Thom S. Rainer's Blog, page 105
October 27, 2019
Pray for Highland Baptist Church
Location: Fitchburg, Massachusetts
Pastor: Tim Robinson
Weekly Worship: Sunday at 10:15 AM, Eastern
Fast Facts:
Highland Baptist Church had become a commuter church, with the majority of members living outside the city of Fitchburg and only driving in for service times. They merged with a local church plant in December 2018, and have been growing and working on community outreach. The church is still dealing with aspects of the church merger, and would appreciate your prayers for patience and guidance.
The church is emphasizing missions this month, and part of their goal is to get the congregation evangelizing. Their Christmas show is focused on evangelism and inviting people to meet the God that has come to us, and part of their push for outreach will be inviting people to the show. Please pray for the event and for the hearts of their church and city.
Website: http://www.HBCFitchburg.com
“Pray for . . .” is the Sunday blog series at ThomRainer.com. We encourage you to pray for these churches noted every Sunday. Please feel free to comment that you are praying as well.
If you would like to have your church featured in the “Pray for…” series, fill out this information form..
October 25, 2019
Four Reasons Why Many Welcoming Churches Have Become Less Welcoming
Podcast Episode #583
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Does your welcoming ministry feel stale and stagnant? In today’s episode, Thom and Sam discuss four reasons why churches become less welcoming. Every ministry can get in a rut or routine. Listen in on how you can become a more welcoming church.
Leaders in your welcoming ministry are not getting constant reminders.
New members of your welcoming ministry have not been trained.
Pastors are failing to check for themselves.
Pastors take it off their priority list.
Other highlights:
A welcoming church has to be consistently persistent.
You have to be on your “A” game every week.
When visitors walk into a smaller church they are expecting to be welcomed well.
Consistent vision casting from the leader is important.
Any ministry has the potential to get into a rut and routine.
A guest’s first impression will begin to occur within the first 7 seconds of being onsite at your church.
Resources:
Becoming a Welcoming Church
Secret Guest Survey
Episode Sponsors
The mission at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ by equipping students to serve the church and fulfill the Great Commission. The school offers more than 40 different degree programs, including the new Master of Arts in Church Revitalization in partnership with Church Answers and the Revitalization Network. This 37-hour degree is designed to help students move established churches from flatlining to flourishing.
Learn about this program and more by visiting sebts.edu. Where are you going? Southeastern will help you get there.
Vanderbloemen has 12 Vanderbloemen Differences that allow them to serve their clients better than anyone else. One of those is Theology Matters. Vanderbloemen’s staff has more seminary and theological experience than any other search firm with 250+ collective years of church leadership experience.
To learn more about all 12 of Vanderbloemen’s Differences, visit VanderDifference.com.
Feedback
If you have a question you would like answered on the show, fill out the form on the podcast page here at ThomRainer.com. If we use your question, you’ll receive a free copy of Becoming a Welcoming Church.
October 24, 2019
How to Encourage Other Revitalization Pastors without Bragging – Revitalize and Replant #116
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Today Thom and Mark answer a second round of listener-submitted questions. Answers include advice on staying humble, encouraging others, adjusting expectations, and the importance of corporate worship. This episode is helpful for any pastor trying to make Kingdom impact.
From Johnathan:
I pastor a church that is in the revitalization process. We are growing and seeing God work amongst the ministries of the church in mighty ways. Once a month I meet for breakfast with a small group of local pastors who are not all experiencing the same results as us. As a matter of fact, some of them seem downright depressed at times. It is my desire to see these other churches do well as well. My question is, how do I encourage these pastors without seeming as though I am bragging or being boisterous?
From Joe:
I’m two years into replanting a church. What do you do when members of your congregation no longer want to come to Church gatherings on Sundays.
Highlights:
– People don’t always want to know your story they just want to know you are there.
– Success isn’t measured by the masses but one changed life at a time.
– Ministry presence and a listening ear are the two greatest things you can offer people.
– God’s work and activity are not just numerical.
– It isn’t about a number but it is about being consistent to gather in corporate worship.
– In a culture that increasingly holds a secular world view, we need to be persistent about gathering together for corporate worship.
– If you have people involved on the front end then coming to worship will be very natural.
Revitalize & Replant is sponsored by the North American Mission Board and ChurchReplanters.com. More than 10% of churches in North America are at risk of closing and the North American Mission Board is committed to reversing this trend by decreasing the death rate of existing churches while simultaneously increasing the birth rate of new churches. To learn more about what it means to become a replanting pastor or to explore resources for replanting and revitalization in your own church, visit ChurchReplanters.com.
Submit Your Question:
Do you have a question about church revitalization or replanting for us to use on the podcast? Visit the podcast page to submit your question. If we use it on the show, you’ll get a copy of Autopsy of a Deceased Church and Reclaiming Glory.
October 23, 2019
Eight Ways Pastors Can Cultivate Long-Term Tenures
By Sam Rainer
Generally, long-term pastor tenures are better than short-term pastor tenures. The context where the pastor ministers can impact the tenure. The church body can impact tenure. And the pastor can impact tenure length. Here are eight ways pastors can cultivate their long-term tenures.
Elevate your family above your career. You simply cannot overestimate the importance of family stability. Your family is not a quantifiable metric in the decision to transition or not. One wise mentor once told me, “If your wife ain’t called, then you ain’t called.” He’s right. Your family is the front line of your ministry. They come first. If they want to stay, then in the vast majority of cases, you should not lead them to another place of ministry.
Stop basing fulfillment on the size of your church. A 2,000-attendance church is not more fulfilling than a 200-attendance church. Your worth to Christ is not dependent on the size of your church. Success is no longer about “arriving” at the large county seat churches like it was in the 1960s. Quite frankly, such ideas should not have existed back then. They certainly shouldn’t exist now.
Live in the community where you pastor. I once consulted a church where the pastor left after several years because he simply did not connect with the community. He lived thirty minutes outside of the city from where his church was to get more house for his money. It’s hard to love a community if you don’t live there. Additionally, some communities are easier to love than others. A New Englander might have to work to love the Deep South. A Southerner might get culture shock in Miami. Californians know that the northern part of the state is quite different than the southern part of the state. To love a place over time, you must live there.
Don’t cast your preferences as vision. One of the biggest unseen and internal faults of a pastor is creating a vision around personal preferences. Just because you like something doesn’t necessarily mean it is best for the whole of your congregation. You don’t always have to get your way in your church. If you always get your way, then you’re creating a toxic culture.
Pick your battles. Too many pastors die on molehills. I knew a rural church where the new pastor got fired in his second year. He decided to discard all of the tchotchkes families had donated throughout the years. He thought they were ugly. He was right. However, the church chose ugly décor over a foolish pastor.
Continually ask long-term questions. You minister to people in the moment, but you must also lead them towards the future. The person struggling with a dying parent does not care about your ten-year vision right then, but they will be glad you asked the right questions about leadership ten years from that point.
Have a plan to develop and equip staff. Without a formal plan to develop staff, you will be alone in your long-term vision. If you don’t bring along your staff, then it is highly unlikely you will bring along the church as well. You must do the hard work of developing staff to survive long-term at your church.
Discern the difference between snippiness and disunity. That comment about the lack of choir robes is most likely just snippiness. Don’t treat the offender as if he’s killing the church. You should expect criticism as a leader, especially if you are the lead pastor. You are the person everyone sees. High visibility means you will have both influence on people and critiques from people. Most criticism aimed at you is not disunity. If you can’t handle criticism, then you should not be the leader.
One of the greatest influences on pastoral tenure is the pastor. While some things are out of your control, a lot is not. You have the ability to cultivate a longer tenure.
October 22, 2019
Six Ways Churches Are Dealing with Parking Shortages
Podcast Episode #582
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In this episode, Thom and Sam discuss a key barrier to church growth, parking. If you are leading a healthy and growing church parking will be an issue. Listen in as the discussion focuses on six ways churches are dealing with parking shortages.
The six questions from today’s podcast:
Ask key church leaders to park in remote places.
Some churches use shuttle parking, at least for a season.
More churches are starting a non-Sunday morning service to deal with space constraints like parking shortages.
When a church becomes multi-site, parking shortages are often relieved.
Nearby businesses are often happy to allow church members to park on their property.
Some churches reconfigure their parking for more effective use.
Other highlights:
Church leaders often arrive early and leave late and do not notice parking issues.
As culture has changed, we have fewer people coming to church per car.
Resources mentioned in today’s podcast
I Am a Church Member
The Biggest Demographic Churches Are Missing
Sandals Church
Cosco & Associates
Revitalize and Replant
Episode Sponsors
Vanderbloemen has been serving churches for nine years, but did you know that Vanderbloemen also serves Christian schools, nonprofits, and Christian businesses? So if you’re listening, and you know a Christian school, nonprofit, or values-based business that is hiring, contact our friends at Vanderbloemen for your staffing needs.
For more information, visit Vanderbloemen.com.
The mission at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ by equipping students to serve the church and fulfill the Great Commission. The school offers more than 40 different degree programs, including the new Master of Arts in Church Revitalization in partnership with Church Answers and the Revitalization Network. This 37-hour degree is designed to help students move established churches from flatlining to flourishing.
Learn about this program and more by visiting sebts.edu. Where are you going? Southeastern will help you get there.
Feedback
If you have a question you would like answered on the show, fill out the form on the podcast page here at ThomRainer.com. If we use your question, you’ll receive a free copy of Scrappy Church.
October 21, 2019
Six Lessons on Ministry Pay We Are Learning from Retiring Boomer Pastors
By Thom S. Rainer
Rarely a week goes by that I don’t hear from Boomer pastors who just retired, are considering retirement, or wish they could retire.
I am listening carefully. And I am learning a lot as I listen. Most of it is not very encouraging.
Most pastors are underpaid. I have to monitor my sanctification when I hear snarky comments like, “Pastors are in it for the money” or “Pastors make too much money.” Sure, there are ungodly exceptions. But they are indeed exceptions and they are rare. As I listen to Boomer pastors and understand their compensation through the years, my heart breaks. Many of these servants, for the hours they work, have barely been paid living wages.
Too many pastors refuse raises. Their motives are honorable. They want the money to go to ministry. They want their staff better paid. They want the church to pay off its debt. They don’t want to hurt the church. But now these Boomer pastors realize they don’t have sufficient funds for retirement. They fear they will be a burden to their families. Pastors: Stop saying “no” to raises. You are hurting your family now and in the future.
Few pastors give sufficient thought to retirement. They commonly say, “God will take care of me.” Others say, “I don’t ever plan on retiring.” The problem is many Boomer pastors are “retired” involuntarily by their churches. Some are not physically able to remain as a pastor. Others are close to emotional burnout. Again, these pastors become dependent on others in retirement.
Many pastors have too much debt leading into retirement. The most common scenario we are hearing from Boomer pastors is they bought their home later in life. They have a 30-year mortgage with 10 years remaining. Some have also burdened themselves and their families with consumer debt just to get by.
A number of pastors have given little thought to health care costs. Even if these pastors are eligible for Medicare, many of them have no concept of what Medicare does not cover. Sadly, they are often unable to afford any Medicare supplements. As a consequence, these retired pastors neglect their own health for fear of uncovered expenses.
The common theme of many of these Boomer pastors is over-spiritualizing their financial reality without the wisdom of planning for their future years. Yes, faith that God will take care of us is a good thing. No, faith without planning is not wise. The writer of Proverbs said it in 15:22: “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” Jesus said it Luke 14:28: “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?”
Pastors: Learn these lessons from your fellow Boomer pastors who are retirement age. Learn and apply their lessons before it’s too late for you.
October 20, 2019
Pray for Fellowship Baptist Church
Location: Panama City, Florida
Pastor: Tyler Bro
Weekly Worship: Sunday at 10:30 AM & 6:00 PM, Central
Fast Facts:
Fellowship Baptist Church is a small but growing congregation in Panama City, Florida. Although devastated by Hurricane Michael, Fellowship has stayed strong and is continuing to move forward by faith.
Please pray that God would continue to provide the funds for the church to rebuild their sanctuary that was damaged by Hurricane Michael.
Website: FellowshipBaptistpc.com
“Pray for . . .” is the Sunday blog series at ThomRainer.com. We encourage you to pray for these churches noted every Sunday. Please feel free to comment that you are praying as well.
If you would like to have your church featured in the “Pray for…” series, fill out this information form..
October 19, 2019
Notable Voices and the Week in Review: October 19, 2019
From Around the Web:
How to Increase Year-End Giving with Compelling Stories — Ryan Nelson
Stories encourage empathy. They help us understand problems and circumstances in new ways. And they provide tangible examples of God’s work in our communities.
If your church wants to maximize year-end giving, you need to tell compelling stories about what God is doing through your congregation’s giving.
Here’s how to do that.
Are Mergers Changing the Church Landscape? — Tim Cool
I can tell you from our experience, that church mergers are definitely changing the landscape of the church world. From planning opportunities, to revitalization, to combining resources or rescuing a church that is in decline.
6 Reasons “Don’t Take It Personally” Is Bad Ministry Advice — Karl Vaters
Can you imagine Jesus giving anyone that advice? “Take up your cross and follow me – but don’t take it personally.”
Or the apostle Paul? “Follow my example as I follow the example of Christ – but don’t take it personally.” Of course not. They took ministry very personally.
Because ministry is relational. It’s passionate. It’s sacrificial. It’s overwhelmingly personal.
Godly Leaders Welcome Correction — Phillip Holmes
Just because criticism can hurt doesn’t mean it’s not good for us. Scripture paints a positive picture of anyone who welcomes correction as wise (Proverbs 9:8, 15:31) and those who reject it as foolish. Furthermore, we’re instructed to use all Scripture “for reproof” and “for correction” for our good and God’s glory.
How The Church Became Missional — Trevin Wax
Throughout church history, “mission” has been understood in a number of ways. But in the past 60 to 70 years or so, we’ve seen a decisive shift toward viewing mission as God’s first and foremost, which has led to a revamping of our understanding of the church’s mission in light of what God’s mission is.
This Week at ThomRainer.com:
Top Ten Ways Churches Drive Away First-Time Guests (Re-visited)
We want people to visit our churches. We want them to return so they can have multiple opportunities to hear the gospel and connect with believers. But many do not return. Why? In a social media poll, I heard from over 1,000 persons sharing their experiences of being “one and done.” They visited a church one time but did not return. Five years ago, here were their top reasons. Not much has changed in their responses today.READ MORE
Ten Signs a Church Staff is Really Happy Together
Occasionally over the last few years, I’ve spent time with a church staff that seemed really happy together. Here are some characteristics that mark those teams:
READ MORE
Six Questions to Consider If a Staff Member Becomes a Candidate to Be Pastor
by Thom Rainer | Rainer on Leadership
http://media.blubrry.com/thomrainer/s3.amazonaws.com/rainerpodcast/Rainer-on-Leadership/Episode580.mp3
Five Common Ways Church Leaders Respond to Overload Anxiety
by Thom Rainer | Rainer on Leadership
http://media.blubrry.com/thomrainer/s3.amazonaws.com/rainerpodcast/Rainer-on-Leadership/Episode581.mp3
Welcoming Kevin Ezell to Revitalize and Replant
by Thom Rainer | Revitalize & Replant
http://media.blubrry.com/revitalizereplant/s3.amazonaws.com/rainerpodcast/Revitalize-and-Replant/RR-Episode115.mp3
October 18, 2019
Five Common Ways Church Leaders Respond to Overload Anxiety – Rainer on Leadership #581
Podcast Episode #581
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Today’s episode is an important topic in the life of the church leader. Anxiety could come from a number of sources including staff, congregational members, elders, or other church expectations. Thom and Sam give some tips on how to find help and stay healthy.
Here are the five common responses to overload:
They go to a favorite place to pray
They set a goal to accomplish one thing
They take a few days off
They exercise
They join a community of like-minded leaders
Other highlights:
A good pastor will help carry the weight of their congregation.
Sometimes church leaders feel like firefighters rather than pastors.
Anxiety comes from people and tasks.
We need to take away from the negative stigma around mental health. Don’t be afraid to seek professional help.
Resources:
Church Answers
Focus on the Family Help Line
Episode Sponsors
The mission at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ by equipping students to serve the church and fulfill the Great Commission. The school offers more than 40 different degree programs, including the new Master of Arts in Church Revitalization in partnership with Church Answers and the Revitalization Network. This 37-hour degree is designed to help students move established churches from flatlining to flourishing.
Learn about this program and more by visiting sebts.edu. Where are you going? Southeastern will help you get there.
Vanderbloemen has 12 Vanderbloemen Differences that allow them to serve their clients better than anyone else. One of those is Theology Matters. Vanderbloemen’s staff has more seminary and theological experience than any other search firm with 250+ collective years of church leadership experience.
To learn more about all 12 of Vanderbloemen’s Differences, visit VanderDifference.com.
Feedback
If you have a question you would like answered on the show, fill out the form on the podcast page here at ThomRainer.com. If we use your question, you’ll receive a free copy of Becoming a Welcoming Church.
October 17, 2019
Welcoming Kevin Ezell to Revitalize and Replant
SUBSCRIBE TODAY:
iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio • Google Play • Spotify
Thom welcomes Kevin Ezell, President of the North American Mission Board (NAMB), as a new co-host on the Revitalize and Replant Podcast. In today’s episode, Kevin talks about his journey to NAMB and his passion to help the local church.
A few facts about Kevin:
He grew up and accepted Christ in western Kentucky.
He is the father of 6 kids from 4 countries.
He pastored churches in Texas, Tennessee, and Kentucky.
He has served as president of NAMB for 9 years.
NAMB helps to revitalize and replant churches across North America.
NAMB helps in disaster relief.
NAMB focuses on 36 Send Cities for church planting.
Revitalize & Replant is sponsored by the North American Mission Board and ChurchReplanters.com. More than 10% of churches in North America are at risk of closing and the North American Mission Board is committed to reversing this trend by decreasing the death rate of existing churches while simultaneously increasing the birth rate of new churches. To learn more about what it means to become a replanting pastor or to explore resources for replanting and revitalization in your own church, visit ChurchReplanters.com.
Submit Your Question:
Do you have a question about church revitalization or replanting for us to use on the podcast? Visit the podcast page to submit your question. If we use it on the show, you’ll get a copy of Autopsy of a Deceased Church and Reclaiming Glory.
