Articles for tag: Standard Publishing

Communion & Lord's Supper Theology & Bible

Most Memorable

By Mark S. Krause What was your most memorable Lord”s Supper celebration? Recently I shared the table of the Lord with 800 believers at the International Church in Kathmandu, Nepal. These were mainly expatriates””Christians far from home who were hungry for the fellowship of Communion. It cheered my soul to be with believers who prized this moment so deeply. Think back. What was a memorable Lord”s Supper for you? I can recall sharing at the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem on Resurrection Sunday, with a village church in Uganda, and with a great crowd at the North American Christian Convention. What

June 22, 2014

Church Leadership

Confessions of a Mission Statement Cynic

By Eddie Lowen I would not trade””for anything””the experience of seeing what happened with our team when we united around the words of our vision and mission. For a long time, I was a skeptic and contrarian regarding church mission statements. To my eye, nearly all were synonymous, so why bother? Besides, isn”t the church”s mission already expressed in Scripture? Jesus said he came to seek and save the lost. He commissioned his followers to preach the good news to everyone. His words are clear and compelling. Best of all, using the words of Jesus does not require several days

June 2, 2014

Is It Time to Quit or Time to Commit?

By Michael C. Mack June is perhaps the best time of the year to assess the small group(s) under your care and review your own leadership. How are you doing as a steward of the people God has entrusted to you? Over the years, I”ve seen many leaders either call it quits or decide to recommit when June rolled around. Let”s face it. Leading a small group is a big commitment. It”s a calling by God to invest your life into the lives of other people, to allow God to use you to bring about transformation as only he can.

May 29, 2014

Church Leadership

Why Jesus Wouldn”t Work for Your Church

By Eddie Lowen We both know I can”t really speak for Jesus. But you have to admit””my title makes a compelling claim, and for the moment, I stand by it. If Jesus had to suffer being an employee at many churches, there would be more than one table-throwing incident credited to him. Before you conclude I”m one of those hipster church haters, wait. I don”t hang with that crowd. People who love the church more than me are tough to find. I even loved the church during the mauve-colored pew era, but that”s a theme for another article. Do you

May 14, 2014

Church & Ministry Teaching

Five Things Every Bible Teacher Must Do

By Jim Eichenberger Tell“”At a very basic level, the teacher is called to deliver information precisely and accurately. In doing that, leaders often ask themselves certain questions:Â Am I pronouncing that name correctly? Do I understand the point of this Bible book? How accurate are the resources I am using?Â Only when those questions are answered can a teacher speak with confidence. Explain“”After delivering content, the teacher is called to ensure that learners understand it. The lesson material a teacher uses will have good content, but what if learners ask questions not “in the script”? Teachers need to have reliable information at

May 14, 2014

Church & Ministry Teaching

A Bible for Teachers: Introducing the ‘Standard Lesson Teacher’s Study Bible’

By Jim Eichenberger There are many study Bibles for individual and devotional use. But what about the special needs of a teacher or Bible study group leader? Standard Publishing has addressed that question by releasing the unique Standard Lesson Teacher”s Study Bible (SLTSB). The SLTSB complements lesson materials by putting tools at the fingertips of teachers while they are leading lessons. Here are some features that do just that: Enhanced Introductions Bible book introductions abound to help the reader understand the book. But our introductions are designed to help the leader teach that book. What to review””Some issues addressed

April 28, 2014

Does Worship Belong in Small Groups?

By Michael C. Mack QUESTION: Should we worship in our small group?Â ANSWER: Does a heart belong in the human body? Does an operating system belong on a computer? Does peanut butter go well with jelly? Does chocolate belong in a chocolate chip cookie? Worship makes a small group run. It”s what holds it together. It”s what makes a sweet aroma, pleasing to God. The question about whether worship belongs in a small group usually comes from Christians who believe for some reason, and with no biblical support, that worship should be reserved for a certain place (the church building)

April 12, 2014

Worship Worship & Prayer

Fuzzy Worship

By Steve Wyatt God made us to worship him. Which means we need to get worship right. But at least four factors push worship out of proper focus. The No. 1 reason God gave you his breath is to bring him pleasure. “O Lord. . . . You created everything, and it is for your pleasure that they exist” (Revelation 4:11, New Living Translation, 1996; author”s emphasis). “All things were created by him, and for him” (Colossians 1:16, King James Version; author”s emphasis). How much of “everything” is included in “all things?” ALL. Including you! You were made for God.

March 20, 2014

What Should We Study Next?

By Michael C. Mack If you”ve been in a small group for more than a few months, you”ve probably heard the question, perhaps many times: “What are we going to study next?” It”s usually asked as you turn to the last lesson in your current study guide. This question tells a lot about your group. Here are a few possibilities: “¢ The group is focused on content rather than Christ and community. “¢ The group has no long-range plans. “¢ The leader is not shepherding the group. “¢ The group has no mission or has forgotten it. I”ve often compared

March 2, 2014

Family & Relationships Parenting

Shaping Special Hearts

By Vangie Rodenbeck For many years I struggled with what it meant that my son had been created in God”s image, even though his central nervous system and brain hinder his capacity to participate fully in many activities. A better understanding of who God is, as revealed in Scripture, equipped me to see a God who finds beauty in weakness. When we embrace the stories of Scripture, such as the parable of the great banquet (Luke 14:15-24), that tell of a creator who values and cherishes the small, the weak, and the marginalized, we can be empowered with courage and

March 2, 2014

Church & Ministry Youth & Children's Ministry

Still Shaping Young Hearts in a Digital Age

“Continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:14, 15, English Standard Version). Â By Diane Stortz Like many grandparents, I pray frequently for my three young grandchildren. I pray for protection, good health, and good relationships. I pray for them to know and choose to follow Jesus at an early age, and to be faithful. To that end, I pray for them

February 23, 2014

Bible Study Theology & Bible

Wrestling with the Scriptures Together

By Michael C. Mack How do small groups best engage in Bible study in order to grow as followers of Christ? If you asked Jesus” original disciples to describe discipleship, they would talk about their yeshiva. Rabbis taught in groups of disciples called yeshivas that would have passionate discussions over different aspects of life and what the Hebrew Scriptures said about them. They would wrestle with the texts together in order to understand God”s view on how they should conduct their lives. Rabbis used no written curriculum or agenda for their multiyear discipling experience. Their curriculum was life itself. The

February 20, 2014

Church & Ministry Teaching

The Big Little Book

By Daniel Schantz This compact Bible commentary from Standard Publishing has been helping teachers since the days of President Eisenhower. I had no idea how big Sunday school was until I read Robert Lynn”s book, The Big Little School. Turns out, some very big names were once Sunday school teachers, including Francis Scott Key and General Robert E. Lee. Several U.S. presidents were Sunday school teachers: James Garfield, Benjamin Harrison, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and Jimmy Carter. Numerous business tycoons were teachers, including John D. Rocke- feller (Standard Oil), William Colgate (toothpaste), James Kraft (cheese), and H.J. Heinz (ketchup).

February 11, 2014

Church Leadership

Leaders Will

By Eddie Lowen I”ve come to a surprising realization about all the churches where my friends and family lead: they all are healthy. In fact, many of these churches are outright thriving! Statistically, that realityÂ is striking because research suggests the majority of churches are in decline, spiritually andÂ numerically. Yet, among my close connections, I can”t think of anyone who presides over a dyingÂ or wilting church. And I think I know at least one reason why. Because we are fallen, individually and corporately, the tendency of a church is toward decline. My friends” and family”s churches defy that propensity because,

January 17, 2014

Christian Standard Updates News & Updates

“˜I Don”t Have Time for a Small Group”

By Michael C. Mack Consumer Christians may be the most likely to claim they”re too busy to join a group. It”s not a new excuse, and I”ve decided on some strategies for confronting it. “I”d like to be in a small group, but I just don”t have the time right now.” I have heard that phrase/excuse 7,463 times since getting involved in small group ministry. But who”s counting? It used to frustrate me whenever I heard it. Sometimes I”d argue with the antiparticipant, using my best biblical and sociological case for group involvement. But that never worked. As a small

December 17, 2013

Mark A. Taylor

More Than a Magazine

By Mark A. Taylor Do you see CHRISTIAN STANDARD magazine? Many readers say it”s the best it”s ever been. But our monthly publication is not the only media we”re using to serve readers and leaders. There”s this website, of course, with new material every day to inform and inspire you. Frequent visitors have discovered they can have total access to all the news, commentary, practical help, and biblical and theological studies here for one, low annual price. And if you want to commit to less than a year, the service offers ridiculously inexpensive one-day and one-month options. Although many of

December 1, 2013

What Are God”s Goals for Your Group Next Year?

By Michael C. Mack What”s God going to do in and through your small group in 2014? Now is the time to prayerfully ask that question, set some goals, and make some plans for next year and beyond. Perhaps you need to confront the brutal facts of your current reality, as author Jim Collins put it in Good to Great, “When you start with an honest and diligent effort to determine the truth of your situation, the right decisions often become self- evident.” That”s what we did at Northeast Christian Church several years ago. We wanted to determine if our

November 30, 2013