Articles for tag: Secrets

May 2, 2010

Christian Standard

Why Do Christians Serve? Guilt or Gratitude?

By Larry W. Bailey Lady Macbeth compulsively washed her hands in a vain attempt to cleanse herself from feelings of guilt. She and her husband had conspired in the murder of King Duncan, and the “spot of blood” on her hands seemed to resist removal. Her repeated attempts to cleanse herself of blood (guilt) proved futile. She wondered aloud, “Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him?” (Macbeth, act 5, scene 1). Physical actions could not relieve her guilty conscience. We all can identify with Lady Macbeth to some extent, because all

April 11, 2010

Christian Standard

Megachurches: A Year in Review

By Kent Fillinger Studies, books, and articles that examine high-performing or fast-growing churches abound, and each one seeks to uncover the reasons for their success. The same is true in the business world. Successful companies frequently are profiled in an attempt to ascertain the secrets of their greatness. Recent research from the business world demonstrates that “the “˜great” companies . . . are mostly just lucky.”1 A study of 287 high-performing companies in 13 major success studies showed “that only about one in four of those firms was likely to be remarkable; the rest were indistinguishable from mediocre firms catching

August 23, 2009

Christian Standard

To the Best of My Ability

  by Glen Elliott We are a people obsessed with success. We long for A”s in the classroom and the bonus or promotion at work. We want to be a starter on the team. Yet, the reality of the very system we live in is that we can”t all get A”s (that”s called grade inflation). Not everyone can get a bonus or promotion, and not everyone gets to start. The normal response to this reality is we encourage folks to just “do the best you can.” It sounds good. I like it. While most of us accept this as conventional

October 26, 2008

Christian Standard

Sin Among the Shepherds

By Name Withheld   In a perfect world there would be no articles like this. The leaders in our churches would be solid, stable, and blameless. You wouldn”t need the testimony “of a leader who failed.” And I wouldn”t be that leader. In a serious understatement, I was asked to describe for you “what happens when a shepherd “˜stubs his toe” and it is handled well by the church.” I was asked because I am that shepherd, but I didn”t feel I had “stubbed my toe”””it felt like I had cut off my legs. While the elders of my church know

August 3, 2008

Christian Standard

Innovation and Invention

By Rick Chromey Few innovations and inventions have altered a civilized cultural landscape like the Internet. Just as Gutenberg”s printing press revolutionized our world and introduced a new concept of mass production, the World Wide Web has globally transformed social institutions from business to education to media. In the March 2008 edition of Fast Company“”an issue dedicated to the “world”s 50 most innovative companies”””the three giants standing at the summit were Google, Apple, and Facebook (in that order).1 Compiling the list involved studying hundreds of companies over several months, noting both fresh perspectives and historical commitments to reinvention. Consequently, it

March 9, 2008

Christian Standard

Confidentiality: Always Helpful or Not?

By Tim Woodroof and Leland Vickers You are serving as an elder (or minister, volunteer leader, Bible class teacher, or pastor) for your local congregation and you are approached on Sunday by a longtime member””let”s call her Susan””who says she would like to talk with you about a “personal problem.” You agree to meet her for coffee, but Susan prefaces her discussion with a request, “This must stay only between the two of us. Can we agree that our discussion be completely confidential?” What is your response? The current church culture leads people to assume they have the right to

January 20, 2007

Christian Standard

Seven Leadership “˜Secrets”

By Victor M. Parachin In 1964 as Winston Churchill”s health was rapidly declining, former President and World War II Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower visited his friend. Eisenhower sat by the former prime minister”s bed for a lengthy period of time. Neither man spoke. After a while, Churchill slowly raised his hand and painstakingly made the “V” for victory sign, which he was well known for, often flashing it to the British people during the darkest days of World War II. Eisenhower, fighting back tears, stood up, saluted Churchill, and left the room. Composing himself, Eisenhower spoke to his aide in

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