Thom S. Rainer's Blog, page 141
November 4, 2018
Pray for Jefferson Avenue Baptist Church
Location: East Point, Georgia
Pastor: Rev. Darwin Caldwell
Weekly Worship: 10:30 AM, Eastern
Fast Facts: JABC started as church plant in East Point, GA, by individuals who saw a need for a church “on the other side of the tracks”—which wasn’t to carry a negative connotation but literally—because there was no church in the area before a bridge was built over a very active railroad. The church reached a peak of more than 1200 in attendance in the 60s and 70s but has dropped to an average of less than 100 presently.
JABC is a faithful giving and praying congregation that is renewing the effort in future planning and seeking out what needs to be done to revitalize the congregation to continue being a relevant part of the community. It is a predominantly senior congregation that focuses on as much as possible with local missions having just welcomed a local well-established tutoring/outreach ministry that pours into underprivileged children. This new ministry, Dream Project, is a tutoring ministry for elementary students that do not speak English as their first language. It is the church’s desire to use this ministry to reach the friends, parents, and relatives of these children to show the love of Christ in helping with their basic needs as well as educational and spiritual needs.
Please pray for this ministry as well as the church’s upcoming community Thanksgiving meal. The church is praying that this will provide a stepping stone to building relationships with those in its community. Finally, pray that the church will continue to embrace its revitalization process and for direction into what ministries need the most focus to best reach its community for Christ.
Website: JeffersonAvenue.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..
November 3, 2018
Notable Voices and the Week in Review: November 3, 2018
What Is Appropriate To Wear In Church? — Karl Vaters
There are some rules for how Christians should dress. And they are a matter of the heart far more than the clothes themselves. As believers, we should not dress immodestly, pridefully, or rebelliously.
7 Steps to Getting (and Keeping) Loyal Volunteers — Facts & Trends
It’s a reality of ministry as persistent as it is disappointing. And as if the 80/20 rule wasn’t bad enough, the 20 percent doesn’t remain constant. Different people “rotate” through serving, so seems that just when you get a volunteer in place and on their feet, they walk away. It can be one of the most frustrating experiences of ministry.
5 Reasons Church Lighting Matters to Older Adults — Chuck Lawless
I never thought I’d say this, but I’m now in the older generation at my church. I don’t feel old, though, and I prefer contemporary praise choruses or well-done hymns with a contemporary feel. To be honest, I most think about my age when the lighting is so low in a church that it’s tough for me to see. Here are some reasons the lighting really does matter to older folks:
3 Principles for Pastors Addressing Politics — Bruce Ashford
It’s an age-old question, made more relevant by the insistence of media outlets and political pundits: Should pastors directly address contemporary political issues? Some commentators argue that Christianity offers a moral framework that is directly relevant to policy issues and thus the pastor should speak to politics. At other times the argument is made that religion and politics should be kept separate and thus pastors should preach the word rather than be political pundits. So, what should a pastor do?
This Week at ThomRainer.com:
How to Avoid Being Fired When Leading a Growing Church
For sure, there are no guarantees. But we have heard from many change leaders who have found these approaches to be highly effective. Leading change is difficult. Leading change wisely is best…READ MORE
Five Ways a Congregation Can Prevent Short Term Pastoral Tenure
Form a liaison advocacy group
Start an intercessory prayer ministry for the pastor
Get quarterly updates for the first three years
Form an advocacy group for the pastor’s family
Be transparent and truthful on the front end
Ten Goofy Criticisms of Pastors
by Thom Rainer and Jonathan Howe | Rainer on Leadership
http://media.blubrry.com/thomrainer/s3.amazonaws.com/TheExchange/Episode480.mp3
Six Ways to Minister after a Miscarriage
by Thom Rainer and Jonathan Howe | Rainer on Leadership
http://media.blubrry.com/thomrainer/s3.amazonaws.com/TheExchange/Episode481.mp3
The Three Buckets of Internal Funds for Church Revitalization
by Thom Rainer and Jonathan Howe | Revitalize & Replant
http://media.blubrry.com/revitalizereplant/s3.amazonaws.com/TheExchange/RevitalizeReplant/RR-Episode065.mp3
November 2, 2018
Six Ways to Minister after a Miscarriage – Rainer on Leadership #481
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Miscarriage is a difficult live event for those going through it. It’s often not handled well by ministers, either. Today we discuss how to better handle these events in life and ministry.
Some highlights from today’s episode include:
You cannot “fix” someone after a miscarriage. Don’t try to.
Pastor, you can’t fix everything in your church. You’ve got to realize that’s unrealistic.
Wives want their husbands to be emotionally present after a miscarriage.
No one fully gets over a miscarriage.
The six ways to minister that we suggest are:
Be emotionally present
Don’t minimize it
Don’t try to fix it
Encourage the husband to be emotionally present for the wife
Remember them later
The power of “I am so sorry”
Resources mentioned in today’s podcast
I Will Carry You
Church Answers
Revitalize Network
Episode Sponsors
The ministry landscape is changing, and the need for biblical training is more necessary than ever. It’s time to get your Master of Divinity degree. The M.Div —Midwestern Seminary’s flagship degree program — is the primary track for ministry preparation. At just 81 hours, the Midwestern M.Div offers a complete foundation for full-time ministry leaders, offering everything you need, and nothing you don’t. Join other students in vibrant Kansas City as you train in a unique collaborative environment focused on the local church or study online in your current ministry context. Midwestern Seminary is developing a discipleship culture devoted to the local church and committed to God’s unchanging Word. Why not start your training today?
Find out more at mbts.edu/mdiv.
Vanderbloemen Search Group is the premier pastor search firm dedicated to helping churches and ministries build great teams. They’ve helped thousands of churches just like yours find their church staff and are uniquely geared to help you discern who God is calling to lead your church.
For more information, visit WeStaffTheChurch.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.
November 1, 2018
The Three Buckets of Internal Funds for Church Revitalization – Revitalize & Replant #065
We continue a discussion that was started on Episode 63 about giving in churches and how it can impact churches in need of revitalization.
Episode Highlights:
We often take giving for granted in churches.
Churches often have tight financials because of their spending habits, not because of low income.
Seeking out capital giving is typically not discussed in churches but should be.
The reason members don’t give capital funds or legacy gifts to the church is often because the church or pastor doesn’t ask for them.
The three income buckets that we discuss are:
First bucket: income giving
Second bucket: capital giving
Third bucket: legacy giving
We also give a quick overview of an upcoming episode of Rainer on Leadership (Episode #482) on Should the Pastor Have Visibility to Members’ Giving? Look for that episode on November 6.
Resources mentioned in this episode include:
Revitalize Network
Where to Get Funding in a Revitalization
ChurchReplanters.com
ChurchAnswers.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 Scrappy Church and Reclaiming Glory.
October 31, 2018
Five Ways a Congregation Can Prevent Short Term Pastoral Tenure
Form a liaison advocacy group
Start an intercessory prayer ministry for the pastor
Get quarterly updates for the first three years
Form an advocacy group for the pastor’s family
Be transparent and truthful on the front end
Some highlights from today’s Rainer Report:
Simply put, pastoral tenure is too short.
It always helps a pastor to know church members are regularly praying for the pastor.
Pastors’ spouses often receive undue criticism that leads pastors to want to leave a church.
Pastor search committees need to be transparent and truthful. “We are ready for change” is often not true.
October 30, 2018
Ten Goofy Criticisms of Pastors – Rainer on Leadership #480
SUBSCRIBE:
iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio • Google Play • iHeart Radio • Spotify
We asked our members at Church Answers for the wildest criticisms they had ever received. The answers did not disappoint.
Some highlights from today’s episode include:
I still remember criticisms from 25 years ago. They stick with a pastor.
Often times, criticisms of a pastor have less to do with what a pastor does and more to do with not doing things that a previous pastor did.
Many lay people don’t know that their pastor is criticized like this.
The 10 goofy criticisms we discuss are:
“You should not wear a pink shirt to the pulpit.”
“Pastors are not allowed to use hand-held mics.”
“You can not preach with power unless you wear a flag lapel pin.”
“There are too many new Christians in our church.”
“You don’t trust God since you go to board meetings.”
“The Holy Spirit cannot use you if you plan your sermons ahead of time.”
“You are lazy since we sang consecutive hymns from the hymnal.”
“A pastor should not have a dog as pet.”
“Your wife should work no more than 15 hours a week outside the home.”
“Your wife should not be pregnant.”
Resources mentioned in today’s podcast
Church Answers
Scrappy Church
Episode Sponsors
Vanderbloemen Search Group is the premier pastor search firm dedicated to helping churches and ministries build great teams. They’ve helped thousands of churches just like yours find their church staff and are uniquely geared to help you discern who God is calling to lead your church.
For more information, visit WeStaffTheChurch.com.
The ministry landscape is changing, and the need for biblical training is more necessary than ever. It’s time to get your Master of Divinity degree. The M.Div —Midwestern Seminary’s flagship degree program — is the primary track for ministry preparation. At just 81 hours, the Midwestern M.Div offers a complete foundation for full-time ministry leaders, offering everything you need, and nothing you don’t. Join other students in vibrant Kansas City as you train in a unique collaborative environment focused on the local church or study online in your current ministry context. Midwestern Seminary is developing a discipleship culture devoted to the local church and committed to God’s unchanging Word. Why not start your training today?
Find out more at mbts.edu/mdiv.
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 29, 2018
How to Avoid Being Fired When Leading a Growing Church
In my post last week, I looked at the reasons pastors were fired, even though their churches were growing. In this post, I offer ways some pastors have avoided this tragedy while leading a church to growth.
To be clear, these actions are not foolproof. Some churches will be preacher eaters regardless of the actions of the pastor. Still, I see these right actions as helpful toward minimizing the possibility of a forced termination.
Communicate exponentially. If you think you are communicating redundantly, you probably have just begun to communicate sufficiently. Keep the congregation informed. Say it. Write it. Repeat it.
Remind the members of the purpose of the growth. It’s about the Great Commission. It’s about caring for and reaching the community. It’s about touching lives. It’s not about the numbers.
Move potential objectors to the welcome team. They will see and greet the guests. It will give them an outward focus.
Ask a long-term member to be your mentor. You will get an invaluable perspective from “the old guard.” You will likely gain an ally as well.
Share healthy resources with members. At the risk of sounding self-serving, I’ve heard from countless church members that two of my books have been paradigm-altering: I Am a Church Member and Autopsy of a Deceased Church.
Celebrate the past. Sometimes we leaders need to be reminded that our church’s past has much to celebrate. We often are so eager to move to the future that we forget or neglect the lessons of the past.
Remind them of faith steps in the past. Though this point has similarities to the previous point, this one is a specific focus and reminder of major faith steps the church has made in the past. It a powerful lesson that the church made changes in the past and can do it again in the present.
For sure, there are no guarantees. But we have heard from many change leaders who have found these approaches to be highly effective.
Leading change is difficult. Leading change wisely is best.
October 28, 2018
Pray for NorthGate Christian Church
Location: North Las Vegas, Nevada
Pastor: Greg Niemeyer
Weekly Worship: 8:30 AM & 10:30 AM, Pacific
Fast Facts: One of the early church plants of the Foursquare Church in Las Vegas celebrates its 77th birthday this month. NorthGate Christian has been around since 1941 and has had only seven senior pastors during that span. In 2004, the church relocated from Las Vegas to North Las Vegas—a new mission field of growth. Please pray for their upcoming trunk-or-treat event on October 31st. Last year, more than 5,000 people showed up and this year the church is expecting even more. The greatest concern for the event is crowd control. Pray that God is glorified by the serving of families in Las Vegas.
Website: NorthGateChristian.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..
October 27, 2018
Notable Voices and the Week in Review: October 27, 2018
5 Reasons Why You Need Financial Goals — Art Rainer
“I want to get financially healthy. I want to give generously, save wisely, and live appropriately.” You may have found yourself making similar statements. But as time went by, you found yourself no closer to financial health, no closer to giving generously, saving wisely, and living appropriately. What happened? Without goals, good intentions quickly dissipate. As you embark on your journey to financial health, goals are a must. This is why we provide the 8 Money Milestones in The Money Challenge. You need goals. Here’s why:
5 Myths the Church Often Believes About Domestic Violence — Facts & Trends
Cathy sits in her car and counts her cash. She’s just dropped off her kids at school and reminded the principal that no one else can pick up her children. Not even their father. Especially not their father.
Your Church Is Not a Restaurant — Trevin Wax
In a consumer-oriented society, the default orientation for church attenders is to see their local congregation as a dispenser of religious goods and services. I say “default” not because it’s inevitable that everyone who goes to church perceives their congregation this way, but because without serious and sustained effort to have a more biblical approach people will naturally gravitate toward a view of the church that is influenced by a consumerist imagination.
3 Reasons We Should Pay Attention to What We Sing in Church — Michael Kelley
I only have vague memories of the “worship wars,” those days in the particular stream of evangelicalism that I stream in when there was intense and bitter disagreement regarding worship in the church. But from what I remember, and from what I’ve since learned, many of those arguments centered around worship style. That’s not what this post is about. But it is about worship. In particular, it’s about the actual words we are singing during worship regardless of the style, and why all of us – whether we are professional Christians or not – ought to care deeply about those words.
This Week at ThomRainer.com:
Seven Reasons Why Many Pastors Avoid a Counseling Ministry
I recently conducted an unscientific but revealing social media poll. I asked pastors to share with me what aspects of pastoral ministry they enjoyed the most. Counseling was listed last, at least indicating it was their least favorite aspect of ministry…READ MORE
Seven Reasons Pastors Get Fired When a Church Is Growing
Sadly, pastors can get fired when they lead their churches to growth and revitalization…READ MORE
Altar Calls, the Perfect Pastoral Work Week, and Other Listener Questions
by Thom Rainer and Jonathan Howe | Rainer on Leadership
http://media.blubrry.com/thomrainer/s3.amazonaws.com/TheExchange/Episode478.mp3
Five Major “What If” We Regrets We Are Hearing from Churches
by Thom Rainer and Jonathan Howe | Rainer on Leadership
http://media.blubrry.com/thomrainer/s3.amazonaws.com/TheExchange/Episode479.mp3
When Does a Pastor Leave a Revitalization Effort? Six Questions to Ask
by Thom Rainer and Jonathan Howe | Revitalize & Replant
http://media.blubrry.com/revitalizereplant/s3.amazonaws.com/TheExchange/RevitalizeReplant/RR-Episode064.mp3
October 26, 2018
Five Major “What If” We Regrets We Are Hearing from Churches – Rainer on Leadership #479
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Regret often comes when it’s too late to change things in a church. Today, we discuss five of the most common regrets we hear from churches.
Some highlights from today’s episode include:
Sometimes, churches need to relocate for good reasons but wait too long to do so and miss the opportunity.
Too often, churches ask meaningful questions about their health when it’s too late.
The right time for a church to be acquired by another usually comes before the dying church is willing to be acquired.
The five regrets we are hearing are:
What if we had relocated?
What if we had changed our name?
What if we had gotten outside help?
What if we have been acquired?
What if we had not run off the pastor?
Resources mentioned in today’s podcast
No Silver Bullets
Five Small Shifts That That Will Transform Your Ministry
Church Answers Consulting
Church Answers
Revitalize Network
Episode Sponsors
The ministry landscape is changing, and the need for biblical training is more necessary than ever. It’s time to get your Master of Divinity degree. The M.Div —Midwestern Seminary’s flagship degree program — is the primary track for ministry preparation. At just 81 hours, the Midwestern M.Div offers a complete foundation for full-time ministry leaders, offering everything you need, and nothing you don’t. Join other students in vibrant Kansas City as you train in a unique collaborative environment focused on the local church or study online in your current ministry context. Midwestern Seminary is developing a discipleship culture devoted to the local church and committed to God’s unchanging Word. Why not start your training today?
Find out more at mbts.edu/mdiv.
Vanderbloemen Search Group is the premier pastor search firm dedicated to helping churches and ministries build great teams. They’ve helped thousands of churches just like yours find their church staff and are uniquely geared to help you discern who God is calling to lead your church.
For more information, visit WeStaffTheChurch.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.
