Articles for tag: Randy Gordon

October 8, 2019

The Sweetest Love of All

By Randy Gordon There are certain words that, through use or overuse, tend to lose their impact or meaning. One such word is love. (By the way, guys, Sweetest Day is October 19!) Let’s be honest, we all want to hear the words, “I love you!” from those closest to us. When a spouse or significant other tells us, “I love you,” it warms our heart and makes us feel special. But when, 30 seconds later, that same person says, “I love tacos” or “I love my dog,” does it mean the same thing? Do they love everything equally? Or—gulp—do

March 12, 2019

Christian Standard

Devotionals

Addicted to the New

By Randy Gordon This Wednesday is the first day of spring [in the northern hemisphere], a season we celebrate the newness of life all around us. We’re addicted to the new. That’s just the world we live in. We love the new iPhone. We love new cars (and if we can’t afford a new car, we buy a used car and a “new car smell” air freshener). We love new fashion, new books, new songs . . . new, new, new. Marketing strives to convince us that the newest version of anything—everything—is better than the previous version. It offers more

January 22, 2019

Christian Standard

Salvation Theology & Bible

Meaning of the Cross

By Randy Gordon What does the cross mean to you? The question is simple enough, but I fear few of us give it much thought. Maybe it’s because we see the cross in so many places. We see it on necklaces, bracelets, and pendants. We see it painted on the sides of train cars. We see it on the roadside after terrible auto accidents. We might even hang it on the wall of our home. Christians have embraced the cross, but in Jesus’ day, the cross represented capital punishment. In fact, execution on a cross was the Romans’ primary form

September 26, 2015

Michael C. Mack

Church & Ministry Community Outreach

3 Secrets to Pulling Off a BIG Serving Event (No Matter How Large or Small Your Ministry Is)

By Michael C. Mack Over the summer of 2015, Northeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky, served its community through a wide variety of big, all-in serving events called Love the Ville (#lovetheville) that took lots of planning and coordination and made a huge impact on the community. What does it take to plan and execute big serving initiatives like the ones Northeast carried out? What are the secrets that any sized church or ministry can implement? Go and do minister Randy Gordon provides three vital planning and execution principles: 1. Talk to the right people. Maximize the relationships you already

August 7, 2014

Michael C. Mack

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