Articles for tag: Southland Christian Church (Lexington KY)

Northside Celebrates 50th Birthday at KFC Yum! Center (Plus News Briefs)

Compiled by Chris Moon and Jim Nieman Northside Christian Church, New Albany, Ind., celebrated its 50th anniversary last Wednesday with a worship service at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky. Leading up to the event, Northside reported it would be “the first time in 20 years we will gather as a WHOLE church for a night of worship, celebration and advance commitment to the next step of generosity God is calling each of us toward!” Christian recording artist Michael W. Smith was a special surprise guest at the service. “It was an absolutely beautiful service and a wonderful surprise

Partnering to Teach the Bible

By Jennifer Johnson Southland Christian Church (Lexington, KY) has created a way to engage people who are interested in deeper study of the Bible, maintain their interest and involvement, and even train current leaders and discover future staff members: Southland University. “We”re trying to meet the needs of many different groups,” says Derrick Purvis, formation pastor at Southland. “Weekends are “˜bottom shelf” and designed to be as accessible as possible. Programs that go a bit deeper are the next step. “But we also knew a number of people wanted more challenge and more growth. The problem is it takes a

Wayne B. Smith Remembered for His Wit, Love, Faithfulness

Wayne B. Smith, 87, who helped start Southland Christian Church, Lexington, KY, in 1956 and served as her senior minister until 1995—growing the church from 152 to 3,700 weekly—died June 29, 2016. He remained faithful to the end, even encouraging a gathering of ministers in Jessamine County, KY, the day before his death. Smith, a resident of Sayre Christian Village in Lexington, was once dubbed “the Bob Hope of the Ministry.” He joked that he remembered more jokes than Scriptures. His laugh was infectious. He was known to take buckets of KFC chicken to the needy, friends, and church visitors.

Lexington”s Lighthouse Helps Hungry, Hurting

By Jennifer Johnson Since the mid-1990s, Lighthouse Ministries has been helping the poor, the addicted, and the hungry of Lexington, KY, with food, recovery programs, and other outreach efforts. At the Nehemiah House, men can participate in Bible study, anger management classes, GED preparation, and counseling as well as receive help with their substance abuse issues. Families receive support and resources for the recovery process. Lighthouse”s “Dining with Dignity” program also serves hot meals to thousands””more than 40,000 lunches in 2015 alone. Last year the ministry bought a second building, allowing the Lighthouse team to serve almost 200 people at

Opening Up Missions to Everyone

By Jennifer Johnson More than 1 million American Christians participate in short-term mission trips each year, and many churches build their missions strategy around opportunities to engage members in these experiences. However, not every church has relationships with missionaries who need help, expertise in planning the trip and prepping participants, or enough interested members to create a team. Andy Newton created Ministro Journeys to remove these obstacles and make it easier for churches and individuals to get involved. While serving as associate missions director at Southland Christian Church (Lexington, KY), Newton often received inquiries from professional groups and smaller churches

40 Under 40: Jon Weece

JON WEECE Lead follower,  Southland Christian Church  Lexington, Kentucky The new pope is giving hope to many because he”s a Jesuit. He”s humble and cares for the poor. He”s named for St. Francis. Jon Weece gives me the same hope. He has the heart of a missionary and the humility and leadership of Moses. He comes from some of the finest stock in the Christian church and carries the Weece name proudly. Southland is innovative, but not to be chic. The church exhibited its innovation by starting a huge campus in the middle of an under-resourced area, which has enabled

Real Churches, Missional Ministry

By Mark A. Taylor Of all the articles about missional ministry we”ve posted this month, I like the stories from churches most. Maybe you agree. Although we”re energized by the insights of missional leaders like Matt Smay and Alan Hirsch, their ideas come to life in the strategies, experiences, successes, and failures of local congregations. Rivertree Christian Church, Massillon, Ohio; Community Christian Church, Naperville, Illinois; and Southland Christian Church, Lexington, Kentucky, encourage us with the new paths they”re blazing. And now you can hear leaders from these three churches discuss their ministry. We”re bringing them to you via CHRISTIAN STANDARD”s

Missional Trip

By Jennifer Johnson In 2005, the leadership team at Southland Christian Church, Lexington, Kentucky, read The Externally Focused Church and believed God was calling them to more intentionally move their ministry into the community. The church began hiring new staff, starting new initiatives, and beginning the long-term process of changing the church culture. Since then, in many places missional has become a buzzword for everything from the occasional community service day to a total rethinking of the church”s purpose. At Southland, however, the mission is clear; over the last eight years it has developed significant goals, determined specific geographic and

Lifeline, Southland Work Together for Haiti

By Jennifer Taylor This past December, 6,000 people gathered at 12 packing stations for five days to pack more than 1 million meals for the people of Haiti. Participants packed a specially formulated, fast-cooking, rice-based combination of vitamins, soy, dehydrated vegetables, and other nutrients that provide, in one serving, about 75 percent of a child”s daily requirement for a healthy diet. Lifeline Christian Mission (Westerville, OH) worked with Southland Christian Church (Lexington, KY) to coordinate the event. Lifeline”s ABC (All Because of Christ) food packaging events are opportunities for churches and organizations to meaningfully address issues of world hunger in

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