December 21, 2022
"All my Christmas memories are framed by the city where I both spent my childhood and where my wife and I raised our daughter," Steve Carr shares in today's Christmas remembrance. "And for me, nothing says Christmas in Cincinnati like the live Nativity display at Krohn Conservatory in Eden Park."
July 20, 2021
From a financial standpoint, most churches performed amazingly well during the course of COVID-19. Now, with unprecedented levels of cash on hand, church leaders must strategize how best to steward these resources.
January 29, 2021
I soaked up Sam Stone's wit and wisdom during our lunches together. Afterward, I’d take notes about our conversations. After hearing of his passing, inspired by his wordsmithing, I felt compelled to share just a small part of his story.
June 14, 2020
Learning from Our Restoration History—and the Civil War—How to Fight Well By Steve Carr An adage suggests there are three subjects one should not bring up in public conversation: sex, religion, and politics. In this article, I throw caution to the wind and bring up all three, while pursuing how political issues have impacted the Restoration Movement. One of the mottoes of our movement is, “In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things, love.” In the traditional understanding of this proverb, nonessentials refers to those extra-biblical topics not specifically mentioned in Scripture. While politics would seem to fit in
September 13, 2019
Our September 2019 issue focuses on urban ministry, which is something Steve Carr wrote about in this article from 11 years ago. At that time, a few dozen urban ministers came together for an “Urban Conversation” to discuss the situation and consider solutions. Some things have changed over the last decade, but many of the elements of their conversation are still important today. (This article originally appeared online in August 2008.) _ _ _ By Steve Carr By sometime this summer half of the world’s population will live in cities.1 For Restoration Movement churches in America this fact is problematic
March 25, 2019
A Decentralized Approach to Church Growth By Steve Carr The church must look different tomorrow than it does today. This is the conviction of Bo Chancey, lead minister of Manchester Christian Church in New England. It is a fascinating observation, considering Manchester Christian, which now averages about 4,000 weekly, is already the largest Protestant church in New Hampshire, the second most dechurched region in America. Still, the churchâ™s strategy relies upon continual risk-taking and nontraditional approaches to growth. Change is an essential part of Manchester Christianâ™s DNA. âChurches always change, because the church is people, and people are constantly changing,â
February 2, 2019
(Part two in a three-part series) By Steve Carr In our digital society, postage stamps seem archaic. But in Alexander Campbell’s day, they symbolized wealth. And as postmaster at Buffaloe, Virginia, he was able to wield this wealth to benefit the Restoration Movement. During the colonial era, postal service was sketchy. It was so costly and inconsistent that the United States made it an official government institution after the Revolutionary War. As the country expanded westward, mail became essential in providing access to critical information, thoughts, and ideas. As a result, postmasters became among America’s most important citizens. Campbell
February 2, 2019
By Michael C. Mack The statistic is alarming. According to a Christian university study reported by the Center for Church Leadership, over a 10-year period 70 percent of ministers drop out of ministry. And some of the biggest reasons for that high attrition rate are financial. CCL’s September 2016 State of the Ministry research study of Christian church/church of Christ ministers reveals that 74 percent of responders who serve in vocational ministry have debt. It also found that 54 percent of churches do not provide retirement benefits and 47 percent don’t offer health/medical insurance. No wonder the survey determined 85
January 29, 2019
By Steve Carr “What religion are you?” “Christian.” “Well I get that, but what kind of Christian?” “Um, just Christian.” Growing up on Cincinnati’s west side, where Roman Catholicism reigned supreme, I constantly had this exchange with kids at school. Raised in a Restoration Movement congregation, I was taught that our church was simply Christian—nothing more, nothing less. It wasn’t until years later in seminary that I learned another biblical name that could describe my tribe. Alexander Campbell was repulsed that some referred to his group as “Campbellites,” so he sought a more biblical description of our fellowship. Terms like
January 3, 2019
(Part one of a three-part series) By Steve Carr Let me start with the story of two movements. By virtue of reading this magazine, I’m sure you can guess the first one, so I’ll introduce you to the other. About four decades after the inception of the Restoration Movement, American innovation led to the creation of a game that would quickly become the national pastime: baseball. Abner Doubleday is often credited with creating the game, but historians have virtually refuted this. Regardless of who started it, the history of baseball is robust. It continued to spread rapidly across the United
August 27, 2018
By Steve Carr A stretch of the famed Massachusetts Avenue in the District of Columbia is known as Embassy Row. This portion of the street is lined with more than 175 foreign embassies and diplomatic missions. Here in our country’s capital is a road representing the nations of the world coming together. A mere two miles from Embassy Row, a community of believers is dedicated to bringing the nations together for Christ. Nestled in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of Washington, D.C., Encounter Church was planted last year by Joel Pazmino and his wife, Meghan. On a recent trip through D.C.,
February 12, 2017
By Steve Carr What I”ve learned, and what I”m still asking, after conversations with those who left the faith. “It was Santa Claus.” As Bill said it, he looked me straight in the eyes without blinking. I thought he was joking. “Are you being serious,” I asked. “Santa Claus pushed you toward atheism?” Bill nodded his head. “It sounds stupid, but that guy really did a number on me.” If you”re like me, it”s impossible to reminisce about childhood without talking about church. Faith was the priority of my family”s social life. After home and school, I spent the majority
January 13, 2012
By Steve Carr “Of course God cares about numbers. There”s a book in the Bible called Numbers!” “Each number represents a soul, and God desires every one of them.” These statements are simplistic but serve as an apologetic for both tracking congregational size and aiming for larger attendance numbers. They affirm what we seem to know innately””that bigger is obviously better when it comes to the church. It makes perfect sense, doesn”t it? The more people in the pews, the more ministry being accomplished, and the better off the kingdom of God. As a student of the church growth movement,
July 18, 2011
This week”s treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson (for July 24) is written by Steve Carr, teaching minister at Echo Church in Cincinnati, Ohio. ____________ Let God Rule (Judges 7:2-4, 13-15; 8:22-26) By Steve Carr In the late 16th century there emerged a religious/political doctrine known as the divine right of kings. As the Protestant Reformation spread across Europe, monarchs attempted to solidify their positions with this philosophy. This divine right claimed that God gave kings their authority, so kings were accountable to God alone. Even if a king was evil, the doctrine dictated, he could not be overthrown
January 17, 2011
This week”s treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson (for January 23) is written by Steve Carr who serves with Echo Church in Cincinnati, Ohio. Light for the Gentiles (Isaiah 49:1-7) By Steve Carr As a minister and an employee at a Christian institution, I have spent a lot of time talking with people about God”s call in their lives. Through these interactions I have met people who have claimed to hear the audible voice of God speak to them. I”ve also met people who fear for their salvation because they have never felt God speaking in their lives. While
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