Thom S. Rainer's Blog, page 167
February 21, 2018
How Do You Respond to a Member Who Thinks You Should Resign?
Don’t respond directly immediately
Remember most of the time they are in a distinct minority
Pray for the critic
Pray for discernment
Move on to the positive
Some highlights from today’s Rainer Report:
We often don’t want to pray for our critics, but it’s what we’re biblically commanded to do.
Pastors, be sure to spend time with people who have positive outlooks.
February 20, 2018
How to Avoid Echo Chamber Leadership – Rainer on Leadership #408
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Echo chambers can be disastrous for leaders. Today we discuss ways you can protect yourself from leading in an echo chamber.
Some highlights from today’s episode include:
Leaders must surround themselves with people who are not echo chambers.
Employees need to remember they are there to serve the organization, not vice versa.
Sycophants tend to kill teamwork.
It’s easy to want to retreat into the echo chamber when you’re getting criticized publicly online.
Because of the internet, moral failure among leaders is more widely known and visible.
Lack of accountability is one of the leading contributors to moral failure.
The six keys to avoiding echo chamber leadership are:
It is the leader’s responsibility to avoid the echo chamber.
Sycophants are extremely dangerous.
Leaders must seek out people who care enough about them to speak truth to them.
Social media and blogs can drive leadership to the echo chamber.
The leader’s response to contrary opinions and criticisms will send a message to the watching world.
Moral failure is common among leaders who dwell in echo chambers.
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
Church Answers
February 19, 2018
Five Dangers of Church Designated Funds
If there is a topic that reaches me with frequency, it is the topic of church members designating funds. And the common theme is one of regret. The pastor or other church leader wishes the door of designated funds had never been opened.
For clarity, I am not speaking of designated funds approved by the church body as a whole. Many churches have excellent stewardship approaches that encourage members to give to a building fund or a mission fund, as two examples.
Instead, I am referring to those designated funds given to the church by a single or few members with guidelines not approved by the church as a whole. For example, one pastor shared with me about funds the church received with the strict stipulation that the church had to use them to buy stained-glass windows. The only problem is the church did not want to purchase stained-glass windows.
In another example, a pastor shared with me about a member who would only give designated funds to the youth ministry. The problem is that the youth ministry already had funds in the church budget, but these designated funds gave the youth ministry disproportionate funding compared to the other ministries. To make matters worse, the youth ministry was encouraging the donor to make the designated contribution.
So designated funds are not an intrinsic problem themselves. But they can become a dangerous precedent for several reasons. Here are five of them:
They circumvent the will and the plan of the church as a whole. Designated givers are basically saying they don’t like the unified budget of the church, so they are going rogue and dictating their preferences over the church as a whole. A church with numerous designated funds can find it has a budget with no teeth.
They create division in the church. Each designated giver is doing things his way or her way. Others tend to resent the imposition of will the person demands. Disunity is thus a natural consequence.
They create an environment where advocates of a particular ministry or need of the church solicit designated funds. The youth minister in the example above spent an incredible amount of time and energy currying the favor of designated giving to the youth fund. Instead of ministering to the students, he was spending as much time becoming a fundraiser.
They often come with stipulations that are difficult or impossible to comply. I recently heard from a pastor whose church had a designated endowment fund. The donor to that fund, however, established investment guidelines many years ago that required certain investment instruments that no longer exist.
They often hurt the budget giving of the church. The person who designates to the youth fund is likely taking dollars that would have normally gone to the budget as a whole. In many cases, each designated dollar is thus a dollar deducted from the overall budget.
I encourage church leaders to develop clear guidelines for dealing with designated funds. It will make saying no to a potential donor much easier. And it will also send a clear message that the church seeks to move forward in stewardship unity, rather than different members deciding what their own financial preferences and whims are.
February 18, 2018
Pray for Eagle Heights Baptist Church
Location: Harrison, Arkansas
Pastor: Kennith Stacy
Weekly Worship: 10:30 AM, Central
Fast Facts: Eagle Heights Baptist Church was established in 1949 and has remained a thriving light sitting on the Eagle Heights hill. EHBC has a deep desire to serve the community of Harrison and takes great joy in serving each individual and family that walks through the doors. The heart of Eagle is to serve, reach, and disciple people with the life changing gospel of Jesus Christ.
This past December, a large portion of their main complex was burned down. In the early morning hours a young driver who was driving under the influence collided with an electric pole on the church property. The collision knocked down the pole and service was pulled from our building. This started a fire which quickly progressed burning 40% of the main complex which included a complete loss of the youth building, administrative offices, and extensive damage to the sanctuary. The remainder of the building sustained smoke and water damage but was salvageable. The church is currently meeting in the Family Life Center, and will for the next year until they can rebuild.
Please pray endurance for the pastor and staff as the church adapts to a new normal. Also pray for the Arise and Build 2018 Team as they begin a fresh vision for the church, and finally pray that throughout this process the church body would bring glory to the Lord.
Website: EHBCHarrison.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..
February 17, 2018
Notable Voices and the Week in Review: February 17, 2018
Three Intentional Steps to Reaching Your Goals — Rob Hurtgen
The crowd at my local YMCA is getting thinner. And I’m not talking about waistlines. Approximately six weeks into the new year many who set the goal to “lose weight and get in shape” are no longer working on that goal. The thinning crowd is one example of how stating a goal is easy, but reaching a goal will require more of you than you thought. The same is true for your pastoral ministry. Someone, somewhere once said, “Goals are dreams with deadlines.” What then are some ways we can keep our dreams alive?
3 Things You Are Really Saying When You Bash Your Predecessor — Eric Geiger
If leadership is primarily about change, transformation, and the future, as many have advocated, then leaders are always change-oriented. And change always entails creating some dissatisfaction with the status quo. But wisely and skillfully creating dissatisfaction with the status quo is very different than subtly or overtly trashing and bashing the leaders who led before you. Sadly, it is common for leaders to bash those who led before them. Instead of honoring their contributions, they take shots. When a leader bashes his or her predecessor, here is what the leader is really saying:
10 Questions I Wonder if Churches Ever Ask — Chuck Lawless
I’m just thinking aloud here today as I wonder if many churches in North America ever ask these questions:
This Week at ThomRainer.com:
Five Reasons Why the Children’s Minister Is the Staff Position in Greatest Demand
We saw this trend five years ago. It is now a reality. The staff position of the greatest demand in congregations is the children’s minister…READ MORE
The Relationship Between Inviting and Church Health
Inviting churches tend to be healthier churches
An invitation is most effective when it’s one-to-one
In person are the most effective, but phone and digital are good as well
The most effective churches are striving to have annual invitations equal to the 10 times the average worship attendance
Moving from lag metrics to lead metrics
The Rise of Networks, Bivocational Pastors, and Other Listener Questions
by Thom Rainer and Jonathan Howe | Rainer on Leadership
http://media.blubrry.com/thomrainer/s3.amazonaws.com/TheExchange/Episode406.mp3
12 Warning Signs of Potentially Bad Church Hires
by Thom Rainer and Jonathan Howe | Rainer on Leadership
http://media.blubrry.com/thomrainer/s3.amazonaws.com/TheExchange/Episode407.mp3
Six Keys for Corporate Worship in a Replant
by Thom Rainer and Jonathan Howe with Mark Clifton | Revitalize & Replant
http://media.blubrry.com/revitalizereplant/s3.amazonaws.com/TheExchange/RevitalizeReplant/RR-Episode028.mp3
February 16, 2018
12 Warning Signs of Potentially Bad Church Hires – Rainer on Leadership #407
SUBSCRIBE: iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio • Google Play • iHeart Radio
Hiring in the church can be tricky at times. Today, we expound on a post by Chuck Lawless that looks at some warning signs to be on the lookout for when hiring a minister or staff member at your church.
Some highlights from today’s episode include:
If someone has several consecutive, short-tenured pastorates, it should be a warning sign when considering hiring them.
Sloppy résumés mean you’ll likely do sloppy work.
If you have a time gap in your résumé, you’re likely going to be asked about it. Don’t leave gaps.
Theological questions and compatibility should be a starting point when hiring in the church.
The 12 warning signs we cover are:
Previously short tenures of ministry.
Incomplete degrees.
Sloppy resumes.
Resume gaps.
Unasked theology questions.
Criticizing former employers.
No current references.
Tardiness without explanation.
Spousal disagreement on calling.
Poor social media witness.
Little talk of Bible study or prayer.
Unlikeability.
Episode Sponsors
Midwestern Seminary is interested in helping you get to the field faster. And they’re serious about training leaders for the church. That’s why they’ve created the all-new Accelerate Program. In Midwestern’s Accelerate Program, students earn both Bachelor of Arts degree and Master of Divinity degree in just 5 years of intensive study. That’s a B.A. and an M.Div. at the same time. This innovative residential program combines rigorous academic training with practical ministry preparation, resulting in one of the most effective programs around, so that you can pursue your ministry calling as soon as possible.
Two degrees in five years – all in one program: Accelerate at Midwestern Seminary. Take the next step by visiting mbts.edu/accelerate.
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 Who Moved My Pulpit?
Resources Mentioned in Today’s Podcast
ChurchAnswers.com
February 15, 2018
Six Keys for Corporate Worship in a Replant – Revitalize & Replant #028
In a replant or revitalization, everything needs to have a purpose—including corporate worship. Today we unpack six key reminders about the importance of corporate worship.
Today’s Listener Question:
FROM CASEY
I’m a bi-vo worship leader at my church that is a replant. What is my role and the role of worship in our replant scenario?
Episode Highlights:
It’s not uncommon for pastors in small churches to double as the worship leader.
The authenticity of worship matters much more than the style of worship.
When leading corporate worship, meet the congregation where they are and lead them where they need to go.
Don’t let your style of worship become your idol.
In corporate worship, the heart of the matter is the heart of the people.
The greatest instrument to worship God is the human voice.
The six keys to worship in a replant are:
There’s nothing attractional about something about to die
Replanting is an act of worship
Too many members have no concept of what corporate worship means
Those who lead worship must be focus on how they can best lead the remaining group to make much of God together
Gathered worship must be authentic and must be gospel saturated
Worship is used to change the heart of the remaining members
Resources mentioned in this episode include:
ChurchReplanters.com
He Will Hold Me Fast – The Gettys
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.
February 14, 2018
The Relationship Between Inviting and Church Health
Inviting churches tend to be healthier churches
An invitation is most effective when it’s one-to-one
In person are the most effective, but phone and digital are good as well
The most effective churches are striving to have annual invitations equal to the 10 times the average worship attendance
Moving from lag metrics to lead metrics
Some highlights from today’s Rainer Report:
Inviting unchurched friends to church takes intentionality.
When we are energized to do positive things, we have less time and energy to do negative things.
When church members are focused on reaching out and inviting, they’re less focused on having things their way.
In-person invites to church are the most effective invites.
If you have specific topics you’d like to see me cover in future editions of Rainer Report, use the comments below to let me know. Also, be sure to subscribe to the YouTube channel so you’ll never miss a new video.
February 13, 2018
The Rise of Networks, Bivocational Pastors, and Other Listener Questions – Rainer on Leadership #406
SUBSCRIBE: iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio • Google Play • iHeart Radio
Listener questions are always fun to answer. Today we cover a wide-ranging group of topics and answer several pressing questions from listeners.
Some highlights from today’s episode include:
Do I see all denominations dying? No. But we are seeing more struggling.
When you study Scripture, it’s difficult to argue against a plurality of leadership.
Good financial stewardship should be a requirement for church leadership.
Co-vocational ministry is the future mainly because of its effectiveness.
The listener questions we answer are:
FROM PAM:
On podcast 390 you mentioned the rise of networks. I would like some detail about various networks and how they are utilized for the strength and growth of the Church.
FROM DAN:
I see in the Scriptures that the early church was led by a plurality of elders. There seemed to be no “senior pastors” in the early local churches. In your opinion, must a church have a senior pastor? If so, should that person have greater influence over other pastors/elders? What are the benefits and drawbacks of equally shared authority and influence shared among a plurality of elders in a local church?
FROM JEREMY:
The treasurer at the church I pastor at recently told me that one of the members of our finance committee does not give financially to the church. What do you do in a situation like this? How do you avoid this from happening in the first place?
FROM TODD:
If my church is in a small, rural town with other small towns 15 minutes down the road, is having multiple sites in other towns a good idea and how far from the home site do you go?
FROM JASON:
We struggle, like many churches do, to get our guests to acknowledge that they are visiting using our communication cards. What are some other ways that we can connect with these guests? We recently started using greeters in the sanctuary which has helped some, but we are still missing large amounts of guests.
FROM MATTHEW:
As a bi-vocational pastor, I often get asked the question, “So when are you moving to full-time ministry?” It even happens in my church from time to time, where well-meaning members tell me, “Well, Lord willing we’ll be able to get you full-time on the field someday.” Often, bi-vocational ministry is looked upon as something to try and escape, or as a steppingstone to a “real” pastorate, rather than being valued as a dual calling. I feel a distinct call to bi-vocational ministry. I am a pastor and a public school teacher, and I feel convinced that God has placed me in both situations. My question is, why do Christians and pastors downplay the value of bi-vocational ministry?
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.
Midwestern Seminary is interested in helping you get to the field faster. And they’re serious about training leaders for the church. That’s why they’ve created the all-new Accelerate Program. In Midwestern’s Accelerate Program, students earn both Bachelor of Arts degree and Master of Divinity degree in just 5 years of intensive study. That’s a B.A. and an M.Div. at the same time. This innovative residential program combines rigorous academic training with practical ministry preparation, resulting in one of the most effective programs around, so that you can pursue your ministry calling as soon as possible.
Two degrees in five years – all in one program: Accelerate at Midwestern Seminary. Take the next step by visiting mbts.edu/accelerate.
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
February 12, 2018
Five Reasons Why the Children’s Minister Is the Staff Position in Greatest Demand
It was not an unusual question at Church Answers. For those of you not familiar with Church Answers, it is a 24/7 resource where you can ask any church question and get a response within a few hours.
Here is the context. The pastor was the only paid staff member at the church, but now funds were available to bring on another full-time staff person. So he asked us in the 2,000-member Church Answers’ community to offer input on what his first hire should be.
I was blown away.
The responses, at least as I write these words, were 100 percent in urging him to get a children’s minister. There were no divergent opinions. One church leader after another exhorted him to go this route.
So why is the children’s minister position is such demand? The Church Answers community let us know, with most of the responses fitting in one of five categories.
Millennials have a lot of kids. The Millennial generation is the largest generation in America’s history (though they may be surpassed by Gen Z). There are 78 million young adults ranging in ages from 18 to 38. And they have lots of kids. If they visit a church, one of their highest priorities is the quality of the children’s ministry.
A healthy children’s ministry usually results in a healthy student ministry. It makes sense. If there is quality teaching and ministry for the children, these children are more likely to move to student ministry better prepared for life and better discipled for God’s work.
A quality children’s ministry requires a large volunteer force. Indeed, this rationale was one of the key reasons the leaders at Church Answers responded in unanimity for calling a children’s minister. Leading the volunteer ministry can be a full-time job by itself.
If churches desire to reach families, they must be prepared to reach children. If the Boomer generation acted like helicopters and hovered over their kids, the Millennial generation is acting like sidecars, and want to go wherever the motorcycle/child goes. You can’t reach a family with kids unless you are really prepared to reach the kids.
Parents insist on safety, security, and hygiene for their kids. We live in a nervous time heightened by the greater awareness of sex abuse, shooters, and germs. Parents want to know the church is a safe place for their kids. The presence of a quality children’s minister is a huge positive statement for these parents.
We saw this trend five years ago. It is now a reality. The staff position of the greatest demand in congregations is the children’s minister.
Let me know what you think about this issue.
