Wilkinson (Ind.) Church of Christ hosts a one-week camp for foster children each summer. The Royal Family KIDS camp exposes the kids to the story of Jesus Christ while showing the children unconditional love. . . .
November 2, 2019
A Passion for Reaching More Children—and Their Families—for Christ By Pam Siddle Dwight L. Moody once said,“If I could relive my life, I would devote my entire ministry to reaching children for God.” We have a similar commitment at Crossroads Christian Church in Grand Prairie, Texas, and God is using our children’s ministry to attract families to worship with us and ultimately reach more children for him. Here’s how we’re doing this. Facilities Having a visually appealing, kid-friendly building is very important. Families love seeing areas designed specifically for children, and the kids are excited to be there. Our members
July 12, 2018
By Michael C. Mack The Standard Publishing Company that I worked for many years ago had an obvious commitment to children’s and youth ministry. We produced top-selling VBS materials, children’s and youth Sunday school curriculum, take-home papers for middle and high school students, and more. We trained teachers and leaders in our Teacher-Leader Conferences (known as TLCs) across the country. Today, Christian Standard Media has that same DNA, that same commitment to and passion for children and youth, though it may not seem so obvious at first glance. The Lookout and Christian Standard work in tandem to play a vital
By Caleb Kaltenbach ASHLAND, MN—Back in January, the family ministry team of First Christian Church gathered to discuss possible VBS themes before finally settling on The Hunger Games. “It seemed like a good idea,” said student pastor Francis Jenson. “I like the Hunger Games movies, and kids play a significant role in the films. It seemed perfect.” That first night, parents dropped off their kids in the church’s sanctuary. Many parents left immediately, but some paused as the lights dimmed and a sense of foreboding took over. “They had fake trees all over the room,” reported Andrea Lansberry, mother of
March 30, 2017
By Arron Chambers These Christian leaders tell about sermons you might like to hear too. David Springer David Springer grew up as a preacher”s kid in Mount Vernon, Ohio, with his four siblings and parents, Ken and Mel Springer. He graduated from Johnson University, Knoxville, Tennessee, in 2011. He met his wife, Brittany, their freshman year at Johnson. He serves as associate minister for youth with Northside Christian Church in Georgetown, Kentucky. Brittany and David have two children, Lyla and Landry. David”s Best Sermon: The best sermon I have ever heard for youth was by Jeff Walling, director of
September 23, 2016
By Tim Harlow Erwin McManus says turning a church around is really just a matter of killing one church and opening a new one, and I”d have to agree. “Because of your faith, it will happen” (Matthew 9:29, New Living Translation). When I came to this 40-year-old church, it really took us 7 to 10 years to transition it to the place where we could start doing what we knew God wanted us to do. The upside was we had some people and some money and a building. But the downside was many of the people had a different vision
December 15, 2015
By Mark A. Taylor “Do you still have a job?” The text came to my phone Friday evening from a friend cross-country who had just read the news about David C. Cook”s purchase of Standard Publishing assets. I assured him I”m still working at CHRISTIAN STANDARD, even though most of Standard”s product lines went with the sale. David C. Cook, an evangelical publisher with almost as many years of service as Standard Publishing, has acquired Standard”s complete line of Standard Lesson Commentary products as well as our Heartshaper Sunday school curriculum and related teaching resources for children. The purchase effectively
December 9, 2015
Christian Standard Media LLC Will Continue to Produce and Market Christian Ministry Resources Such as Magazines, VBS, and Missions Kits Cincinnati, OH ““ December 9, 2015 ““ Standard Publishing Group LLC, following the recent sale of its Standard Lesson Commentary® series, Sunday school curriculum, and several other church resources to David C. Cook, is pleased to announce its corporate name change to Christian Standard Media LLC. The company”s highly esteemed Christian Standard® monthly magazine and The Lookout® weekly magazine, as well as the popular Vacation Bible School program and other ministry resources such as the Kids Serving Kidsâ„¢ missions kits
November 18, 2014
By Mark A. Taylor Success stories about cross-cultural evangelism may make us want to reach unreached people in faraway places. We read articles like those posted at our site this month and decide to give more to missions, attend the International Conference on Missions, or answer our church”s call to take a short-term missions trip. Any of these responses might be good, better for sure than those of a few who may quickly skim these posts and move on because (a) they”re bored by stories about church work overseas, or (b) they”re ashamed because they feel they should be a
June 3, 2014
By Mark A. Taylor As I grow older I become more nostalgic, which is why I wasn”t surprised to get a bit misty-eyed at a memorial service I attended last month. The occasion was to remember retired Cincinnati Christian University professor Tom Friskney who had died January 29. But my tears were not for his faithful remaining family or for a personal sense of loss. Instead, a flood of memories washed over me when the congregation sang Friskney”s favorite hymn, “I Know Whom I Have Believed.” When we got to each chorus, I was transported back to my childhood. It
January 1, 2013
By Mark A. Taylor Take a glance at Standard Publishing Vacation Bible School materials this year, and you may think you”ve seen them before. But look a second time, and you”ll realize Standard has created something all-new for this vital summer ministry. We talked to the creative team that produced God”s Backyard Bible Camp to discover what this material is all about. Frankly, we couldn”t have been more pleased with the answers we received! To tell you the truth, this looks an awful lot like a VBS course Standard already offered before. Is this just old stuff with a
January 1, 2013
“God”s Backyard Bible Camp,” Standard Publishing”s Vacation Bible School program for 2013, features Beth Guckenberger, cofounder of Back2Back Ministries. The “Backyard Bible Camp” includes separate VBS programs for day (“Under the Sun”) or evening (“Under the Stars”), and will carry a mission emphasis, which is where Back2Back Ministries comes in. We asked Beth to share some thoughts about Back2Back Ministries. It was 15 years ago that we started to share with a few friends and family our “whisper calling” to move to Mexico. This was met with mixed reactions. Some thought we were shortsighted or ill-equipped (they were right). Some
February 21, 2012
Standard Publishing again received top honors for best Vacation Bible School in the nation for its 2012 curriculum, “Adventures on Promise Island.” Lynda Freeman, editor of the popular blog “About the Children”s Department,” chose “Adventures” as her top pick. “This VBS has solid Bible content and a strong focus on living what you learn by serving others,” she writes. “Combine this with a fun island setting and great music from Yancy [and] you have a VBS which will impact and change lives!” “Adventures on Promise Island” uses the fun of surf, sand, and island adventure to introduce God”s lifesaving
August 11, 2011
By Mark A. Taylor Believe it or not, many church leaders have already started thinking about NEXT summer”s Vacation Bible School! That”s why Standard Publishing announced the 2012 VBS theme this July. Next year we”ll partner with you to bring “Adventures on Promise Island” to your church, and we can hardly wait. I”m excited about this course because . . . “¢ It”s biblical. Each lesson features a Bible story with powerful reminders of God”s life-saving love: I Am With You (Isaiah 41:10). Look how he protected Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel 3:1, 4-28). I Care About You (1 Peter
May 19, 2011
By Barry McCarty Like most Christians, I have always loved the book of Psalms. It was the first hymnbook of the early Christians and the hymnbook and prayer book of the Jews. Jesus died with the words of the Psalms on his lips. After his resurrection, he told his disciples: “Everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled” (Luke 24:44, New Revised Standard Version, author”s emphasis). No other book of the Old Testament is so often quoted in the New. It is a storehouse of messianic prophecies that the first Christian
February 17, 2011
Standard Publishing”s 2011 Vacation Bible School curriculum, “Inside Out & Upside Down on Main Street,” was ranked this year’s No. 1 VBS by About the Children’s Department, a popular blog with authoritative reviews of children”s curriculum based on standardized criteria. “Standard Publishing is known for providing quality VBS resources that teach God’s Word in every station and activity; this year they have done a tremendous job!” said the blog”s editor, Lynda Freeman. Standard Publishing is the original publisher of Vacation Bible School and has served Christian churches in America for 145 years. Every summer, more than 1.3 million kids and volunteers are touched
January 12, 2011
By Joni Sullivan Baker Christmas decorations are down, second semester is underway, and snow is on the ground. It”s January. For those involved in children”s ministry that means only one thing””it”s time to start planning Vacation Bible School. Every summer, Standard Publishing puts its brand-new, unpublished VBS curriculum to the test by asking a local church to actually try it. Christ”s Church at Mason (Ohio) tested the new VBS last June. VBS 2011 is called “Inside Out & Upside Down on Main Street: Where Jesus Makes a Difference Every Day!” The children in the field test learned about five of
January 12, 2011
We all have stories of VBS. We can remember the songs we have sung, the crafts we have made and even many of the Bible stories we learned each year, but do you remember the names of the volunteers who gave up their time to help you learn about Jesus and plant seeds that would blossom years later? Do you remember when you first heard about how Jesus loves us or how we can help others? Was it at VBS? Do you have some stories of how VBS affected you or someone you know? Check out www.vbschangeslives.com to read life
October 18, 2010
This week”s treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson (for October 24) is written by Brenda J. Lang who serves as professor of music and worship at Cincinnati (Ohio) Christian University. God”s Universal Reign (Psalm 47) By Brenda J. Lang Clap your hands all you people, Shout unto God with a voice of triumph. Clap your hands all you people, Shout unto God with a voice of praise. Hosanna! Hosanna! Shout unto God with a voice of triumph. Praise Him! Praise Him! Shout unto God with a voice of praise. I suspect as you read those words based on Psalm
March 10, 2010
By Mark A. Taylor Here”s one thing we”ve learned about recessions and local churches. Local churches may be slow to feel the impact of an economic downturn, but they”re also slow to acknowledge a recovery from one. This means even if the economy is picking up (and the experts don”t agree on that point), budgets at your church are likely still tight. Here”s one thing we know about ministry during recessions: It never slows down. In fact, needs usually multiply when finances fail. We want to help. We”ve come up with a plan that allows you to extend your ministry
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