National
Flames and prayers in California
‘Welcome to Pepperdine, where we have 60 mph winds and fires surrounding us and helicopters swarming campus and still go to class.” Avery Wannemacher posted…
January 2018
View as PDFFlames and prayers in California • For Christian universities, a cause for alarm • Should Jesus be the reason for the season • Traveling youth group nurtures faith • Despite protests and roadblocks, life and ministry go on in Honduras • ‘We are preparing the soil, planting the seed’ • Church member dies after killer bee attack • One Sunday in Gaborone • 2017 — The year in quotes • Should we be a ‘full-service church?’ • In 2018, who are the Churches of Christ? • A challenge for 2018 • On #GivingTuesday, you proved us wrong
In this issue:
Inside Story
What about Christmas?
What do you teach your kids about Christmas? It’s a question I have pondered through pretty much all of my adult life, and one I…
National
Darth Vader came to this youth rally
MANCHESTER, Conn. — For one teen, wearing a Darth Vader mask and talking “Star Wars” with youth ministers helped smooth his introduction to church. Wilton Carraway…
National
Q&A: Christian university leaders on recruiting students in a declining fellowship
Since 2000, Christian universities associated with Churches of Christ have seen a 51 percent decline in students who identify with the fellowship, an annual survey…
Opinion
On #GivingTuesday, you proved us wrong
You have blessed us. Recently, we asked you to be a part of our #GivingTuesday online campaign. Our goal was $9,000 — more than we’ve…
Insight
A challenge for 2018
I relish the coming of a new year, even if I cannot anticipate what the time will bring. This past year was amazing, with many unexpected…
Reviews
In an age of male misconduct, a mother speaks for chivalry
Revelations about the inappropriate behavior of powerful men dominate the news these days. As parents, this is an opportune time for us to intentionally train…
National
Christian universities feeling the pinch as Churches of Christ shrink
Since today’s college freshmen were infants, roughly 1,200 Churches of Christ in the United States have closed, and the number of men, women and children…
National
Christian higher ed challenges: Parents of college freshmen weigh in
Question: The number of freshmen from Churches of Christ enrolled at Christian universities associated with our fellowship keeps shrinking. Why do you think that is?…
Editorial
Editorial: In 2018, who are the Churches of Christ?
“Do you worship with a Church of Christ?” “No, I go to a non-denominational church.” That’s the response we heard over and over as we…
Features
2017 The year in quotes
"When I compare it to eternity, it's really not that long at all." — Lucinda Wilson, Texas inmate, serving a life sentence after being baptized…
International
One Sunday in Botswana
GABORONE, Botswana — Six hours. It took us six hours to cross the border from South Africa and make it to this capital city on…
National
In Texas, Christians seek racial unity
FORT WORTH, Texas — For over a decade, the Wilkerson-Greines Activity Center was the proud basketball altar where the Dunbar High School Wildcats held services.…
Views
Should we be a ‘full-service church?’
The religious world is one of fierce competition — just like the world of car sales. Dealerships compete for business by offering friendly salespeople, an…
National
God blessed Texas — and North Carolina
NEDERLAND, Texas — This town of about 18,000 souls, 90 minutes east of Houston, didn’t receive the media attention bigger cities got after Hurricane Harvey dumped…
International
For believers, turbulence and opportunity
Jarrod Brown and his family left early for the airport, concerned that the roads would be blocked by protestors the next day. “I was wrong.…
International
Church member dies after killer bee attack
Christians in the South American nation of Guyana are mourning the loss of Deokarand “Diamond” Mangal, a song leader for the Plaisance Church of Christ.…
In the Word
India’s Christians send help after Harvey
Markapur, India — Macedonia, described by the apostle Paul, had two outstanding characteristics: many people ready to abandon idolatry for the living God and a faith…
Partners
Partners: Heart surgery and a playoff win, dress for success and equipping for evangelism
FEATURED PHOTO (above) — Randolph Wilkerson, left, a student at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tenn., helps an eighth-grader at Music City’s Head Middle Magnet School…
International
Around the World: Simple Sunday, European retreat,
FEATURED PHOTO (above) — Hawatthia Jones, a missionary in Guatemala, speaks to a youth class during the annual Euro American Retreat in Rothenburg ob der Tauber,…