Articles for tag: Springfield

October 7, 2019

Colleges & Seminaries Organizations & Events

McCormick Announced as LCU’s Next President

The selection of Dr. Silas McCormick as the eighth president of Lincoln (Ill.) Christian University was announced Friday. McCormick will assume that position on June 1, 2020, succeeding Dr. Don Green, who has been president since 2014. McCormick, who has served the university as executive vice president since June 2018, was the unanimous selection of the school’s board of trustees. He also has served LCU as vice president of enrollment and marketing and twice as the university’s chief academic officer. According to an LCU news release, a succession team made up of trustees, faculty, and staff was drawn to both

June 12, 2019

Christian Standard

News & Updates

Northeast Dominates ‘Most Post-Christian Cities’ List (Plus News Briefs)

Compiled by Chris Moon and Jim Nieman Barna Group has released its list of “The Most Post-Christian Cities in America: 2019.” Eight of the cities and/or metropolitan areas are in the Northeast, while two are in the far West. The top three “Most Post-Christian Cities” are Springfield-Holyoke, Mass., followed by Portland-Auburn, Maine, and Providence, R.I./New Bedford, Mass. The Friendly Atheist website celebrated the news and referred to the list this way: “These are the cities where religion is most likely to be considered an afterthought.” _ _ _ News Briefs Two of our universities recently made Niche.com’s list of the

January 1, 2016

Christian Standard

Church Leadership

Counting the Cost of a Growing Church

By Eddie Lowen Before you decide you want your church to grow, let me tell you the price you will pay. After taking the staff and elders of a former church to a leadership simulcast in the late 1990s, I learned that I still had a lot to learn. For several years, Rick Warren”s book The Purpose Driven Church had been making a huge impact on churches applying its principles. The simulcast was a way for our leaders to catch this kind of vision. Our church was already growing in size and health, but I knew there was another level

January 30, 2014

Christian Standard

Church Life

Getting Involved

By Jennifer Johnson Like many churches, West Side Christian Church (Springfield, IL) constantly needs volunteers. Unlike many churches, West Side recently focused an entire weekend on creatively and intentionally connecting people with ministry opportunities””and today 50 percent of their adults serve at church in some way. “The volunteering emphasis was part of our “˜Cannonball” initiative, which shared our vision for what God”s calling us to as a church and challenged people to go “˜all in” with their faith,” says Melissa Sandel, director of ministries. Sandel and her team focused on removing barriers and making it as easy as possible for

January 11, 2013

Christian Standard

Church Leadership

How Do You Define Your Leadership? Melissa Sandel

By Melissa Sandel My role is to serve as the chief architect of staff culture. I find high-capacity leaders who are determined to grow, and equip them to hit the ball out of the park in their respective roles. Crafting the environment in which this process unfolds is one of my most vital assignments. Several principles define our staff culture and have shaped the way I lead. Require development. We don”t believe anyone is so sharp or devoted that he or she can play a productive role on our team without growing. To model this, I invite our lead pastor

May 3, 2009

Christian Standard

Restoration Movement History

More Than 120 Years . . . and Counting

Â By Greg Swinney About This Article Long-term ministries tell a story. Nearly two-dozen campus ministers with the Christian churches/churches of Christ have served in campus ministry for more than 20 years (many in the same location where they started). It”s not because they couldn”t find jobs elsewhere . . . it”s because they have a deep-seated passion, a burning in their hearts for the students who walk the concrete sidewalks of the academic jungle we call the state university. This article draws upon more than 120 years of combined experience of four of these campus ministers. Roger Songer, campus