Articles for tag: Shepherd Of The Hills

July 19, 2014

Christian Standard

The Secret to a Level Head

By Dudley C. Rutherford (From our series “The Best or Worst Advice I”ve Ever Received.”) My dad told me many years ago that whenever someone compliments or criticizes you, you should only believe about 10 percent of it. For example, I”ve had people come up to me after a sermon and tell me it was the best message they”ve ever heard. That”s encouraging to hear, and there might be some truth in their words. But if I allow myself to steep too long in flattering remarks, I”ll eventually drown in my own pride. On the other hand, I”ve had people

February 14, 2014

Christian Standard

“˜Let Us Tell You Our Story’

By Shelley Leith Christian church leaders share what happened when they committed to this plan for showing readers how the Bible fits together. What is the most biblically illiterate city in America? For one of the largest churches in the country, Christ”s Church of the Valley in Peoria, Arizona, the answer was a wake-up call. Executive pastor Ashley Wooldridge explains: “Here at CCV, we have a very keen and sobering understanding that we live in a completely biblically illiterate age. This especially came home to us when a recent Barna study ranked Phoenix as almost the most biblically illiterate city

October 8, 2013

Mark A. Taylor

Keeping Them Connected

By Mark A. Taylor Those concerned about millennials and their relationship to the church can be encouraged by research reported by the Barna Group in September. Although the news release, titled “Five Reasons Millennials Stay Connected to Church,” minced no words about “the harsh realities of Millennial Faith,” it also offered research to show why many 18- to 29-year-olds stay connected to God by being connected to a local church. But first the bad news: 59 percent of millennials raised in Christian churches eventually leave them. In the last decade, according to this research, the number of unchurched millennials has

October 5, 2012

Christian Standard

Why I Write Books

By Dudley Rutherford When CHRISTIAN STANDARD asked me to share why I write books, I had to smile because I actually ask myself this question all the time. Writing a book, for me personally, is a torturous and time-consuming exercise. Please don”t be offended when I say that it leads me to imagine what a woman experiences when giving birth to a child. Writing a book can be very painful, and if it goes well, it”s completed within nine months. Afterward, you are filled with incredible euphoria as you hold in your hands this crafted project that truly is an

May 23, 2012

Christian Standard

A Church Anyone Can Come To

By Kent E. Fillinger What does it mean to be a church anyone can come to? This question drives Caleb Kaltenbach and Valley View Christian Church in Dallas, Texas. Kaltenbach fully understands it is messy to reach people who would make most Christians feel uncomfortable. When Kaltenbach arrived at Valley View two years ago, it was a predominantly white, fairly traditional, established church that had experienced its share of ups and downs. In short, it was like many other churches across the country. Now Valley View is the place of worship for homosexual couples who walk through the church lobby

April 21, 2012

Christian Standard

The Place of Victory

By Bryce Jessup John Wooden, who died June 4, 2010, attended Shepherd of the Hills Church in the Los Angeles area. He is the only person to make it into the Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player and a coach. He won 10 NCAA Championships. He was named “Coach of the Century.” Few are aware he carried a wooden cross in his pocket. He would hold it in his fingers when things didn”t go well during a game. A reporter asked him if it was a religious ritual for him, and his answer was “no.” He said that

December 31, 2011

Christian Standard

The Word Got Ahold of Me

By Byron Davis “The Bible transforms lives! You better believe it! Don”t let the Bible get ahold of you because when you do, you”ll never be the same! “Amen! Amen “˜Pastuh.” Preach it. Preach the Word!” I was 13 when I heard these words shouted through the cheap sound system at Good Shepherd Baptist Church in East Cleveland, Ohio. That Sunday morning was cold and rainy, and I couldn”t wait for service to start because that”s when the preteens were allowed to actually sit in service with the adults. I was not as excited to hear the sermon as I

July 26, 2011

Christian Standard

Read It for the Stories

By Mark A. Taylor   I”m reading Unleashed, Dudley Rutherford”s brainchild and Standard Publishing”s new release based on the sermons at this summer”s North American Christian Convention. And I”m a fan. I expected the book to be full of solid scriptural teaching. But I didn”t expect the book to draw me in so that I didn”t want to put it down. I didn”t expect it to make me laugh out loud or fight back tears. Unleashed will be purchased for many reasons, but my advice is, get the book for its stories. You”ll share them with your spouse. You”ll use

February 21, 2011

Christian Standard

Interview with Dudley Rutherford

By Brad Dupray Dudley Rutherford is a third-generation minister who has attended the North American Christian Convention for more than 40 years. He is in a family that produces ministers: both brothers, both brothers-in-law, both uncles, and his cousins are also ministers. His ministry of 24 years at Shepherd of the Hills Church in suburban Los Angeles has challenged him to think creatively and diversely. The church has benefited, having grown from 300 to more than 8,000 during his tenure with an ethnic mix that goes beyond just reflecting his community. Dudley earned his undergraduate degree at Ozark Christian College,

February 18, 2011

Christian Standard

The Dynamic NACC Message in a Challenging New Book

By Dudley Rutherford When you read in the Bible about the powerful ministry of Jesus or the revolutionary witness of the first-century church, does a longing well up inside you to capture that same strength and vigor in your personal effectiveness for the kingdom of God? The church in the New Testament impacted the world. It changed culture from Jerusalem to Judea to Samaria and to the ends of the earth. The early disciples turned the world upside down with their message, their lives, their commitment, and their passion. Can you imagine today”s church having the same influence in our

December 27, 2010

Christian Standard

Lesson for Jan. 2, 2011: God Is Our Redeemer (Isaiah 44:21-28)

This week”s treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson (for January 2) is written by Byron Davis who serves with Shepherd of the Hills Church in Porter Ranch, California. God Is Our Redeemer (Isaiah 44:21-28) By Byron Davis “Remember these things . . . I have made you . . . I will not forget you” (Isaiah 44:21). “Daddy, you stink!” Those were the first words that came out of my 4-year-old daughter”s mouth after I returned home from a 13-mile morning run. I walked into the kitchen to grab some water. Soon, I started talking with my wife and

October 2, 2010

Christian Standard

Interview with Byron Davis

By Brad Dupray Dream of Destiny is casting a vision for Christian churches and churches of Christ across America to increase their evangelistic outreach through ethnic diversity in ministry. Dudley Rutherford, senior pastor of Shepherd of the Hills Church in Porter Ranch, California, challenged Byron Davis to spearhead the venture as a member of the staff at Shepherd. Byron left a career in pharmaceutical sales to join the church staff. He was a member of the U.S. National Swim Team from 1994 to 1996, was an eight-time All-American swimmer at UCLA, and was a U.S. Olympic team alternate in the

September 29, 2010

Christian Standard

White as Snow? Guilty as Sin?

By Darrel Rowland Some 50 years ago Martin Luther King Jr. pierced the church”s soul by pointing out that the most segregated hour in America was 11:00 Sunday morning. Things sure have changed in the five decades since, haven”t they? I mean, we gather at all sorts of hours other than 11 am Sunday these days. But about that other part . . . Let”s just ask ourselves a brutally honest question: Why are Christian churches and churches of Christ among the last bastions of society to remain predominantly white? Once we answer that one, we must tackle an even

September 21, 2008

Christian Standard

NACC Viewpoints: What Did You Expect?

By Randy Gariss “So how was the North American?” On the surface, that question seems rather innocuous, but somehow over time that simple inquiry has come to prompt a surprisingly complex and emotional set of responses. When it comes to evaluating a North American Christian Convention, you will hear every answer possible: “It was great!” “It was lacking,” “It was very helpful,” or a frustrated, “I can”t figure out where the NACC is headed!” How can there be such diverse reactions to the same experience? It is probably because our personal expectations for the convention are also extremely varied, and

December 2, 2007

Christian Standard

How Hope International University Is Training Second-Career Ministers

By John Derry Hope International University (www.hiu.edu) Among the many challenges faced by growing and active churches is, “How do we find enough qualified servant-leaders to meet the needs of our congregation?” Demands on the pastoral staff make it difficult to devote the kind of time required to prepare comprehensive training sessions that address critical issues. At the same time, emerging leaders with outstanding potential are assuming more responsibility and desire to refine their ministry skills. They recognize the importance of doing their jobs well, are eager to put new ideas into practice, and want to be sure they have

October 28, 2007

Christian Standard

Let’s Celebrate

By Bob Russell About These Articles This article and its companion, “How Should We Celebrate?,” are excerpted from Bob Russell“s closing sermon at the North American Christian Convention in Kansas City, July 6. Bob reviewed the biblical examples of celebrating what God has done, and then he highlighted some of what God is doing among us today.     This is a time when those of us in the Restoration Movement should really be celebrating God”s victories. In the early 1800s our forefathers sensed a lack of vitality in the church and prayed for revival. They desired not just a

January 10, 2007

Christian Standard

Two Important People

By Mark A. Taylor The most important part of any project is not the budget or the building or the technology or the method. Each of these can help, but not as much as one other factor: The people are always the most important ingredient. This is why leadership is the biggest challenge for the local church. Nothing matters more than the combination of faithfulness and giftedness in those overseeing the church’s various ministries. It’s true for Standard Publishing, too. Consider our Publishing Committee. Formed about 50 years ago to help guarantee the faithfulness of Standard Publishing’s products, the Publishing

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