A Church-Planting Church: The Legacy and Impact of East 91st Street Christian Church
E91’s church-planting impact and legacy have added mightily to the Restoration Movement’s tremendous growth. . . .
Articles for tag: Stadia Church Planting
June 6, 2023
SPOTLIGHT: SouthBrook Christian Church Grows Through Teaching, Service
Charlie McMahan says SouthBrook Christian Church in Miamisburg, Ohio, took a major step forward last year in its recovery from COVID-19—an event that he compares to the 9/11 terrorist attacks . . . but which had an opposite effect on the church in this country. . . .
February 13, 2023
Tom and Debbie Jones Exit Retirement, Join NewThing
There was only so much pickleball Tom Jones could play in retirement. The longtime executive director of Stadia Church Planting recently was hired by NewThing—a church-planting organization founded by Jones’s longtime friend Dave Ferguson—to serve as the group’s director of development.
March 4, 2022
NewThing Hoping to Plant Hundreds of Digital Churches
NewThing is launching a digital church-planting effort it hopes will spark hundreds of new churches during the next year. Jeff Reed said the initiative already has drawn interest from 200 prospective church planters.
Stadia, MOHI Partnering to Plant Churches, Reach Kids (Plus News Briefs)
Stadia Church Planting and Missions of Hope International have announced a partnership and goal of planting 100 churches, building 100 schools, and sponsoring 100,000 children by 2030. PLUS NEWS BRIEFS . . . including a free retreat for ministers at Great Lakes Christian College.
March 31, 2021
Two Churches Open New Buildings Just in Time for Easter
Many churches that offered only taped or livestreamed Easter services last year are excited to be planning in-person gatherings this year. But two churches—Discovery Christian Church in Mars, Pa., and Crestview Christian Church in Manhattan, Kan.—will be celebrating Easter in just-opened buildings
January 27, 2021
News Briefs for Jan. 27
Stadia Church Planting shared a video highlighting multiple achievements attained during the challenging year of 2020. Among those successes: Stadia planted 98 U.S. churches and 280 global churches (making a total of 1,256 Stadia churches since 2003); 83 new church planters were recommended for church planting; 1,155 women were served through Stadia’s Bloom: Church Planting Women; and 2,000 more children were sponsored through Stadia global partnerships (bringing the total to 48,720 since sponsorships began). View the video at stadiachurchplanting.org. _ _ _ LifeVenture Group, a new ministry devoted to offering people new life in Jesus, is actively engaging with international
March 18, 2020
Stadia Honors Tom, Debbie Jones with Award Named for Them (Plus News Briefs)
Compiled by Jim Nieman and Chris Moon Tom and Debbie Jones recently received a new award from Stadia Church Planting that is named in their honor. The Dr. Thomas and Debbie Jones Church Planting Impact Award was presented to the Joneses at Stadia’s annual Celebration and Dessert Party at Exponential in Orlando, Fla., on March 3. In the future, the award will be presented to leaders like the Joneses who champion the cause of church planting. Together, the Joneses planted two churches, before Tom joined Stadia in 2003. He soon became executive director of the nationwide church planting organization. His
December 18, 2019
Stadia’s Generosity to Church Planters Pays Off in First Year
By Jim Nieman Stadia Church Planting’s decision to give away the majority of its services starting last January had little noticeable effect on its financial bottom line in 2019, but the change helped Stadia to double the number of U.S. churches it helped plant last year. In 2018, Stadia assisted in planting 34 churches in the United States; that figure jumped to 68 in 2019, said Matt Murphy, strategic services and marketing executive with Stadia. How is that possible, when Stadia provides, on average, about $74,000 in services to help each new church get off the ground? It has a
November 13, 2019
Joneses to Step Down from Leadership Roles at Stadia (Plus News Briefs)
Compiled by Jim Nieman and Chris Moon Tom and Debbie Jones plan to step down from their leadership roles with Stadia Church Planting and Bloom, respectively, on Jan. 1, they announced via Facebook. However, both will remain with Stadia as special assistants to the president. Tom Jones has served as executive director of Stadia since its founding in 2003. Debbie Jones founded and serves as senior director of Stadia’s Bloom, which empowers women to maximize their role in starting churches. Both of the Joneses will turn 65 in 2020. “Our focus will turn from executive leadership and operations to work
October 16, 2019
Renew Gathering Emphasizes Theology Behind Disciple-Making
By Chris Moon A new gathering of disciple-makers within the Restoration Movement—and beyond it—will meet Nov. 6 in Nashville. The Renew Gathering is expected to draw about 600 people. It is aimed at helping participants grasp solid disciple-making theology. The conference will serve as a precursor to the annual National Disciple Making Forum, which also will meet in Nashville and is set for Nov. 7, 8. “At Renew, you get the theology. At the National Disciple Making Forum, you get the methodology,” said Bobby Harrington, who is organizing both conferences and leads their accompanying websites, Renew.org and Discipleship.org. Harrington is
July 22, 2019
Why We Must Go to the Cities
God’s Word, Urbanization, Generational Shifts Compel Us to Plant Urban Churches Now By Nathan “Chivo” Hawkins and Josie Barton People are drawn to cities for many reasons: education, employment, entertainment, economic and social opportunities. People have also been overwhelmed by cities; the exposure to poverty, illness, and other symptoms of brokenness have caused many people to flee urban centers. But whether pulled or repulsed, the Great Commission compels us to minister in cities. Biblical Rationale for Urban Ministry Social justice has become such a buzz phrase that followers of Jesus might dismiss urban ministry as a fad. Yet, we have
July 17, 2019
DeWelt to Lead College Press as Company Turns 60 (Plus News Briefs)
Compiled by Chris Moon and Jim Nieman Chris DeWelt, who has served with College Press Publishing for many years, became president and publisher of the company on July 1. DeWelt is the son of Don DeWelt, who started College Press in 1959. The Joplin, Mo.-based company is marking its 60th anniversary providing Bible-based material to Christian leaders and students. Chris DeWelt served eight years on the mission field in Chile before returning to the United States and working with his father until Don DeWelt’s death in 1991. Since that time, Chris DeWelt has served with College Press in various capacities,
June 5, 2019
WJU Student-Athlete, Mom Wins NAIA Marathon (Plus News Briefs)
Compiled by Chris Moon and Jim Nieman Full-time student-athlete, wife, and mother Bailey Cossentine of William Jessup University won the marathon at the NAIA Women’s Outdoor Track & Field National Championships at Gulf Shores, Ala., on May 25. Cossentine finished with a time of 3:07.50.64, just 13 months after having a baby. Her time was more than 30 minutes faster than the school record she set two years ago. In winning, she became WJU’s first-ever, first-place NAIA All-American. “Bailey executed a perfect race plan with her progression through the field of competitors,” coach Jeff Magley said. “She was in control all day and closed the last 10k with great
March 27, 2019
A Fortuitous Announcement for Stadia (Church Planting)
Stadia Church Planting marketing manager Josie Barton had some fun with Google’s announcement that its revolutionary cloud-based gaming system would be called . . . you guessed it: Stadia. “These past few days, we’ve been having fun introducing unsuspecting gamers to our church planting mission,” Barton wrote on Stadia’s website Sunday, noting, “it’s easy to use the wrong handle in the twitterverse.” Cloud-based gaming could mark the end of console-based systems that have ruled since the early 1980s. If gamers are excited for Stadia, Barton opined, “We need to be as excited [because] Stadia Church Planters is even better.” She then listed several
New City Plants New Campus (plus News Briefs)
By Chris Moon New City Church of Los Angeles has launched a second campus. The 10-year-old church located in downtown Los Angeles opened a new location in the lower San Fernando Valley. The new church—called New City Church of San Fernando Valley—is led by pastor David Guyer. The church plant is part of New City Church’s vision to open three to five new locations across Los Angeles during the next five years. “This is an ambitious vision,” lead pastor Kevin Haah said in a video introduction about the church plant. “God doesn’t call us to what’s easy but to where
February 22, 2018
Headlines: July 2018
By Chris Moon Churches Unite to Carry the Cross Campton (Ky.) Christian Church brought the message of the cross to its region in the lead-up to Easter. The church’s “Cross Across Wolfe County” event brought churches and other believers together to carry a large wooden cross from one end of Wolfe County, Ky., to the other. The event took place on the Saturday before Easter. Churches, youth groups, and families signed up to carry the cross in 2-mile segments. The cross covered a distance of about 20 miles. Local law enforcement provided an escort for participants, and an assist
December 15, 2017
HEADLINES: January 2018
By Chris Moon  Church Planter Helps with Recovery in Dominican Republic Church planter Chris Hornbrook had to weather the storm last fall in his mission work in the Dominican Republic. Hornbrook is working to start a church-planting movement on the Caribbean island and watched as Hurricane Maria spun by, doing significant damage to the region. It generated a lot of work for Hornbrook and his team, according to the Daily Journal in Franklin, Ind., which wrote about Hornbrook”s efforts. “We”re working through our local churches and pastors so that they can help the people in their communities,” Hornbrook told
November 20, 2017
Headlines: December 2017
By Chris Moon Pastor Shifts Gears to Raise Funds Jeff Greco will go out of his way for a good fund-raiser””literally. The pastor of Crossroads Christian Church in Wintersville, Ohio, in September cycled nearly 900 miles in eight days from Kansas City, Mo., back to Crossroads. The goal was to raise money to buy a new pickup truck for the church”s missionary in Thailand. Greco embarked on the trip hoping people in his congregation and community would be inspired””not just to give money to help the missions effort, but also to step out in their faith. “I want to
October 12, 2015
Quitting Solitaire
Four ministers. One concern: How to find a “band of brothers” for accountability, insight, and help to finish well. By Eddie Lowen I was set apart for ministry by the first church that employed me. I was only 19 when they hired me (and 20 when they ordained me), yet they took a chance. They took a chance that I would graduate a year after my ordination. They took a chance that I would mature in many ways. They also took a chance that I would find a wife! Seriously, at the time, an unmarried pastor was rare. Most of
