April 6, 2026
Harbor: The Pepperdine Bible Lectures 2026 is a multi-day Christian conference at Pepperdine University designed for worship, learning, renewal, and restoration. Built around the theme “A More Excellent Way: The Transformative Power of Love,” the event gathers Christian community and leaders for keynote sessions, classes, and fellowship on Pepperdine’s Malibu campus.
October 7, 2025
By Rick Cherok Scott Swan, the anchor for WTHR 13News in Indianapolis, has been recognized with many awards and distinctions throughout his broadcasting career, but his career journey has not always been marked by accolades. For many years, Swan struggled with anxiety issues that threatened both his work and his relationship with God. Swan grew up in southern California and became a Christian at the age of twelve while attending summer camp. At fourteen, Swan was convinced he wanted to go into television news broadcasting, leading to his enrolled in Pepperdine University’s broadcast journalism program. At Pepperdine, Swan became the
October 22, 2024
Hung Le, an immigrant to the U.S. from Vietnam, lost his faith in God. But amid all of his difficult experiences, he came to the realization that God still loved him
July 12, 2023
Chris DeWelt has retired as president of College Press Publishing, a company founded by his father, Don DeWelt, 64 years ago. . . . SpireConference plans preconference options. . . . Reggie Epps and Eddie Grover have passed away. . . . Chris Philbeck announces retirement plans. . . .
May 1, 2023
3 Christian Leaders Share Their Perspectives on a Crucial Topic for Today’s Church
February 9, 2022
Briefs about the National Preaching Summit (March 7-8), Men's Day (March 5) and Ladies' Day (April 2) at St. Louis Christian College, a historic college basketball match-up pitting GLCC's Richard Westerlund coaching against his twin brother, and more.
December 23, 2020
Compiled by Jim Nieman Victor Glover, an astronaut now serving a six-month mission on the International Space Station, recently was chosen as one of 18 members of NASA’s Artemis team, which the space agency said “will help pave the way for the next astronaut missions on and around the moon,” the Christian Chronicle reported. Glover is a member of a noninstrumental church of Christ in the Houston area. In an earlier article, the Chronicle wrote that Glover sent up Communion cups and a Bible to the space station before blasting off on his mission Nov. 15. _ _ _ In
September 4, 2019
By Chris Moon New things inevitably generate questions. “What is it?” “Why this?” “Why now?” And “why not this other thing?” It’s been no different for the organizers of Spire Network, a digital platform that has set its sights on uniting and equipping pastors within the independent Christian churches and churches of Christ. The network has been working toward its first conference—set for October 8 to 10 in Orlando—and preparing to roll out its online networking platform this fall. In the middle of all of that, organizers are fielding questions about the nature of Spire and what it hopes to
February 14, 2019
This brief article by and about the second wife of Alexander Campbell developed in a roundabout way. The February issue of Christian Standard deals with finances, including “In the Arena” articles by Matt Merold and Chris Philbeck that take stands on the question, “Should churches embrace and utilize debt?” (Matt says yes; Chris says no.) I wondered if writers from the magazine’s past had weighed in on this subject, so I dug into the archives of the Christian Standard’s first 100 years of publication. I turned to the listing for DEBT—an obvious place to begin the search—and was surprised to
March 30, 2017
By Arron Chambers These Christian leaders tell about sermons you might like to hear too. David Springer David Springer grew up as a preacher”s kid in Mount Vernon, Ohio, with his four siblings and parents, Ken and Mel Springer. He graduated from Johnson University, Knoxville, Tennessee, in 2011. He met his wife, Brittany, their freshman year at Johnson. He serves as associate minister for youth with Northside Christian Church in Georgetown, Kentucky. Brittany and David have two children, Lyla and Landry. David”s Best Sermon: The best sermon I have ever heard for youth was by Jeff Walling, director of
January 14, 2017
By Jennifer Johnson Writers of short-think pieces like this one love to quote statistics about the hundreds or even thousands of pastors who are leaving the ministry each month. However, as Ed Stetzer pointed out on his blog last October, those provocative numbers have yet to be backed up with any solid data or reliable sources. In fact, actual recent surveys, like the September 2015 study conducted by LifeWay Research, show that while the demands of pastoring a church can frequently feel “overwhelming” to more than 50 percent of senior pastors, the vast majority (92 percent!) also feel regularly encouraged
By Jennifer Johnson This month, more than a dozen pastors in the Greater Los Angeles area will begin a journey of learning, leadership, and change as Pepperdine University (Malibu, CA) kicks off its second Communitas cohort. The program, which began as part of the Lilly Endowment, is designed to connect senior leaders who have served in ministry for 5 to 10 years and help them develop greater leadership skills; grow in their understanding of significant issues facing their communities; build networks with civic, business, and political leaders throughout the city; and develop strong relationships with each other. “Lilly discovered there
July 19, 2016
Mike Cope, director of outreach at Pepperdine University, talks with Editor Mark Taylor about how he has coped with profound loss in his life, and how we can, too. See this exclusive interview from the 2016 North American Christian Church here.
October 27, 2015
By Mark A. Taylor Maybe most wouldn”t suspect that loneliness, discouragement, temptation, and insecurity are companions of the person leading their church””especially growing, dynamic ministries like those led by the four guests in our most recent Beyond the Standard podcast. But each of them””Ben Cachiaras, Tim Harlow, Eddie Lowen, and Greg Nettle””admitted to at least one of these problems. And all four credited their association with each other as a key to rising above barriers to emotional and spiritual health. They”ve created a group where they”ve found the freedom to confess sins, share doubts, discuss problems and possibilities, and discern
July 25, 2015
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 Jeff Walling, founding director of the Youth Leadership Initiative at Pepperdine University, Malibu, California. ________ The thoughts and writings of Tim Keller, John Ortberg, Bob Goff, Thomas Merton, and C.S. Lewis have all been recently impacting how I think about Scripture. While hardly a new name among Christian authors, C.S. Lewis”s words still vibrate with deep spirituality and practical wisdom. Lewis
By Jennifer Johnson A new thing for me is being one of the older people in situations where I used to be young and cool. Most recently I experienced this in my preaching class at Emmanuel Christian Seminary; when Dr. Aaron Wymer discussed the various generations currently alive in the church and surveyed our class, I sheepishly raised my hand as a Gen Xer. The millennials who made up most of the class peered at me with curiosity. (“Look, she can use a computer!”) I realize that at not-yet-40 (you didn”t think I”d give you my real age, did you?),
May 29, 2015
By Jennifer Johnson Three years ago, Grant Waggoner, an alumnus and employee of Pepperdine University (Malibu, CA), began mentoring a few students at the school. This “small group” shared a love of surfing, and one of the guys eventually invited his professor, Dr. Robert Shearer. “Grant and I began sharing leadership of the group,” Shearer, assistant professor of decision science, says. “Last year he got married and moved, but I”m at Zuma Beach, about 15 minutes north of the Pepperdine campus, every Wednesday morning at 7:30. This year we”ve been averaging 100 students each week.” There are no classes on
February 18, 2012
By Jennifer Taylor In the fall of 2009, Pepperdine University opened the Churches of Christ Heritage Center on its campus in Malibu, CA. Today the collection of books, photographs, congregational histories, speeches, and other documents fills a room in the school”s library. “Many of these “˜artifacts” are connected to Pepperdine, like the catalog from the school”s first year in 1937,” says Jerry Rushford, director. “But there are also unusual pieces like a device from the 1920s used to fill Communion cups. A church in Idaho donated it to us.” In fact, the collection was created primarily with donations from
December 29, 2010
Teresa Schantz Williams At first, joining an a cappella church of Christ was like attending a family reunion of second cousins on your father”s side. Sure, we had kin in common; we definitely shared ancestral roots. The potluck spreads were every bit as good””that lovely “table” where everyone can find a seat. Still, we were enough different to feel awkward around our rediscovered family. Raised in independent Christian churches that do use musical instruments, I”d nevertheless been taught that churches of Christ shared the same vision of the Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement. In college, and in the years before marriage, I
August 19, 2007
By Victor Knowles Since 1984 thousands of people from across the United States have attended the unity meetings known as the Restoration Forum. These annual gatherings, attended primarily by interested members of Christian churches and churches of Christ, have focused on Jesus” prayer for unity in John 17, “That they all may be one . . . that the world may believe.” On September 6 the curtain will fall on this unique gathering, the longest-running, and arguably the most successful, unity endeavor in the history of the Restoration Movement. At 9:30 a.m. April 16, 1982, a “Code Blue” was issued
April 7, 2026
John B. Penrose Jr
April 7, 2026
David Faust
March 27, 2026
Rick Cherok