Thom S. Rainer's Blog, page 176
November 17, 2017
Five Problems Caused by Short Pastoral Tenure – Rainer on Leadership #381
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While some circumstances do call for quick pastoral turnover, it’s hard not to wonder if some churches fire their pastor (or the pastor bails) too quickly. Today, we cover the problems that result from this.
Some highlights from today’s episode include:
Churches tend to hire the opposite of what they previously had. They swing the pendulum the other way.
When a pastor bails on a church or is fired, the staff is often left to pick up the pieces.
You cannot execute a vision at once. It takes time.
For pastors, far too often “God told me” becomes a convenient cover for “this is hard, and I want out.”
For churches, far too often “God told us” becomes a convenient cover for “we don’t want to change.”
The five problems we discuss are:
Members lose trust in the pastors, and pastors lose trust in churches.
Your current church will wonder if it will happen to them.
The staff is demoralized.
The vision of the church is clouded.
Financial waste.
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
Obstacles in the Established Church
Eating the Elephant
ChurchAnswers.com
November 16, 2017
Why (Mostly) Healthy Churches Should Consider Acquiring a Dying Church – Revitalize & Replant #014
Dying churches often need help from healthier churches so that their resources may continue to be used for Kingdom work. Today, Mark Clifton joins us to discuss how this strategy can revive neighborhood churches as we know them.
Today’s Listener Question:
FROM THOMAS
Our church is considering going multisite by acquiring a dying church. I’ve had several conversations with our deacon leadership. They seem on board, but don’t seem to fully understand the concept. Can you give me some concrete examples or reasons we should do this other than “Because God is leading us to…”? That’s a good one, and probably the best reason, but some of my deacons want more.
Episode Highlights:
In many churches, multisite is still a foreign concept.
There are so many ways you can use your church building for God’s glory.
It’s important to remember what God has done in your church’s history.
In a world that is always changing, our God is never changing.
Successful small changes often energize people toward more change.
“Unless it’s really necessary, don’t change your church’s name—reclaim the name.”
The seven reasons to consider acquiring a dying church are:
It keeps a presence in the community
It keeps physical resources used for Kingdom use
It continues the good part of the legacy of the dying church
It moves the acquiring church to a greater outward focus
It makes a powerful statement to the community
It allows through a replant an opportunity to start fresh
It is one of the most evident forms of health and growth in the North American church today
Resources mentioned in this episode include:
ChurchReplanters.com
ChurchAnswers.com
LeadNet.org/portable
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.
Four Kinds of Leaders Who Will Not Successfully Lead a Church Revitalization – Revitalize and Replant #013
Leadership is critical to successful revitalization. Today we discuss what kind of leaders often fail in the task.
Today’s Listener Question:
FROM CHARLES
I read a lot about the types of pastors who should lead church revitalization, but what kinds of pastors *shouldn’t* try to lead revitalization?
Episode Highlights:
Fearful leaders are most often those who have been hurt in the past.
Social media has amplified criticism of pastors and leaders.
Many times, fearful leaders are not prayerful leaders.
A lot of church leaders are in denial about the health of their church and don’t want to know the truth.
Some church leaders are leading well…for 1985.
If all you’re doing is maintaining status quo, then you’re falling behind.
Coasting is not an option for leaders.
The four types of leaders who should not lead revitalization are:
Fearful leaders
Leaders in denial
Comfortable leaders
Coasting leaders
Resources mentioned in this episode include:
ChurchReplanters.com
ChurchAnswers.com
Replanter Assessment
Find more resources at the Revitalize & Replant page at ThomRainer.com
Revitalize & Replant is sponsored by the North American Mission Board and ChurchReplanters.com. More than 10% of churches in North America are at risk of closing and the North American Mission Board is committed to reversing this trend by decreasing the death rate of existing churches while simultaneously increasing the birth rate of new churches. To learn more about what it means to become a replanting pastor or to explore resources for replanting and revitalization in your own church, visit ChurchReplanters.com.Submit Your Question:
Do you have a question about church revitalization or replanting for us to use on the podcast? Visit the podcast page to submit your question. If we use it on the show, you’ll get a copy of Autopsy of a Deceased Church and Reclaiming Glory.
November 15, 2017
Eight Ways Churches Can Leverage the Ubiquity of Smartphones
By Jonathan Howe
In 2011, smartphones were almost a novelty. Just 35% of American adults had one. That number has more than doubled in the past six years, and more than 9 in 10 adults under 30 have a smartphone (via Pew Research). When someone is considering a new phone, the question is no longer “will I get a smartphone?” but “which smartphone will I get?”
Now that this device has become almost attached to us 24-7 (I’ll be the first to admit, I’m tethered to mine), how is the church adapting? Or better yet, how should the church adapt and engage the smartphone? Here are eight ways.
Live streaming. When the TV became prevalent in the 1950s, churches began television ministries. Many of those still exist but for most churches they are cost prohibitive and provide little return on the investment required. However, live streaming for smartphones can be implemented at a fraction of the cost and often has a greater reach than television ministries.
Social media. This is an obvious inclusion. The rise of social media coincided with the rise of the smartphone. They go together like peanut butter and jelly or spaghetti and maple syrup. If your church is not active on social media, you’re missing a huge opportunity to engage your members and guests.
Mobile friendly website. There is no excuse for a church not to have a good, well designed website. Not only should a website contain pertinent information, it should display well on a phone. This is also something to consider when creating graphics. Small text gets even smaller on smartphone screens.
Text giving. We recently held a video call about giving trends in the church with several hundred leaders across North America. Text giving was the topic that drew the most questions from the audience. It’s the giving trend churches are inquiring about most. As we get more comfortable paying with our phones through Apple Pay, Paypal, and other techniques, text giving will only increase in its use in the church.
Email newsletters. While email is readily available on a computer, the fact that we’re virtually always connected to email via our smartphones means newsletters are more likely to be seen. The more they are seen and read, the better informed your congregation will be.
Online or in-app sermon notes. The proliferation of Bible apps has led to a new type of engagement of the Word during a service. My pastor even states, “open or turn on your Bibles” each week when preparing to read from Scripture. My church also posts sermon notes online and in an app, as do many others. While I personally prefer paper note-taking, my 13-year old son types his notes into his Bible app. He stays engaged in the sermon because of his smartphone.
Church management. App- or cloud-based church management software allows church staff to have information about church events, members, or details at their fingertips regardless of their location. As more and more staff members office in community spaces (coffee shops, restaurants, etc.), this helps them stay connected to needed tools via their smartphones while working off-site.
Event scheduling and reminders. Digital calendars have all but replaced paper day planners. Setting reminders and adding calendar events via smartphone apps allow you to stay more up-to-date on church events and happenings.
Does your church use any of these already? How else does your church engage members and guests via smartphone?
Jonathan Howe serves as Director of Strategic Initiatives at LifeWay Christian Resources as well as the host and producer of Rainer on Leadership and SBC This Week. Jonathan writes weekly at ThomRainer.com on topics ranging from social media to websites and church communications. Connect with Jonathan on Twitter at @Jonathan_Howe.
November 14, 2017
Eight Keys for Church Christmas Services – Rainer on Leadership #380
SUBSCRIBE: iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio • Google Play • iHeart Radio
Ready or not, Christmas is coming. That means churches are planning events, socials, and special services. Today we provide some tips to make this a great Christmas season for your church.
Some highlights from today’s episode include:
A Christmas Eve evening service is a prime time to reach unchurched people.
People expect you to have a traditional Christmas Eve service.
Thanksgiving is the marker when people start really thinking about Christmas.
Facebook is the best place to advertise your church’s Christmas events.
One key to have more guests fill out info cards is to have everyone (including members) fill out a card.
Christmas Eve services should really be an all-hands-on-deck event for the church staff.
The eight tips we give for Christmas are:
Christmas Eve is the time when the unchurched are most receptive to attending church.
Traditions are key: hymns and carols, candlelight with Silent Night, etc.
The service should be brief, 30-minutes max.
Begin promotion the right after Thanksgiving.
Use the Facebook page and Facebook ads
Use a very simple registration card: first name, email, guest or member, prayer request. Ask everyone to complete it.
Prepare for multiple services in most churches, at the very least for greater attendance.
Plan for staff to have time off post-Christmas.
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
Six Essentials for Advertising on Facebook This Christmas
Percept Group
November 13, 2017
Seven Ways Being Nice Hurts Your Church
Don’t judge me too quickly on the content of this article.
Unfortunately, I’ve seen it again and again. Church leaders and members sacrifice the health and good of the church for fear of hurting one or a few persons. The body is sacrificed for the sake of a few members.
We think we are being nice, but we are hurting the church.
See if you can identify with one or more of these seven “nice” issues.
We don’t make a needed personnel decision. “It not the Christian thing to do,” we often rationalize. But most people know we need to make the change. We are just too nice to do so.
We are unwilling to confront sin. “Who am I to judge that person?” we often ask. That’s the “nice” rationale. But if that church member is living in open and flagrant sin, we are failing our biblical duty.
We won’t eliminate a weak program or ministry. The ministry or program has outlived its effectiveness, but we don’t want to offend the few persons who have sentimental attachment to it.
We are unwilling to make tough decisions on facilities. The parlor is hardly used at all, and the church needs the space for growing ministries. But we are unwilling to tell the keepers of the parlor we need “their” space. It just wouldn’t be the nice thing to do.
We compromise the Word of God. Yes, some church leaders do just that because they don’t want to seem narrow or exclusive. But the gospel is narrow and exclusive. We think telling someone they are “okay” without Christ is just being nice. But it’s like telling them they can go to Hell.
We let volunteers continue in positions where they should not. One clear example is the man who was lacking in social skills, yet was out front serving on the welcome team. Despite many attempts to help him or work around him, he kept offending guests. But no one asked him to step down. It just wouldn’t be nice.
We make bad financial choices. Many of these issues could impact the financial wellbeing of a church. For example, one church refused to eliminate the fulltime student minister position, despite the fact that attendance was down to 45 senior adults. The church ran out of money and had to close.
Sometimes we are so nice we are hurting our churches.
But perhaps the real issue is lack of courage to make the tough decisions.
November 12, 2017
Pray for FBC Sutherland Springs
Location: Sutherland Springs, Texas
Pastor: Frank Pomeroy
Weekly Worship: 11:00 AM, Central
Fast Facts: By now, we are all aware of the tragedy that struck FBC Sutherland Springs last weekend. I wrote about it earlier this week on the blog and offered some tips on being prepared for an active shooter in your church as well. Please continue to pray for Pastor Pomeroy and all the families in the community. Also pray that we will see an end to senseless violence in our churches.
Website: SSFB.net
“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 11, 2017
Notable Voices and the Week in Review: November 4, 2017
We Are First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Texas
Why Leaders Get Cold Feet – Rainer on Leadership #378
How Your Church Should Prepare for an Active Shooter
Eight Reasons Some Pastors Aren’t Ready to Lead Church Revitalization – Revitalization & Replant #011
Eight Common Characteristics of Successful Church Revitalizations – Revitalize & Replant #012
The Beth Moore Story – Rainer on Leadership #379
Churches Should Close the Pay Gap for Women on Staff — Sam Rainer
Women on church staff tend to make less than men for similar roles. Depending on how researchers do the math, the current pay gap for women on church staff is between twenty-four cents and seven cents, meaning women make anywhere between seven percent and twenty-four percent less than men. The national pay gap is around seventeen cents. The national figure applies to all jobs, from unskilled labor to executive leadership. The church can do better. In fact, we should lead the culture in solving the pay gap with women.
10 Clichés Pastors Should Keep — Todd Gaddis
We mustn’t throw the baby out with the bathwater, however. At the end of the day, some clichés still communicate well and serve a useful purpose. Here are ten that work well for me.
4 Possible Reasons Some Pastors Struggle Financially — Eric Geiger
While there are likely many reasons, I want to offer four possibilities—three of which place responsibility on the church for not providing enough support and one that places responsibility on the pastor for not being a wise steward. In my more than twenty years of serving in local church ministry and working alongside pastors and churches, I have seen all four reasons at play.
4 Ways Your Church Can Help People Simplify Christmas — Karl Vaters
A few years ago, our small church decided we weren’t going to compete with all the shopping, school plays, office parties and visits to Santa that were filling people’s calendars. We weren’t able to keep up, so we stopped trying. Instead, we asked ourselves “what can we do that no one else is doing?” Specifically, instead of crowding their calendar even more, how can we help people simplify their Christmas season? We experimented with several ideas. Over the years, we’ve landed on a few simple concepts that work for us.
7 Things Great Leaders Do — Ron Edmondson
I’ve led in the business world, elected office, and now in ministry – and on dozens of non-profit boards. Along the way I’ve observed a few things about leadership. And, some great leaders have appeared along the way. I culled together 7 things I’ve observed and shared with the group things I felt they should know.
The 7 Deadly Sins of Political Junkies — Bruce Ashford
Given the fact that I’m just as prone to political sin as the next person, I’ve posted a list of the traditional “seven deadly sins” on my wall. Beside each of the seven, I’ve jotted down some ways that we are tempted to commit those sins in our political interactions. Finally, I’ve paired each of the deadly sins with one of the Beatitudes that will help us avoid temptation.
November 10, 2017
The Beth Moore Story – Rainer on Leadership #379
SUBSCRIBE: iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio • Google Play • iHeart Radio
Renowned Bible teacher Beth Moore joins us to tell her story on a special extended episode of Rainer on Leadership.
Some highlights from today’s episode include:
“I really have one ultimate love in my life, and that is Jesus.”
“Reading and studying the Bible should be the most thrilling thing in our lives.”
“We should study in the Bible for a lesson—not for tweetable moments and sound bites.”
“The partnership with LifeWay has truly been like family.”
“How will a class stay engaged if the teacher is not excited about what he/she is teaching?”
“The church is not doing its job if its city is not better off because it exists.”
“Your city should be glad your church is there.”
“The church of Jesus Christ shone like a torch in the darkness after Hurricane Harvey.”
About Beth Moore
Beth founded Living Proof Ministries in 1994 with the purpose of teaching women how to love and live on God’s Word. She has written numerous books and Bible studies that have been read by women of all ages, races, and denominations. Through the years, American missionaries and expatriates have taken the Bible studies overseas, resulting in Beth Moore Bible study groups popping up all over the world. Beth’s Living Proof Live conferences have taken her to all fifty states since 1994. She’s been married to Keith since 1978 and taught an weekly Bible study for women in her city at Houston’s First Baptist Church for 15 years. In September of 2011, her son-in-law Curtis Jones launched Bayou City Fellowship in the Houston area and she now serves there.
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
Living Proof Ministries
November 9, 2017
Eight Common Characteristics of Successful Church Revitalizations – Revitalize & Replant #012
While numbers often show revitalization progress, sometimes there are more subtle indicators that your church is revitalizing. Today, we cover eight of those markers.
Today’s Listener Question:
FROM JARED
I’m currently in the midst of a revitalization effort at the church I pastor here in Alabama. Is there any way to know if we’re making progress other than just looking at changes to the raw numbers?
Episode Highlights:
Every church has key lay leaders who influence the people.
Church revitalization is not a human-centric effort.
The worship time is often a sacred cow in churches.
You have to continually remind church members of the vision of a church—even to redundancy.
If you want to lead real change in a church, you have to convey a sense of urgency.
The eight successful characteristics we cover are:
The pastor formed an alliance of key influencers in the church
The influencers made a commitment to pray daily for revitalization
The church made a commitment to look like the community
The church boldly confronted the issue of sacred cows
Leadership developed a clear and compelling vision
Leadership communicated a sense of urgency
The pastor was willing to endure a season of intense criticism
The leadership of the church was willing to let go of members
Resources mentioned in this episode include:
ChurchReplanters.com
Church Answers
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.
