Thom S. Rainer's Blog, page 179
October 22, 2017
Pray for Hope Fellowship
Location: Weston, Florida
Pastor: Erik Bennett
Weekly Worship: 10:30 AM, Eastern
Fast Facts: Hope Fellowship is a church plant in the South Florida region. Hope Fellowship formed out of the merging of two church plants—Anchor Church and Desire Church. The church is now a beautiful mixture of both congregations. Please pray for their Fall Community Groups that recently started. The groups are studying through Life on Mission. Finally, pray for God to revive South Florida for His glory for Hope Fellowship to be part of this revival.
Website: VisitHopeFL.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..
October 21, 2017
Notable Voices and the Week in Review: October 21, 2017
The Five Choices of Declining Churches
Ten Unrealistic Expectations Placed on Ministry Spouses – Rainer on Leadership #372
Five Unintended Consequences of Short Pastoral Tenure
Seven Observations from Church Replanters Who’ve Been There and Done That – Revitalize & Replant #005
Six Often Unseen Signs of a Declining Church – Revitalize & Replant #006
Four Communications Problems Churches Face and How to Solve Them – Rainer on Leadership #373
Four Agenda Items Church Staff Meetings Should Cover Every Week — Sam Rainer
There are several approaches to staff meetings. Most church staff meet weekly to discuss short-term, operational items in a standing meeting with a set time. My staff meets every Tuesday from 9:30 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. to work through weekly items. The agenda is largely the same every week. Other types of meetings include strategy meetings with key leaders—sometimes called whiteboard sessions—which are more open-ended and focused on long-term goals. One-on-one meetings often cover individual goals. Ad hoc meetings might draw in a special team to accomplish a unique task. In this post, I’m referring to the weekly operational staff meetings with a repeating, or standing, agenda. I suggest including the following four agenda items every week.
Three Worries of Pastors’ Wives and How to Overcome Them — Courtney L. Moore
Few of us are eager to admit we give in to the temptation of worry. Scripture clearly commands against it, yet we allow it to quietly creep into our hearts, hidden from the notice of others. Pastors’ wives are not exempt from its lure. Our husbands’ role provides both ample and unique concerns that can quickly move into worry if we’re not watchful. Have you struggled with these three common worries as a pastor’s wife?
What to Do with Cliques in the Church — Chuck Lawless
Almost every Church Health Survey our consulting company does shows that church members believe their congregation has cliques. In fact, I can’t remember ever reading a survey that did not reveal that same finding. If that’s the case, how should we try to avoid cliques in our church?
The Un-Millennial Church — Cole Deike
Our church plant is slowly maturing, laden with struggles, and shouldn’t serve as a best practice or heroic example to anybody. We’re slowly and unimpressively discovering our identity with Jesus in the narrative of his gospel. But maybe, just maybe, these three decisions made by a church plant in Des Moines, Iowa can be a small, helpful voice in a sea of articles drowning you with loud, caustic, impossibly cool tips and criticisms on how to reach millennials.
3 Reasons You Must Have a Strategy if You Blog — Eric Geiger
At first, I did not have a social media or a blog strategy. As I started hearing feedback from people about things I wrote, I thought, “I really need to take this more seriously.” So Chris Martin helped me form a blog strategy. We sit down once a month and he brings me a list of potential topics, shows me data on what seems to be helping and resonating, and makes suggestions on tweaks I should make. Culture might eat strategy for breakfast, but that doesn’t meant we abandon strategy. If you are a leader who uses social media, here are three reasons you should have a strategy:
7 Lazy Leadership Practices — Ron Edmondson
The fact is, however, many of us have some lazy tendencies when it comes to leadership. I do at times. This is as much an inward reflecting post as an outward teaching. Please understand, I’m not calling a leader lazy who defaults to any of these leadership practices listed. The leader may be extremely hard working, but the practice itself – I’m contending – is lazy leadership.
October 20, 2017
Four Communications Problems Churches Face and How to Solve Them – Rainer on Leadership #373
SUBSCRIBE: iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio • Google Play • iHeart Radio
Darrel Girardier joins us to discuss how bet to operate your church’s communications efforts for both online and in print.
Some highlights from today’s episode include:
The tools you use depend on the skills of the user.
When you build a website on a proprietary platform, you’re stuck with that platform.
“The majority of your church’s social media content should revolve around the sermon.”
You should see growth over time with your social media the more people engage with it.
Having a planning calendar allows you to better schedule your church social media content.
The four communications problems ways churches lose volunteers are:
Technical (What tools should we use?)
Content (What should we create and share?)
ROI (What is a win?)
Resources (How do we maximize our time?)
About Darrel
Darrel Girardier is the Digital Strategy Director for Brentwood Baptist Church. He is focused on helping churches utilize social media and technology in advancing their mission. He and his wife, Amy-Jo, have two kids—Scout and Skylar.
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
Canva
Hootsuite
Buffer
Grum
Adobe Post
WordSwag
ChurchMediaHunt.com
ChurchCommunications.com
October 19, 2017
Six Often Unseen Signs of a Declining Church – Revitalize & Replant #006
Revitalization is needed in many churches today but churches often do not see the needs. Today, we cover sign unseen signs that churches in need of revitalization exhibit.
Today’s Listener Question:
FROM DAN
I’ve been in ministry for a little over 13 years and have done a little consulting on the side. I know you have a history of doing consultations as well. Other than demographics and stats, what are the signs that you look for in consultations to determine if a church is dying or just plateaued.
Episode Highlights:
If your church is going to fulfill the Great Commission, go where the people are. Don’t expect them to come to you.
Often the first areas that get funding cuts in dying churches are the same ones that would be vital to future growth.
Numerous, successive short pastorates are often a sign of a very unhealthy church.
The six signs that we cover in this episode are:
Sign 1: The commute
Sign 2: Worn out ministries
Sign 3: Declining ministry funds for children and students
Sign 4: Culturally comfortable conversations
Sign 5: The pastoral parade
Sign 6: The 1988 facility
Resources mentioned in this episode include:
ChurchConsultation.University
Map Customizer (create Google pin maps)
Ministry Grid
CoolSolutionsGroup.com
ChurchReplanters.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.
Seven Observations from Church Replanters Who’ve Been There and Done That – Revitalize & Replant #005
Replanting—like all of ministry—is hard work. It’s also hard to recognize success as it comes. Today, we look back on seven reminders for those interested in replanting.
Today’s Listener Question:
FROM DAVID
I graduate from seminary in the spring and God is calling me to replanting work. What advice would you have for someone looking to become a replanter?
Episode Highlights:
“God is calling more men and women than ever before to help replant churches.”
90% of churches that close are in communities larger than 10,000.
Church replanting—like any calling in ministry—is hard work.
“We often overestimate what we can do in a year and underestimate what we can do in a few years.”
As a replant, you cannot attempt to become a small version of a large church.
The seven observations that we cover in this episode are:
It is spiritual warfare
The longer the length of the decline, the longer it takes for the church to turnaround
Many of the leaders are tired
Many of the church members have heard before what you are telling them
Good people will leave
Everyone says they want change. Not many do
They want to know if you will be their pastor
Resources mentioned in this episode include:
ChurchReplanters.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.
Seven Observations of Church Replanters Who’ve Been There and Done That – Revitalize & Replant #005
Replanting—like all of ministry—is hard work. It’s also hard to recognize success as it comes. Today, we look back on seven reminders for those interested in replanting.
Today’s Listener Question:
FROM DAVID
I graduate from seminary in the spring and God is calling me to replanting work. What advice would you have for someone looking to become a replanter?
Episode Highlights:
“God is calling more men and women than ever before to help replant churches.”
90% of churches that close are in communities larger than 10,000.
Church replanting—like any calling in ministry—is hard work.
“We often overestimate what we can do in a year and underestimate what we can do in a few years.”
As a replant, you cannot attempt to become a small version of a large church.
The seven observations that we cover in this episode are:
It is spiritual warfare
The longer the length of the decline, the longer it takes for the church to turnaround
Many of the leaders are tired
Many of the church members have heard before what you are telling them
Good people will leave
Everyone says they want change. Not many do
They want to know if you will be their pastor
Resources mentioned in this episode include:
ChurchReplanters.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.
October 18, 2017
Five Unintended Consequences of Short Pastoral Tenure
By Jonathan Howe
Not a week goes by when I don’t hear of a pastor leaving one church headed to another. It happens. We all get that. Unfortunately, some of the names or churches mentioned are the same ones I heard just months earlier. For this post, I’ll refer to anything shorter than 6-9 months tenure as a “short pastorate.
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. Regardless of which side cuts the other loose, the church and pastor are nearly always worse off as a result. The unintended consequences of short pastoral tenure take their toll on both sides.
Members lose trust in the pastors, and pastors lose trust in churches. This seems obvious, but if a pastor leaves a church and the church feels like the pastor burned them in the process, the next pastor will find the deck stacked against them. If the pastor is the one burned, there will be a greater scrutinizing and distrust of the next church—if there is a next church.
Your current church will wonder if it will happen to them. If you had a short pastorate at your last stop, the church you go to will inevitably wonder if the same will happen to them. Trust is hard to gain and easy to lose. Short pastorates eat up trust on both sides of the equation.
The staff is demoralized. Regardless of where the blame for the short pastorate lies, the staff is left to pick up the pieces after a pastor leaves. They have to answer the questions, deal with more uncertainty, and try to move forward in a new normal they weren’t expecting—and one they often contributed little to.
The vision of the church is clouded. When a new pastor comes in, a new vision and direction is usually cast. After a short pastorate, there is great uncertainty about the vision and direction of the church. Do you continue in the direction the last pastor was leading? Do you return to what it was before the short pastorate? Does someone internally rise up and cast a new vision? Those are just three options. And it’s likely that different areas of the church will gravitate to a different one. Then you have a whole new set of problems.
Financial waste. This is the most practical consequence of a short pastorate. Financial resources are expended to find a new pastor only to turn around and spend that much or more to do it again within just a few months. It’s a wasteful use of funds. Money for ministry becomes money for mistakes.
In closing, if you’re in a situation and considering leaving your church after just a few months, I exhort you to reconsider and pray earnestly. Far too often “God told me” becomes a convenient cover for “this is hard, and I want out.” Churches, the same goes for you. Far too often “God told us” becomes a convenient cover for “we don’t want to change.”
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.
October 17, 2017
Ten Unrealistic Expectations Placed on Ministry Spouses – Rainer on Leadership #372
SUBSCRIBE: iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio • Google Play • iHeart Radio
We routinely hear from pastors’ wives and ministry spouses. Their feedback is often heartbreaking. Today, we expound on their frustrations.
Some highlights from today’s episode include:
Pastor spouses are often expected to be omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent.
Church members often complain to a minister’s spouse if they feel like they aren’t getting the attention they deserve.
If you need to get a message to a church staff member, go to them—not their spouse.
I’m so grateful for pastors’ wives who have the courage to speak up for other pastors’ wives.
The ten unrealistic expectations we cover in this episode are:
“I am expected to attend every function at the church.”
“Many church members expect me to know everything that is happening in the church.”
“We have several church members who feel free to complain to me about my spouse.”
“Church members utilize me as a de facto assistant to my spouse, giving me messages for him.”
“I am still amazed how many church members expect me to function as an employee of the church.”
“Some of the members expect our children to be perfect and act perfect.”
“I am always supposed to be perfectly made up and dressed when I leave the house.”
“I have no freedom at our church to be anything but perfectly emotionally composed.”
“I think some of our church members expect my family to take a vow of poverty.”
“So many church members expect me to be their best friend.”
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
The Pastor’s Kid
The Pastor’s Kid – Rainer on Leadership #062
Flourish.me
October 16, 2017
The Five Choices of Declining Churches
It’s simple and straightforward.
Leaders of declining churches have five choices.
Let me clarify. In theory, the choices are simple. But putting them to practice is not so easy. So when pastors or other church leaders ask me what they can do about their declining church, I ask them to begin at the high level before looking at a lot of details. One of these five choices must be made.
1. Do nothing.
Anecdotally, I can tell you the majority of churches make this decision. Such is the reason that two-thirds of the churches are declining or plateaued.
Advantages: You avoid conflict. You may get to keep your job.
Disadvantages: If you do nothing and are declining, you will still decline. You are disobedient to the Great Commission. And leading a declining church is no fun.
2. Incremental change.
I wrote about this kind of change many years ago in a book called Eating the Elephant. You attempt to discern a pace that can take as many members as possible with you.
Advantages: Change is taking place, hopefully for the better. You minimize losses of membership and criticisms, but not completely. You probably keep your job.
Disadvantages: Today most churches don’t have the luxury of changing incrementally. The world is so different than just a few years ago. Incremental change may not stop the bleeding.
3. Significant change.
Leadership recognizes the simple choice is, “change or die.” The church decides to make significant leadership, methodological, organizational, structural, and philosophical changes.
Advantages: The church may reverse the decline and become a gospel influence in the community again. For those who are on board, there can be a sense of radical obedience to the gospel.
Disadvantages: The church almost always loses significant numbers of members. Ironically, the church may not survive the change created for survival. Leadership is inundated with criticisms. You could lose your job.
4. Preparation for closure.
Unlike the “do nothing” choice of option one, the church acknowledges it is declining and headed toward death. It makes preparation for an orderly shut down and disposition of property and other resources.
Advantages: This option is one of death with dignity. The church is not scurrying at the last moment to consider options. The process is orderly and well planned.
Disadvantages: The church dies. The gospel presence in the community once represented by this congregation no longer exists.
5. Preparation for acquisition.
The church seeks to become a campus or site of a healthier congregation. It yields its leadership and gives its resources to the acquiring congregation.
Advantages: There is a continuation of the gospel presence in the community. The acquiring church provides leadership and resources to effect a turnaround. The church does not close.
Disadvantages: The acquired church is not the same congregation. The members of the acquired church often have a false notion that the new church will let things stay fairly constant. They never do
At its basic levels, declining churches really have one of five choices. And if a church makes no choice, it has really decided to choose the “do nothing” option, the worst of the five choices.
October 15, 2017
Pray for Gateway Church of Marysville
Location: Marysville, Michigan
Pastor: Dallas G. Berry
Weekly Worship: 10:30 AM, Eastern
Fast Facts: Gateway Church of Marysville began in 1954 as First Baptist Church of Marysville, and in the spring of 2015 the name was changed to Gateway Church of Marysville. Pastor Dallas Berry and Gateway Church have a passion to see all people come to faith in Christ by conversion and to become Christlike in conviction, character, conduct, commitment, and conversation.
The church is working toward the launch of the Gateway Initiative which includes Gateway House, a shelter for battered woman in domestic violence situations; Gateway DayCare; Gateway Latchkey; and Gateway Pre-school. Currently, MOPS (Mothers of pre-schoolers) has been a big outreach for the church. The program is in its second year with MOPS and is reaching more than 20 unchurched moms and families. Please pray that the moms at Gateway will be effective at reaching the moms who come to MOPS with the gospel. Also, please pray for their annual Harvest of Praise Sunday coming up on November 5th featuring pianist Jim Hendricks from Chicago.
Finally, Gateway Church has been through some tough times over the past couple of years. Please pray as they now move in the direction the Holy Spirit is leading them so that they will be effective in evangelizing the Blue Water Area through missional discipleship.
Website: GatewayMV.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..
