Thom S. Rainer's Blog, page 171
January 5, 2018
Humor and the Church with @ChrchCurmudgeon – Rainer on Leadership #395
SUBSCRIBE: iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio • Google Play • iHeart Radio
The Church Curmudgeon (David Paul Regier) joins us to talk about humor and worship in the church.
Some highlights from today’s episode include:
Hymns are something people hold onto throughout their lives.
Worship is not a spectator sport.
It’s possible to keep a worship service fresh without having to do the hot new thing.
About the Church Curmudgeon
Church Curmudgeon is the old guy who sits on the back pew of the sanctuary, farthest from the drums (he measured). He began Tweeting to bring balance to the cyber-continuum, which was leaning towards young and dumb, and to help people build character by overcoming obstacles (he is usually that obstacle). You can also find his complaints on Twitter (@ChrchCurmudgeon) and Facebook.
David Paul Regier is a worship leader and songwriter living in Murrieta, California
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.
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.
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
Then Tweets My Soul
January 4, 2018
Organizing a Replant from Within – Revitalize & Replant #022
When you’re replanting, you have to have a plan of action and a team. Today, we talk about building that team.
Today’s Listener Question:
FROM AARON
What are some suggestions you would have in organizing a replanting team from within the church?
Episode Highlights:
It’s important to love the church you pastor, not the one you wish you pastored.
In a church replant, you have to identify prayer warriors in the congregation.
“Give me a church full of prayer warriors any day.” – Mark Clifton
“Prayer is wartime communication.” – John Piper
Satan gets us to really under estimate the power of prayer.
Elderly church members still need discipling, just like younger ones.
One of the biggest struggles in a replant or revitalization is facility idolatry.
The five steps for organizing a replant from within that we cover are:
Evaluate remaining members
Seek out prayer warriors
Seek those who are already involved in the community
Spend time with you team
Affirm what God desires to do through your church
Resources mentioned in this episode include:
ChurchReplanters.com
Est. Podcast
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.
January 3, 2018
Understanding Where Your Church Is on the Congregational Life Cycle
Almost every time I speak about church decline and death, someone challenges my thesis. They tell me churches will not die, according to Jesus’ words in Matthew 16:18: “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock and I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.”
There are two major problems with the argument that churches will not close. First, Jesus is not referring to any one congregation in this passage; He is referring to the Universal Church. Second, churches are dying, lots of them—several thousand each year in America alone.
It is, therefore, helpful to see the life cycle of churches so we can at least understand visually where our church resides currently, and where it may be heading. I call this visual the Congregational Life Cycle ©.
This approach delineates six stages. Keep in mind that most churches are not totally focused on any one stage at any time. Rather, the Congregational Life Cycle demonstrates where a church is predominantly focused in its resources of time, money, and emotions.
Outward Focus
This is the beginning stage of most new churches. In the spirit of the Great Commission of Matthew 28:19 or Acts 1:8, the church focuses the majority of its resources reaching the community and having gospel conversations. The focus is on the “other” instead of the “us.”
Organization and Structure
A church without a healthy organization and structure is like a body without a skeleton. It cannot survive as an unstructured mass. It needs a clear polity. It needs a place to meet. It needs a healthy system of groups. It needs clearly defined leadership. It needs processes and procedures.
Integration and Assimilation
A congregation is better able to integrate and assimilate the congregants with a healthy organization and structure. The previous stage was more about the right structure. This stage is about integrating people into the structure.
Inverse Priorities
I also call this stage “the tail wagging the dog.” The previous two stages become ends instead of means. Members seek to hold onto the ministries, programs, processes, and styles where they are comfortable. Two phrases become common mantras in the church: “We’ve never done it that way before” and “We will not change.”
Decline
The church not only declines numerically; it declines in spirit and unity. The congregation often looks more like a spiritual country club doling perks and privileges, rather than a biblical church where all of the parts of the body are working in a self-sacrificial manner.
Death
The church closes its doors. In the past, death took years, even decades, to become a reality. Now it comes with surprising speed and unforgiving force.
What Now?
What are church leaders to do with this Congregational Life Cycle? First, determine where your church is on the cycle today. Where is your congregation expending the greatest level of resources?
Second, always seek to move to Outward Focus. Seek to expend your greatest resources being a true Great Commission church. Seek to reach your community with unadulterated love and grace-filled giving.
Even a church about to close its doors can move to the Outward Focus stage. The church can give its building and resources to a healthy congregation. It can become acquired by another church. It can become a church replant. Through its own death, it can give new life to another congregation.
But all churches should prayerfully move to the stage of Outward Focus, where the greatest level of resources are focused on reaching others and discipling them. That’s what the early church modeled.
And that’s what our church should model today.
January 2, 2018
Why 2018 Is so Different Than 2008 in the Local Church – Rainer on Leadership #394
SUBSCRIBE: iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio • Google Play • iHeart Radio
A lot has changed in our world over the past 10 years. Today, we highlight some major shifts in the church.
Some highlights from today’s episode include:
I think in ten years, we will see more co-vocational church staff.
The decline of “Cultural Christianity” is not a bad thing.
The church leader of the future has to be a learner.
The problem with information is not the lack of it, it’s curating it to find what you actually need to know.
The program-driven church model is a dead model today.
Time is the most precious resource your church members have.
The seven reasons we cover are:
Post-recession mentality hit churches hard
Technology change is exponential
Increase of the “nones”
The demand for a different kind of church leader
The imperative of the learning leader has increased
Old methodologies are not working
The struggle with time and commitment
Episode Sponsors
Vanderbloemen Search Group is the premier pastor search firm dedicated to helping churches and ministries build great teams. Their Fall Lead Pastor and Executive Pastor Coaching Networks are now open for registration, and our very own Dr. Rainer will be speaking at the Fall Lead Pastor Coaching Network.
So if you’re a Lead Pastor or an Executive Pastor looking for peer roundtable coaching, check it out at vanderbloemen.com/coaching. It’s limited to 16 folks, so apply today before it fills up.
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 Who Moved My Pulpit?
Resources Mentioned in Today’s Podcast
UpStart
Eight Ways Churches Can Leverage the Ubiquity of Smartphones
ChurchAnswers.com/subscribe
January 1, 2018
Four Unique Characteristics of Churches That Will Breakout in 2018
Where will your church be in a year?
Will it be unified, thriving, and reaching its community for Christ? Or will it be divided, struggling, and almost irrelevant to the community?
I have a watchful eye on churches that are “breakout churches,” meaning they have moved from struggling to thriving. I am seeing some specific traits common in many of these churches. And I see four of these traits to be unique and vital to the health of the congregations.
To be clear, these four characteristics are by no means an exhaustive list of traits of healthy churches. Instead, they are unique characteristics that became both the cause and the result of the breakout.
They increased their efforts to reach their communities by fourfold. These church leaders and members understood that the days of easy growth and cultural Christianity were ending. As a consequence, they increased their efforts, their spending, and their time by fourfold to reach their communities. And while the factor of four is not a magic number, something near that number was common among the breakout churches. Reaching and ministering to their communities became a very high priority.
They focused their congregations to pray John 17:20-23 as an ongoing prayer effort. Not all the congregations prayed Jesus’ prayer of unity specifically, but they did pray for church unity in one way or another. Many churches fail to have a gospel witness because of infighting, self-serving behavior, and tepid commitment. The breakout churches prayed, sometimes for a year or more, for unity in the church.
They made a concerted effort to abandon the entitlement mentality. Too many congregations have become religious country clubs, where the members pay their dues and get their expected perks. The breakout churches made intentional efforts to abandon that mentality. And though it’s self serving for me to say, I am grateful nearly 1.5 million church members have used my book, I Am a Church Member, to guide them in these intentional efforts.
They prayed for hearts that would be willing to accept new paradigms. Please hear me clearly. Your church will either change or die. I know. You don’t change the truths of God’s Word, but many of the methodologies and paradigms that describe the way we “do church” today will not be here tomorrow. The breakout churches deemed themselves mission churches, and they knew sacrifice and change was critical to the mission heart.
As we begin this new year, we have a new opportunity to start with new attitudes and renewed efforts. I am beginning to see a number of churches move toward breakout. In God’s power, your church can be one of those churches.
My prayer for your congregation is that 2018 will be your best year ever.
In God’s power it can be done.
December 31, 2017
Pray for Hunt Baptist Church
Location: Hunt, New York
Pastor: Gerald R. Feulmer
Weekly Worship: 11:00 AM, Eastern
Fast Facts: Located in the small town of Portage, NY, Hunt Baptist Church was established in 1828. Hunt Baptist seeks to bring glory to God and to magnify Jesus Christ through worship, instruction, fellowship, expressions of evangelism, and showing genuine concern for, and service to others. Please pray for the church as they enter 2018 with an effort to reach their community and to invite others to join them. Finally, please pray that all in the church would be part of an intentional outreach to the lost in the Portage community.
Website: www.huntbaptistchurch.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..
December 30, 2017
Notable Voices and the Week in Review: December 30, 2017
Ten Christmas Gifts for You
How to Handle a Church Staff Financial Crisis (and other listener questions) – Rainer on Leadership #392
Top Ten Posts of 2017
The Importance of Mindset in Revitalization – Revitalize & Replant #021
When to Leave a Church (and other listener questions) – Rainer on Leadership #393
Since this week is a pretty quiet week blogs, I wanted to share some of the top 10 lists from other sites we frequently link to here on the site. So check out these top 10 lists from around the web:
For The Church
ChuckLawless.com
CareyNieuwhof.com
ThomRainer.com
Thanks again for a great 2017 here at ThomRainer.com
December 29, 2017
When to Leave a Church (and other listener questions) – Rainer on Leadership #393
SUBSCRIBE: iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio • Google Play • iHeart Radio
Our final episode of 2017 features listener questions ranging from topics of dying churches to leaving churches to dealing with grief. Thanks again for a great year of Rainer on Leadership.
Some highlights from today’s episode include:
There are absolutely times when you should leave a church—first and foremost is a doctrinal aberration.
A family needs to be united in where they attend a church.
If a staff member regularly has meetings over meals with guests or members, the church should pick up the check if at all possible.
Meetings over meals should be held with high character, not just to get a free meal on a church/business.
Don’t compare your past grief to someone who’s currently grieving.
Some personnel issues will cause pain. You can’t always get around that.
The questions we answer today are:
SAM
I have just finished reading I Am A Church Member. One topic that I would have liked to have seen addressed is this: when is the right time to leave a church? In the introduction, the scenario is given of Michael and Liam where Liam explains his bogus reasons for wanting to leave, but are there proper reasons to leave and find a new church?
ABIGAIL
I love your podcast. Even though a lot of your content is aimed at people who hold leadership roles in their churches, what can regular members do when they see the leadership and clergy contributing to the elements described in Autopsy of a Deceased Church?
ZACHARY
I’ve heard mentioned on a few podcasts the idea of a pastor going out to breakfast/lunch with members of the congregation regularly/weekly. Is that always taken from the church budget? Should the church budget funds for a pastor and associate pastor to be able to eat several meals? If you are meeting with certain people regularly, is there an expectation that the pastor pay?
ROBERT
I am on my second reading of Autopsy of a Deceased Church in one week and need to ask your guidance. I have been talking with the Lead Pastor and Head of the Board of Trustees of a dying congregation in our town about our 7 year old Acts 29 church sharing space with them. They are a dying church in a downtown building (built in 1834… Yes – 1834!) They have about 30 folks left and we are in advanced discussions with them about sharing space on Sunday morning. I really like the 72 year old pastor and i believe he knows and loves the Lord Jesus. I want to honor them and not assume that they are going to die as a church. However, the lead pastor told me several times that he wants to “go on vacation and never come back”, and that “Maybe in a year we will look up and just ask you if you want to buy a building”. What are some practical ways I can honor them and protect my congregation from a mess in this process of entering into their space as a tenant while they are on their last legs?
BRADLEY
When in the position of authority (and strength), how can you still meet people where they are in the area of grief? We all will suffer loss (or someone will suffer the loss of us), but when being looked to as the example of strength and faithfulness, how do you show people behind the curtain of your grief and still provide a shoulder for others to lean on?
JOE
I’m in a small church, around 75 weekly attendance so we don’t have full-time staff. When asking a volunteer to step up to a leadership role in a ministry, how do you help them understand that this is for a season until the church is able to afford a full-time or even possibly a part-time person to lead that ministry? What we’ve recently experienced is a volunteer leader was so entrenched in a ministry that when we decided to move to a part-time paid leader, they took it personally. We love that they are to engaged and connected, but they aren’t able to offer the level of leadership or expertise that a person with ministry training could offer. I feel like this should be communicated up front with volunteers, but how do you do that without sounding mean or ungrateful?
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.
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.
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
SBC This Week
CoolSolutionsGroup.com
December 28, 2017
The Importance of Mindset in Revitalization – Revitalize & Replant #021
Revitalization is difficult work and requires a mindset that understands that growth takes time and is not always automatic. Today we unpack the reasons why mindset is so important to successful revitalization.
Today’s Listener Question:
FROM DAVID
I am graduating with an MDiv from SEBTS in May and wanting to pursue a ThM and then PhD in Christian Leadership under a mentor here Dr. Chuck Lawless. I have been doing Revitalization for 15 years so I am older than your average seminarian and I worry about the mindset of these young men as they graduate. When they leave here from Wake Forest they will not be pastoring churches like the big, healthy ones they attend so how do we train up these young men so they do not go into local churches that need revitalization and get discouraged and set the church back instead of helping it move forward?
Episode Highlights:
We need to open our eyes to the reality that is around us.
When you go into a revitalization context, you need to understand that it will be difficult.
Open your eyes to what God’s resources are for your church. He has provided everything you need.
Revitalization-focused pastors need to have a long-term view. It doesn’t happen overnight.
You need to have the same mindset for revitalization as you would if you were going on the international mission field.
You need a growth mindset when headed into a revitalization situation.
The keys to a positive mindset in revitalization we cover are:
The reality of 2 Kings 6:17
Curmudgeons need not apply
The important study by Carol Dweck in Mindset
Fixed vs. growth mindset
Mindset is easier at the visionary and strategic level, but tougher at the tactical level
The importance of the long-term view
Preparing your family for the mindset
The mindset of unconditional love
Resources mentioned in this episode include:
ChurchReplanters.com
Mindset by Carol Dweck
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.
December 27, 2017
Top Ten Posts of 2017
2017 was another banner year here at ThomRainer.com. Thank you to all the readers who’ve read, commented on, and shared posts from the site. Here are your top ten posts of the year:
Urgent Church: Nine Changes We Must Make Or Die
Five Reasons Church Members Attend Church Less Frequently
25 Really Strange Things Church Members Said to Pastors
Eight Signs Your Church May Be Closing Soon
How Your Church Should Prepare for an Active Shooter
Eight Major Changes in Churches the Past Ten Years
Ten Unfair Expectations of Pastors’ Wives
Five Reasons Why Pastors Are Getting Fired Because of Their Social Media Posts
Six Statements That Can Kill a Church
Six Traits of a Church Disrupter
