Articles for tag: Social Media

Download Our New Free App Today!

By Mark A. Taylor When CHRISTIANS STANDARD”s print edition converted from weekly to monthly distribution almost two years ago, some potential subscribers said, “I”d read every issue””on my iPad.” Well, now they can. The new, free CHRISTIANS STANDARD app is available today for every smartphone and tablet, and we think you should download it today. (Search for “Christian Standard” at the Apple Newsstand, Google Play, or Amazon apps.) When you try the app, you”ll discover: “¢ A wealth of free content. The whole July issue is there! Plus a valuable compilation of “Ministry Today” columns by regular columnists Tim Harlow

Church Goes “˜All-in” to Reach Latinos

By Jennifer Johnson Many congregations start Spanish-language services, but few go “all-in” like Eastside Christian Church in Anaheim, CA. “Our mission is to reach 1 percent of the 5.8 million people within a 20-mile radius of our building,” says communications director Jan Lynn. “A third or more of these people are Latino, so we needed to be intentional about creating new ways to serve them and share Jesus.” For Eastside, that”s “Semilla@Eastside,” a new service held each Sunday at 2 p.m. Hector Hermosillo serves as the new pastor for the initiative, and works closely with the rest of the staff

Connected?

It”s the theme for a whole semester”s chapel sessions, and I decided to make it the title for the sermon I”m preaching at that chapel today. But I made one small change. “Connected” is the theme chosen by Bryan Sands, campus minister at Hope International University, Fullerton, California. I added a question mark for my one-word title, because some are saying our society is less connected now than ever. Jacqueline Olds and Richard S. Schwartz, for example, have written a book called The Lonely American. The conclusion of these two Harvard Medical School psychiatry professors? “Our society is in the

iChurch

By Kent E. Fillinger A recent Family Circus cartoon showed Dolly telling her mother, “Billy says he doesn”t hafta” go to church anymore “˜cause his phone has an app for that!” The reality is, Billy may be right! The top-ranked online search topic in 2011 was “iPhone,” beating out Casey Anthony, Kim Kardashian, and Katy Perry. Technologies like Facebook, Twitter, mobile websites, and smartphones are changing the way individuals live and organizations operate. Church growth consultant Barry Whitlow wrote, 70% of the people living in most American communities now choose not to get up and go to a church service

Gen X Rising (Part 2)

By Rick Chromey Gen X is rising. From the Tea Party to the emerging church movement, a new breed of leader is operating. Unlike previous generations in recent history, Americans born between 1961 and 1981 don”t feel a need to work within institutional frames. In the 1990s they pioneered dot-com companies to launch a World Wide Web. During the past decade they”ve revolutionized dig- ital learning, wireless communications, reality television, and thousands of “third place” cultural experiences from coffee shops to fantasy sports to “emerging” churches. Now in their 30s and 40s, this generation rides the leading edge of unemployment, foreclosure,

Orlando in July? Can”t Wait!

By Mark A. Taylor In the spirit of full disclosure, let me make my bias perfectly clear: I love Orlando. I love the palm trees and the fountains and the flowers. I love the theme parks with their manufactured adventures and one-of-a-kind experiences. I love the restaurants and the shops and the souvenirs. So when I heard the North American Christian Convention was meeting in Orlando this year, I became an instant advocate. “We”re going to Orlando for the NACC,” I told my wife and anyone else who would listen. And no possible objection has fazed me. “It will be

Vinyl Records Have Made a Comeback

By Josh Tandy The big black discs you put on a turntable and place a needle on to play are suddenly cool again. Maybe you”ve seen them only at Goodwill or garage sales. Maybe you were holding on to your collection and your mom sold it while you were at college, but vinyl is in. LP lovers seem to always talk about the full sound that is absent in digital formats. Or they rave about the album experience, hearing the entire piece as the artist intended. Digital music available on iTunes is popular because of the vast selection, near-perfect quality,

What Is a Sermon? Three Words Describe . . .

By Jeff Walling “Now that was a great sermon!” Every preacher wants to hear that comment when the service is over on a Sunday. But what really makes a great sermon? How should we measure the success of the minutes a congregation gives to hearing us open up God”s Word for them? I”ve often told the old, borrowed preacher”s story of speaking at a revival for a small rural church. Standing at the door after the morning services the preacher was greeted by member after member who praised the lesson. But then one gentleman shook his hand and said, “That sermon

Windows of Youth Ministry

By Curtis Booher and Phyllis Fox   In the rapidly changing culture of adolescents, one thing has remained the same over the generations””the nature of teenagers. Students of the current millennial generation are struggling to find their identity, purpose, and direction in life, to be independent of their parents, and to find love. These same struggles have confronted students in every generation.  The big questions remain the same: Who am I? Where am I going? Why am I here? But there are also many characteristics unique to students growing up in the new millennium. It is important to understand the

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