Articles for tag: Restoration Movement

March 14, 2014

Christian Standard

Which Do You Perceive as the Bigger Danger? . . .

By Darrel Rowland Which do you perceive as the bigger danger: Christian churches and churches of Christ being overly exclusive and thus missing out on opportunities for real service and growth available by greater interaction with other Christian groups, . . . or brotherhood churches losing their scriptural distinctive, especially on baptism and weekly observance of the Lord”s Supper, by interacting with other Christian groups? Bob Russell, Retired minister, Louisville, Kentucky Twenty-five years ago I would have answered that the greater danger was that we were too exclusive””we isolated ourselves too much. Today I think the greater danger is we

March 14, 2014

Christian Standard

Ships in the Night?

By Darrel Rowland Churches across the country are shedding denominational names, and well-known Evangelical leaders, such as Francis Chan, are expressing the importance of biblical baptism. Are the heirs to the Restoration Movement headed in the other direction? “I find that denominational preachers are really finding an interest in our doctrine and our stand,” says Ben Merold, minister-at-large with Harvester Christian Church in St. Charles, Missouri. “At about the time they”re kind of coming our way, we”re not making much of our doctrine and our Restoration Movement stand.” Victor Knowles, founder of Peace On Earth Ministries, remarked, “It is more

March 13, 2014

Christian Standard

The Christians Only Challenge

By Darrel Rowland Most of us love this old Restoration Movement slogan: “We are not the only Christians, but Christians only.” But Christian leaders from across the country contacted by CHRISTIAN STANDARD all wrestle with big-picture questions about what overarching principles flow from the adage. Most generally agree with Bob Russell, retired senior minister of Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky, about what to do when invited to attend or speak at an event outside the immediate fellowship. “I will go anywhere as long as I”m not restricted in what I can say or my presence doesn”t leave the impression

March 11, 2014

Mark A. Taylor

Staying Connected”“It”s to Our Benefit!

By Mark A. Taylor The following column first appeared at this site in 2008, but it strikes me, with a couple of tweaks,  as remarkably current still today. So while I’m on vacation this week, let me offer it for your consideration. I’m guessing many readers have forgotten it or missed it when it first appeared! Christ followers outside our movement are often intrigued when they get to know us better. They”re impressed first with the accomplishments of Christian churches and churches of Christ: “¢ Dynamic missions work “¢ World-class church planting initiatives “¢ Creative leadership of new approaches like

February 8, 2014

Christian Standard

From Meager to Eager

By T.R. Robertson When people say they wish they could watch more football, or they wish they could spend more time on the Internet, most of them will actually find a way to do just that. But when the people in your church say they wish they knew the Bible better, will they actually set out to do it? For many, the answer is probably not. But why not? One reason some don”t work at learning the Bible might be they don”t really understand the benefits of being more biblically literate. Sure, they”ll agree it”s important. But in fact, they”re

January 27, 2014

Christian Standard

A Conversation with Jim Tune

By Jennifer Johnson Meet Our Contributing Editors: This month we talk with Jim Tune, senior minister with Churchill Meadows Christian Church in Toronto, Canada, and director of Impact Canada about why he still believes in the Restoration Movement and thinks you should, too. You”ve developed this reputation as “the Restoration Movement guy.” And I”ve always appreciated your balanced perspective on it; on the one hand, you live in a post-Christian country and you”re more interested in telling people about Jesus than engaging in doctrinal battles. At the same time, you have a high value for the movement. What”s the story

January 26, 2014

Christian Standard

To Congregate, or Not to Congregate?

By Don Bennett I”m convinced the sheep should not choose their shepherds. It”s time to get rid of policies and procedures that allow this. I spent my formative years in two Restoration Movement churches that seated their leadership through a voting process that usually occurred at an annual congregational meeting. This was the norm in the 1960s and “70s, with many churches actually allowing nominations from the floor on the day of the vote! As I witnessed this tradition over several years, I became convinced of this system”s flaws. For starters, few if any of those present and voting were

December 2, 2013

Christian Standard

Sometimes the Best Things Aren”t Planned

By Jennifer Johnson “We didn”t set out to recruit three African-American church planters for our 2014 plants,” says Brent Storms, president of the Orchard Group, a church planting organization based in New York City. “Our goal is always to find the very best young leaders, and Watson, Jordan, and Derrick were simply the right people.” Watson Jones will plant in the Germantown section of Philadelphia, an area rich in history and diversity, but with little church attendance and a growing Islamic community. Jordan Rice, currently a leadership resident at Forefront Church in Manhattan, will start a church in Harlem, once

October 14, 2013

Christian Standard

Partnering to Plant in Calgary

By Rick Scruggs On May 7 we formalized a journey started 12 months earlier! Unlikely partners bound together by a document, motivated by a love for others, and captivated by a vision that requires we work together and pray for healthy offspring. Planting churches and getting married have some remarkable similarities! This wasn”t the first time Restoration churches in Calgary, Alberta, had attempted a network church plant. Our first plant started strong in 2007 but suffered an untimely demise because of a moral failure. It caused significant discouragement in the ranks. A follow-up effort in 2009 was impeded by an

October 14, 2013

Christian Standard

New Signs of Hope in Eastern Canada

By Jim Tune Eastern Canada (Ontario and the Maritime provinces) was the seedbed for what finally became known as the Restoration Movement in Canada. Long before the thoughts of Barton Stone were circulated north of the 49th parallel, and several decades before Alexander Campbell visited the Canadian churches, a simple movement””similar, but not identical to that in the United States””took root in Canada. It was an appeal to model the church according to the simple doctrine and polity of the New Testament, to pursue unity, and to discard denominational labels and creeds. Scottish “restorationists” arrived upon the shores of New

September 2, 2013

Christian Standard

A Conversation with Matt Proctor

Meet Our Contributing Editors: This month we talk with Ozark Christian College President Matt Proctor about the impact of a convention theme, the health of the churches in our fellowship, and the genius of the Restoration Movement. Interview By Jennifer Johnson Well, two big things have been part of your life this past year: the North American Christian Convention and your wife”s cancer. Of course, that”s in addition to your work leading Ozark Christian College. I want to talk about all of it””let”s start with the NACC. What have you discovered about our churches this past year? It”s been an honor to

July 28, 2013

Christian Standard

Interview with Russ Kuykendall

By Paul Boatman   Russ Kuykendall is a lifelong Christian who spent his youth and young adulthood preparing for ministry. For the past 20 years he has ministered in the arena of Canadian politics.   How did you happen to choose a career in politics? I did not really choose a political career. I chose to live a life in ministry. I was raised on a farm near Grande Prairie, Alberta. My family loved the church and wanted us to live a Christian life in interface with our wider community and events of the world. Serving Christ was my life”s

July 21, 2013

Mark E. Moore

40 Under 40: Shane Wood

SHANE WOOD Professor of New Testament,  Ozark Christian College,  Joplin, Missouri Shane Wood is one of those rare jewels whose intellect is exceeded by his passion to make Jesus famous. His scholarship is obvious to anyone who has ever sat under his teaching at Ozark Christian College or accessed the growing repository of online lectures he provides for free at shanejwood.com. He is, in my estimation, the foremost expert on the book of Revelation in the Restoration Movement. However, what is most impressive about Shane is his heart for the dispossessed. For example, he is an active board member of

July 15, 2013

Christian Standard

A Conversation with LeRoy Lawson

Meet Our Contributing Editors: In this, the second of our series of interviews with CHRISTIAN STANDARD”s contributing editors, an elder statesman talks about””and speaks to””the young leaders our movement is producing. Interview By Jennifer Johnson  Let”s start with the positive: what encourages you about our young leaders? Their commitment, their curiosity, and””for the most part””their hard work. They have chosen ministry in response to a demanding call, not as a secure job with benefits. They also know the difference between doing religion and serving Jesus. I”m not sure I knew that when I started out. When I planted a church early on,

June 20, 2013

Christian Standard

A Conversation with Jeff Faull

Meet Our Contributing Editors: This month we begin a series of interviews with CHRISTIAN STANDARD”s contributing editors. What they have to say about the church, the ministry, our fellowship of churches, and anything else on their minds will challenge and interest our readers. Their insights and questions amply illustrate why each of these volunteers is such a valuable part of the CHRISTIAN STANDARD team.   Interview by Jennifer Johnson QUESTION: You and I both sit in on these conversations about the future of the Restoration Movement, and it seems many times they rehash the same topics and complaints. Let”s go

June 14, 2013

Christian Standard

A Lesson in Christian Separation, Engagement

By Jennifer Johnson In 2005, three former PayPal employees launched YouTube. Today more than 800 million people, 70 percent of whom live outside the United States, visit the site each month to watch more than 4 billion hours of its free content. People also upload 72 hours of footage every minute, making YouTube the site for video sharing. In 2007, four investors launched GodTube. It grew quickly to almost 3 million users before dropping to 690,000 in 2009. The site was rebranded as a social network named Tangle, and it was acquired by Salem Communications a year later. In his

June 1, 2013

Christian Standard

Missional Revolution

By Darrel Rowland RiverTree Christian Church in Massillon, Ohio, has not tried to become just a little more missional. Led by visionary minister Greg Nettle, more than three years ago the church made a revolutionary commitment to a missional strategy for all its ministry. The result is breeding influence and disciple-building in a way Nettle believes is vital for the very survival of the church in America. Just a few minutes after Greg Nettle”s message and the closing song, a man with an idea pulls him aside in the hallway. “You know what? I know all these remodelers,” the contractor

April 19, 2013

Christian Standard

Interview with Jon Keck

By Paul Boatman   Jon Keck is a staff pastor with First Christian Church, Decatur, Illinois, a once-dwindling traditional church affiliated with the Disciples of Christ that has turned around to become a thriving Evangelical congregation.   Introduce us to First Christian Church of Decatur. This is a growing church that gathers 1,000 Christians each weekend to worship Jesus. We date back to 1833 and have been historically affiliated with the Disciples of Christ. As changes evolved in the Disciples of Christ, we became an autonomous Christian church affiliated with the Disciple Heritage Fellowship. We are growing at the rate

April 8, 2013

Christian Standard

Downloads

CHRISTIAN STANDARD offers a growing library of downloads that are inexpensive, easy to order, and valuable for teaching, preaching, or personal study. Students are using these in their classes. Local church leaders distribute them as handouts or file them for study. To order, click on the links below, or go towww.standardpub.com and search for them by the item numbers provided. Please note: These items are downloads only; no product will be shipped. _________________________               2012 Christian Church Report–Deluxe Edition A thorough listing and analysis of a wide range of data from 344 congregations associated with

March 15, 2013

Christian Standard

A Decades-Long Korean Connection

By John Derry When 100 international students arrive on a small college campus, it can present an interesting challenge as well as a wonderful opportunity. That”s what happens each fall at Hope International University (HIU) when we welcome study abroad students from Dongseo University (DSU), one of the top 10 universities in Korea. The students are accompanied by two visiting professors and study at HIU for two semesters. More than 500 students apply, and 100 are selected by DSU to attend the English as a Second Language program and experience living in the United States. The students are fully engaged

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