Thom S. Rainer's Blog, page 109

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

It is both a question and a frustration.

The question is often stated as the title of this post: Who should select the church staff?

The frustration takes place when different parties feel left out of the process. Sometimes it’s the pastor who is frustrated. Sometimes it’s a committee. Sometimes it’s the entire congregation.

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. In some cases, polity determines the selection and hiring of staff, so there will obviously be exceptions.

If the pastor has no say in the selection of staff, the church is asking for problems. Particularly with direct reports, the pastor will be working with these people day by day. If pastors feel they are left out of the process, tensions could naturally be the consequence. There are very few organizations anywhere other than some churches that hire direct reports for a supervisor without the supervisor’s input. It’s just not wise.

If pastors do have unilateral authority, they still should seek input from others. I have been in situations where I had complete freedom to hire someone without consulting others. One of my most difficult hires took place when I did not seek counsel. I learned a painful lesson. Even if pastors can hire without the approval of others, it is good for these leaders to listen to others.

Congregational votes for staff can be problematic. Pastors should do a thorough work to prepare for that vote. No, I am not a fan of congregational votes for staff members other than the pastor. Most of the members do not have nearly the knowledge of the prospective staff member as those making the recommendation, whether it’s a pastor or a committee. Sometimes the process can become a popularity contest. Sometimes members in the church are mad because their cousin was not chosen. If a congregational vote is mandated by polity or bylaws, the pastor should be fully prepared to answer any or all questions about the candidate before the vote takes place.

Search firms can be helpful to the process. Over the years, I have come to appreciate the role of search firms more and more. Most of them go through the process exceedingly well. There are two common objections to retaining search firms. The first is that it’s the church’s role to hire staff. I totally agree! Search firms do not choose the staff person. They provide candidates for the church or pastor to decide. The second objection is that search firms cost too much. If the search firm helps the church find the right candidate, it is a bargain. If the church gets the wrong staff person without a search firm, the cost is much greater to replace him or her.

These are some of the thoughts I provide churches looking for staff members, especially those who will work directly with the pastor. I would love to hear your perspective on this issue. What does your church do? Does it work well?

Pray for Norview Baptist Church

Location: Norfolk, Virginia

Pastor: Dr. Jeffrey Luchun

Weekly Worship: 11:00 AM, Eastern

Fast Facts: Norview Baptist Church is a 93-year-old congregation that is one year into a revitalization effort. Located at the intersection known as Five Points in Norfolk, their mission is to love Five Points and beyond for the glory of God. It is an ethnically diverse church dedicated to discipleship, ministry, outreach, prayer, and worship as an authentic community. Please pray for the church as they raise funds for significant upgrades to better reach their community through service projects, a food pantry, clothes closet, housing rehabilitation, financial training, and debt relief. Also pray for a continued willingness to be change in the community and the ability to give sacrificially.

Website: NorviewBaptist.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..

Notable Voices and the Week in Review: September 14, 2019

From Around the Web:

How Should a Pastor Think About His Salary? — Brandon Shields

The recognition of universal struggles, however, doesn’t negate the existence of some unique financial constraints on ministry families. Every vocation has its own set of “occupational hazards.” Let me highlight two that operate unconsciously in the social architecture of a local congregation.

5 Characteristics Every Church Leader’s Spouse Needs — Facts & Trends

First, a minister doesn’t have to be married to thrive. But if a minister is married, their spouse is the single most important human relationship he or she has. Second, while I have in mind my wife in this post, I’m aware of women who serve in ministry roles where the support and encouragement of their husbands greatly enhance their ministry. These five characteristics are indispensable if your marriage, family, and ministry are to remain stable.

Advice to Young Seminarians — Todd Chipman

For many pastors, time spent in formal seminary training is one of the most joyful seasons of life. Most seminary students are in their twenties or early thirties, learning not only of God’s word, but also how to walk by faith in all spheres of life. Toward that end, I offer here five steps for maximizing the seminary experience.

8 Suggestions for Planning an Annual Preaching Schedule — Chuck Lawless

If I’m honest, I did far too little regular planning of my sermons when I was a young pastor. No one had discipled me about scheduling a sermon series, and I was too unorganized at the time to think far beyond the next Sunday. Now, though, I believe that strategic sermon planning is on target. I’d love to hear your thoughts and reflections in response to these suggestions below:

This Week at ThomRainer.com:




















Ten Surprising Questions Church Leaders Are Asking

Because we have such a large sample of church leaders, I want you to have an inside view of some of the questions we get. They are good questions, but they are not typical questions…READ MORE

How Pastors Discern Their True Friends

Pastors must work to maintain friends in the church. The stakes are too high. The result of isolation is depression, burnout, or moral failure. You can’t be wise on your own. You need God’s Truth and good friends…READ MORE

Seven Ways to Hurt Your Pastor

by Thom Rainer and Jonathan Howe | Rainer on Leadership

http://media.blubrry.com/thomrainer/s3.amazonaws.com/rainerpodcast/Rainer-on-Leadership/Episode570.mp3







How Churches Should Respond to Seven Major Changes

by Thom Rainer and Jonathan Howe | Rainer on Leadership

http://media.blubrry.com/thomrainer/s3.amazonaws.com/rainerpodcast/Rainer-on-Leadership/Episode571.mp3







Understanding the Pain and Hurt Felt By Members of Dying Churches

by Thom Rainer and Jonathan Howe | Revitalize & Replant

http://media.blubrry.com/revitalizereplant/s3.amazonaws.com/rainerpodcast/Revitalize-and-Replant/RR-Episode110.mp3

How Churches Should Respond to Seven Major Changes – Rainer on Leadership #571

Podcast Episode #571

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We recently highlights seven changes are facing today. In this episode, we discuss how to combat these changes.

Some highlights from today’s episode include:

Cultural Christianity is all but gone in America.
Multi-service became multi-venue which became multi-site.
Work habits are changing. Churches need to consider responding to those changes with alternate worship times.
Denominational health reflects the health of member churches.

The seven changes we discuss are:

The Death of Cultural Christianity.
The Multi Movement.
The Shift in Work Habits.
The Decline of Denominations.
The Move to Different Staffing Models.
The Huge Revitalization and Replanting Movement.
The Closure of 8,000 to 10,000 Churches a Year.

Resources mentioned in today’s podcast:

Revitalize2020.com
Using Part-time Ministry Leaders in a Revitalization or Replant – Revitalize & Replant #106
RevitalizeNetwork.org


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.

Understanding the Pain and Hurt Felt By Members of Dying Churches – Revitalize & Replant #110

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Dying churches are filled with members who are experiencing loss—loss of friends, loss of ministry, loss of relevance. Today, we discuss several of these pain points found in dying churches.

Episode Highlights:

Church members often like the way a church used to be more than the way the church is currently.
Nostalgia is a cul-de-sac. It leads nowhere.
When members leave a dying church, those who remain often feel betrayed by those who leave.
The change people in their 70s and 80s have endured in their lifetime has left many wanting the church to be a place that never changes.

The eight pain points we discuss are:

Anticipatory grief
Church is connected to major life events
Friendship patterns are being disrupted
Some of feelings of betrayal
The pain of denial
Loss of stability
Great confusion and pain related to cultural change
Often the members respond with anger and resistance to those who try to help.

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.

How Pastors Discern Their True Friends

By Sam Rainer

Life is better with people. Life is more fun with people. Ministry requires people. We don’t minister to squirrels.

By God’s design, we cannot make it in this life without friends and family. We are created in God’s image, and He is social. We need relationships. It’s natural for us to crave social interaction. Some are more introverted than others, but everyone needs someone. Pastors are no exception. In fact, pastors should lead their churches with friendship in the same way they lead with theology, vision, and spiritual disciplines.

But being a pastor can be lonely. This loneliness is especially true for lead pastors. A lead pastor has no peers in the church. Staff report to the lead pastor, and the people of their churches are under their care. Other lead pastors in the community are peers, but their churches are often viewed as competition, an unfortunate but real problem.

For friendship, most lead pastors rely on other lead pastors in different communities. However, the distance between them creates a situation where they are not regularly interacting and do not understand the unique dynamics of ministry in each other’s communities. It’s tough to relate when you don’t live in the same place.

Pastors should have at least one friend in the church. It’s hard, I know. Most pastors stay on guard. They’ve been burned or hurt. As a result, they are in a defensive posture. Potential friends want to relate, but it can be difficult. Since friendship can be challenging for many pastors, how can they discern their true friends?

Presence. Think about the hundreds of interactions you have with various people throughout the week. Most people are in your life because you find them useful. You are in others’ lives because for most you are useful to them. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Societies function based upon people being helpful and useful to each other. I’m glad the barista is friendly. He gives me coffee. I give him a tip. But usefulness is certainly not friendship. A true friend is found in the valley. They walk with you in the low points. A true friend is there when you are at your most useless.

Protection. A true friend protects your time, your reputation, and your family. The person who frees you to be with your family, the person who quickly stamps out gossip, the person who makes sure you have time to prepare your sermons, that’s a true friend.

Truthfulness. Pastors should cultivate a friendship with the person who tells the truth. Truth must be worked out; it doesn’t just come to the surface on its own. If someone always tells you what you want to hear, and never digs into the tough stuff in your life, that person is using you for something (and you’re likely using them for a false sense of self-assurance). Pastors need truth tellers for friends.

Trustworthiness. You can be truthful but not trustworthy. There are plenty of people out there who tell the truth, but I wouldn’t necessarily trust them. The best and wisest friend is both truthful and trustworthy. A pastor needs someone in the church with whom to be vulnerable. The truth teller who is also trustworthy is a precious friend.

Pastors must work to maintain friends in the church. The stakes are too high. The result of isolation is depression, burnout, or moral failure. You can’t be wise on your own. You need God’s Truth and good friends.

Find the friend in your church who is present, a protector, a truth teller, and trustworthy. Then cultivate that friendship with vigor.

Seven Ways to Hurt Your Pastor – Rainer on Leadership #570

Podcast Episode #570

SUBSCRIBE:

iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio • Google Play • iHeart Radio • Spotify

We hear from hundreds and hundreds of pastors every week. Many of them are hurting. Today, we cover seven most common ways church members hurt their pastors.

Some highlights from today’s episode include:

If you’re criticizing the pastor via the pastor’s spouse or kids, that’s absolutely cowardly.
It’s rare for pastors to be overpaid. Many are simply underpaid.
The constant criticism many pastors face is basically death by a thousand cuts.

You shouldn’t compare your pastor’s preaching to that which you hear on podcasts.

The seven ways we discuss are:

Criticize the pastor’s family.
Tell pastors they are overpaid.
Don’t defend pastors when they are attacked.
Tell the pastors they have an easy job.
Be a constant naysayer and critic.
Make comments about the pastor’s personal expenditures.
Compare you pastor’s preaching negatively to other preaching.

Resources mentioned in today’s podcast

Church Answers
Seven Ways to Hurt Your Pastor


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.

Ten Surprising Questions Church Leaders Are Asking

I love those who work in local churches. Pastors. Children’s ministers. Worship leaders. Lay leaders. So many more.

And I have the incredible opportunity to hear from 1,600+ church leaders on a regular basis at Church Answers. Indeed, at times a new question or comment comes up every five minutes in our 24/7 community. We have a team of subject-matter experts responding. The community responds to each other as well. I personally respond to 100 or more questions every week.

I love it. I absolutely love it.

Because we have such a large sample of church leaders, I want you, the readers of this blog, to have an inside view of some of the questions we get. They are good questions, but they are not typical questions. But they do give you some insights into how these pastors and other leaders seek advice and help.

How do I best minister to a couple who have separated, but who both still attend church? They are not speaking to each other. One of the members of the community responded that he had three couples in such sad situations in his church.

Is it okay to use the Enneagram? The Enneagram is, in simple terms, a personality inventory. Some church leaders really like it; others are concerned because of its origins.

Will you pray for me? My wife says she can no longer attend the church I serve as pastor. One of the most rewarding aspects of Church Answers is how members can ask such questions and make such prayer requests in a safe environment. It is a community of encouragement. If a member of the community gets snarky (a rare occasion), I hear from the community and have to address it.

What do you do when the matriarch of the church is against any change? I absolutely loved the community’s response to this question.

Is it too late for a revitalization in my church? They ask tough and emotional questions.

What are the implications of the latest court ruling on minister’s housing allowances? This community stays on top of developments that impact them and their churches.

My life is a complaint box. It wasn’t a question, but the pastor’s simple statement with elaboration spoke volumes.

Can you have numerical metrics for effective prayer ministries? It is a great question, and the first time I have dealt with the issue.

Does your church have a policy for counseling minors? This one is another great question. In the me-too movement, we are learning a lot about the best ways to counsel people of the opposite gender. This question is prescient of another area where we need to learn more.

Should we rope off our pews? The worship center for this pastor was so much bigger than the number of people attending, especially when his church added a service. Fascinating question with fascinating responses and interaction.

The work of pastors and other church leaders is never-ending. And the variety of issues they confront seems never-ending as well.

Thank you, church leaders.

Thank you, Church Answers community.

I am blessed because of you and your ministries.

Pray for Trier Ridge Community Church

Location: Fort Wayne, Indiana

Pastor: Ross Osborn

Weekly Worship: 10:00 AM, Eastern

Fast Facts: Trier Ridge Community Church has been around for over 110 years, but is presently transitioning from an inwardly focused church to one that is engaging the community and making a difference in the area of its city that deals with the most poverty, crime, and violence. Trier Ridge offers several outreaches to simply love its city and let them know they are important to God.

The weekend of September 27, they will be serving their community in different ways through their 2nd annual “Love Our City” campaign. The goal is for this to become ingrained more and more into their DNA and ultimately become who they are and not just a campaign. The church offers weekly free lunches for the community, refit exercise outreach, center shot archery outreach, an ongoing VBS-style ministry, and partners with a local school and a large food bank. Please pray for fresh leadership, and that they would sense the new direction the Lord is leading.

Website: trierridge.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 7, 2019

From Around the Web:

7 Questions to Answer Before Your Next Sermon — Jason Allen

Over the years, I’ve developed a mental checklist that I typically ask of every sermon before I preach it. Like traveling, this checklist is important because in the rush of getting out the door, I can overlook an essential element to the preaching process if I don’t intentionally pause and reflect upon the task at hand. These seven questions help me do just that.

3 Ways to Deal With Anger in Ministry — Facts & Trends

The way you choose to deal with the people and situations that make you mad will have a tremendous impact on you and others. Your control over difficult circumstances is limited. Your control over how you respond to difficult circumstances is not.

12 Signs that Leaders Have Become Kings of Their Own Kingdoms — Chuck Lawless

Too often, a leader who was once a servant of others wrongly transitions into being the king of his own kingdom. Here are some signs that a leader has become the “king”:

7 Big Money Mistakes Newlywed Couples Make — Art Rainer

Believe it or not, marriage and money don’t always seem to mix well. Couples that have been married for a few years sometimes find themselves arguing heatedly over finances. For some, the arguments seemingly never stop, and both parties eventually find themselves asking, “How did we get here?”

This Week at ThomRainer.com:





















How Do You Explain Why Members Left the Church to Members Who Stay?

Many exits by church members are the result of self-centered motives. The church members are asking the unspoken question, “What have you done for me lately?”…READ MORE

Seven Things We Can Learn from Attractional Churches

The debate between being an attractional or missional church continues. I’m not a fan of a church that is ONLY attractional, but I do think we can learn some things from the attractional approach…READ MORE

Seven Things Pastors Would Like Church Members to Know about Their Children

by Thom Rainer and Jonathan Howe | Rainer on Leadership

http://media.blubrry.com/thomrainer/s3.amazonaws.com/rainerpodcast/Rainer-on-Leadership/Episode568.mp3








Leading Millennials in Your Church

by Thom Rainer and Jonathan Howe | Rainer on Leadership

http://media.blubrry.com/thomrainer/s3.amazonaws.com/rainerpodcast/Rainer-on-Leadership/Episode569.mp3








Six Principles of Patience in Church Revitalization

by Thom Rainer and Jonathan Howe | Revitalize & Replant

http://media.blubrry.com/revitalizereplant/s3.amazonaws.com/rainerpodcast/Revitalize-and-Replant/RR-Episode109.mp3