Articles for tag: Spatial Storytelling

August 22, 2019

Christian Standard

No Town Like Hometown (Part 1): Sage Hills Church

By Mel McGowan If you consider your church to be in competition with the church down the street or across town, you might need a missions lesson. And I know of two homegrown, down-to-earth churches in Wenatchee, Washington, that can help. In 1908, a small group of Wenatchee folks planted Sage Hills Church. One hundred years later, in 2008, another small group decided to open Grace City Church just a couple of miles away. When Mike Wilson, senior pastor of Sage Hills, moved to Wenatchee a few years ago, he met senior pastor Josh McPherson of Grace City. They immediately

July 22, 2019

Christian Standard

Live Life Beyond

By Mel McGowan I once lived the American dream . . . the one with the big house, the big car, and the big mortgage. To afford my slice of the “American pie,” I lived as if I were in the movie Groundhog Day. I pulled out of the driveway at the same time each day. I commuted to work at least an hour each way, barely making it home in time to tuck in my youngest child at night and rarely in time to have dinner with the whole family. Day after day after day. I spoke to my

June 22, 2019

Christian Standard

The Life-Changing Power of Storytelling

By Mel McGowan Story forms who we are, and story has the ability to transform who we can become. Story is at the core of the human condition. From the earliest cavemen to a contemporary campfire, each generation passes on collective and individual meaning through story. Story defines who we are, why we are, where we come from, and where we could go. Without narratives connecting the dots of our experience, we can exist only as schizophrenic creatures reacting to immediate stimuli. In indigenous Australian culture, narrative “songlines” are not just rhymes to entertain children or creation myths for spiritual

April 25, 2019

Christian Standard

First Christian Church, Surf City USA

The Vital Role of Setting in a Church’s Master Plan By Mel McGowan Imagine a 2,400-member church that has a rare and beautiful, four-acre setting on the Main Street of Surf City USA, and just down the street from where Huntington Beach Pier juts out over the Pacific Ocean. Not long ago, if you drove by that church—yes, it’s real—all you would have seen was the brick backside and moss-covered roof of a dated A-frame sanctuary. It was so closed off, some area residents thought the century-old church had disbanded. So, when First Christian Church asked for navigational design help

March 25, 2019

Christian Standard

Restoring the Least, the Last, and the Lost

By Mel McGowan Who are the least, the last, or the lost in our society? Most people would say the poor, homeless, or prisoners. Some might even say the sick, elderly, or children. Let me ask another question: What do you think about cafeterias at homeless shelters, prisons, hospitals, nursing homes, and schools? I think most people envision cold, stark, institutional-type places, bad smells, monotonous rows of benchlike seats, and people being herded in an orderly fashion. Given the choice, most probably would avoid eating at that kind of cafeteria on a daily basis. How about you? Restoring Hearts and

August 12, 2018

Christian Standard

StoneBridge Christian Church: Building Bridges to God and the Omaha Community

By Mel McGowan StoneBridge Christian Church in Omaha, Nebraska, strives to serve as a metaphorical bridge to God, one another, and the community. Omaha is a vibrant, thriving community situated between prairies and mountains. StoneBridge’s visionary leadership team wanted to capture Omaha’s uniqueness as part of their story and reflect that energy through their facilities. StoneBridge’s team is dedicated to social compassion, relevance, authenticity, friendliness, and approachability; they desired to bring their facilities into alignment with their philosophy. They wanted to create a space that was inviting, comfortable, and fun. My journey with StoneBridge began in 2009 while I was

August 11, 2018

Christian Standard

A Garden Story

By Mel McGowan Mosaic Church in Winter Garden, Florida, opened their doors in 2003, but the church’s story began taking shape centuries before. In fact, it has the same origin we all do, the Garden of Eden, a paradise handcrafted by God for his beloved creations. Eden began as a perfect oasis that offered humankind everything we could ever need—and then it was broken by sin. And the shattered world that emerged was rescued by Jesus and restored for eternity. The heart of Mosaic’s story is summarized in three words: rescue, identity, and mission. And this story informs and describes

March 14, 2018

Christian Standard

Worn-Out Boots and Real-Life Ministry

By Mel McGowan   Real Life Ministries in Post Falls, Idaho, strives to meet people where they are and then walk a mile or even a lifetime alongside them. This church does not attempt to impress its community but, rather, exposes its own raw, real character to draw in “messy, ordinary people.” My company learned this firsthand when we presented a storyboard to them that included a photo of nice, new work boots, and the church leaders’ immediate pushback was that the boots wouldn’t be theirs. That’s because the shoes they walk in would be a pair of boots borrowed

January 24, 2018

Christian Standard

Vibrant Church Rebrands and Rebuilds

By Mel McGowan Imagine if a small church in the rolling hills of central Pennsylvania could pick up the torch from William Penn’s “Holy Experiment” through the development of a postmodern village green. Vibrant Church, previously known as Capital Area Christian Church, has offered its surrounding community a simple, relationship-centric approach to Christianity for 35 years. Vibrant serves the Susquehanna Valley, Mechanicsburg, and Harrisburg areas, where they generously and relentlessly pursue close connection with church members and the community alike. Vibrant’s mission is to be a gift to and destination for the surrounding community. In addition to an all-in-one, multifunctional

December 1, 2017

Christian Standard

Lighting Up the Valley

By Mel McGowan A campus redesign is helping Shepherd Church to be an influence in Hollywood, Los Angeles, and the world. Imagine if the world”s cultural capital and dream factory exported God”s truth instead of Hollywood”s “false north” of political correctness and moral relativism. Imagine if a church in Los Angeles expressed the diversity of the City of Angels and offered a taste of kingdom come, where “all the colors will bleed into one,” as Bono sang. Dudley Rutherford””an Ozark Christian College and Hope International University alumnus””leads the 12,000-member Shepherd Church, called “the most racially diverse church in Los Angeles”

November 12, 2017

Christian Standard

Imagineer

By Mel McGowan   im·ag·i·neer \iËŒmajÉˈnir\ v: 1 : to implement creative ideas into practical form 2 : one who implements creative ideas into practical form  Imagine the impact we could make in the world if the body of Christ recaptured Jesus” reputation as the greatest storyteller ever known.   Imagine if we became truly effective at helping people understand how God is writing them into his story and history.  Imagine if we understood how to tell stories beyond the pulpit.  Imagine if God”s will was done on earth as it is in Heaven, with whatever piece of God”s creation he has

Help Keep Christian Standard Free & Accessible with a Tax Deductible Donation

We can do more together!

Every gift makes a difference!

No, thank you.
100% secure transactions - receipts provided.
Does Your Church Want to Support Christian Standard?

Would your church consider including support for Christian Standard in its annual missions budget? Your support would help us not only continue the 160-year legacy of this unifying ministry, but also expand the free resources, cooperative opportunities, and practical guidance we provide to strengthen churches in the U.S. and around the world.

We can do more together!

Every gift makes a difference!

No, thank you.
100% secure transactions - receipts provided.
Secret Link