Thom S. Rainer's Blog, page 164
March 21, 2018
Seven Potentially Deadly Church Sicknesses
Attitudinal Angst
Slippage Syndrome
Detail Distraction
Institutional Idolatry
Activity Acclimation
Purposeless Prayer
Detrimental Defensiveness
Some highlights from today’s Rainer Report:
If a church truly is a body, it has the option to be either a sick body or a healthy body.
Many symptoms of church sickness happen time and time again in churches.
Church around us are dying at an increasing rate. But there is still time to turnaround many churches who don’t have to die.
Does your church have an attitude of service or one of being served?
March 20, 2018
Culture Wins, featuring William Vanderbloemen – Rainer on Leadership #416
SUBSCRIBE: iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio • Google Play • iHeart Radio
William Vanderbloemen joins us today to discuss the importance of workplace culture in the church.
Some highlights from today’s episode include:
The bigger your staff gets, the harder it is to maintain a good workplace culture.
Millennials want to like the culture of the place at which they work.
You need to set your own workplace culture. Don’t try to copy the culture of another church or ministry.
The people of an organization or ministry or church set the culture.
About William Vanderbloemen
William Vanderbloemen is an entrepreneur, pastor, speaker, author, and CEO and founder of Vanderbloemen Search Group, an executive search firm serving churches, ministries, and faith-based organizations. He is a regular contributor to several major publications including Forbes where he covers topics about having a strong faith and building a business, Fortune, and Outreach magazine. He has also been published through Fast Company, Entrepreneur, and Inc.
Under his leadership, Vanderbloemen Search Group has won several culture awards and was named #24 on Forbes’ Best Executive Recruiting Firms in America. In 2015 and 2016, Vanderbloemen Search Group placed in the top 5 of Entrepreneur.com’s Top Company Culture – Small Business Category in the nation and top 6 of Houston’s Best Places to Work by Houston Business Journal.
Culture Wins is William’s third book following NEXT: Pastoral Succession That Works (2014) and SEARCH: The Pastoral Search Committee Handbook (2016). William holds degrees from Wake Forest University and Princeton Theological Seminary.
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
Culture Wins
March 19, 2018
Five Reasons Monday Is So Tough for Pastors
“I resign from the church in my mind about ten times a year. Every time it has been on a Monday.”
It’s a direct quote from a pastor at the Church Answers’ forum. And I’ve heard similar quotes many times.
So why are Mondays so difficult for pastors? Why do they have thoughts of resignation on this day more than others? I’ve heard five reasons consistently.
Sunday is both emotionally energizing and draining. If that sounds like an emotional roller coaster, it is. There are many facets of Sunday ministry that are emotionally charged, but the sermon is the main reason. Pastors prepare with intensity and they preach with intensity. It is typically the highlight of a pastor’s week, but it is usually the most exhausting as well.
Someone made a negative comment before or after the sermon. Some of the most vulnerable moments for a pastor are right before or after the sermon. The pastor is intensely focused before the sermon and typically worn out after it. When a church member selects one of those times to make a snarky comment, it usually carries over to the next day.
There were a lot of meetings on Sunday. It makes sense. You already have a good number of the members available to meet. It helps them with their schedules. But it adds to an already exhausting day for pastors. When they wake up on Monday, they often feel like they played in a football game on Sunday.
Pastors feel like they neglected their families on Sunday. In reality, they often do. They have little time for spouses and children on such a busy day. The following Monday can feel like a hangover of regret.
They had a business meeting on Sunday night. Sunday evenings are the most common time for church business meetings. And church business meetings can get ugly. I spoke to one pastor whose church had a raucous business meeting until 10 pm on a Sunday evening. And he had after-business-meeting meetings until midnight. He was not in a very good mood on Monday morning.
Pastors, if you are ready to resign on Monday mornings, you are not alone. Don’t think you are an aberration or not in tune with the will of God. But give it a couple of days. Today’s sense of foreboding gloom will likely yield to a better disposition in just a few days.
And church members, pray for your pastors. Do everything you can to protect them and encourage them. Their Mondays can be a lot better if they know you care.
March 18, 2018
Pray for Covenant Church
Location: Pace, Florida
Pastor: David Gibson
Weekly Worship: 10:30 AM, Central
Fast Facts: Covenant is a 45-year-old congregation that is the midst of a relaunch. The church has emphasized missions and recently started a bread ministry to the local community. A local grocery store provides day-old bread to church, which is then made available to those in need. This has given the church contact with some of the most needy in its community. As part of this outreach, the church’s emphasis this year is directing the church back into the harvest. Please pray for continued outreach through this ministry and others in the Pace community.
Website: CovenantPace.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..
March 17, 2018
Notable Voices and the Week in Review: March 17, 2018
Don’t Confuse a Church’s Slow Pace with Complacency — Sam Rainer
Every church has a pace built into the culture of its people. Some churches move more slowly. Some move more quickly. While most established churches likely need to pick up the pace, a slow pace does not necessarily mean the church is complacent. Complacent churches are self-satisfied and are unwilling to address problems. Unfortunately, far too many churches are complacent. But don’t confuse complacency with a slow pace. Some congregations are willing to move forward; it just takes them a little longer. A few factors may influence the slow pace of a church.
8 Resources for Your Church’s Easter Guests — Facts & Trends
Your church likely sees more foot traffic on Easter than any other holiday. Since some of these visitors may only visit church once or twice a year, it’s important to engage them in a meaningful way in the few hours you have with them. Here are eight resources to help your church connect with Easter guests in a manner that will hopefully see them return the following week.
Crafting Expository Sermons — H.B. Charles, Jr.
True expository preaching strives to be faithful to the text and clear in the presentation. It is for this reason that introductions, illustrations, and conclusions should matter to the expositor. It is not about being creative, eloquent, or impressive in the pulpit. It is about preaching the word faithfully and clearly to the glory of God and for the salvation and sanctification of the hearers.
Culture and Systems on How Churches Welcome Guests — Eric Geiger
Hospitality is the combination of two words: stranger and love. It literally means to show love to strangers and it is very biblical. God’s hospitality toward us is the foundation and motivation for our hospitality toward others. God loved us while we were still strangers. While we were His enemies, He pursued us. And now we are to accept others the way Christ has accepted us. Being hospitable is even a qualification for being a leader in the church (1 Timothy 3:2). Churches must have a plan for how they show love to those who are their guests. So what are churches doing in terms of their hospitality toward guests? LifeWay Research interviewed more than 1,000 pastors on how their churches welcome guests, and here are a few points from what the research revealed:
This Week at ThomRainer.com:
Seven Potentially Deadly Church Sicknesses
As I have categorized problems and challenges church leaders share, I have seen seven distinct categories of hindrances. Since I am primarily concerned about church health, I call these hindrances “church sicknesses”…READ MORE
Four Pressing Reasons Your Pastor Needs Your Prayers
Pastors’ families are falling apart
The demise of cultural Christianity has brought new pressures
Your pastor must preach a fresh word from God every week
The expectations of omniscience, omnipotence, and omnipresence
9 Keys for Church Members to Be More Guest Friendly This Easter
by Thom Rainer and Jonathan Howe | Rainer on Leadership
http://media.blubrry.com/thomrainer/s3.amazonaws.com/TheExchange/Episode414.mp3
Eight Questions Welcoming Churches Ask
by Thom Rainer and Jonathan Howe | Rainer on Leadership
http://media.blubrry.com/thomrainer/s3.amazonaws.com/TheExchange/Episode415.mp3
Understanding the Impact of Community Involvement on Church Health
by Thom Rainer and Jonathan Howe | Revitalize & Replant
http://media.blubrry.com/revitalizereplant/s3.amazonaws.com/TheExchange/RevitalizeReplant/RR-Episode032.mp3
March 16, 2018
Eight Questions Welcoming Churches Ask – Rainer on Leadership #415
SUBSCRIBE: iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio • Google Play • iHeart Radio
Most every church thinks it welcomes guests well. Unfortunately, many are not welcoming at all. Today we discuss what welcoming churches focus on to more effectively reach guests.
Some highlights from today’s episode include:
We often neglect to invite people to church because we aren’t confident they will accept.
There should be clear next steps for guests on your church’s website.
Your church website should clearly communicate to guest what they should expect when they visit.
If you have multiple services, it’s important to have a team of volunteers come through and reset the room before the next service.
The eight questions we cover are:
Are our members inviting others?
Does our website communicate to guests?
Are our members friendly to guests or to members only?
Is our facility clean, tidy, and safe?
Are there barriers to worship?
Are we speaking a foreign language?
Do we follow up with guests in a timely manner?
Do we have clear next steps?
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
Becoming a Welcoming Church
We Want You Here
Invite Cards from The Church at Spring Hill
March 15, 2018
Understanding the Impact of Community Involvement on Church Health — Revitalize & Replant #032
Churches are vital to the health of their communities. And if the church isn’t connected to its community, the fault lies on the church, not the community.
Today’s Listener Question:
FROM GUSTAVO
When a church seems content with having no impact in their community and having their members commute from outside the community, what reason can you give them to see the importance of turning that around?
Episode Highlights:
A church that does not live in its community is often not involved in its community.
The most positive impact on a neighborhood should come from churches in that neighborhood.
Don’t resent your community for not responding to your church like they once did.
As churches, we are making a poor representation of God when we do not love and reach our communities.
Your church is there for the community. The community is not there for your church.
Serving Christians are often joyful Christians.
The four critical understandings we discuss are:
Understand the community has changed
Understand the level to which they have been blessed
Understand the community as an opportunity to display love
Understand it is obedience
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.
March 14, 2018
Four Pressing Reasons Your Pastor Needs Your Prayers
Pastors’ families are falling apart
The demise of cultural Christianity has brought new pressures
Your pastor must preach a fresh word from God every week
The expectations of omniscience, omnipotence, and omnipresence
Some highlights from today’s Rainer Report:
When we accomplish powerful things, it’s not by our power, but by God’s.
When a pastor’s family suffers, the pastor’s ministry suffers.
Sermons and sermon prep should be bathed in prayer.
Attempting to meet all the demands of church members can lead to pastor burnout.
March 13, 2018
9 Keys for Church Members to Be More Guest Friendly This Easter – Rainer on Leadership #414
SUBSCRIBE: iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio • Google Play • iHeart Radio
Easter is just around the corner. So today, we take a look at nine keys to being a guest friendly congregation on Easter.
Some highlights from today’s episode include:
When you’re looking for an evangelistic opportunity, you’re more likely to see one.
Easter is a great opportunity for church members to serve. More help is always needed and welcomed.
If you need more volunteers to serve on Easter, recruit them early. Don’t wait until the last minute.
Pray for those who will join you for worship on Easter.
The nine keys we cover are:
Pray as you enter the property.
Park at the most distant spot available.
Greet people.
Look for people to help.
Sit as close as possible to the front of the worship center.
Sit in the middle.
Sit closely.
Volunteer to serve.
Pray as you leave.
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 at Spring Hill invite cards
March 12, 2018
Seven Potentially Deadly Church Sicknesses
For the past two years, I have been monitoring the comments and challenges mentioned by church leaders. I am attempting to answer the question: What is hindering many of our churches from achieving health and vitality?
As I have categorized the problems and challenges the church leaders shared, I have seen seven distinct categories of hindrances. Since I am primarily concerned about church health, I call these hindrances “church sicknesses.”
The good news is that none of these sicknesses have to become terminal. They can be reversed from sickness to health. The bad news is that, without intervention, each illness can potentially lead to the decline and death of the church. Let’s look at all seven sicknesses:
Attitudinal Angst: a church illness where church members are most focused on getting their own desires and preferences met, rather than being a serving member of the body of Christ. It is also called Church Country Club Membership.
Slippage Syndrome: the church illness where a church stops focusing on its primary purposes. Evangelism slippage is the most common.
Detail Distraction: a church illness where there is too much focus on minor issues to the detriment of major issues. For example, routine meetings can become more important than compelling missions.
Institutional Idolatry: a church illness where the members have an unbiblical devotion to inconsequential matters such as facilities, order of worship, or styles of worship.
Activity Acclimation: a church illness where the members see busyness to be the same as commitment and/or godliness. The church calendar becomes the guiding document for the congregation.
Purposeless Prayer: the church illness where corporate prayer is non-existent or steeped in non-useful tradition. Such prayers can be perfunctory, showy, or gossipy.
Detrimental Defensiveness: a church illness where the members and leadership are fearful to move forward because of memories of past conflicts and the presence of troublemakers and bullies.
I plan to cover these sicknesses in detail in a series of videos on “The Rainer Report,” our Wednesday video blog at this site, ThomRainer.com. The series begins on March 21. I hope you can join us. In the meantime, give us your feedback on these seven sicknesses. Do you recognize any in your church?
