Articles for tag: West Side Christian Church

July 9, 2014

Christian Standard

Mind My Speak

By Eddie Lowen (From our series “The Best or Worst Advice I’ve Ever Received.”) “Always speak your mind.” That”s the worst advice I”ve ever received. Buried beneath the rubble caused by this axiom, there is a bit of noble instruction: be honest and transparent. There are times when “a word aptly spoken” (Proverbs 25:11, NIV, 1984) is refreshing and important. A bold word of truth can turn a conversation or decision or life in the right direction.  However, people who announce, “I”m an open book,” or, “You always know where I stand,” are often belligerent people in search of justification

June 22, 2014

Christian Standard

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

February 11, 2014

Christian Standard

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 reality is striking because research suggests the majority of churches are in decline, spiritually and numerically. Yet, among my close connections, I can”t think of anyone who presides over a dying 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 30, 2014

Christian Standard

Re:gifting

By Jennifer Johnson According to Romans, 1 Corinthians, and Ephesians, each Christian has been given a spiritual gift as evidence of the Holy Spirit working in his life, and each gift is intended to build up and serve the church. Love that. What I don”t love is that I cannot, for the life of me, figure out my gift. I”ve done all the tests and they”re inconclusive at best””some say one thing, some say another. It”s entirely possible the tests are flawed, not the principle, or that the problem is with me. Then again, many generations of believers built the

January 30, 2014

Christian Standard

Getting Involved

By Jennifer Johnson Like many churches, West Side Christian Church (Springfield, IL) constantly needs volunteers. Unlike many churches, West Side recently focused an entire weekend on creatively and intentionally connecting people with ministry opportunities””and today 50 percent of their adults serve at church in some way. “The volunteering emphasis was part of our “˜Cannonball” initiative, which shared our vision for what God”s calling us to as a church and challenged people to go “˜all in” with their faith,” says Melissa Sandel, director of ministries. Sandel and her team focused on removing barriers and making it as easy as possible for

July 14, 2013

Christian Standard

40 Under 40: Melissa Sandel

MELISSA SANDEL Director of ministries, West Side Christian Church, Springfield, Illinois Five years ago, the growth of West Side Christian Church”s staff required that I expand the senior staff leadership team. I hope timing isn”t everything, because I promoted Melissa Sandel to director of ministries on April 1, 2008. Melissa jokes that her role is the world”s longest-running April Fools” Day prank! Melissa was only 26 years old when promoted from small groups director to senior staff. Her initial challenge was to supervise a diverse ministry staff, including employees whose tenures began when she was a child. While many leaders

January 11, 2013

Christian Standard

How Do You Define Your Leadership? Melissa Sandel

By Melissa Sandel My role is to serve as the chief architect of staff culture. I find high-capacity leaders who are determined to grow, and equip them to hit the ball out of the park in their respective roles. Crafting the environment in which this process unfolds is one of my most vital assignments. Several principles define our staff culture and have shaped the way I lead. Require development. We don”t believe anyone is so sharp or devoted that he or she can play a productive role on our team without growing. To model this, I invite our lead pastor

December 3, 2012

Christian Standard

Four Verses for Four Purses: a Teaching Outline About Giving

Fiscal health is a strength of the church I serve. A reason for this is how we challenge people to give. This article is a sample teaching outline for pastors on the theme of giving. For more help, contact me through the church website, www.wschurch.org, or via Twitter @EddieLowen. By Eddie Lowen Some contemporary innovations are nothing short of incredible: High-definition television has made football and golf so much more enjoyable to watch. GPS (global positioning system) navigation has transformed travel. When did you last see someone with a folding map? Smartphones are amazing (my iPhone 5 came today!). I

October 12, 2012

Christian Standard

Exploring Authentic Manhood: Find This Book and Read It! (Part 8)

By Eddie Lowen   Man Alive: Transforming Your Seven Primal Needs into a Powerful Spiritual Life Patrick Morley Colorado Springs: Multnomah, 2012 Several people who narrowly escaped the collapse of the World Trade Center towers 11 years ago credited their safety to “a man wearing a red bandana.” The man approached several bewildered people and said, “Follow me. I can help you get out.” He carried one woman on his back down 17 flights of stairs. When the rubble was cleared from where Tower One once stood, the body of a young man wearing a red bandana was found among the bodies

March 8, 2012

Christian Standard

IDES Working to Help Tornado Victims

International Disaster Emergency Service (IDES) is working with churches around the country to help victims of last week”s tornadoes. “We are encouraging Christian churches and churches of Christ to hold a moment of prayer this coming Sunday to pray for the victims and the volunteers and to take up a love offering for IDES,” the ministry shares. Make donations online or mail checks/money orders marked “U.S. Disasters” to P.O. Box 60, Kempton, IN 46049-0060. In southern Indiana, IDES will be setting up a base camp to help with disaster relief. Although it does not yet know if it will be

February 21, 2012

Christian Standard

Sending, Serving, Reaching: IDES

By Jennifer Taylor IDES (Founded 1973) P.O. Box 60, Kempton, IN 46049 www.ides.org Rick Jett, Executive Director Until 2005, International Disaster Emergency Service primarily received donations from churches and individuals and channeled the money to missionaries or U.S. agencies. When disaster struck, churches knew they could trust IDES to manage the gifts and ensure every penny went to the designated cause. Today IDES is still a “top of mind” organization for charitable giving, especially in response to earthquakes, floods, and other natural disasters, and as much as 70 percent of its ministry is facilitating these gifts. However, the IDES team

April 12, 2009

Christian Standard

Evidence of Providence

  By Eddie Lowen Providence is the forseeing care and guidance of God over the creatures of earth. We can agree on that. But has it ever occurred to you that God may not want credit for some of what is attributed to him by human beings? My theology could be flawed, but I don”t imagine God will be disappointed if the next hot dog eating champion or Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover girl fails to credit him for their fame and success. To go further, some religious statements seem unlikely to have originated with God, despite the claims of those

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