Articles for tag: Restoration Movement

Local Churches Organizations & Events

CCV Sees Record Baptisms as Wooldridge Settles In

By Chris Moon Christ’s Church of the Valley in Phoenix, Arizona, recorded 4,371 baptisms in 2019. It was the most ever for the megachurch and the most recorded by any Restoration Movement congregation in the 22 years Christian Standard has compiled data from churches. “The church has always had a big focus on evangelism,” said Ashley Wooldridge, senior pastor of CCV. Christ’s Church of the Valley in 2019 also saw a big spike in average attendance, jumping 7.4 percent to 34,444. That made it the seventh fastest-growing megachurch on Christian Standard’s list. It is the largest congregation in the Restoration

May 1, 2020

Michael C. Mack

Church & Ministry Church Growth

Who Makes the First Move?

By Michael C. Mack The churches in our movement are “devoted to the restoration of New Testament Christianity, its doctrine, its ordinances, and its fruits.” That is stated in the indicia of every issue of Christian Standard—but what about its processes? What can churches today learn from the start of the church on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2 about how to plant and grow the church? An Acts 2 church begins in community: “They were all together in one place” (v. 1). Biblical community is the context or environment in which God does his work. This simple act

May 1, 2020

Megan Rawlings

Christian Living

Lessons from the Bonsai Tree

By Megan Rawlings I have always wanted a bonsai tree. The whole concept absolutely fascinates me. Unfortunately, I was born with a black thumb. When I enter a greenhouse, the plants lean away from me, scared for their lives. It’s so bad, a friend once asked me to come to their house to touch their grass so it would stop growing. OK, so I am not a farmer, but it did not stop me from researching bonsai trees. When You’re Planted in a Small Container Bonsai is an umbrella term for small trees—not dwarf trees—that are clipped and tied in

May 1, 2020

Baptism Theology & Bible

What’s in the Water?

By Michael D. McCann When consumed, it hydrates. When boiled, it disinfects. When we bathe in it, our body is cleansed. This simple combination of hydrogen and oxygen, water truly is a precious, versatile commodity. Similarly, the waters of baptism provide the participant with unimaginable benefits. Baptism floods the spirit with divine blessings. And yet baptism is distinct from our daily uses of water that require no special qualification. Atheist and Christian, male and female, king and servant—we all receive the same benefit when water is consumed. But in baptism, the water produces powerful effects promised only to those who

April 30, 2020

Barton W. Stone Restoration Movement History

A Biographical Study of Barton W. Stone (Part 1)

In 1940, Christian Standard published a lengthy series of articles called “Stars” by Frederick D. Kershner, then serving as dean of the School of Religion at Butler University in Indianapolis. In introducing the series on March 9 of that year, Kershner wrote, “We shall strive to interpret the ongoing of a great movement in the life of the church through the contribution of six of its most significant advocates. . . . We shall be occupied only secondarily with the mere details of biography. . . .” Those six Restoration Movement “advocates” included: • Thomas Campbell . . . “who

April 8, 2020

Christian College Presidents Describe Challenges, Possible Long-Term Ramifications of COVID-19

By Chris Moon In his 24 years at Ozark Christian College—10 as a professor and 14 now as president—Matt Proctor has never experienced a spring semester like this one. “We’re all learning,” he said. The university in Joplin, Mo., just finished its first week of being an online-only school amid the campus closures that have affected colleges across the nation during the coronavirus pandemic. Proctor said things haven’t been easy, but they haven’t been overwhelming, either. “I am blessed with an amazing team,” he said. “I have been able to see our team at Ozark just rally together and do

April 2, 2020

HIU Announces Closure of Nebraska Christian College

By Jim Nieman Nebraska Christian College will close at the end of this semester. The announcement was made this afternoon after a decision by the Hope International University board of trustees. HIU and NCC had merged in 2016. “To give you an idea of our current challenge, our spring enrollment there [at NCC] has fallen to under 90 students, which is the lowest in 30 years,” said Paul Alexander, president of the combined university, via a video posted at NCC’s website. “The number of students required to cover our costs there is just about 200. So, that gap is simply

March 28, 2020

Churches Make Easter Plans in Age of Social Distancing

By Chris Moon As worship life continues to change because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Restoration Movement churches now are faced with putting together one of the most significant worship services of the year—Easter Sunday, April 12. Some churches are letting the online-only worship experience drive their creativity. Others are carefully modifying their long-held Easter traditions to accommodate this time of social distancing (a relatively new but suddenly pervasive term for encouraging people to deliberately increase the space between one another to avoid spreading the virus). Journey Christian Church in Greeley, Colo., is planning a 30-minute Easter video production that

March 21, 2020

Ministries & Nonprofits Organizations & Events

TSF Helping Ministers, Churches During Uncertain Times

By Jim Nieman The Solomon Foundation has begun hosting weekly Zoom meetings to help connect, encourage, and resource ministers across the country during these uncertain times. Doug Crozier, CEO of the church extension fund that works with Christian churches and churches of Christ, said TSF is seeking to be proactive during the COVID-19 outbreak and related financial unease by reminding ministry leaders that God remains in control. To that end, TSF connected with almost 120 ministers and/or ministry team callers during the first weekly Zoom meeting it hosted this past Tuesday morning. Among the speakers were former Christian college president

March 18, 2020

Tyler McKenzie

Pastors Focused on Serving Communities, Improving Online Abilities as Pandemic Continues

By Chris Moon After a weekend of large-scale cancellations of in-person worship services—the result of the COVID-19 pandemic—many Restoration Movement churches are spending this week plotting their next moves. Pastors say they are looking both inward at how their online programming was received and outward at how best to serve their communities in a time of need. They say they are recognizing the way in which “social distancing” recommendations are affecting vulnerable communities, from the elderly to those in poverty. Tyler McKenzie, lead pastor of Northeast Christian Church in Louisville, said his church put together both a weekend service plan

March 13, 2020

Church Leaders Make Tough Calls as Coronavirus Spreads

(On Friday, March 13, this article was updated with information from Northshore Christian Church in Everett, Wash.) By Chris Moon The fear of COVID-19, the new coronavirus, has swept the nation during the past week, and Restoration Movement churches and organizations are working through the fallout. An array of announcements about changes at churches and Christian colleges have been rolled out during the past few days. Colleges have begun posting notices on their websites indicating their response to the coronavirus. (Click here to read “Christian Universities Respond to COVID-19 Pandemic,” which offers a rundown of steps many of our colleges

March 9, 2020

Northwest Christian University Changing Name to Honor Co-Founder

Northwest Christian University is changing its name to Bushnell University. James A. Bushnell co-founded the university and was the first chairman of its board of trustees, the university said on its website. The name change will help the school in Eugene, Ore., reach beyond the Northwest part of the country to students across the United States and internationally. The change will take effect this year, after students graduate in May. The university said its faith commitment remains unchanged. “Our mission, vision, and values are founded upon a faith in Jesus Christ. Our commitment to Christian higher education remains the same,”

March 2, 2020

Marshall Leggett, Former President of Milligan, Dies

Marshall Leggett, 90, the 13th president of Milligan College in Tennessee, passed away Monday morning, the school announced. He had suffered a recent stroke. Leggett served as Milligan’s president from 1982 to 1997. Upon stepping down as president, he served as chancellor of the college until his death. “Dr. Leggett had a profound impact upon Milligan, arriving here during a particularly challenging time for the school,” current Milligan President Bill Greer said in a release Monday. “Because of his efforts, a number of new programs were added, enrollment grew, the campus was improved, and finances were strengthened. He came to

March 2, 2020

China Institute at LCU and Mission Groups Forge Ahead as Coronavirus Spreads

By Chris Moon The coronavirus outbreak has shaken things up for mission organizations and other Restoration Movement groups that do work internationally. The China Institute at Lincoln (Ill.) Christian University—which assists the 20 Chinese students and their families who live on campus—had a student arrive at Lincoln in January after the outbreak of coronavirus, also known as COVID-19. The student came from Wuhan, China, which is the epicenter of the outbreak, said Weilun Lee, director of LCU’s China Institute. The student was checked out by local health officials and given the all clear. “We have done all the things we

February 26, 2020

Church & Ministry Leadership Development

Milligan's Webb Lectures to Feature Austin Gohn (Plus News Briefs)

Compiled by Jim Nieman and Chris Moon Austin Gohn will speak on “Finding My Roots in the Stone-Campbell Movement as a 20-Something Pastor” and “Three Movements that Will Shape the Stone-Campbell Movement in the Next Decade” at Milligan College’s annual Webb Lecture Series at 11 a.m. March 3 and 5, respectively. Coming up in June, Gohn will be writing about the near-term future of the Restoration Movement for Christian Standard. Gohn serves as lead pastor at Bellevue Christian Church in Pittsburgh. He also serves as a ministry coach for Milligan’s Ministry Leadership Program. Milligan’s Webb Lecture Series is named for

February 22, 2020

Mark Kitts

If You Lead Alone, You're Doing It Wrong

A Cutting-Edge Way to Find New Ministry Partners Online . . . and in Person By Mark Kitts I’m still smarting from the recent closing of my alma mater, once known as “the Flagship College” of the independent Christian churches (ICC). Our schools, publications, and national gatherings have historically been unifying bastions of the Restoration Movement. But these institutions have been losing influence as people have voted with their feet and their wallets. Is it because Restoration ideals have lost their relevance? I don’t think so. I see these ideals being adopted as never before. Denominationalism is declining at an

February 22, 2020

Jerry Harris

Culture & Public Square Technology

Technology and the Church

By Jerry Harris Modern technology is an incredible thing, and it’s especially impressive to someone my age. When I was a child, I used to wonder at the people I knew who were around before airplanes, mass-production of cars, and the discovery of antibiotics. With technology developing at light speed, I have become one of those people today that young people look at quizzically. I grew up when cars had painted steel dashboards, pointy control knobs, and a shelf beneath the back window for kids to sleep on during drives. The only “airbag” in our car was my mother’s arm

February 20, 2020