From Gainesville to Boston: 1970s–1980s Īmong the early converts at Gainesville was a student named Kip McKean who had been personally mentored by Chuck Lucas. By the mid-seventies, a number of young men and women had been trained to replicate the philosophy and methods of the Crossroads Church in other places. Most notable was the development of a training program for potential campus ministers. By 1971, as many as a hundred people a year were joining the church. The campus ministry in Gainesville thrived and sustained strong support from the elders of the local congregation in the 'Crossroads Church of Christ'. This activity became identified by many with the forces of radical change in the larger American society that characterized the late sixties and seventies. The ministry grew as younger members appreciated many of the new emphases on commitment and models for communal activity. Both procedures led to 'in-depth involvement of each member in one another's lives'. Prayer partners referred to the practice of pairing a new Christian with an older guide for personal assistance and direction.

Soul talks were held in student residences and involved prayer and sharing overseen by a leader who delegated authority over group members. Centered on the University of Florida, the program called for a strong evangelical outreach and an intimate religious atmosphere in the form of soul talks and prayer partners. That year he started a new project known as Campus Advance (based on principles borrowed from the Campus Crusade and the Shepherding Movement). In 1967, Chuck Lucas was minister of the 14th Street Church of Christ in Gainesville, Florida (later renamed the Crossroads Church of Christ). This discipling movement developed in the campus ministry of Chuck Lucas. Specifically, it was born from a 'discipling' movement that arose among the Churches of Christ during the 1970s. There are a number of branches of the Restoration movement and the ICoC was formed from within the Churches of Christ. Stone and Alexander Campbell are credited with what is today known as the Stone-Campbell or Restoration Movement. The ICoC has its roots in a movement that reaches back to the period of the Second Great Awakening (1790–1870) of early nineteenth-century America. See also: Restoration Movement and Churches of Christ The largest church service was held in 2012 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas, during a World Discipleship Summit, with 17,800 in attendance.

The largest congregation, the Los Angeles Church of Christ, has over 6000 members. In 2000, it was described as ' fast-growing Christian organization known for aggressive proselytizing to college students' and as 'one of the most controversial religious groups on campus'. They are structured with the intent to avoid two extremes: 'overly centralised authority' on the one side and 'disconnected autonomy' on the other side. They consider themselves non-denominational. It is a family of churches spread across some 144 nations. : 418 The ICOC believes that the whole Bible is the inspired word of God. A formal break was made from the Churches of Christ in 1993 with the organization of the International Churches of Christ. Currently they are numbered at over 120,000. Beginning with 30 members, they grew to 37,000 members within the first 12 years. The International Churches of Christ ( ICOC) is a body of co-operating, religiously conservative and racially integrated Christian congregations. HOPE Worldwide, Disciples Today IPI Books

An International Church of Christ worship service

Life changers outreach