Thom S. Rainer's Blog, page 150
August 8, 2018
Seven Traits of Healthy Churches Today
I am not the brightest bulb in the chandelier.
Indeed, put me in a room with nine other people, and I am likely to be the tenth in intellect.
So, I compensate for my cognitive deficiencies by listening, observing, and researching. The wisdom of others is far greater than any chance of intellect I may have. Indeed, I love listening to church leaders. I love watching what other churches do. And I love reporting these observations to you, my readers.
A member of the Church Answers community recently asked about the characteristics of healthy churches today. Immediately, I began to review churches that were having great community impact, whose members regularly had gospel conversations, and whose leaders faithfully preached the Word with power every week.
I noted several characteristics of the thirty plus churches that I would unequivocally designate as healthy. When it was all said and done, I had nearly fifty different traits. But I was able to put most of these traits into one of seven categories.
They truly believe in the power of the gospel. Sure, most church members and leaders would affirm their own belief in the power of the gospel. But few would actually act on that belief. Few actually move into areas and directions that can only be accomplished in God’s power. For most churches, it’s lip service. But not so for these healthy churches.
They have courageous leaders. I call them “Joshua leaders.” They are ready to lead the people into the community and storm the gates of hell. They remind the members to be courageous, even as they are courageous. One pastor put it this way: “I don’t want to live a life without making a difference in God’s power. I will accept the challenges, the risks, and the criticisms to be able to make a difference.”
They embrace change. Most church members, and some church leaders, fiercely resist change. They idolize the past, the way we’ve always done it. Or they fear the future and God’s provisions for the future. But the healthy churches on my watch list embrace change as long as it does not go counter to biblical truth. These churches don’t spend their energies and resources trying to convince people to move forward. They are ready to go!
They are not nostalgic. Sure, these church members honor and respect the past. But they don’t live there. They are constantly anticipating what God will do in the present and the future. They don’t have time to be nostalgic, because they are too busy moving forward.
They see reality. They don’t just see reality; they make highly intentional efforts to see reality more clearly. They often have secret guests evaluate their churches. They use tools to help them improve. They don’t fear finding something negative with their churches, because those findings become areas for improvement.
They intentionally intersect their lives with non-Christians. They see their weekday vocation as a mission field. They see their neighborhoods as their Jerusalem in Acts 1:8. They intentionally work and do business with non-Christians. They are highly intentional about inviting people to church.
They accept responsibility. Too many church members and leaders blame the changes in culture. Healthy churches see those changes as opportunities. Too many church members and leaders blame their denominations for not providing for them. Healthy churches accept their own responsibility for impacting the community. Too many church members and leaders blame other churches for taking their members and guests. Healthy churches realize the fields are truly white unto harvest. They believe other churches are partners in mission, not competitors.
Obviously, my list is not exhaustive. But these are the seven main buckets of traits I saw as I surveyed the landscape of healthy churches.
What would you add to this list?
August 7, 2018
Nine Key Statistical Insights from Churches in 2018 – Rainer on Leadership #456
SUBSCRIBE: iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio • Google Play • iHeart Radio
Tony Morgan joins us to discuss statistical trends he’s finding in churches today and what those trends can mean for your church in the future.
Some highlights from today’s episode include:
Churches shouldn’t settle when it comes to attendance, but try to get members to become more regularly engaged.
Building a bigger building might not the best way for your church to reach more people.
Churches are starting to engage students as volunteers in ministry and seeing them connect better to the church as a result.
When your church starts to track different metrics, it forces discussions on intentionality of service and evangelism.
The nine statistical insights we discuss are:
Churches are averaging 1.7% YOY attendance growth
18% of churches are multisite
45% of the congregation are serving monthly
Average baptism rate is 6.4% (16:1 ratio)
60% of congregation are involved in groups
Per capita giving is 47%
50% of budget is for staffing
1:61 staff to attendance ratio
56% of church staff are part time
Episode Sponsors
Vanderbloemen Search Group is the premier pastor search firm dedicated to helping churches and ministries build great teams. They’ve helped hundreds 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 Becoming a Welcoming Church.
Resources Mentioned in Today’s Podcast
The Unstuck Group
Vital Signs
Unstuck Report
August 6, 2018
Eight Areas Where Pastors Wish They Were Better Equipped
I thank God for pastors. They are often criticized, second-guessed, underpaid, and expected to do too many things. Pastors would be perfect if they were simply omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent.
Indeed, the expectations of pastors can be overwhelming. In that light, I asked seasoned pastors to share with me the areas they wish they could be better prepared and better equipped. The results were voluminous, and the needs are great. Here are the top eight:
Leading the church in evangelism/reaching the community. Many pastors felt as if evangelism and healthy growth are neglected topics. They admitted their own sense of inadequacy in leading their churches to reach more people with the gospel.
Leadership development. Pastors know they can’t do the work of ministry alone. But many of them shared poignantly how they wish they could become better at developing leaders in the church. They understand both biblically and intuitively that more leaders are imperative for a church to be healthy.
Finances/business issues/administration. “I never considered how much of church life is running an organization,” one pastor shared with us. “I was never trained for that aspect of ministry, and it has come back to haunt me again and again.” Another pastor confessed that he had never learned to balance his checkbook, but he was expected to lead a church with a half-million-dollar budget.
Leading staff. We heard it again and again: “I have no idea how to lead my staff. I have no idea how to evaluate my staff. I have no idea how to deal with conflict among my staff.” In fact, one pastor told me he joined Church Answers for one reason: so he could ask questions about dealing with staff.
Counseling. Many pastors shared how much their congregations demand in counseling. They also said the demand seems to grow every year. They not only lack the training to know how to counsel, they often don’t know when to refer people to professionals.
Dealing with change and conflict. It is a common theme among pastors. They were told to expect conflict before they became pastors, but the reality was consistently worse than the warnings. They long to know how to lead change and deal with conflict better, but they often feel inadequate in those areas.
Dealing with their own depression. A number of pastors admitted surprise when depression hit them. They simply did not expect it to happen to them. Many also admitted shame and embarrassment in talking to others about their struggles. Some even shared confidentially with me their own thoughts of suicide in the past.
Equipping others. This particular need is similar to number two, leadership development. But in this case, pastors desire to equip the entire body of Christ, not just leaders. But many pastors feel woefully inadequate in doing so.
It was fascinating to see what topics did not make the list: Bible, theology, ethics, and preaching, to name a few. The pastors expressed gratitude to the Bible colleges, seminaries, and books that prepared them well in the classical disciplines. But the cries were for better preparation in practical issues and practical ministries.
How about you? Where do you think pastors need to be better equipped? What would you add?
Let me hear from you.
August 5, 2018
Pray for First Baptist Church of Moreland
Location: Moreland, Georgia
Pastor: Rev. Todd Slade
Weekly Worship: 8:30 AM, 11:00 AM & 6:00 PM, Eastern
Fast Facts: FBC Moreland is more than 180 years old and is located in the heart of Moreland, Ga. It’s a small faith family composed of men, women and children who love to make Jesus known among the nations. The church is unique in that it is located in one of, if not the, fastest growing counties in all of the country. There are an expected 50,000 people who will be moving to their area in the next 5-10 years. The community is poised for unprecedented growth, and FBC Moreland would love to see their church meeting the needs of its growing community.
This coming Wednesday, August 8th, they are having a big Fall Season Kickoff where they will invite the community to come enjoy a night of food, fun and fellowship and kick off AWANA for the children along with several Bible Study groups for the adults. Please pray for this event and that those in the community will be receptive to invitations from church members. Finally, pray for gospel fruit and for the attendees and members alike to get excited about what Jesus is doing in Moreland.
Website: FBCMoreland.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..
August 4, 2018
Notable Voices and the Week in Review: August 4, 2018
The Deacon Every Pastor (Should) Love — Sam Rainer
Pastors, cherish your supportive deacons. Encourage them. Brag on them. I don’t often come across posts from pastors praising their deacons. That’s why I’m writing this one. My deacons are not just the “other office of the church;” they are people with whom I entrust the most sensitive and critical parts of ministry within our congregation. Here are some of the deacons every pastor should love.
12 Mistakes Pastors Should Only Make Once — Facts & Trends
No one begins in the ministry full-grown, all-wise, capable in all things. At first, we were all newbies, beginners, novices, learners. By the very nature of these things, we all made mistakes when getting started in church leadership. Some of them were silly.
5 Ways to Be a Healthy Member of an Unhealthy Church — Jaclyn S. Parrish
From Laodicea to Corinth, the Bible is littered with unhealthy churches, sick with everything from materialism to heresy. But the very presence of these churches in Scripture proves we follow a God who doesn’t give up on unhealthy churches, but patiently works to heal them. The same power that raised Christ from the dead lives in you and in every believer alongside you (Rom. 8:11), and that power is sufficient to bring dead churches back to life.Here are five ways to be a healthy member in an unhealthy church.
Why These 5 Safeguards May Help Protect Your Church — Danny Watterson
Today, we must stop and consider how we can protect those with whom we worship. While we’re not experts in church security, here are five safeguards that may make a difference at your church.
This Week at ThomRainer.com:
The Five Stages of Recovery When Toxic People Leave the Church
I have been working with church leaders for three decades on the issue of toxicity in the church. Toxic church members are gossipers, naysayers, bullies, and generally negative people. You can count on them to gossip, spread rumors, and disrupt the unity of the church…READ MORE
Five Stages of a Pastor’s Ministry
Year 1: Honeymoon.
Years 2 and 3: Conflicts and Challenges.
Years 4 and 5. Crossroads, Part 1.
Years 6 to 10: Fruit and Harvest.
Years 11 and beyond: Crossroads, Part 2.
Eight Warning Signs Your Church Is Drifting from God’s Mission
by Thom Rainer and Jonathan Howe | Rainer on Leadership
http://media.blubrry.com/thomrainer/s3.amazonaws.com/TheExchange/Episode454.mp3
The Value of Women in the Workplace and the Rise of Working from Home
by Thom Rainer and Jonathan Howe | Rainer on Leadership
http://media.blubrry.com/thomrainer/s3.amazonaws.com/TheExchange/Episode455.mp3
How to Prepare Yourself for a Long-Term Revitalization
by Thom Rainer and Jonathan Howe | Revitalize & Replant
http://media.blubrry.com/revitalizereplant/s3.amazonaws.com/TheExchange/RevitalizeReplant/RR-Episode052.mp3
August 3, 2018
The Value of Women in the Workplace and the Rise of Working from Home – Rainer on Leadership #455
SUBSCRIBE: iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio • Google Play • iHeart Radio
Shannon Miles joins us today to discuss her new book, The Third Option, and the rise of working from home.
Some highlights from today’s episode include:
“It’s important to have women in the room and speaking into major decisions in the church and workplace.”
“Women do not have to choose between careers or families. There’s a way to do both and succeed.”
Making working from home succeed requires a mindset shift to think that employees can get their job done while not having to be in the office.
About the Book:
The Third Option encourages you to be honest with yourself, to dream what is possible, and helps you decide when the time is right make a change. It will start you on a path to do what’s required to go after your own third option, where you can live and work on your own terms.
About Shannon Miles
With her husband, Bryan, Shannon Miles is the cofounder of BELAY, a leading US-based, virtual solutions company with over six hundred team members—all working from home, pursuing their Third Option. Without an office, BELAY has graced the Inc. 5000 list three times and was awarded the number one spot in Entrepreneur Magazine’s Best Company Culture.
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 hundreds 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.
Find out more about Vanderbloemen Search Group by visiting westaffthechurch.com/coaching.
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.
Resources Mentioned in Today’s Podcast
The Third Option
August 2, 2018
How to Prepare Yourself for a Long-Term Revitalization – Revitalize & Replant #052
Time is the friend of a revitalizer. You have to stay to see growth and revitalization. Today, we discuss seven ways to prepare yourself to lead revitalization.
Today’s Listener Question:
FROM JOSH
As someone seeking my first pastorate and understanding that most likely I will find myself in a plateaued or declining church, what steps should I be taking now in preparation for that role? And what should I focus in in year one?
Episode Highlights:
The first imperative in revitalization is to pray.
Love the church you pastor, not the one you wish you pastored.
The Lord doesn’t stop loving us. We shouldn’t stop loving others.
One real marker of success in revitalization is that the community is noticeably better because of the church’s influence in the community.
The seven ways to prepare yourself that we discuss are:
Pray
Love those who are there
Become immersed in the community
Learn to help the remnant dream
Begin a steady stream of outwardly focused ministries
Give hope
Focus on your family
Resources mentioned in this episode include:
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 Autopsy of a Deceased Church and Reclaiming Glory.
August 1, 2018
Five Stages of a Pastor’s Ministry
Year 1: Honeymoon.
Years 2 and 3: Conflicts and Challenges.
Years 4 and 5. Crossroads, Part 1.
Years 6 to 10: Fruit and Harvest.
Years 11 and beyond: Crossroads, Part 2.
Some highlights from today’s Rainer Report:
Pastor, you will have conflict in your church. Expect it. Prepare for it. It’s normal.
When the inevitable conflict comes, a pastor needs to decide to stay and work through it if at all possible.
Don’t run from every conflict or potential conflict.
Ministry changes over time. Pastors must change with it.
July 31, 2018
Eight Warning Signs Your Church Is Drifting from God’s Mission – Rainer on Leadership #454
SUBSCRIBE: iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio • Google Play • iHeart Radio
Is your church aligned with God’s intended mission for her? A post by Sam Rainer serves as the basis of today’s discussion on warning signs that you might be drifting from God’s mission.
Some highlights from today’s episode include:
You may recognize some of these warning signs in your church.
Do people in your church talk about what they are doing or what God is doing through them?
Too many of our churches are not in a celebratory state.
It’s taking more people to reach fewer people evangelistically.
The eight warning signs we discuss are:
The chatter is all about people and not Jesus.
You no longer celebrate God’s mission in a worship service.
The percentage given to missions out of the budget is shrinking.
Church leaders do not speak about the lostness of the nations.
New believers are perceived as disturbing the peace of the body.
There is more of a focus on the older generation than the younger generation.
Few care about the persecuted church.
It takes more to win less.
Episode Sponsors
Vanderbloemen Search Group is the premier pastor search firm dedicated to helping churches and ministries build great teams. They’ve helped hundreds 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 Becoming a Welcoming Church.
Resources Mentioned in Today’s Podcast
Eight Warning Signs Your Church is Drifting from God’s Mission
Envelope3.com
ChurchHealthReport.com
July 30, 2018
The Five Stages of Recovery When Toxic People Leave the Church
I have been working with church leaders for three decades on the issue of toxicity in the church. Toxic church members grieve the Holy Spirit with “bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander” (Ephesians 4:30-31). They are gossipers, naysayers, bullies, and generally negative people. You can count on them to gossip, spread rumors, and disrupt the unity of the church.
They are the opposite of what God commanded of church members: “And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ” (Ephesians 4:32).
Pastors and other church leaders are often hesitant to deal with toxicity in the church. I get it. It’s just more conflict, confrontation, and possible loss of members.
But here is the hard reality: the congregation will not move forward with toxic church members.
I will save the discussion for later on how to deal with toxicity in the church. For now, let’s look at what happens in a church when toxic members leave. Essentially, for the church, it becomes short and mid-term pain for longer-term gain.
Stage One: Exodus. The church will definitely lose members. After all, it has already lost the toxic members. And it is more common than not for the toxic members to have a following of other members. They will likely leave too. Some of the followers are toxic themselves; others simply have not heard the full story.
Stage Two: Questioning. The majority of church members typically are unaware of the conflict and strife caused by toxic members. So, when there is a point of confrontation and exodus of members, the quiet majority doesn’t fully comprehend what is taking place. Some are dealing with shock and grief; others simply have questions.
Stage Three: Lull. During this stage, the congregation continues to deal with the shock of the conflict and departure. The members begin to feel a new reality in the church, and it will take them a while to adjust to it. I sometimes call this stage “adjustment apathy.” The good news is this stage is most often short-term.
Stage Four: Healing. The toxicity is gone. Relationships begin to heal. Trust grows. Church leaders and members now have greater emotional resources to focus on others and to focus on their community.
Stage Five: Recovery. The good news about this stage is that the period of recovery is usually a time of great opportunity for the church. I worked with a pastor in a church where the attendance dropped from (in round numbers) 400 to 300 as the church moved into stage one. But, by the time the congregation reached stage five, attendance was over 500. While numbers are not the ultimate measure for church health, they were indicative of a greater focus on the Great Commission and the community the church served.
Toxic church members were present in first-century churches. They are still present in twenty-first century churches. They are painful realities for pastors and other church leaders. Such is the bad news.
But the good news is what takes place when toxicity leaves the church. After a painful initial reaction, congregations often rebound and are healthier than they have been for a long time.
