Christian missionaries have always found a foothold in communities by providing for physical needs. Whether it’s medical training opening doors to inaccessible tribes in central Asia or English classes paving a path into post-Christian European communities, believers keep an eye on the needs of the local community—for the glory of God and as an opportunity …
For J.T. English, Sunday morning looks a lot like homecoming. As the worship band’s last chord fades, Pastor English hops onstage towing a music stand. He settles his Bible and iPad onto the stand before turning his attention to the congregation before him. “How we doing, Storyline?” Every Sunday morning, hundreds of people step into …
In recent years, churches in the US have emphasized the need to be relentlessly local. From choosing a local coffee shop over a chain café to serving in neighborhood elementary schools, this model has illustrated a deep concern for the neighborhood. This vision of the church as a beacon of light in the cul-de-sacs and …
Relentlessly Local | Dr. Imad Shehadeh (ThM, 1986; PhD 1990) Read More »
Consider a couple caricatures: the lofty and somewhat oblivious professor, surrounded by weathered tomes in an ivory tower. His fingers are continually stained with ink; he can recite every Roman bishop since Peter yet cannot remember when church starts on Sunday. Then, there is the pastor, passionately spewing both words and spit onto the unsuspecting …
Discerning a Dual-Vocation | Eric Redmond (ThM, 1997) Read More »
“Unprecedented” has become a common word in the COVID-19 era. Global culture has been forced to adapt to the new necessities of safety and wellness. Churches have been forced to change how they conduct worship; meeting in homes has gained popularity, and livestreams are now a regular part of a Sunday service. While changes often …
Unprecedented Opportunities | John Tomada (ThM, 2012; MABC, 2012) Read More »
When I set up an appointment to interview Dr. Steven Mason (ThM, 2002), the president of LeTourneau University, I hesitantly expected to meet a glossy, rigidly driven bureaucrat. After all, such a highly influential position must have demanded a fair amount of elbow-throwing and jostling. Instead of a stiff administrator, I met a very different …
Why would anyone willingly jump aboard a sinking ship? That question faced John Standard as he joined staff at Springfield Bible Church in 1983—right as the church was disbanding. Not only was John jumping aboard; he was jumping with his wife and newborn child. Why? If you asked John Standard, his answer would probably be …
2020 Alumni Distinguished Service Award | John Standard (ThM, 1983) Read More »
After faithfully serving for almost a quarter of a century at Autumn Ridge Church in Rochester, Minnesota, it would have been easy for Julie Smestad to sit back and enjoy the fruit of her labor. For nine years, Julie led in the Bible Study Fellowship; for the next thirteen years, she taught in the Precepts …