Thom S. Rainer's Blog, page 165
March 11, 2018
Pray for Grace Crossing Community Church
Location: Phoenixville, Pennsylvania
Pastor: Daniel E McDowell
Weekly Worship: 10:00 AM, Eastern
Fast Facts: After much soul searching, Grace Crossing Community Church made sweeping changes 5 years ago, changing the name, mission statement, leadership structure and worship culture to re-brand and re-position for more effective ministry. Ensuing conflict caused significant decline in membership and attendance, the pastor left but the remaining members have pulled together and remain dedicated to their new mission to “Follow Jesus, love others and build community.” A new pastor has now been in place for one year. Community outreach has grown through involvement with the police department, our food pantry, interaction with a single mothers group, and Town Watch, a crime prevention group. Please pray for their invite-a-friend emphases that are aimed at training members to be more inviting and to focus on creating a more outward oriented worship and fellowship atmosphere. Finally, pray as the church addresses needed building maintenance issues
Website: GraceCrossingCC.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..
March 10, 2018
Notable Voices and the Week in Review: March 10, 2018
Four Simple Daily Exercises to Strengthen Your Leadership — Sam Rainer
Some daily exercises are obvious, and they are often repeated in books and conferences: Read more, stick to a devotional time, get better sleep, organize your day, and keep a structured calendar. These tips work, but they are not specifically focused on leadership. What are some daily leadership activities that will strengthen your abilities?
Mike Tyson’s Former House Now a Church — Facts & Trends
Once home to “the baddest man on the planet,” an Ohio mansion will now fulfill a high calling. Living Word Sanctuary Evangelical Church is remodeling a 25,000 square foot house and 60-acre estate that used to belong to boxing legend Mike Tyson.
4 Ways to Invest in Your Worship Leader — Mark Dance
Let’s be honest, too many worship services are predictably boring. Every church’s lead pastor and worship pastor are in a prime position to change this reality. This post is basically a passionate appeal for you to do whatever it takes to get on the same page before you get on the same stage. Here are a four ways I have done this with my worship pastors and leaders.
This Week at ThomRainer.com:
Why the Giving in Your Church Is Decreasing
You are trying to comprehend why the giving levels in your church are down. You may know several possibilities, but you aren’t certain. As I have worked with several congregations, we have isolated the issue to one or a few causes. See if any of these causative factors may be at work in your church…READ MORE
Why You Need a Mentor
Church leaders get caught up in the weeds
Experience and wisdom from an outside perspective is invaluable
It helps leaders practice humility
Your context is unique; that’s an advantage and a disadvantage
What to Do if Your Church Does Not Pay You Adequately
by Thom Rainer and Jonathan Howe | Rainer on Leadership
http://media.blubrry.com/thomrainer/s3.amazonaws.com/TheExchange/Episode412.mp3
How to Develop a Welcoming Worship Ministry
by Thom Rainer and Jonathan Howe | Rainer on Leadership
http://media.blubrry.com/thomrainer/s3.amazonaws.com/TheExchange/Episode413.mp3
Six Keys to Connecting Your Church Revitalization to the Community
by Thom Rainer and Jonathan Howe | Revitalize & Replant
http://media.blubrry.com/revitalizereplant/s3.amazonaws.com/TheExchange/RevitalizeReplant/RR-Episode031.mp3
March 9, 2018
How to Develop a Welcoming Worship Ministry – Rainer on Leadership #413
SUBSCRIBE: iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio • Google Play • iHeart Radio
The Worship Guru, Mike Harland, joins us again today to discuss how you can use your worship ministry to help become a more welcoming church.
Some highlights from today’s episode include:
The reason we have such a shortage of worship pastors is because the role has changed so much.
Your worship ministry can shut down the guest experience and make guests feel like outsiders by only singing original music.
When you’re planning a worship service do so through the lens of what a newcomer will experience.
Worship ministry can sometimes aim at everything and hit none of it.
Excellence in worship is more important than variety.
Choir should be more than a worship style—it should be a discipleship strategy.
The four ways you can develop a welcoming worship ministry are:
Avoid “Insider Trading”
Nobody likes Worship Casserole
Tick Tock, the Game is Locked
To Thine Own Self Be true
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
ChurchAnswers.com
LifeWayWorship.com
Becoming a Welcoming Church
March 8, 2018
Six Keys to Connecting Your Church Revitalization to the Community – Revitalize & Replant #031
A core component of revitalization is having an outward focus. That outward focus is what connects your church to the community and often allows you to better reach them with the gospel. Today we discuss six keys to doing so.
Today’s Listener Question:
FROM DON
I have yet to meet any local clergy save one associate pastor from the multi-site church down the road. No one seems to want to sit and meet for coffee, I’ve also found out that the previous pastor seemed to step on the toes of a number of families in the town who wanted a key to the church and use the facility, some are so influential that our recent outreach during the town’s holiday festivity didn’t gain any support in the paper. What are some ways to open the doors of communication and try to share the love of Christ in a rural community that has grown from 6,000 to over 10,000 in the last decade?
Episode Highlights:
New pastors should connect with community influencers to learn more about the community and about the church’s reputation in the community.
It’s always good to have outside eyes help you see things at your church more clearly.
Church members often don’t realize needs for improvement in the church. They are comfortable.
The first step toward an outward focus has to be taken by the pastor if revitalization is to happen.
The six keys we cover are:
Find one or two key people in the community who are unchurched
Connect with them and use them as guides
Ask them to secret-shop your church
Find out the community’s greatest needs
Mobilize your people to meet the needs
Be fully aware of reality
Resources mentioned in this episode include:
ChurchReplanters.com
ChurchAnswers.com
Secret Guest Survey
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 7, 2018
Why You Need a Mentor
Church leaders get caught up in the weeds
Experience and wisdom from an outside perspective is invaluable
It helps leaders practice humility
Your context is unique; that’s an advantage and a disadvantage
Some highlights from today’s Rainer Report:
Mentors often help you see the big picture of what is going on.
Ministry mentors can give you a broader perspective of ministry.
When you have a mentor, you’re humbly saying “I can’t do this alone.”
Having a mentor gives you understanding outside of your current context.
March 6, 2018
What to Do if Your Church Does Not Pay You Adequately – Rainer on Leadership #412
SUBSCRIBE: iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio • Google Play • iHeart Radio
Pastors often face financial pressure because salaries depend on giving of the church. If giving drops, salaries can be in jeopardy. Today we look at what to do when that happens.
Some highlights from today’s episode include:
High-paid pastors are the outliers. Most are underpaid.
In most instances, salaries should not exceed 50% of the church budget.
Pastors, get an advocate to go to bat for you about salary matters.
Churches, never talk about compensation packages, just talk about salary.
The six points to consider are:
Make certain you have your facts right
Look at the entire budget of the church
Make certain key leaders understand the difference between package and pay
Consider the possibility of marketplace service or side gigs
Find an advocate in the church
Don’t leave over pay unless you have exhausted other options
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
ThomRainer.com/income
LifeWay & Guidestone Compensation Study
Envelope3.com
March 5, 2018
Why the Giving in Your Church Is Decreasing
You are trying to comprehend why the giving levels in your church are down. You may know several possibilities, but you aren’t certain. As I have worked with several congregations, we have isolated the issue to one or a few causes. See if any of these causative factors may be at work in your church.
Lower attendance. Okay, I may be stating the obvious here, but it is worth noting. I spoke with a pastor whose church’s giving is down 15 percent from a year ago, and the attendance is down 12 percent. There is a high correlation between attendance and giving, even if you have a strong online giving component. It is also worth noting that attendance frequency is down in many churches, if not most churches, as well. The family who attends three times a month is more likely to give more than the same family attending two times a month.
Generational shifts. Builders, those born before 1946, are more likely to give to the church out of institutional loyalty. Boomers and Gen X have the highest family incomes, but their giving is not as consistent. Millennials thus far are not strong givers in our churches. In many churches, the Builders are being replaced with Millennials. In other words, more generous givers are being replaced with less generous givers.
Giving to purposes rather than organizations. From the Builders to the Millennials, there has been a dramatic shift in the motivations for giving. The Builders, as noted above, are more likely to give out of institutional loyalty. Thus, church leaders could exhort this generation to “give to the church,” and they would respond positively. The Millennials, however, give to purposes rather than organizations. Church leaders must demonstrate with specificity how the funds in the church are being used for a greater purpose. And that greater purpose must be real, personal, and compelling.
Little teaching on giving. The pendulum has swung too far. In an overreaction to the constant pleas for money twenty years ago, more church leaders are hesitant to even mention the spiritual discipline of giving. Frankly, many of our church members do not comprehend that giving is both a mandate and a blessing, because they have not been taught about it in their churches.
Not as much discretionary income among churchgoers. Before you object to this point, I know fully our discretionary income should not be the basis for our giving. God should get the first fruits, and not the leftovers. But the stark reality is that many people who do give to churches only give their leftovers, or their discretionary income. Though the economy has improved over the past few years, most of the growth in discretionary income has been in the top 20 percent of household incomes. Yet those who attend our churches are more likely to be a part of the other 80 percent. Simply stated, most of our church members have not seen increases of any size in discretionary income.
There are obvious actions we can take toward this challenge. We can teach and preach unapologetically on biblical stewardship. We can be clearer on the purpose or the “why” behind the giving. And we can offer different mechanisms for giving to make it more like a spiritual habit rather than a negligent afterthought. My church, with under 200 in attendance, offers traditional giving, online giving, and text giving. Many churches still do quite well with envelope giving.
I would love to hear what you think and, perhaps, what your church is doing in this area.
March 4, 2018
Pray for Calvary Bible Church
Location: Glendale, New York
Pastor: Dan Klaus
Weekly Worship: 10:30 AM, Eastern
Fast Facts:
Church info: Calvary Bible Church is celebrating its 55th year serving Glendale, Queens. The members are looking to connect better with the community by becoming more involved in local board meetings (providing free coffee with our church logo) and by joining a neighborhood watch. Please pray that God would guide them toward connecting the community to the truth of Christ this year and beyond.
Website: CalvaryNYC.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 3, 2018
Notable Voices and the Week in Review: March 3, 2018
Why Wednesday Evening Programming Thrives — Sam Rainer
I look forward to Wednesday evenings. I lead our prayer meeting and also teach the lesson most weeks, though I am also using the timeslot to train up other teachers and preachers. The prayer group is faithful, fun, and loving. We pray a lot. We laugh a lot. We may be an anomaly, but Wednesday evenings thrive at West Bradenton. We turn the lackluster hump day into something worthwhile. Numerically, over half of our Sunday morning crowd returns for Wednesday programming. We are multigenerational on Wednesdays, just like on Sundays. A few factors contribute to the success of Wednesday programming.
Why Billy Graham’s Casket Was Made at Angola Prison — Facts & Trends
As thousands paid their respects to “America’s pastor,” images of Billy Graham’s pine plywood casket will be on prominent display on smartphones, computer screens, and televisions across the nation.
10 Reasons Why Pastoring is the Best Job in the World — Todd Gaddis
A recent Gallup Poll revealed that the clergy has fallen to a favorable rating of only 42 percent of those surveyed. At least we still rank above lobbyists, car salesmen, and members of Congress. Despite the decline and doom, I contend that being a pastor is the best job in the world. Here are ten reasons why.
3 Common Ways Leaders Disqualify Themselves — Eric Geiger
With the recent passing of the great preacher and evangelist Billy Graham, many are celebrating his finishing well. He remained faithful to God’s call on his life, fought the good fight, and finished the race. He avoided scandal and accusations against his integrity and was above reproach as he faithfully served the Lord throughout his life and ministry. We should be thankful for the example. And Billy Graham’s example stands in stark contrast to what, at times, seems to be epidemic among leaders—tragic, self-inflicted disqualification. Leaders seem to be disqualifying themselves at alarming rates, and if you disqualify yourself from leading, one of these three failures will be true:
This Week at ThomRainer.com:
Five Reasons Many Pastors Struggle with Depression
These are the five primary causes pastors identified as the reasons behind their depression. Each of the causes is followed by a direct quote from pastors who shared with me their struggles…READ MORE
Four Ways Leaders Should Keep an Outward Focus
Pray for opportunities
Pray to fight distractions and discouragement
Learn from other leaders
Put it on your calendar
Five of the Most Common Questions Pastors Ask
by Thom Rainer and Jonathan Howe | Rainer on Leadership
http://media.blubrry.com/thomrainer/s3.amazonaws.com/TheExchange/Episode410.mp3
Seven Key Facility Issues Facing Churches Today
by Thom Rainer and Jonathan Howe | Rainer on Leadership
http://media.blubrry.com/thomrainer/s3.amazonaws.com/TheExchange/Episode411.mp3
Five Foundational Steps for Replanting
by Thom Rainer and Jonathan Howe with Mark Clifton | Revitalize & Replant
http://media.blubrry.com/revitalizereplant/s3.amazonaws.com/TheExchange/RevitalizeReplant/RR-Episode030.mp3
March 2, 2018
Seven Key Facility Issues Facing Churches Today – Rainer on Leadership #411
SUBSCRIBE: iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio • Google Play • iHeart Radio
Churches across America are facing facility issues ranging from lighting and code requirements to having too much space. Tim Songster from Cosco & Associates (ChurchDesign.com) joins us to discuss how best to deal with these issues.
Some highlights from today’s episode include:
One of the primary ways churches are changing today is in the area of church facilities.
LED lighting allows for more flexibility of control and greater savings on electricity.
Churches are wanting smaller worship facilities to create more intimacy among worshippers.
There is a willingness to invest in children’s space now like there hasn’t been in the past.
The seven key facility issues we cover are:
Technology
Lighting
Security
Updating/Replacing Worship Centers
Importance of Children’s Ministry
Seating
Accessibility & Code Requirements
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
ChurchAnswers.com
ChurchDesign.com
