Category: Christian Chronicle

Christian Chronicle

Tears at a military church

Congregation that trains members for service around the world honors its retiring minister. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle JACKSONVILLE, N.C. — Fifty years after preaching his first sermon, Ron Edwards jokes that he knows the secret to ministry. Change churches every three years. Actually, Edwards — who is retiring from full-time preaching — spent the past 37 years serving the Roosevelt Drive Church of Christ in … Continue reading Tears at a military church

Unknown's avatarBobby Ross Jr.
Christian Chronicle

‘We only need one to live’

Desperate to save a beloved older member, a church ran an ad seeking a kidney donor. A thousand miles away, a young believer felt God prick her heart. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle NEW BERN, N.C. — Sam Birmingham needed a kidney. He desperately needed a kidney. His quality of life — his life itself — depended on it.  But the longtime Christian, who had … Continue reading ‘We only need one to live’

Unknown's avatarBobby Ross Jr.
Christian Chronicle

How five Nashville churches came together

As attendance numbers shrink nationwide, these sister congregations see their future as ‘Greater Together.’ By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle Aaron Tremblay, now a minister in the Nashville, Tenn., area, preached for 10 years for the 75-member Leominster Church of Christ in Massachusetts.  In Tremblay’s native New England, congregations tend to be small and isolated, the 37-year-old minister noted. “But what helps them continue on, even though … Continue reading How five Nashville churches came together

Unknown's avatarBobby Ross Jr.
Christian Chronicle

Teaching the Gospel, via Zoom

Senior Christians in Virginia overcome technological fears to share Jesus around the world. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle FAIRFAX, Va. — It’s just before 1 p.m. on the East Coast as Jerri Harrington hits the play button on a video about Jesus. Roughly 7,500 miles away, it’s almost 8 p.m. in the capital of Kenya as six African girls watch the film, part of … Continue reading Teaching the Gospel, via Zoom

Unknown's avatarBobby Ross Jr.
Christian Chronicle

Music and memories: Life lessons on a family road trip

A nostalgic journey to Branson, Mo., the popular vacation destination in Ozark Mountains. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle BRANSON, Mo. — I blink, and I’m a child again. It’s the late 1970s, and I’m bickering with my younger brother and sister over my birthright: a larger allotment of space in the back of our family’s station wagon.  We’re driving down the interstate, headed to my grandparents’ … Continue reading Music and memories: Life lessons on a family road trip

Unknown's avatarBobby Ross Jr.
Christian Chronicle

For Latino youths, a long-awaited reunión

After two years of pandemic delays, Spanish-speaking teens and 20-somethings welcome big national meeting. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle ELGIN, Ill. — Some flew thousands of miles to attend. Others made 16-hour drives in church vans. All came — from Churches of Christ in more than 20 states — to sing praises to God, play soccer and volleyball and enjoy fellowship with Spanish-speaking peers. The … Continue reading For Latino youths, a long-awaited reunión

Unknown's avatarBobby Ross Jr.
Christian Chronicle

Churches of Christ helping in flood-stricken Appalachia

Ministries organize disaster relief as Kentucky’s death toll rises to 26. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle A tractor-trailer rig full of groceries and emergency supplies was more than the 40-member Lothair Church of Christ in Hazard, Ky., could fit in its building. So church members — eager to help struggling neighbors in flood-stricken Appalachia — unloaded the truck Saturday morning at nearby East Perry Elementary School. By midafternoon, … Continue reading Churches of Christ helping in flood-stricken Appalachia

Unknown's avatarBobby Ross Jr.
Christian Chronicle

When the editor gets COVID-19

Colleagues at The Christian Chronicle step up in time of need. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle ELGIN, Ill. — COVID-19 stinks. That’s not exactly breaking news, right?   For 2½ years, I somehow avoided the coronavirus. But during a recent reporting trip to Chicago, I tested positive for the first time. So instead of doing the work I love, I isolated myself in my hotel room. Apparently, … Continue reading When the editor gets COVID-19

Unknown's avatarBobby Ross Jr.
Christian Chronicle

Christians reflect on Fourth of July parade shooting that claimed seven lives

‘It’s just a somber place to be right now,’ one church member says of Chicago’s North Shore, where the attack occurred. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. — On a lazy Fourth of July morning, Nicole Estes and her husband, Steve, decided to make a quick trip to Home Depot. Before they could pull out of their subdivision on Chicago’s North … Continue reading Christians reflect on Fourth of July parade shooting that claimed seven lives

Unknown's avatarBobby Ross Jr.