The end of 2021 and beginning of 2022 have been a very busy and productive few weeks for the Center for Christian Studies. The vision for this ministry and the resources we provide continue to develop in encouraging directions. Let me tell you about some of these activities.
We began November with a staff retreat. This is fancy language for the Director and Associate Director getting together to discuss the next year’s goals and strategies over lunch. The time spent was edifying and necessary.
Also in November, CCS hosted the first Table Talk. The idea behind these gatherings is to bring people together to discuss a significant topic while sharing a common meal. The planned topic was how churches have responded to the challenges brought on by COVID-19 and how they have fared. Most Christians have opinions on such matters, and there is no better place to share them and learn from one another than around a table.
On January 29, the first CCS Church Leadership Seminar was held at the Brentwood Oaks Church of Christ in Austin—“Leading the Church in Tumultuous Times.” Fifty ministers and church leaders from all over central Texas attended and heard presentations from three experts in congregational ministry: Jim Martin, Carson Reed, and Jeremie Beller. Their presentations will be available soon on the CCS YouTube channel.
The inaugural issue of the Journal of Christian Studies is now ready and is being mailed to subscribers as we speak. The theme of this issue is “Church and the Pandemic.” This first issue will soon be accessible on the website, and a forthcoming blog post will serve as a platform for the public to engage the articles in it. Subsequent issues this year will be available only by subscription, so be sure to subscribe before the next issue is published.
I am filming the next series of video learning modules. This one is a survey of church history in fourteen video lessons. Like the other series, it will be accompanied by a study guide and discussion questions for use in churches and study groups. For a limited time, congregations that subscribe to the videos now will get 70% off the regular price and have access to all the many courses set to release over the next year.
These are just some of the resources and programs that CCS has been working on to help churches grow in Christ. Make sure you sign up for free email updates, so you won’t miss any future opportunities.
Finally, thanks to the partnership of so many generous givers, we ended 2021 by surpassing our fundraising goals. In 2021—which for this new ministry means only the second half of that year—many different donors gave to CCS. Large or small, each gift was a selfless contribution to the success of CCS. In order to sustain CCS for years to come, we want to retain those donors and grow that number in 2022. Please consider making a one-time or recurring donation.