is to keep their full potential limited so that they are prevented from exercising any God-given talents that might impinge on our fantasies of masculine control. Some leadership roles just cannot be filled without testosterone! Having participated in at least a dozen ordinations of women to specialized ministries, I experience frustration at consistently seeing

May 8, 2011

Christian Living

Women”s Ministry: Changing Views

By Darrel Rowland When Patricia Rohach surveyed Christian church women across the country as part of her doctoral dissertation on women”s ministry, she got an earful. One person she interviewed said, “Not all pastors in the different Christian churches I have attended have been positive toward women, and there have been many instances of devaluation of women through attitude and lack of addressing teaching about women. It isn”t as much a negative approach as it is an ignoring of women, by not acknowledging their existence, joking about them publicly, and treating them as the “˜little ladies.”” Another responded, “Until the

August 8, 2010

Fulfilling Church Values, Meeting People”s Needs

By Jennifer Taylor From brand-new Christians to brand-new mothers, churches are inviting members to share their experiences, knowledge, and friendship with groups beginning new journeys. Significant Mothers When Evelyn Ritchie became an unwed teenage mother 21 years ago, she benefited from a local hospital program offering support and education. Today, Ritchie works with volunteers from Real Life Christian Church (Clermont, Florida) to provide the same experience for Clermont”s teen moms. In the new “ADAPT” program (Adolescent Development And Parent Training), Ritchie matches each teen””some pregnant and some parenting a new baby””with a mentor who shares parenting skills and provides encouragement.

August 1, 2010

Church & Ministry Church Leadership

Interview with Derek Lauer

By Brad Dupray Pastoral ministry is sometimes daunting, sometimes exhilarating, but nearly always challenging. In his 30 years of ministry, Derek Lauer has seen the peaks and valleys and learned how to meet the challenges along the way. Derek served in youth ministries in California and Arizona, and has been a senior pastor for the past 17 years, first in Arizona, and now at Northeast Christian Church in Rockford, Illinois. He holds an undergraduate degree from Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri, and a master”s from Cincinnati (Ohio) Christian Seminary. What”s the hardest thing about being in the ministry? <laughs> Floyd

June 8, 2008