October 16, 2023
In Search of—Me
A search to reunite pictures with their owners brings to mind God’s efforts to reunite lost humanity with himself, their Creator. . . .
Articles for tag: Sunday school
September 11, 2023
Our Weekly Calming Device
Our Creator knows best what we need to navigate through this sin-infested world. . . .
August 7, 2023
A Passion Statement
The cross is a passion statement rather than a fashion statement.
July 17, 2023
Knowing the Outcome
Watching reruns of past games can be fun, even when we know the outcome. Jesus' followers also know the outcome . . .
July 10, 2023
Two Giant Leaps
Walking on the moon was an amazing feat, but it cannot compare to another “giant leap” . . .
July 1, 2023
Death by Faith
By Megan Rawlings It was frigid. The winter break had seemed to last forever. I had just arrived back at the Bible college campus in the rolling hills of Kentucky. My appetite for knowledge was growing. My classes that semester were mainly general education, but the Bible classes I took over those few months truly deepened my devotion to Jesus and his Word. I entered one particular class and sat midway back, where I would appear neither as eager as the people in front of me nor as uninterested as those behind me. The professor entered the room and asked,
May 16, 2023
SPOTLIGHT: Nebraska Church Enjoys Strong Recovery from COVID
Sometimes, a story of growth is a story of recovery. Such is the case at First Christian Church in Norfolk, Neb.—which had one of the highest growth rates in Christian Standard’s 2022 Church Report, published in the current print magazine. . . .
THROWBACK THURSDAY: ‘Men of Church Dig Coal’ (1933)
This short news item from 1933 is notable mainly for describing the lengths to which the congregation in Streator, Ill., went to heat their church building during the Great Depression. . . .
January 23, 2023
Sharing a Meal, Sharing a Life
Taking Communion is a very personal matter, but it is also a shared meal . . .
January 11, 2023
News Briefs for January 11
e2: effective elders is starting a podcast, #IAmAnElder. Ozark Christian College's Preaching-Teaching Convention is set for Feb. 20-22. Canton Christian Home will continue normal operations despite being sold. Plus more . . .
December 12, 2022
Have You Seen Me?
On December 24, 1961, a cartoonist at the Louisville Courier-Journal, Hugh Haynie, published a cartoon that has been repeated in that newspaper on Christmas Eve ever since. . . .
September 1, 2022
THROWBACK THURSDAY: ‘Your Committee’s Ruined the Church!’ (1939)
A day or two after the finance committee mailed the letters to the church's members, the preacher came into my office. He was furious. He shouted, “Your committee’s ruined the church!” . . .
August 25, 2022
THROWBACK THURSDAY: Teaching the Worst Sunday School Class (1937)
"Pleased with the prospect of enlisting a newcomer [to teach the class], the superintendent led me to a barren, unattractive space . . . at the head of the stairs leading to the balcony of the church, where four boys around twelve years of age were huddled upon dusty, uncomfortable chairs. . . ."
May 30, 2022
The Heavenly Harvest
By Doug Redford Today (Sunday, June 5) is Pentecost Sunday, celebrating the beginning of the church on the Day of Pentecost as recorded in Acts 2. In the Old Testament, Pentecost was one of the three most significant feasts observed annually by the Israelites (Passover and Tabernacles were the others). Pentecost as instituted in the Law of Moses was primarily a harvest festival, coming seven weeks, or 50 days, after the Passover celebration (thus the name Pentecost, derived from the Greek for fiftieth). It was also known as the day of firstfruits (Numbers 28:26) because the first loaves made from
Marking a Memorable Day
Every Lord’s Day at the time of Communion, we mark a day in history when our Lord Jesus engaged in a battle to reclaim the world to spiritual liberty.
July 31, 2021
#Faust25: ‘The Big Brown Chair’
(Another classic, 25th-anniversary column from David Faust.) Even the fathers we read about in the Bible had their struggles. But like them, God calls today’s dads to be faithful—and to be present during the everyday events that shape the character of our children.
April 22, 2021
Would You Choose This Man as Your Minister?
Our “pulpit was empty.” In the jargon of our church that meant that our professional orator in residence had left us for greener pastures and we were on the prowl for another. Then we got this letter from some preacher fellow that wanted to come for two weeks and live with us and preach to us on three Sundays.
January 1, 2021
Money Strategies for Ministry
Money helps fuel ministry, so it’s critical for leaders to pause and understand the state of their church’s finances as they start a new year. I encourage leaders to consider short-term strategies to keep their congregation focused on the mission and a long-term approach to develop disciples who are generous. Here are four steps you can take to improve the short-term and long-term financial health of your church. Conduct a “Giving Audit” People’s giving habits can be indications of their spiritual journey; a church typically has givers at various points on that journey. PushPay identified the following eight categories of
November 11, 2020
Small-town Christian Church Member Wins Seat in Congress
By Jim Nieman A first-time political candidate from eastern Illinois who attends a small-town Christian church—where her husband serves as an elder—was elected to Congress with more than 70 percent of the vote, according to unofficial totals. Republican Mary Miller—described as “a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a local farmer, and a business manager,” by her website—is set to represent Illinois’ 15th Congressional District, which includes 33 counties that cover most of the southeastern part of the state. In her spare time, she teaches Sunday School and Vacation Bible School, according to her website. Mary and her husband, Chris, attend
September 21, 2020
Discovery Questions for September 27, 2020
COMPANION RESOURCES Lesson for Sept. 27, 2020: Lead (1 Timothy 3:1-16; 5:17-22) “Who Is Worthy to Lead?” by David Faust (Lesson Application) ________ Study Questions for Groups By Michael C. Mack 1. What new challenge did you face last week? 2. How would you evaluate your prayer life this past week? Ask three people—two readers and one reteller—to help. Ask the readers to read 1 Timothy 3:1-16 one after the other, preferably from different Bible versions. Repeat the process with 1 Timothy 5:17-22. Ask the third person to summarize the passages as if teaching a fifth-grade Sunday school class about
