Thom S. Rainer's Blog, page 113

Should We Change the Name of Our Church? – Revitalize & Replant #105

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When churches are looking to revitalize, a name change is often on the table. Today, we discuss whether or not you should change the name of a church as part of a revitalization.

Episode Highlights:

Most churches have no reputation in their community—which is not good.
When churches named after their community change their name, it can be seen by those in the area as abandoning the community.
Changing the name of a church is NOT a silver bullet for growth but too many churches act like it’s supposed to be.

The five perspectives we discuss are:

Yes. The current name of the church has a terrible reputation.
No. You should reclaim the name and redeem its purpose and presence in the community.
Yes. The name is confusing.
No. A name change acts like a silver bullet and minimizes the important factors.
Yes. The name reflects an incorrect address.

Resources mentioned in this episode include:

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.

Nine Reasons Christians Fail to Evangelize

Nine Reasons Christians Fail to Evangelize

Many don’t know what “evangelism” is.
We have few evangelistic role models.
Some church members aren’t convinced about lostness.
Some churches have provided no evangelism training.
Fear of the unknown halts our efforts.
We’ve “gotten over” our salvation.
Pastors aren’t taking the lead in evangelism.
We don’t really know many lost people anyway.
We don’t care about non-believers.

Some highlights from today’s Rainer Report:

Too many church members aren’t concerned for the lostness around them.
A lot of churches eliminated evangelism programs due to lack of interest, but didn’t replace them with anything.
We need to be more intentional about evangelism training in our churches.
Pastor, if your church is not evangelistic, look first in the mirror.

Five Reasons Some Churches Celebrate Debt Retirement – Rainer on Leadership #560

Podcast Episode #560

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Debt can drag down a church’s finances and keep it from being able to minister as it would like to. So when a church retires its debt, it’s typically a cause for celebration.

Some highlights from today’s episode include:

Debt retirement celebrations should be more of a celebration of God’s provision than debt retirement.
When debt is eliminated in a church, funds available for ministry increase dramatically.
Having more money for ministry in a church means having more money to reach people for Christ.
Too many times in churches that need revitalization we talk about problems instead of promises.

The six failures we discuss are:

It is a reminder of God’s provisions.
It is an announcement of new funding for ministry.
It is a celebration. Churches need to celebrate more often.
It is a thank you to the members.
It is great information for newer members who may not know.

Resources mentioned in today’s podcast

Church Answers
Envelope3
Church Answers Micros


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.

The Ten Most Challenging Counseling Issues Pastors Face

Among the many responsibilities of pastors is counseling church members. Some pastors spend a lot of time counseling members. Others do limited counseling before referring the member to someone they view to be more qualified.

But all pastors are counselors.

We took the opportunity to ask pastors on social media about the most challenging issues they face when they do counseling. While there were some definite outliers, these ten were among the most frequent responses.

Marital infidelity. Many pastors lamented the horrendous damage done to marriages and families when one or more of the spouses are not faithful.

Divorce. Obviously, the first two are related. A number of pastors said that those who come to them with divorce on their minds usually have their minds made up. Counseling is either a formality or an appeasement toward a favorable divorce settlement.

Sexual and physical abuse. Some pastors said this issue was the fastest-growing topic in counseling. They don’t think sexual and physical abuse is new; more victims are now willing to come forward.

Mental health issues. Depression and anxiety were mentioned frequently, but others were noted such as schizophrenia and borderline personality disorder.

Teen sexual issues. More teens are seeking help with issues of sexual identity, sexual pressure, and sexually transmitted diseases.

Addiction. Though alcoholism is still very much an issue, a number of pastors spoke of other addictions such as heroin and other opioids.

Church conflict. Church fights lead many members to counseling. Lack of church unity has far-reaching consequences.

Loss of a child. This issue is a nightmare for the parents, and often requires long-term counseling. A number of pastors expressed willingness to do this counseling for the longer-term than many of the other issues.

Death of a loved one. This category would include the loss of all other loved ones beyond the death of a child.

Lack of forgiveness; bitterness. I had my expectations of what issues would arise before I put the question before pastors. This one surprised me, though it probably should have been expected. I guess I didn’t expect those who were bitter to seek counseling. Apparently, I was wrong.

There were a few head turners. For example, one man sought counseling because his wife was not happy with his girlfriend moving into the house with them. And he brought both women to the counseling session. This one fits the truth-is-stranger-than-fiction category.

Among the lighter ones was the pastor who does counseling with Alabama and Auburn fans who despise each other.

I understand that one.

This list is by no means exhaustive. I received a lot of great input. I would love to hear from you as well.

Pray for First Congregational Church of Middleborough

Location: Middleborough, Massachusetts

Pastor: Peter Murdy

Weekly Worship: 10:30 am, Eastern

Fast Facts: First Congregational Church was founded in 1694, a daughter church of the original Pilgrim church in neighboring Plymouth, and is one of the oldest churches of that era still holding to the historical evangelical Christian faith. The church has an active missions program and more recently started a classical Christian school (Samuel Fuller School, named after the church’s first pastor) which shares its facilities. FCC’s mission is “Covenanting in Christ to Disciple Our Families and the World.” The church’s current pastor of twenty years is planning to retire in early 2020. Please pray for the search committee as they seek the Lord’s guidance for the next pastor.

Website: FCCMiddleboro.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: August 3, 2019

From Around the Web:

The Pastor as Evangelist — Glen Higgins

In Paul’s legendary charge outlining the work of the pastor is this admonition: “Do the work of an evangelist.” Pastor, gospel sharing, good news heralding, and evangelizing is part of what it means to “pastor.” Paul goes so far as to say this is part of what it means to “fulfill your ministry”. Read inversely, for the pastor to ignore evangelism is to have an unfulfilled incomplete ministry. If this is true, how should this shape the pastor?

The 20 Most Bizarre—and Hilarious—Things to Happen During a Sermon — Facts & Trends

In a preaching or teaching ministry, it’s inevitable you’ll have some bizarre things happen. I wanted to hear stories from others in the pulpit. So I asked for feedback:

8 Reasons Young Staff Members Stay at the Same Church — Chuck Lawless

Many young church staff members I know are continually looking for their next place of service. Sometimes that’s because their calling has changed. In more cases, though, it’s because they’re struggling with the church or its leadership. On the other hand, I’ve also been with young staff members who love their church and prayerfully want to remain there as long as they can. Here are some of the motivating factors that make them want to stay:

3 Reasons Drifting From the Faith Starts With Drifting From the Church — Michael Kelley

We’ve all got competing priorities. We have travel sports, dance recitals, lake trips, and all the rest. Surely it doesn’t mean that I’m wandering from the faith just because my church attendance has started to wane, does it? Perhaps it does. And perhaps it means we should be careful if indeed it’s true that wandering from the faith often begins with wandering from the church. Consider these three reasons that support such a claim:

This Week at ThomRainer.com:





















How to Disagree with Your Pastor

Should you disagree with your pastor? Should you confront these leaders with something they have done wrong? Should you point out their omissions? Let me respond by offering ten guidelines for you to consider…READ MORE

Why You Might Not Want to Replace Your Departing Church Staff Member

There could be a better way. Look at some of these considerations before your church gets in the rut and the routine of “we’ve always done it that way.” Here are seven key questions you might ask…READ MORE

Six Ways a Church Failed the Guest Friendliness Test

by Thom Rainer and Jonathan Howe | Rainer on Leadership

http://media.blubrry.com/thomrainer/s3.amazonaws.com/rainerpodcast/Rainer-on-Leadership/Episode558.mp3








Should Pastors Announce Their Upcoming Vacation?

by Thom Rainer and Jonathan Howe | Rainer on Leadership

http://media.blubrry.com/thomrainer/s3.amazonaws.com/rainerpodcast/Rainer-on-Leadership/Episode559.mp3








What a Replant Looks Like From Within

by Thom Rainer and Jonathan Howe | Revitalize & Replant

http://media.blubrry.com/revitalizereplant/s3.amazonaws.com/rainerpodcast/Revitalize-and-Replant/RR-Episode104.mp3

Should Pastors Announce Their Upcoming Vacation? – Rainer on Leadership #559

Podcast Episode #559

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Pastoral vacations can lead to some disagreements between church members—mainly on whether or not the church should know it’s coming. Today we discuss both sides of the issue.

Some highlights from today’s episode include:

When church members know that a pastor is out of town and won’t be preaching, attendance usually drops.
When a pastor is on vacation, leaders and members should step up to help with pastoral care needs within the church.
Announcing you will be on vacation sometimes can leave your home vulnerable to burglaries.
Some churches require the pastor to announce vacations publicly prior to taking them.

The six perspectives we discuss are:

Yes: It is a matter of integrity.
No: It will affect attendance negatively.
Yes: Members and leaders will pick up the slack.
No: It is not safe to announce your home will be vacant.
Yes: It can be a reason for prayer.
No: Pastors can “announce” it after they return from vacation.

Resources mentioned in today’s podcast

Church Answers
When Should Pastors Interrupt Vacations? Five Considerations


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.

What a Replant Looks Like From Within – Revitalize & Replant #104

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Replants sometimes struggle with their internal identity. Today we look at the inner workings of a replant and how to use your unique position for Kingdom impact.

Episode Highlights:

Not only do you need spousal cooperation in replanting, you need spousal perseverance as well.
“Just running the denominational programs” rarely draws people to a church anymore.
Gathered worship has to start where the people in the church are and needs to engage them authentically.
Praying for other churches models selflessness.

The five observations we discuss are:

The replanter’s family
The extinction of growth by low hanging fruit
Worship in a replant
Replants shouldn’t try to be a smaller version of a larger church
Church replant facility uses

Resources mentioned in this episode include:

Six Creative Ways to Deal with a Deteriorating Facility – Revitalize & Replant #077
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.

Why You Might Not Want to Replace Your Departing Church Staff Member

The scenario is common.

A church staff member submits his or her resignation. Perhaps the person senses God’s call to another church. All is well, except now you need to replace the staff person.

Or do you?

Too many churches hire staff by routine and tradition. The process is predictable. We have a vacancy. Start the search process. Make tweaks to the job description. Find someone to do the same job as the previous person. Hire them. Done.

There could be a better way. Look at some of these considerations before your church gets in the rut and the routine of “we’ve always done it that way.” Here are seven key questions you might ask.

Can our finances truly afford to replace this person with little change in responsibilities? Perhaps the answer is a resounding “no.” Or perhaps the new person can take on additional responsibilities. Doing things the way we’ve always done them does not allow for financial and stewardship questions.

Have the needs of the church and the community changed significantly? For example, I am surprised how few churches consider bringing someone on the team to lead in evangelism and community outreach. Yet, it is an incredible need in many churches.

Can the position be replaced with part-timers, a virtual worker, or volunteers? This movement is growing. Don’t ignore it. Our friends at Belay are leading a revolution when it comes to virtual workers.

Does the open position complement the pastor’s gifts and abilities? If the church had an administrative pastor depart, while the current pastor is a gifted administrator, it might be best to consider doing something else with those funds.

Do we still want to put these funds in personnel costs? The church might be able to afford to replace the person, but there could be a wiser use of the funds. For example, if the church has not been setting aside funds for ongoing maintenance, it might be wise, if not imperative, to allocate the money in that direction. See my friends at CoolSolutionsGroup.com for great facility ideas.

Is the position a legitimate full-time position? For example, the number of ministers of recreation in churches has declined precipitously. The need is not as apparent as it once was.

Have we really thought outside the box? When a staff member departs on good terms, the church does not have a problem, it has an opportunity. Don’t do business as usual. See what God might have planned for the next ten years.

We get a lot of questions at Church Answers about staffing. Many of them focus on the amount of funds in a church budget that should be allocated for personnel costs. I am not sure those are the right questions. The better question is: How can we best use our funds for God’s glory in our present context?

When you answer that question, you may respond by not replacing your departing staff member.

Let me hear your thoughts.

Six Ways a Church Failed the Guest Friendliness Test – Rainer on Leadership #558

Podcast Episode #558

SUBSCRIBE:
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Every church thinks they’re a guest friendly church. But as we discuss today, guest friendliness is not something at which every church excels.

Some highlights from today’s episode include:

Church signs need info on them, but there are really just three essentials: church name, worship times, website address.
If your church has a digital sign, you have to consider the length of the rotation of information.
Don’t think that “everyone knows ______” at your church because almost always, everyone doesn’t know.
Some churches aren’t just not guest friendly, they are also not guest desirous.

The six failures we discuss are:

It had no website.
No service times on sign.
“Our church is always open.”
“Everyone knows the times of our service.”
Didn’t consider the impact of special events on guests.
It failed to see the opportunities.

Resources mentioned in today’s podcast

Invite Your One
Eight Things Your Church Website Must Have
Church Website Checklist
Church Guest Checklist
Church Signage Checklist

Rainer on Leadership is a member of the LifeWay Leadership Podcast Network

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.