Thom S. Rainer's Blog, page 108

Why Some Churches Wait Too Long to Replant – Revitalize & Replant #112

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Admitting and starting to replant or revitalize can be hard for churches. Today we cover seven reasons many churches fail to take the needed action.

Episode Highlights:

Money in the bank can be a huge hindrance to revitalization.
As long as churches can pay their bills, they are often hesitant to ask for help.
When you rely too much on the personality of the pastor, you won’t rely enough on the Holy Spirit.
“If only we had…” is an excuse and a deflection churches use when they refuse to address problems.

The seven reasons we discuss are:

“There is money in the bank.”
“The magic bullet pastor is out there somewhere.”
“Our methods are sound.”
“We are not the problem.”
“We can get it done tomorrow.”
“We still have visitors.”
“We know another church like us that turned around.”

Resources mentioned in this episode include:

RevitalizeBundle.com
ChurchAnswers.com
ChurchReplanters.com
Replanter Assessment
Find more resources at the Revitalize & Replant page at ThomRainer.com


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.

Stop Getting Mad at People Who Question Change

By Sam Rainer

Most people don’t like change. Most leaders want to challenge the status quo. Leadership is, in part, the process of helping people see the need for change, embrace the vision for change, and then implement the change.

Getting mad at people who question change does not help the process of change. Those who are truly malicious are typically small in number. When people have questions about change, it does not necessarily mean that they are questioning your leadership. It’s likely they just have questions. In fact, the only leaders who go unquestioned are despots.

Particularly in the church, there is built-in institutional resistance to change. Almost every church has this inherent resistance, especially established churches. The body may spend decades building something—a program, a worship space, or a culture. Shifting direction on a decade’s work is jarring, even if it’s the right thing. The church is often the place people cling to the familiar. The world is changing rapidly, after all. At least the church offers some solace from what feels like a whirlwind of change.

When a church leader introduces bold change, a strong reaction should be expected. Some will complain it’s too much too soon. Others will complain it’s too little too late. Others won’t care. And a few will champion the change.

Bold change almost always raises questions from people. Getting mad at people who raise the questions does nothing to help move them through the process of change. Yet a leader’s visceral reaction to these questions is often anger. I’ll admit I’m guilty! And it’s wrong, a leadership flaw, arguably sinful in many cases.

So what can you do in the moment when questions fly your way? How can a church leader quell the knee-jerk anger to questions about change?

Listen. Seriously, just listen. Don’t talk. Don’t say anything. Don’t explain yourself. Don’t get defensive. Let people speak to you about the change. Many times people just need the opportunity to hear themselves speak and to know you heard them.

Learn. Your posture and your tone can speak more loudly than your actual words. When introducing bold change, take the posture of a learner. Let’s assume you’ll make a big announcement from the podium about a large change initiative. Make a resolution to be a learner the moment you walk off the stage. And the way you’ll learn is by listening to questions about the change.

Smile. Remember school pictures? I never liked them. I often didn’t smile, and the low quality of the pictures reflected the intensity of my scowl. The quality of your change initiative will be directly correlated to the amount of encouragement you give people. If you think more explanations, more spreadsheets, or more structure will get people moving, then think again. Forcing people through change without encouragement signals that the change is for your benefit, not their benefit. You’ve got to love the people who are affected by the change through the change. When questions come . . . smile. Encourage. Love.

You’ll never please everyone. How many times have I heard that? How many times have I said that to others? You know upfront that change initiatives can be tough, that people will resist change. Getting mad at followers ensures only one thing: failure. I’ve never heard a leader mention how unjustified anger inspired people to embrace a change initiative. So listen. Learn. Smile. And perhaps the change initiative might just go a little more smoothly.

Goodbye Jonathan, Part 1 – Rainer on Leadership #574

Podcast Episode #574

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This is Jonathan Howe’s last week on the podcast. For those who may have missed it, he was recently at the SBC Executive Committee. So this week, we are saying goodbye to “The Voice.”

Resources mentioned in today’s podcast

Church Answers


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.

Five Trends of Retiring Baby Boomer Pastors

On January 1, 2011, 100,000 Baby Boomers reached age 65. Every day since then, another 100,000 Boomers turn 65. Many of them retire at that age or shortly thereafter.

That’s a lot of retired Boomers. Among them are a lot of retiring pastors.

So, we recently asked a number of retired or retiring Boomer pastors what they planned to do in their next stage of life. We received five common responses among them:

Boomer pastors are not retiring from vocational ministry. We received that message loud and clear. No Boomer with whom we spoke was planning a life of travel and rocking chairs exclusively. These pastors had definitive ideas, some concrete plans, about what they would do next.

The most common path was to become an interim pastor. Slightly under half of the respondents had this ministry as a clear path. Many of them had interim pastorates waiting on them when they retired. One pastor who retired six years ago has already served in seven interim roles, almost without a break.

Some Boomer pastors will serve on church staff in a different role. Most of them chose not to serve at the church from where they were retiring. But it was not unusual for some of them to return to a church they served in earlier years, this time doing ministry in a part-time or full-time staff role. We are also watching a growing trend among retiring pastors to serve in church revitalization and replanting roles.

It is not unusual for a Boomer pastor to mentor other pastors in retirement. Indeed, most of these pastors have a wealth of knowledge, experience, and wisdom to share with other pastors. The Millennial pastors seemed to be the most eager to be mentored by retired Boomer pastors.

About one of ten retired Boomer pastors are becoming church consultants. This role is similar to mentoring or coaching pastors, but they examine the health of the entire church instead of just working with one person.

Another common response we heard is that many Boomer pastors are serving in more than one of these capacities. I know one retired pastor who is serving as a pastor in a church revitalization, coaching six other pastors, and consulting with two or three churches a year! Retirement no longer means what retirement meant just a few years ago. The Boomers as a whole don’t seem to have any plans to slow down.

Are you a Boomer retiree or a Boomer planning to retire in the near future? I would love to hear your plans. What does God have next for you?

(See our two certification ministries used by many retiring or retired pastors and staff: www.ChurchConsultation.University and www.InterimPastor.University.)

Pray for First Church of Christ—Bradford

Location: Haverhill, Massachusetts

Pastor: Danny Ovalle

Weekly Worship: Worship: 10:00 AM

Fast Facts: Gathered in 1682, First Church of Christ—Bradford exists to connect God’s inexhaustible grace to an exhausted world. Please pray for their upcoming event on October 5 called Restore New England. They are hosting a night of worship & prayer for their region. New England is one of the most densely populated areas of the country as well as one of the most irreligious. FCCB and others through the region want to change that and see a fresh move of the Spirit in New England.

Website: FCCBradford.org

“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..

Notable Voices and the Week in Review: September 21, 2019

From Around the Web:

Seven Points of Prayer: How We Revitalized Our Staff Meetings — Sam Rainer

Our staff meetings lacked something, but we couldn’t put our finger on it. The time together was not a disaster. There were ups and downs, good days and tense days. Things got done. But spiritually, something was missing. That’s when our new senior adult minister, Jim, pointed to our problem—prayer. We were praying in every meeting, but we weren’t praying for specifics in each other’s lives. He came up with a plan. His plan revitalized our staff meetings.

5 Mistakes Church Leaders Make When Attendance Declines — Facts & Trends

Every church I’ve served has had ups and downs with attendance. Some seasons are times of growth—which are fun because the staff is energized, the congregation is happy, and you sleep easy at night. Other seasons are seasons of decline—which can be maddening because the staff is stressed, the congregation is concerned, and you have sleepless nights. Before you start putting together references or blasting out your résumé, let me warn you of five common mistakes church leaders often make when attendance declines.

4 Myths that Keep College Students from Joining a Church — Jim Davis

Most church-going college students never join a church during their time away, electing either to retain membership at their old church or not join anywhere. The question they ask is this: If I have community, am mentored, receive Bible teaching, and am engaged in mission, then why do I need to join a church? If you’re asking that question, then you’re believing some combination of these four myths.

7 Qualities A Leader Can’t Afford NOT To Have — Carey Nieuwhof

Not all leadership is great leadership. Which raises the question, how do you know you’re a leader worth following? If you’re a Christian, I think this adds another dimension to your leadership. You need to model leadership in a way that reflects the character and heart of Christ. So what exactly does that look like? I’ve met thousands of Christian leaders in my two decades of leadership, and when I think about the leaders I believe are worth following, seven qualities keep rising to the top:

This Week at ThomRainer.com:




















Who Should Select Church Staff? Pastor? Search Committee? Personnel Committee? Congregational Vote? Judicatory Authority?

After working with churches for over thirty years, I have seen these issues become points of unity, and I have seen these become points of divisiveness. As a consequence, I have developed the following guidelines…READ MORE

Ten Fears for the American Church

I spend a lot of time on the mission field working with missionaries. I LOVE the local church wherever it is, but I fear more for the American church every time I go overseas. Here are some of my fears…READ MORE

Getting under the Hood of Church Giving to Increase Generosity in Your Congregation

by Thom Rainer and Jonathan Howe | Rainer on Leadership

http://media.blubrry.com/thomrainer/s3.amazonaws.com/rainerpodcast/Rainer-on-Leadership/Episode572.mp3







The Six Most Simple Adjustments to Become a Welcoming Church

by Thom Rainer and Jonathan Howe | Rainer on Leadership

http://media.blubrry.com/thomrainer/s3.amazonaws.com/rainerpodcast/Rainer-on-Leadership/Episode573.mp3







Six Reasons Why Focusing on Becoming a Welcoming Church Is Key to Revitalization

by Thom Rainer and Jonathan Howe | Revitalize & Replant

http://media.blubrry.com/revitalizereplant/s3.amazonaws.com/rainerpodcast/Revitalize-and-Replant/RR-Episode111.mp3

The Six Most Simple Adjustments to Become a Welcoming Church – Rainer on Leadership #573

Podcast Episode #573

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Your church can become more welcoming regardless of how welcoming you may think it already is. Today we cover six simple adjustments that cost little to nothing that will have exponentially great results.

Some highlights from today’s episode include:

Your church’s website is its front door to guests. The content and design need to be focused on them, not on the members.
A dirty or unkept children’s area will turn guests away from your church.
It doesn’t take a lot of work to train a welcome team. It just takes intentionality.
Door greeters are great, but having someone to greet those in the worship center may be more important.

The six adjustments we discuss are:

Check the website.
Do a facility audit.
Train a welcome team.
Keep greeters in worship center.
Paint a room.
Get some inexpensive signs.

Resources mentioned in today’s podcast:

Revitalize2020.com
RevitalizeNetwork.org
Becoming a Welcoming Church
Church Facility Audit


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.

Six Reasons Why Focusing on Becoming a Welcoming Church Is Key to Revitalization – Revitalize & Replant #111

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Having a welcoming team doesn’t take a lot of resources—it basically requires people. It doesn’t cost your church much at all, but the benefits are endless. Today, we share how you can make that happen and why you need to.

Episode Highlights:

For a church to get out of a decline, they must push outwardly through evangelism and outreach.
A focus on welcoming guests sends a clear message: our church wants to be intentional about reaching others with the Gospel.
Churches should have more hope than any other group or organization.
Your welcoming team should exude excitement.

The six reasons we discuss are:

It creates an outward focus.
It provides hope.
It sends a clear message to guests.
It can be done by any church.
It is a wise use of resources.
It takes the focus off divisive issues.

Resources mentioned in this episode include:

Becoming a Welcoming Church
Free church guest resources
Revitalizer Profile
ChurchAnswers.com
Find more resources at the Revitalize & Replant page at ThomRainer.com


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.

Ten Fears for the American Church

By Chuck Lawless

I spend a lot of time on the mission field working with missionaries. I LOVE the local church wherever it is, but I fear more for the American church every time I go overseas. Here are some of my fears:

I fear we go through the motions without really experiencing God’s presence. Seldom have I experienced in America what I’ve seen in some places around the world.

I fear we get way too hung up on things that don’t matter nearly as much as we think. That’s the way I feel about things like service times, worship styles, and building colors.

I fear we think too lightly about persecution. We think we’re being persecuted when we can’t erect the church sign we want, but believers around the world are facing much more than that.

I fear we think we’re the most important church people in the world. No question that the American church is influential, but most of the world has never heard of most of us – including those among us who are the best known.

I fear we think too little about Bible study and scripture memorization. I wonder how our ministries would change if the only Bible we had was what we’ve already stored in our head and heart. Some believers live under that restriction.

I fear we have little idea what power there is in prayer. Our “prayer meetings” hardly compare to some of the long, gut-wrenching, heart-rending prayer times I’ve spent with missionaries and nationals.

I fear we tolerate sin far too much. I’ve been with international believers who go too far the other way into legalism, but at least they’re talking about holiness.

I fear we’re not providing enough practical training for young ministers and missionaries.  We send them out with our blessing, but not with our practical and personal DNA in their blood.

I fear we sometimes get in the way of missionaries on our short-term trips. That happens when we plan trips without even briefly engaging those who live on the ground and who best understand local needs and culture.

I fear we don’t pray enough for missionaries. In fact, I’m sure about this one. I know we don’t pray enough for them.

Just my thoughts today. If you agree with any of these, pick one and work on it. Strengthen the American church by beginning with your congregation.

Getting under the Hood of Church Giving to Increase Generosity in Your Congregation – Rainer on Leadership #572

Podcast Episode #572

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Increasing generosity is not just about asking for more money more often. It’s about building the spiritual discipline of giving. Today, we welcome Jim Sheppard and Steve Caton to the podcast to discuss this and how metrics can help you in your church.

About Jim Sheppard

Jim Sheppard is CEO & Principal of Generis, a consulting firm passionate about helping Churches inspire and cultivate generosity through giving development, coaching and strategy.

About Steve Caton

Steve Caton, Chief Growth Officer at Generis. He leads all marketing and business development activities and provides support and guidance to an expanding portfolio of Generis consultants and thought leaders as they help us live out our mission to accelerate generosity toward God-inspired vision.

Some highlights from today’s episode include:

Stewardship is not just about money. It’s also about leadership.
What worked then, doesn’t necessarily work now. Methodologies from the 1990s don’t always work in 2019.
Developing a long-term system of sustainable generosity takes time.
It’s hard to deal with a situation when you don’t have good metrics or measurements on it.

Resources mentioned in today’s podcast

Church Answers
Generis


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.