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How many Church of Christ congregations in the United States baptized 8,000 people in their first 20 years? Central Church of Christ in Nashville, Tennessee, did. Forming in 2025, the Central Church of Christ did not choose to assemble in the desirable, fast-growing, upwardly-mobile parts of Nashville. Rather, the congregation chose to put down roots in the highest-crime, highest-poverty part of town.  Backed by philanthropist A.M. Burton, Central Church of Christ activated a dazzling array of community services and ministries that would seem ahead of their time even today. Led by minister E.H. Ijams, the congregation operated from the belief that announcing the kingdom of God and practicing neighbor love are one and the same. In this episode, Ijams's protege and student, Harold Shank, talks about the legacy of Central Church of Christ and what congregations around the world today can learn from it today. Link to The Christian Chronicle's archive of coverage of the Central Church of Christ Link to It's All About God, Harold Shank's book about E.H. Ijams and the Central Church of Christ Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donate Send your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected] Healing Hands International will give you or your congregation a community and a direction to put the life and work of Jesus into practice. Learn more at hhi.org.

These days, the heat and wind of the political environment is kindling even in some Christians what seems to be an appetite for rage, revenge and violence. When the church of Christ allows itself to be set ablaze by politics, how can it demonstrate the grace and peace of the kingdom of God? How can it bear witness to the reconciling and redemptive work of Jesus Christ? How can it be a refuge for those who are exhausted and wounded by the acrimony of our times? Recorded in late 2025, this conversation with Tryce Prince addresses these questions head-on. Prince is director of the Carl Spain Center on Race Studies and and Spiritual Action at Abilene Christian University, contributes to the Good Culture Show podcast and writes at the First Sunday Substack. He recently published an essay, "Fighting Fire with Plants" in Christianity Today.  As the church searches its soul and tries to find solutions to the crises of these times, Prince points to a branch of the Christian family tree from recent history. The Black church in the United States responded to hateful and violent circumstances in the 19th and 20th centuries by cultivating a "beloved community" of proactive and purposeful love and peace-making. Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donate Send your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected] Healing Hands International will give you or your congregation a community and a direction to put the life and work of Jesus into practice. Learn more at hhi.org.

Lakeview Church of Christ and Northwest Church of Christ, both in Chicago, have long histories ministering to their neighbors and welcoming strangers into their pews. For decades, migration trends mean that many of their members and neighbors are from countries beyond the United States.  For both Lakeview and Northwest, embracing and supporting these newcomers has always been a simple matter of obedience to the Great Commission of Jesus Christ and the laws of the kingdom of God as the Gospel of Matthew 25:31-46.  Changes in attitudes among some U.S. voters, however, led to a new federal administration that promised to deport 10 million illegal immigrants in 2025. Federal law enforcement is now deploying personnel and tactics that are affecting Lakeview and Northwest members and neighbors.  Which raises difficult questions for congregational leaders. What will they do when obedience to the Christ could bring them to not comply or not cooperate with the U.S. government? What will they do if law enforcement tries to enlist, search or surveil their congregations? In this episode we hear from Chicago ministers Walter Pierce (Lakeview Church of Christ) and Carlos Estrada and Patrick Odum (Northwest Church of Christ). Link to an archive of The Christian Chronicle's coverage of Lakeview Church of Christ Link to an archive of The Christian Chronicle's coverage of Northwest Church of Christ Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donate Send your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected] Healing Hands International will give you or your congregation a community and a direction to put the life and work of Jesus into practice. Learn more at hhi.org.

Kids and young adults growing up in congregations with "Church of Christ" signs on their buildings have honest questions: "Who are we? How did we become who we are? Why do we do what we do?" These are important questions for young Christians trying to decide whether to remain with the church of their upbringing or strike out in search of something different. And, if "restoration" truly is essential to Christians who identify with the Church of Christ, then it must be a fresh practice for each new generation. These are the reasons why Church of Christ youth ministry veterans Luke Dockery and Jared Pack wrote Origin Story: Churches of Christ and the Restoration Movement.   The book, which uses comic book illustrations and fast-moving, punchy language, seeks to orient a new generation to Church of Christ history. In this episode, the authors discuss why church history beyond the New Testament is still crucial for present-day Christians to learn and study. They also make their case that restoring the New Testament church is always a present and future pursuit and never a past-tense accomplishment. Thus, restoration demands both an awareness of history and an orientation toward emerging generations. Link to Zack Martin's Christian Chronicle review of Origin Story Link to Origin Story: Churches of Christ and the Restoration Movement Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donate Send your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected] Healing Hands International will give you or your congregation a community and a direction to put the life and work of Jesus into practice. Learn more at hhi.org.

Declining birthrates in the United States will drive down college enrollment over the next 15 years. Some experts predict that hundreds of small private colleges and universities will close. Of the 14 colleges and universities in the Church of Christ family tree, as many as ten of them have characteristics that put them at higher risk in the new higher education market. Many of these schools are innovating in ways that cut costs, increase operating margins and revenue and at least give them a chance to grow or maintain enrollment enough to survive. But will a necessary focus on margins lead to less focus on mission? Dr. Joshua Travis Brown, assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Education and research fellow with the Center for Skills, Knowledge and Organizational Performance at the University of Oxford, shares what he found when he researched how small private colleges are managing tradeoffs between margins and mission. That research appears in his book, Capitalizing on College: How Higher Education Went From Mission Driven to Margin Obsessed (Oxford Press). Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donate Send your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected] Healing Hands International will give you or your congregation a community and a direction to put the life and work of Jesus into practice. Learn more at hhi.org.

Parents of special needs kids face a special kind of grief and a special kind of struggle. Yet, so often their needs go overlooked and unmet in their own churches. Gigi Khonyongwa-Fernandez, author of From Rollercoasters to Carousels: An Emotional Support Guide to Healing for NICU, Bereaved and Special Needs Parents, shares her story and the emotions she and other NICU, bereaved and special needs parents experience.  In this episode, she opens up about how parents like her deal with ongoing grief and trauma. Among the points that come up in this discussion are: How we are all close to someone who experiences trauma, most of all in our churchesNICU, bereaved and special needs parents struggle to allow themselves to feel their emotionsSometimes, churches do not make space for those who are grieving to grieve as fully and as long as they needHow might the church come alongside NICU, bereaved and special needs parents? Links for this episode: BT and Gigi reference both 2 Corinthians 1:4 and Proverbs 27:14 The Christian Chronicle's feature on Khonyogwa-Fernandez: https://christianchronicle.org/connector-in-chief-trauma-informed-coach-brings-the-world-together/ Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donate Send your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected] Healing Hands International will give you or your congregation a community and a direction to put the life and work of Jesus into practice. Learn more at hhi.org.

Once upon a time, a Church of Christ minister could be effective with some education in Bible and training in preaching. But is that enough in the "digital world" of the 21st century? Dr. Todd Brenneman and Tommie Lee Washington, professors at Faulkner University, make the case that it's past time for Church of Christ ministers to add excellence in media and technology to their ministry repertoire. In this episode, we talk about how the "digital citizens" of the 21st century expect to encounter and interact with ideas...including the gospel. Among the things that come up in this discussion: Designing church materials using tools like CanvaReaching more people through new media and streaming platformsUsing cutting edge animation software to produce teaching contentProducing lessons and sermons using AI The New Testament is full of examples of ancient Christian teachers using the innovations of their time to communicate the gospel. So is it so far-fetched to imagine that Christian teachers today will do the same? But is there any point at which using technological innovation to preach and teach the gospel is going too far? What are the dangers? Link to the Faulkner University Bachelor of Biblical Studies with a digital ministry track Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donate Send your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected] Healing Hands International will give you or your congregation a community and a direction to put the life and work of Jesus into practice. Learn more at hhi.org.

Christian Chronicle Podcast partner Freed-Hardeman University sponsored this special episode to be an open invitation to you to visit the Bible lands. If you're a longtime listener to The Christian Chronicle Podcast, you've heard the advertisements that promote the opportunity for all students in the Freed-Hardeman University Graduate School of Theology to work an archaeological dig in the Bible lands...for just $500 out of pocket. In this episode, you'll find out how this opportunity open to everyone (even those who are not students at Freed-Hardeman University). Why is this important? Our guests, Dr. Rick Brumback and Dr. Jonathan Moore make the case for how visiting the places where the Bible stories took place builds personal faith and empowers and enriches Christian preachers and teachers for their ministry work. This is your chance to deepen your faith and widen your imagination as a Christian by visiting the Bible lands with Freed-Hardeman University.  Take your first step to the Bible lands at travel.fhu.edu and learn more at seeinghisworld.com and contact this episode's guests at [email protected] and [email protected].

When Dallas Jenkins, creator, principal writer and show runner for The Chosen spoke at Oklahoma Christian University, The Christian Chronicle's Bobby Ross, Jr., got a chance to sit down with him for a conversation. Carla Hinton, faith editor for The Oklahomanand The Christian Chronicle's CEO Erik Tryggestad joined them.  In this interview, you'll hear Jenkins talk about: The experience of filming the sixth season of The Chosen, which is all about the crucifixion of Jesus. How he handles the expectations of politicians that he (and his show) will be a platform and voice for their particular views.Why he chose to make The Chosen a TV show instead of a movie.The impact that The Chosen is making on Christians and non-Christians alike all over the world.How he chose Jonathan Roumie to play Jesus of Nazareth.The extreme personal and professional challenges of creating and sustaining The Chosen.How the broader entertainment industry has responded to, and been changed by, The Chosen phenomenon.The challenge and opportunity of interpreting Scripture through an artistic medium like television.Link to Bobby Ross Jr.'s Christian Chronicle story about his interview with Dallas Jenkins. Link to The Chosen Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donate Send your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected] Healing Hands International will give you or your congregation a community and a direction to put the life and work of Jesus into practice. Learn more at hhi.org.

When The Christian Chronicle covered and editorialized Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk's murder in September 2025, the reaction from our audience was big and hot.  Some Church of Christ folks expressed reverence for Kirk and regarded him as a Christian martyr. Others expressed anger and sadness at how he died, but emphasized that what he believed and how he expressed it did not represent them as Christians. Still others said they never heard of Kirk until his death. In this episode, two young Christians, Charlie Kirk fans and followers, explain why he appealed to them so much. What about his life and teachings resonated with them?  And, from this, what might we learn about some members of the emerging generations in the Church of Christ? Jeremiah Delcour and Keegan Haupt are leaders of the Turning Point USA chapter at Oklahoma Christian University, where they are students.  Link to The Christian Chronicle's coverage of how Church of Christ folks responded to Charlie Kirk's murder Link to Dr. Jeremie Beller's Christian Chronicle editorial on the aftermath of Charlie Kirk's death Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donate Send your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected] Healing Hands International will give you or your congregation a community and a direction to put the life and work of Jesus into practice. Learn more at hhi.org.

"Spiritual warfare" seems to be on the lips and minds of many Christ-claimers in the United States these days, including those in the Church of Christ. But what is "spiritual warfare" and how do we know that we're waging it? Dr. Joe Beam, who wrote the landmark book Seeing the Unseen: A Handbook for Spiritual Warfare in the early 1990s, joins the present-day milieu on how the spirit realm is affecting current events and vice versa. In this episode, Beam answers questions like: What might be contributing to what could be an increase in "spiritual warfare" talk in the United States these days?What is the difference between demon-possessed and demonized?Does demon-possession still happen today (and how do we know if someone is demon-possessed)?How do we know if we're being "attacked" by evil spiritual forces or if we're creating our own negative circumstances or situations?How do we know if God is communicating with us or if we're just having strong feelings that come from ourselves?How do we know if someone is "speaking for God"?For Church of Christ congregations that have to come to believe that the Holy Spirit is available to guide and support them, how do they learn to discern and follow the Holy Spirit?How do we "test the spirits" (1 John 4:1)? Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donate Send your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected]  Healing Hands International will give you or your congregation a community and a direction to put the life and work of Jesus into practice. Learn more at hhi.org.

A little more than half (52 percent) of Americans say they would allow public school teachers to lead their students in prayers to Jesus in taxpayer-funded public schools. This is according to the latest Religious Landscape Study from the Pew Research Center. In this episode, that study's author, Chip Rotolo, reveals how Americans have changed in both religious and spiritual beliefs and practices since Pew started researching them in 2007. While it may come as no surprise that Americans' adherence to, and participation in, organized religion has declined, Pew's research shows that the newest generation of Americans is showing signs of more openness than preceding ones. Rotolo unpacks this and more data from the Pew report. What might these trends mean to Church of Christ congregations, their leaders and their members? Link to the Pew Research Center's Religious Life Survey Link to Chip Rotolo's site (referenced in the interview) Link to Religious Landscape Study report that measures how religious is each state (released after this interview, but references in the episode) Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donate Send your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected]  Healing Hands International will give you or your congregation a community and a direction to put the life and work of Jesus into practice. Learn more at hhi.org.

Colleges and universities with roots and ties in the Church of Christ community have a strong history of seeking and welcoming international students to their campuses. Many of them see this as essential to their Christian mission to "go therefore and make disciples of all nations" (Gospel of Matthew 28:19).  Rapid changes to federal policies, however, may be keeping some international students out of the United States and out of the Church of Christ colleges and universities they want to attend. In this episode, one of The Christian Chronicle's 2025 interns, Kenzie James, talks about a recent story she reported on how federal policies are affecting these students and the colleges and universities that want to enroll them. She also talks about what it's like to be a college student herself, making plans for a career in journalism (in these wild times for journalists). Link to Kenzie James's report on how federal policies are affecting Church of Christ colleges and universities and their international students Link to an archive of Kenzie James's stories for The Christian Chronicle Link to Kenzie James's true crime podcast, Case Closed Healing Hands International will give you or your congregation a community and a direction to put the life and work of Jesus into practice. Learn more at hhi.org.

Church of Christ congregations in the rural areas and small towns of the United States are struggling with closures and membership losses. What act of God and the Church of Christ together could lead to growth and health? Dr. Anessa Westbrook is co-director of the new Center for Ministry at York University in York, Nebraska. In this episode, Dr. Westbrook unpacks some of the reasons that so many congregations in rural and small town America are struggling. She reveals some of the approaches that may position these congregations for new growth. That includes a new focus and stronger dependence on girls and women, who are often the heart and soul of church growth and yet are sometimes overlooked. Link to The Christian Chronicle's report on Pepperdine University receiving $7.5 million Lilly Foundation grant to come alongside rural and small town Church of Christ congregations in the United States Link to Episode 119: Unleashing the superpowers of rural and small town churches (Mike Cope) Link to the Center for Ministry at York University  Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donate Send your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected]  Healing Hands International will give you or your congregation a community and a direction to put the life and work of Jesus into practice. Learn more at hhi.org.

One Church of Christ congregation in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, is going all in on producing live theatre for its community. Since giving its first stage production a try, Bouldercrest Church of Christ is attracting casts and crews comprising Church of Christ members from all over the city. And thousands are attending performances like Scenes from the Life of Christ. In this episode, we hear from the woman at the center of it all. Sheri Gilbert-Wilson is a professional actor, director and writer who felt the nudge to bring the story of God and God's people to the stage at Bouldercrest. Gilbert-Wilson shares how putting on a live stage production turns out to be a powerful body (of Christ)-building, disciple-making experience. And how it attracts and connects with people who would otherwise never step foot in a church building. She also tells the story of how she gave up a successful paralegal career at age 48 to go "all in" on theatre. Link to Calvin Cockrell's Christian Chronicle story about Sheri Gilbert-Wilson and the burgeoning live theatre ministry at Bouldercrest Church of Christ Donate to support this ministry of "information and inspiration" at christianchronicle.org/donate Send your comments, ideas, and suggestions to [email protected]      Healing Hands International will give you or your congregation a community and a direction to put the life and work of Jesus into practice. Learn more at hhi.org.