Thom S. Rainer's Blog, page 159
May 10, 2018
Five Reasons You Need Thick Skin to Lead in Church Revitalization or Replanting – Revitalization & Replant #040
Revitalization takes thick skin to avoid the discouragements and criticisms. Today, we discuss five common criticisms and how to handle them.
Today’s Listener Question:
FROM BRETT
I hear you speak a lot about conflict. What are some keys to keep in mind as you deal with conflict and the hard work that comes during a replant or revitalization?
Episode Highlights:
The ubiquitous presence of criticism has made it both easier to take and to ignore criticism.
You have to love Jesus more than you love the things in your church.
If you’re looking to revitalize a church, you need spousal perseverance. Your spouse has to be all-in.
You can’t serve in the pastorate while in isolation. You need people pouring into your life in the ministry.
The five reasons we discuss are:
Church members will criticize you as you lead change.
Family and friends may think you are crazy.
You probably won’t get much recognition for your work.
Peers may have a condescending attitude toward you.
You may not be perceived to be as cool as a church planter.
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.
May 9, 2018
Detrimental Defensiveness, Church Sickness #7
Detrimental Defensiveness happens where the leaders are fearful to move forward because of memories of past conflicts and the presence of troublemakers and bullies.
Some highlights from today’s Rainer Report:
Church leaders are often hesitant to lead because they don’t want to deal with criticism.
“Peace at all costs” in the church often means the church won’t fulfill its mission.
Church members should be able to call out ungodly behavior and attacks on fellow members
We are involved in spiritual warfare. We cannot retreat.
Watch Previous Church Sickness Videos
7 Potentially Deadly Church Sicknesses Overview
Attitudinal Angst, Church Sickness #1
Slippage Syndrome, Church Sickness #2
Detail Distraction, Church Sickness #3
Institutional Idolatry, Church Sickness #4
Activity Acclimation, Church Sickness #5
Purposeless Prayer, Church Sickness #6
May 8, 2018
Seven Time Eaters for Pastors and Staff – Rainer on Leadership #430
SUBSCRIBE: iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio • Google Play • iHeart Radio
Pastors have busy schedules, so time management is critical. Today we look at seven items on a pastor’s schedule and how you can best manage the time they take.
Some highlights from today’s episode include:
Weddings are hard for pastors to say “no” to, but they can be very time consuming if you don’t.
Counseling is not something most senior pastors do well. It’s critical to have a referral list.
If you spend a lot of time on the road for hospital visits, redeem the time with audio books or podcasts.
Most church staffs meet too much. Many meetings could be emails or a quick hallway conversation.
Digital study tools like MyWSB can save hours of sermon prep time every year.
The seven time consumers we cover on this episode are:
Weddings
Counseling
Hospital visits
Meetings
Sermon preparation
Social events
Office interruptions
Episode Sponsors
Our friends at Vanderbloemen Search Group help churches and ministries build great teams by finding their key staff, but did you know they have a ton of resources around team building? Their newest addition is The Culture Tool, a free comprehensive staff engagement survey to help you build, run, and keep a great team. It’s brand new and still in beta, so check out TheCultureTool.com to be on the cutting edge of this new tool that will help you improve your church staff culture.
Visit TheCultureTool.com to learn more.
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
Becoming a Welcoming Church
We Want You Here
My WSB
A Letter I Gave to Couples Who Wanted Me to Perform Their Wedding Ceremony
May 7, 2018
A Simple but Incredible Way to Reach Your Community and Grow
We tried something seemingly non-spectacular at our church.
We gave each of our members attending a loaf of bread and asked them to give the bread to someone in their neighborhood or community.
I was blown away with the responses, both from the members and the recipients of the bread. Those who received the bread were incredibly grateful; many came to our church the next Sunday. And our members were very encouraged by the responses. It helped them to see the fields are truly ready for a harvest.
So, I began to think. Could I leverage my position at LifeWay to help thousands of churches do the same? The answer came back as a resounding “yes”! Allow me to share with you my thoughts.
I have authorized LifeWay to give away thousands, even tens of thousands, of Bibles to members of churches. We will be giving away the Bread of Life instead of the bread in loaves.
Those churches need to be within about 15 miles of a LifeWay store, so the members can go pick up a free Bible. Without the investment of the members taking the time to go to a store, their commitment level for this endeavor will be low.
Each church will have a designated week at a local LifeWay store for its members to get their free Bibles.
The members will then give the Bible away in their neighborhoods or community and invite the recipient to church.
We will provide specific instructions and promotional materials for this Bible outreach ministry for every church that participates. It will be undergirded by the power of prayer and activated by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Many churches have already signed on for this endeavor. One of the pastors asked me how LifeWay could afford to give away so many Bibles. I simply told him I was trusting God to provide. I have little doubt God will honor a ministry that gets His Word into the community and provides opportunities for powerful gospel conversations.
I have to say, this ministry is one of the most exciting endeavors I have led in the 13 years I’ve been at LifeWay. Even more, I am incredibly excited about how God will use this ministry to impact both churches and their communities.
Let’s get the Word into our communities. Let’s invite people to our churches. Let’s have gospel conversations. Let’s see what God Himself will do as we are truly Great Commission obedient.
Click here for the information we need to move forward with your church. If your church is not close enough to a LifeWay store, please hang in there as we try to figure out how to connect with you as well in the future.
This ministry is exciting. Incredibly exciting.
Thank you for joining thousands of churches as we reach millions! Let’s Share the Word. Together.
May 6, 2018
Pray for Pleasant View First Baptist Church
Location: Pleasant View, Tennessee
Pastor: Brad Shockley
Weekly Worship: 10:45 AM, Central
Fast Facts: In April of 1973, Joelton Baptist officially started a mission church which would become Pleasant View First Baptist as we know it today. Bro. George Clark, a Texas minister coming to work for what was then the Baptist Sunday School Board (now Lifeway Christian Resources), became the first pastor in May 1973. Remaining the pastor for 30 years, Bro. George was one of only three to carry that role since its beginning. Three years ago the church suffered a split that left the remaining members discouraged and unhopeful of recovering. However, through that difficulty God brought revitalization. By focusing outward and upward, the church has grown to an average of 140 on Sunday mornings. More important than the numerical growth, there is a spirit of love and unity pervading the fellowship. Please pray for continued outreach events and emphases at the church. Finally, pray for wisdom as the church continues to develop different ways to connect with its community.
Website: PVFBC.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..
May 5, 2018
Notable Voices and the Week in Review: May 5, 2018
How to Select Mission Partners — Sam Rainer
The Internet age makes it much easier for independent missions, movements, and ministries to raise funding, as well as gain access to the decision-makers in churches. Independent works are on the rise. Expect these types of requests to continue and to increase in number. How do you begin to select a mission partner with so many out there? What do you say when you’re inundated with requests? I’ve created a six-part checklist to help our church begin the decision process.
Gen Z is Loneliest Generation, Study Finds — Facts & Trends
Nobody is lonelier than Generation Z. That’s the surprising conclusion of a new study that finds younger generations—across the board—are lonelier than older ones. In fact, students have higher loneliness scores than retirees, and the least lonely Americans are 72 and older, health insurer Cigna found in its online survey of more than 20,000 U.S. adults.
4 Ways a Church Should Respond with Grace When a Leader Falls — Eric Geiger
The apostle Paul wrote that when sin increases, grace increases all the more (Romans 5:20). So how should a church respond with grace when a ministry leader falls? Sadly, it seems to be happening more and more, so what should grace look like in those situations?
6 Ways to Prepare for Summer Outreach — Josh Presley
Even at this time of year here in northern Maine, several feet of snow can be found in far too many places. Snowmobilers are still flocking to our area to get in their last rides and the kids (and some adults) are still making snowmen. But even for our frozen towns summer is not too far away, and as everyone comes out of hibernation, this is the perfect time to engage our communities. Here are some important things we’ve learned along the way as we prepare for the primetime of the Spring and Summer months.
This Week at ThomRainer.com:
Six Reasons Churches Are Taking Too Long to Find a New Pastor
I wish I had objective data on the length of time between pastors. I can say anecdotally the time is much longer than it used to be. A whole lot longer…READ MORE
Church Sickness #6: Purposeless Prayer
Purposeless Prayer is when corporate prayer is nonexistent or steeped in non-useful tradition.
What Pastors and Church Staff Tell Us They Wished They Had Learned at Seminary
by Thom Rainer and Jonathan Howe | Rainer on Leadership
http://media.blubrry.com/thomrainer/s3.amazonaws.com/TheExchange/Episode428.mp3
Six Major Staff Issues Pastors Face
by Thom Rainer and Jonathan Howe | Rainer on Leadership
http://media.blubrry.com/thomrainer/s3.amazonaws.com/TheExchange/Episode429.mp3
Recipes for Failure in Revitalization
by Thom Rainer and Jonathan Howe | Revitalize & Replant
http://media.blubrry.com/revitalizereplant/s3.amazonaws.com/TheExchange/RevitalizeReplant/RR-Episode039.mp3
May 4, 2018
Six Major Staff Issues Pastors Face – Rainer on Leadership #429
SUBSCRIBE: iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio • Google Play • iHeart Radio
Staff issues can derail a church. And when a pastor doesn’t know how to lead a staff, it’s a disaster waiting to happen. Today we discuss six issues pastors often struggle with when they have a staff to lead.
Some highlights from today’s episode include:
When a new pastor comes to a church, cleaning house with the staff is not always needed.
You have to set expectations with staff—especially inherited staff.
Being a lifelong learner is important in ministry because ministry paradigms are always changing.
If a staff member has lost his/her passion for ministry, it’s likely the result of a personal discipleship issue.
The six staff issues we cover are:
How do I lead them?
What should I do with inherited staff?
How do I deal with a lazy staff member?
What if a staff member is no longer competent or passionate about his or her ministry?
What if a staff member refuses to follow my leadership, but he or she has a lot of allies in the church?
What is the next staff position I should hire or call?
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.
Our friends at Vanderbloemen Search Group help churches and ministries build great teams by finding their key staff, but did you know they have a ton of resources around team building? Their newest addition is TheCultureTool.com, a free comprehensive staff engagement survey to help you build, run, and keep a great team. It’s brand new and still in beta, so check out TheCultureTool.com to be on the cutting edge of this new tool that will help you improve your church staff culture.
Visit TheCultureTool.com to learn more.
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
Church Answers
Becoming a Welcoming Church
We Want You Here
Seven Habits of Highly Effective Church Staff Meetings
How to Lead a Staff Meeting Well — Rainer on Leadership #091
The Ideal Team Player
May 3, 2018
Recipes for Failure in Revitalization – Revitalize & Replant #039
Not every revitalization effort succeeds. Many fail, and they often fail because of the leader. Today we look at the types of leaders who will fail at revitalization.
Today’s Listener Question:
FROM MARCUS
Benny’s question in episode 37 about what it takes to be a successful church revitalizer got me wondering—what are some characteristics of those who fail at revitalization?
Episode Highlights:
Pastors need to have a learning disposition—especially those in revitalization.
You’re not going to see fruit of revitalization if you don’t stay long at a church.
Being a church revitalizer is a noble position.
Too many people go into ministry with low relational skills, but ministry is all about relational skills.
The six types of people who will fail at church revitalization are:
A self-sufficient know-it-all
A short-termer
A person whose family is not supportive
A person dependent on the accolades of peers, denominations, and others
A short-tempered person
A person with weak relational skills and low relational intelligence
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.
May 2, 2018
Purposeless Prayer, Church Sickness #6
Purposeless Prayer is when corporate prayer is nonexistent or steeped in non-useful tradition.
Some highlights from today’s Rainer Report:
We should not confuse routine, perfunctory prayer for dynamic, corporate prayer.
When we pray, we should pray for not only physical needs but for spiritual ones as well.
Dynamic corporate prayer is when God’s people come together to intercede to God for specific needs in the church.
Review the prayer in your church. Is it possible people are just going through the motions with prayer?
A prayer-less church is not really a church at all.
Watch Previous Church Sickness Videos
7 Potentially Deadly Church Sicknesses Overview
Attitudinal Angst, Church Sickness #1
Slippage Syndrome, Church Sickness #2
Detail Distraction, Church Sickness #3
Institutional Idolatry, Church Sickness #4
Activity Acclimation, Church Sickness #5
April 30, 2018
What Pastors and Church Staff Tell Us They Wished They Had Learned at Seminary – Rainer on Leadership #428
SUBSCRIBE: iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio • Google Play • iHeart Radio
There are so many things you think you know until you live it. Today we talk about several things pastors and church staff won’t learn until they get on the job. And I also tell the story of my worst wedding ever.
Some highlights from today’s episode include:
You can learn leadership principles in school; but you learn leadership on the job.
Pastoral counseling in today’s culture is more difficult than in any generation before.
Outreach in the local church requires an actual plan to do something.
Continual learning is critical for pastoral development.
The nine items we cover on this episode are:
General leadership training
Conflict management
Change leadership
Counseling in today’s culture
How to lead a church to growth
Funerals and weddings
Contemporary communication issues, particularly social media
How to interview for a position
How to lead a staff
Episode Sponsors
Our friends at Vanderbloemen Search Group help churches and ministries build great teams by finding their key staff, but did you know they have a ton of resources around team building? Their newest addition is The Culture Tool, a free comprehensive staff engagement survey to help you build, run, and keep a great team. It’s brand new and still in beta, so check out TheCultureTool.com to be on the cutting edge of this new tool that will help you improve your church staff culture.
Visit TheCultureTool.com to learn more.
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
Becoming a Welcoming Church
We Want You Here
Church Answers
Who Moved My Pulpit?
Eight Key Issues for Pastors Regarding Funerals – Rainer on Leadership #242
