Thom S. Rainer's Blog, page 175
November 26, 2017
Pray for Fellowship Baptist Church
Location: Nederland, Texas
Pastor: Phil Webber
Weekly Worship: 10:30 AM, Central
Fast Facts: Five years ago Fellowship went through a rough church split. Now, momentum is starting to build again, though very slowly. There are several members and members of the community who are also still reeling from the effects of Hurricane Harvey. Please pray that Fellowship Baptist will make the most of the opportunities to minister to those whose lives have been altered by the storm. Also pray that the church will continue to have a positive influence in their community.
Website: FellowshipNederland.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..
November 25, 2017
Notable Voices and the Week in Review: November 25, 2017
Five Common Reasons Church Leaders Stop Leading
Five Problems with Conventional Wisdom – Rainer on Leadership #382
Five Reasons Thankful Pastors Are Doing So Well in Ministry
Nine Questions You Should Ask Before Leading a Church to Revitalization – Revitalize & Replant #015
Five Major Types of Church Revitalization – Revitalize & Replant #016
Seven Ways Mentoring Can Transform Your Church – Rainer on Leadership #383
6 Guidelines for Social Media Integrity — Aaron Earls
In a desire to grow their “brand” and broaden their influence—or possibly because they don’t know any better—some church leaders have become known for taking the work of others and passing it off as their own. Others have frequently shared information or news stories that are false. Here are some general rules to help maintain your integrity online.
3 Ways Social Media Helps Your Outreach Efforts — Marty Duren
Social media is the easiest, most effective way to promote your outreach efforts that exists today. Please don’t overlook it. What are some benefits? Here are three.
A Call for Patient Evangelism — Caleb Greggsen
We know Christians are called to take the gospel to the nations, yet often it’s challenging to get people motivated about evangelistic work in faraway places. Perhaps this is why pastors assume that what their church members need is more excitement about the spiritual results of missions. They need to see how thrilling it is when men and women step out of a culture where Christianity is totally alien, and into the kingdom of light. So why not use whatever means possible to excite churches with those images?
28 Non-Numerical Signs Of A Healthy Church — Karl Vaters
I’ve been compiling a list. It started as 6 or 7. But it keeps growing. As of today, it has 28 elements. I’ve been waiting until the list was complete to publish it, but I’ve come to realize it will never be complete. So consider this a starter list.
What to Do When It’s Hard to be Thankful for Your Church — Chuck Lawless
Sometimes, if we’re honest, it’s hard to be thankful for our church. Christians—pastors and laity alike—can be downright mean. They fight over the dumbest stuff, and they protect their church turf like they owned it. Some gossip. Some lie. Some love power and control. There are hypocrites in the church, too. They can play the game on Sunday and live like the devil the rest of the week. Some use the Bible as a club to beat people with, even when they don’t really know the Bible in the first place. Others seem to pull their theology out of a hat more than the Bible, and they turn to theology only when they’re guarding their position or their power. They’re just not lovable people sometimes, and it’s hard to be thankful for them. When it’s hard to be thankful for your church, try these suggestions:
5 Ways to Leverage Your Holiday Church Services for Growth— Elsa Dooling
Churches can seize the time to serve the larger community around them and reach well beyond their usual crowd. With this in mind, we wanted to share five ways churches can leverage holiday church services for growth:
November 24, 2017
Seven Ways Mentoring Can Transform Your Church – Rainer on Leadership #383
SUBSCRIBE: iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio • Google Play • iHeart Radio
We often think of mentoring as passing on life skills. While that’s true, in the church it can be used to pass on spiritual disciplines as well. Today, Regi Campbell joins us to share how mentoring can help re-energize churches and ministries.
Some highlights from today’s episode include:
A mentoring program keeps retirees involved in the ministry of the church.
Men in the church want to be challenged. They want the bar raised.
“Evangelism is not as much an event but a process.”
“We all have a deep need to belong to something.”
The seven transforming values of mentoring we discuss are:
Engaging the older wiser men with the next generation gets them and keeps them in the game
Men want to be challenged to a higher bar
Mentors are people who embody Jesus
The power of a transparency and vulnerability in a mentoring group
Discovering Biblical truth together through reading and Scripture memory
Experiencing authentic community – creating a brotherhood
Purposeful church engagement for mentored people – directing them to ‘pay it forward’ in the local church.
About Regi Campbell
Regi Campbell is an experienced investor and entrepreneur by trade. He has been involved in founding 15 companies, serving as CEO 4 times. Regi has written three books: About My Father’s Business, Mentor Like Jesus and What Radical Husbands Do and blogs at RadicalMentoring.com. He founded Radical Mentoring more than a decade ago to help encourage and equip mentors and churches to launch mentoring groups and mentoring programs. Regi currently lives in Atlanta, GA with his wife Miriam. They attend North Point Community Church, where Regi has served as both an elder and a member of the long-range planning team.
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
Radical Mentoring
Mentor Like Jesus
RadicalMentoring.com/rainer
Titus2MentoringWomen.com
November 23, 2017
Five Major Types of Church Revitalization – Revitalize & Replant #016
Every church is different. As such, every church revitalization project is different. Sometimes it’s more than just context though—it’s methods as well.
Today’s Listener Question:
FROM MIKE
What would you advise a church of 30 adults to do in a denomination where outside revitalization help is not available? There is no way to pass off the property to another congregation. And no outside congregation close enough to help
Episode Highlights:
Relocation is not a silver bullet for church revitalization.
Usually in a merger revitalization, there is a dominant church, so it functions more like an acquisition.
Other churches in your area are your co-laborers, not your competition.
The five types of church revitalization are:
Organic revitalization
Relocation revitalization
Leadershift revitalization
Merger revitalization
Acquisitional revitalization
Resources mentioned in this episode include:
ChurchReplanters.com
ChurchAnswers.com
Percept Group Demographic Studies
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.
Nine Questions You Should Ask Before Leading a Church to Revitalization – Revitalize & Replant #015
Where should I start? We get that a lot from pastors wanting to lead revitalization in their churches. Today we cover nine questions to ask yourself before you begin.
Today’s Listener Question:
FROM TIM
Our church is in the beginning phases of revitalization. We will be taking the next month to cast and explain the vision and some of its implications to our congregation. Do you have any advice as we get started?
Episode Highlights:
It’s easy to pray for those who like us, but we’re called to pray for those who don’t like us as well.
If you’re going into a revitalization effort, you and your family need to be committed for the long haul.
If you’re not willing to commit for the long haul to a church revitalization effort, then don’t go.
Long-term leadership is vitally needed in most churches.
You have to make an intentional decision to be a continual learner. It doesn’t happen by accident.
Revitalization needs to take place with people who love the community and want to be in the community.
The nine questions you should ask before leading revitalization are:
Will I pray daily for my church, her members, and my own leadership?
Will I see this opportunity as a mission field?
Will I make a commitment for the long haul?
Will I love my critics and those who leave the church?
Will I be persistent?
Will I be a continuous learner?
Will I be content?
Will I be an incarnational example in my community?
Will I take care of my family?
Resources mentioned in this episode include:
ChurchReplanters.com
ChurchAnswers.com
Percept Group Demographic Studies
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.
November 22, 2017
Five Reasons Thankful Pastors Are Doing So Well in Ministry
As I was trying to discern some of the qualities and characteristics of pastors who are doing really well in ministry, I was surprised that the most common trait was an attitude of abundant gratitude.
Simply stated, pastors who have an attitude of continuous gratitude are doing very well in ministry. They are joyous pastors. They serve joyous congregations. They see a steady flow of first-time guests at their churches. And they are more likely to see many church members growing as more devoted followers of Christ.
Why? Why are thankful pastors doing so well in ministry? As I have come to know these pastors, I see five common answers to this question.
Thankful pastors are focused on that which really matters. We have a limited amount of emotional energy. We can choose to focus on the energy drainers or those things that renew our energy. Thankful pastors focus less on critics because they are focusing on the blessings of God. They are able to see more clearly God’s vision for the church, because they are seeing the good things God has already done through their attitude of thanksgiving.
Thankful pastors have a contagious attitude. The church often takes on the personality of the pastor. If the pastor is legalistic, the church is legalistic. If the pastor has a dreary demeanor, the church follows. But if the pastor is continuously thankful, the congregation becomes a thankful church. That’s a fun and joyous place to be.
Thankful pastors attract those who are not yet in church. They remind me of the passage in the early church where the numbers were growing daily because they were “enjoying the favor of all the people” (Acts 2:47). The unbelieving world is attracted to a place of joy and thanksgiving.
Thankful pastors lead congregations that give abundantly. In the same context of Acts 2 I noted above, the joyous and awe-filled church gave sacrificially and abundantly (Acts 2:45). People give out of a sense of gratitude and thanksgiving, not one of guilt or compulsion.
Thankful pastors tend to have longer tenure. They are so thankful for their present churches that they don’t have the green grass syndrome for other churches. They stick around long enough to develop trust, earn a place in the community, and establish a healthy leadership approach.
It is indeed one of the most consistent characteristics I have seen of successful pastors. Thankful pastors tend to do well in ministry.
By the way, I am so thankful for you pastors and other church leaders. I am thankful for your ministries and your sacrificial service. I am thankful I have the opportunity to serve you.
You are a blessing.
Happy Thanksgiving.
November 21, 2017
Five Problems with Conventional Wisdom – Rainer on Leadership #382
SUBSCRIBE: iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio • Google Play • iHeart Radio
Rarely do people push back against conventional wisdom. But as we share today, maybe they should.
Some highlights from today’s episode include:
Don’t assume conventional wisdom to always be truth.
When someone at a church says “We can’t do that because it’s in the bylaws,” that is not always the case. And if it is, bylaws can be changed.
Most policies are implemented to idiot-proof an organization.
Leaders often use conventional wisdom as an excuse not to lead.
The five problems we discuss are:
Conventional wisdom is not always conventional
Conventional wisdom is not always wise
Conventional wisdom often has sketchy history
Question things that have no documentation or authority
Don’t do stupid. but don’t hold back
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
Killing Marketing
Who Moved My Pulpit?
November 20, 2017
Five Common Reasons Church Leaders Stop Leading
I am having an amazing time reading through the book of Joshua. My pastor (who happens to be my son, Jess) is also preaching through the early chapters of the book in our church.
I just can’t seem to get enough of Joshua. Among the many reasons Joshua is my favorite biblical character other than Jesus is his uncanny leadership. For example, in Joshua 1, he transitions from becoming Moses’ servant to becoming the leader of Israel. It’s an amazing thing to read.
Joshua was one incredible leader.
We have many incredible leaders in our churches today. But, perhaps more often than we admit, some church leaders stop leading. I have spoken with hundreds, probably thousands, of them over the years. I hear common themes of why they put their leadership in neutral. Here are the five most common reasons:
They are weary of conflict and criticism. These leaders have died the death of a thousand cuts. They know when they provide real leadership, the critics and naysayers will come out of the woodwork. Some of the leaders have lost their jobs because they led. They thus move into a defensive posture.
They don’t know how to lead. Joshua had the mentorship of Moses for a generation. He was instructed. He was prepared. He was ready. Many of our church leaders know their Bible. They know theology. But they have never been trained or mentored to lead.
They overreact to autocratic leadership. We all know examples of when the pastor became a dictator instead of a leader. Sadly, that reality takes place in some churches on a regular basis. So some pastors decide they will never be a dictator. That’s good. But some pastors take it to an extreme and fail to exert leadership at all. That’s bad.
They don’t have people speaking into their lives on a regular basis. Any good leader seeks the counsel and wisdom of others. Unfortunately, pastors can become loners as they live on the islands of their own ministries. A few years ago, I began a ministry called Church Answers that provides a place for pastors and other church leaders to speak into one another’s lives in a safe place. It has been transformational for many of them.
They always seek consensus. I want to be careful with my words here. It is wise to see input and counsel. It is a good thing to listen to some outside voices. But every leadership decision ultimately needs a leader deciding. We can’t always lead by committees, consensus, or critics. It is cliché to say, “The buck stops here,” but the buck does have to stop somewhere.
When leaders fail to lead, a leadership vacuum follows. And any vacuum will be filled. It might be filled with a culture that turns inwardly looking after its own needs. It can be filled by disparate, divergent, and disagreeing voices. The people of Israel certainly went through that period: “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did whatever seemed right to him” (Judges 21:25). Or the vacuum can be filled with individuals or groups who insert themselves for their own power and agenda.
Some church leaders view leadership as an endeavor to be delegated to others. Such is a path toward an inward focus, competing groups, disharmony, muddled direction, and overall frustration.
It’s basic. Church leaders must lead.
November 19, 2017
Pray for The Glade Church
Location: Gladeville, Tennessee
Pastor: Mark Marshall
Weekly Worship: 9:15 & 10:45 AM, Central
Fast Facts: Last evening around 5:30 PM, The Glade Church was struck by a tornado that touched down in the Nashville area. They suffered damage to the building, roof, and steeple, but thankfully no one was injured. Because of the damage to the worship center, they have cancelled services for today. Please pray for the leadership of the church as well as those tasked with the cleanup and inspection of the church this week. Also pray for other victims of the tornado in the area. Several other homes and business suffered damage as well.
Website: TheGladeChurch.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..
November 18, 2017
Notable Voices and the Week in Review: November 18, 2017
Seven Ways Being Nice Hurts Your Church
Eight Keys for Church Christmas Services – Rainer on Leadership #380
Eight Ways Churches Can Leverage the Ubiquity of Smartphones
Four Kinds of Leaders Who Will Not Successfully Lead a Church Revitalization – Revitalize and Replant #013
Why (Mostly) Healthy Churches Should Consider Acquiring a Dying Church – Revitalize & Replant #014
Five Problems Caused by Short Pastoral Tenure – Rainer on Leadership #381
A Plea for Church Leaders to Say and Do Intentional Evangelism — Sam Rainer
The vast majority of churches are not effective evangelistically. This truth is hard because of what God desires of His church. The church is not a destination for crowds but rather a vehicle to take gospel-sharing people to the ends of the earth. Evangelism is falling off the radar for many churches. The solution is simple: Church leaders must show the way by being more intentional about evangelism and talking about these efforts. We need to say and do intentional evangelism.
Facing Three Common Ministry Fears — Cody Deevers
Why are we afraid to ask others for help? We are fallen. We are not 100% totally secure in who we are or who He is. Therefore, we give others more say than God would have us to give. It is called fear of man. While fear of man can take on many forms, here are three specific areas of ministry where it rears its ugly head nearly every time and how I am learning to deal with it.
6 Mistakes Leaders Make in Their First 90 Days — Eric Geiger
While there is nothing magical about the number, many have used the “first 90 days” to describe the important first days in a leader’s new role. In his helpful book The First 90 Days, Michael Watkins encourages leaders to adjust their leadership to the context and life cycle of the organization: start-up, realignment, sustaining success, or turnaround. As an example, leading in a start-up or turnaround requires a very different approach than a seasoned and sustainable organization. But no matter what context you find yourself in, there are six common mistakes you can avoid during your first ninety days.
4 Reasons Every Pastor Should Exercise — Chad Ashby
Do pastors get to pass GO and collect $200 when it comes to exercise? Are these excuses valid? Below are four reasons pastors—and all Christians—should consider exercise as a regular part of their weekly activities.
10 Heartaches of Being a Pastor — Chuck Lawless
I make no claim that pastors are perfect people. We mess up. We can be arrogant and uncaring at times. At the same time, though, most pastors I know are genuine, faithful followers of God who love their congregations. They’ve learned, too, that the work of pastoral ministry often carries heartache with it. Here are some of those aches:
How Southern Baptists Trained More Disaster Relief Volunteers than the Red Cross— Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra
Southern Baptists already have 65,000 trained volunteers; the Southern Baptist Convention’s (SBC) disaster response is so massive it financially trails only the Red Cross and the Salvation Army—and has more trained disaster relief volunteers than either one.
