Thom S. Rainer's Blog, page 186

Six Communications Blunders That Will Cost You Volunteers

By Jonathan Howe

If you’re on staff at a church or a leader in any way, you likely interact with volunteers on a daily basis. And unfortunately, you’re probably not sitting on an endless supply of volunteers. It’s quite possible that you’re looking for people every week to fill a hole left by a volunteer who’s sick, out of town, or unreliable.

But is it possible that you could be running off volunteers? With some of the emails, letters, and communications I’ve seen from churches over the years, it’s entirely possible. Poor communication can cost you volunteers and church members. That’s why it’s important to avoid these communications blunders.

Calling a volunteer the wrong name. I had a friend who was approached recently about a new job. She was extremely qualified and really interested in it, but in her reply, she called the person wanting to hire her the wrong name. She never heard back from him, and the company hired someone else. The same goes for almost any other aspect of life. If you call a volunteer by the wrong name, you risk losing them.
Using poor grammar and spelling. Always have a second set of eyes look at ministry communications or announcements. And always read over your emails again before you send them. I even have a delay timer set up in Gmail that gives me 30 seconds after I hit send to make a final edit. I use it almost daily.
Making it difficult on the volunteer. Want to turn off volunteers? Have trainings at inopportune times. Want to frustrate volunteers? Communicate with them in a way that makes it hard to keep up with the info. There are new communications tools coming out every month. Resist the urge to try the newest and shiniest toys when it comes to communication. Tried and tested methods are often best.
Waiting until the last minute. Don’t send out important announcements about Sunday morning on Saturday night. Don’t wait until days before a deadline to send a reminder. Give people lead-time and be redundant with your reminders. I guarantee there are people who will completely miss the first 14 emails, but the 15th will catch their eye.
Not returning calls or emails. If you get a call or email from a church member or volunteer, try to return it within 24 hours if at all possible. Even if it’s a quick email to say you have something else that’s pressing, and it may be a day or two until you have an answer for them.
Delegating important communication to your assistant. If something in your ministry is important enough for you to communicate it, then you need to be the one it comes from. It’s good to empower your assistant, but important information needs to come from you if at all possible. If it doesn’t, volunteers and members deduce that it’s not a priority for you, so why should it be for them?

What would you add to this list? Have you made any of these blunders?

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.

Seven Characteristics of Reactionary Pastors

Sometimes church leaders have to be reactionary.

There is a family tragedy. A church member walks into your office unexpectedly with a load of gripes. Your wife goes into labor.

Okay, you get the point. We can’t always plan ahead. We can’t always be proactive.

But many church leaders can be more proactive. Too many of these leaders waste valuable time because they were not prepared adequately.

Allow me, then, to share from the negative perspective. Allow me to speak to the most common mistakes of reactionary pastors. Perhaps you will see yourself in one or more of these characteristics, with a prayerful hope you can make the necessary changes.

Does not look ahead. Sometimes it’s just that simple. Can you see what you will be doing next week or next month? Are you prepared? What do you need to do to get prepared? An unprepared pastor becomes a chaotic pastor.
Does not develop relationships well. Most of life and leadership is relationships. If pastors are not working intentionally to develop those relationships, they often have to take time to explain almost everything. They don’t have the trust or buy-in to lead change. They can be perceived as distant, so when an issue arises, church members may be hesitant to offer help.
Does not calendar in blocks of time. When you need to prepare a sermon or complete a project, block out the requisite time on your calendar. Reactionary leaders find themselves writing “Saturday night specials” and engaging in last minute panic attacks because they did not set aside time to prepare.
Focuses on critics. If the squeaky wheels dominate your ministry, you can be sure that your ministry will always be reactive. You make decisions out of fear instead of faith. You entertain thoughts of dead ends and impossibility because you listen to the naysayers instead of listening to the God of all possibilities.
Does not find joy in the day-to-day work of ministry. Yes, our ministry is one of labor. Yes our ministry has its tough moments. But don’t be the reactive leader who fails to see how God is working day by day in your life, your ministry, and your church.
Has a short-term perspective. A reactionary leader often doesn’t plan to stick around. Proactive leaders, to the contrary, are able to respond well in times of challenge, because they know it will be okay. It’s just a matter of time.
Does not pray for their own leadership. I can’t remember a reactionary leader who prayed for wisdom from God on a daily basis. If we truly seek God’s will, way, and wisdom, we will indeed be a proactive leader.

How do you respond to these seven characteristics? Do you see yourself in three or more of them on a consistent basis? If so, you are likely a reactive leader.

But the good news is that in God’s power, you can change.

And there is no better time than right now.

Growing Churches, Evangelism Renewal, and You – Rainer on Leadership #354

Podcast Episode #354

SUBSCRIBE: iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio • Google Play

Statistics of doom and gloom for churches are all the rage—especially for those who specialize in helping churches. But are they correct? Not always.

Some highlights from today’s episode include:

It takes about three years of data to see patterns in churches.
56% of churches are in absolute decline.
More than 1/3 of churches are growing.


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, one of the fastest growing seminaries in North America, exists to train leaders For The Church. The local church is God’s “Plan A” for the proclamation of the gospel, and there is no Plan B. And this is Midwestern’s vision and heartbeat—equipping pastors and other ministry leaders who are called to expand God’s mission in the world through the local church. At Midwestern Seminary: they train leaders ‘For The Church.’

Visit them online at MBTS.edu and start your ministry training today.

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

Church Answers
EvangelismRenewal.com

Why Many of Our Churches Are Still One Color

“What’s wrong with our church?”

It was a sincere question. The elder wanted to know why there seems to be a steady erosion of attendance, discipleship, and evangelism at his church.

Then I showed him the demographics of the church’s community. Over 40 percent of the area was non-white and growing, but the church was above 95 percent white. My response was simple. “You are not connecting with your community. The ethnic and racial diversity of the community is not reflected in the church.”

This church is one of tens of thousands of congregations that are one color, one race, or one group. Why? Why is this reality still taking place today? Let’s look at six reasons.

Racism still exists. Racism has not gone away. The events of this weekend in Virginia remind us of that tragic reality. Some pastors are still fired because they encourage racial and ethnic diversity in their churches. Other forms of racism are more subtle, but no less toxic.
There is no intentionality. Churches that are evangelistic have leaders and members who are intentional about reaching people for Christ. Churches that better reflect the ethnic and racial diversity of our world are more intentional about praying, seeking, and acting upon their desire to reach people who may not look like them.
The leadership of the church is not diverse. If the ministry staff and lay leadership do not reflect the diversity of the community, the church is sending a clear message. The diverse community cannot have a true voice in the church if it is not represented in the leadership of the church.
Many church leaders and members do not know what takes place in their own communities. Many times when I have met with church leaders and shared the demographics and realities of the members of their community, they express total surprise at what is taking place. Their church is a bubble. Or to use another metaphor, the congregation is an island of sameness in a community of diversity.
There is no planned effort to connect with the community. Sure, it’s helpful to have events on the church property for the community. But it’s even better to go to the community where they are. The “go” approach is much more meaningful and biblical than the “you come” approach.
The current church members do not intentionally connect more deeply with the diverse members of the community. When I met with the leaders of one church, some of the leaders expressed frustration they were not connecting well with the diversity of the community where they were located. They told me that the community members were welcomed and received well when they came to a worship service. I then asked if they were ever invited to their small groups or to the church members’ homes. Silence. To their credit, they got it, and they are doing much better reflecting the community they serve today.

“After this I looked and there was a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language, which no one could number, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands” (Revelation 7:9, CSB).

Such is the diversity of the Kingdom.

And so should be our churches.

Pray for Community Baptist Church

Location: Noel, Missouri

Pastor: Joshua Manning

Weekly Worship: 11:00 AM, Central

Fast Facts:

Church info: Community Baptist Church is a small church with a heart to reach out to the various groups of foreign refugees in its small Midwestern town. They are in the midst of a replant of a church that had fallen on hard times and was running just a handful of people. They currently have about 30 Karen refugees from Myanmar and four Caucasian families as part of the church. Weekly services are held with a translator and the musical worship is in Karen and English simultaneously. They are partnering with a local college to hold English classes in hopes of reaching Somalis, Hispanics, and Pacific Islanders with the love of Christ. They also have a VBS scheduled in September. Please pray for the Karen people to grow in their faith. Also pray for the local Somali community who are 100% unreached. Pray that they find “the man of peace” where and that the gospel will take root.

Website: Facebook.com/CBCNoelMO

Notable Voices and the Week in Review: August 12, 2017

Earlier this week at ThomRainer.com:

Ten Tough Pieces of Advice Pastors Have Trouble Receiving
Five Leadership Roadblocks Effective Leaders Overcome – Rainer on Leadership #352
Why Dying Churches Die
Seven Facebook Growth Hacks for Churches
Seven Thoughts That Will Ruin a Leader – Rainer on Leadership #353

 

4 Money Landmines for Your Marriage — Art Rainer

In marriage, there are money landmines. These are decisions that can lead to a significant blow up in the relationship. Needless to say, each one is to be avoided. Here are four money landmines to avoid in your marriage:

 

Four Helpful Tips for Cultivating Generous Giving — Erik Reed

In recent years, I have worked hard to change the culture of my church. We have a long way to go, but we are changing. The church has become more financially generous. The following four things are what I (we) have incorporated into our regular rhythms—easily accessible to others—that could help you cultivate more generous giving in your church.

 

3 Reasons to Be Thankful for Bad Sermons — Brandon Hilgemann

Although I am an advocate for powerful, God-glorifying, excellent sermons, the reality is that not all sermons will be the best we’ve ever preached. So here are three reasons you can take joy in the occasional bad sermon:

 

The One Trait Every Leader Must Possess — Ron Edmondson

While I believe there are many traits and qualities a great leader must possess, there’s one that stands out among all others. In fact, the longer I think about it, I quickly realize that most every trait builds on this one trait! A leader’s most important trait is…

 

Eight Suggestions for Eager New Seminarians — Alvin Reid

I remember a cold, windy day in January, 1982. My wife Michelle and I arrived in Fort Worth as newlyweds with everything we owned in a small U Haul trailer. We moved into our little one bedroom, furnished apartment with little materially but great dreams spiritually. I hobbled on crutches from a knee operation. We were broke, but we were called, and that was enough. That was 35 years ago, but it seems like only yesterday. If you are a brand new seminarian, I have a few things I hope will encourage you to help you for the next few decades.

 

What Every Pastor Wishes His Worship Leader Knew — J.D. Greear

A few weeks ago, one of our leaders asked me to come speak to a group of worship interns, telling them “everything I thought pastors wanted worship leaders to know.” When I agreed to do it, I thought it would be a stretch to come up with three or four things. That was a bit naïve. By the time I was done, it grew to a list of 14. I’d love to see a corresponding list of “What Every Worship Leader Wishes His Pastor Knew,” but for now, here is my advice for growing worship leaders:

 

Seven Thoughts That Will Ruin a Leader – Rainer on Leadership #353

Podcast Episode #353

SUBSCRIBE: iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio • Google Play

The mind of a leader is important to his or her success. Today, we discuss seven thoughts that can derail your leadership decisions.

Some highlights from today’s episode include:

Little compromises often lead to bigger compromises and ultimately can lead to moral failure.
For some pastors, their mistress is the church.
Don’t fear change out of self-preservation.
Change is not only inevitable, it is coming faster than ever.
If you are not leading change, you are losing to change.
The most common form of kicking the can on decisions involves personnel issues.

The seven ruinous thoughts we cover in this episode are:

“It won’t hurt to compromise a little.”
“I can give my family time later in life when I’m more established.”
“No one really pays attention to what I do.”
“I need to be careful not to rock the boat.”
“I can put off that tough decision until later.”
“That person messed up five years ago. He doesn’t deserve a second chance.”
“My main goal is money.”


Episode Sponsors

The Timothy Track, from Midwestern Seminary, offers select residential M.Div. students placement in internship positions in a local church in the area. Now you can complement your studies with in-the-field ministry experience. In addition, all Timothy Track students will receive up to 12 credit hours for the internship and a 50% tuition scholarship for the first year.

Find out more at mbts.edu/TimothyTrack.

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

Raising Dad

Seven Facebook Growth Hacks for Churches

By Jonathan Howe

So I had a lunch meeting with Chris Martin yesterday. For those of you who don’t know Chris, he’s one of our social media geniuses at LifeWay and the brains behind LifeWaySocial.com. And while I consider myself well versed in social media, Chris is always showing me something new and helpful. Yesterday was no exception.

Chris pointed out a free Facebook trick that can boost your page likes, user engagement, and blog traffic in just a few clicks. I was blown away. I’ve been managing Facebook pages for nearly a decade and had never seen what Chris showed me. So we put out heads together and came up with six more Facebook hacks you can use to boost engagement for your church or personal page—and only one of them is a paid service.

Invite those who like your content to like your page. This is the easiest free way to boost your Facebook page engagement. Simply click on the link where it says that people like a post and a screen will pop up. Then click on “Invite” next to anyone who liked your post but does not yet like your page.
Do more Facebook Live broadcasts. Facebook’s algorithm rewards you for using their platform and keeping users engaged on their site. Facebook Live is the easiest way to do this. The more people watch your videos, the more likely they are to see your other content.
Boost content. This is the only hack that will cost you anything. But it doesn’t have to cost much. I spoke with several churches that have switched from printed advertising to Facebook boosts and seen dramatic improvements. I’m not talking 10-20% improvement. I’m talking 500% or more. Facebook advertising and boosted posts work. There’s no other way to say it.
Use high quality images. When you post content online, your images don’t just stay on your website. They travel around social sites when people link to the content. So it’s important to use good images of proper sizes if you want to see better engagement of your content.
Engage with those who comment on your posts. If someone comments on a Facebook post, respond to him or her if possible. If they ask a question, answer it. If people come to your Facebook page and see no engagement, it doesn’t exactly fill them with confidence.
Turn on messages and monitor them. Some pages don’t need messages enabled, but most do. And your church Facebook page is one of them that do. Even with the information on your page and your website, people will have questions about service times or something else. And it’s good for them to be able to ask those questions and get a timely response on Facebook.
Turn off reviews. Some may disagree with me, but I don’t see the need for reviews on a church page. A restaurant or business? Sure. But church reviews only seem to open your church up to unfair complaints or comments from disgruntled former members.

These seven Facebook tips won’t skyrocket your engagement overnight, but when combined with sensible content and time, you will see a dramatic boost in your results on Facebook. Finally, be sure to check out LifeWaySocial.com and Chris’ weekly social media newsletter. I guarantee you’ll learn something all the time. I sure do.

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.

Why Dying Churches Die

The doctor told my dad he was dying.

Our family physician was a kind man, a true friend of the family. But he was firm. Dad was on the short path to death.

My father, then 58 years old, had been smoking for four decades. I suppose his time in the military in World War II proved to be the primary impetus to his taking on the bad habit. His peers smoked. There were hardly any voices suggesting the evils of smoking then. And it proved to be a relief and escape from the ravages of war he witnessed day after day.

To be clear, our doctor had not declared to my dad that he was terminal. At this point, there was no cancer present. The only sign was an early onset of emphysema.

But the kind physician could see all the signs. Dad had to make major and dramatic changes or he would die within a few years. Indeed, it might already be too late regardless of any changes he made. He never stopped smoking.

Dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer at age 61. He died one month after his 62nd birthday.

Many churches are dying.

Some are so sick that they are a few years, perhaps just months, from death. But too many refuse to do anything. Any potential and dramatic turnaround will not take place because these churches do nothing.

Why? Why do these dying churches walk resolutely down the path of death? Why don’t they attempt something dramatic, something bold? I have worked with too many of these churches. Allow me to share six common responses to these questions.

They refuse to admit they are sick, very sick. I have worked with churches whose attendance has declined by over 80 percent. They have no gospel witness in the community. They have not seen a person come to Christ in two decades. But they say they are fine. They say nothing is wrong.
They are still waiting on the “magic bullet” pastor. They reason, if only we could find the right pastor, we would be fine. But they bring in pastor after pastor. Each leaves after a short-term stint, frustrated that the congregation was so entrenched in its ways. So the church starts the search again for the magic bullet pastor.
They fail to accept responsibility. I recently met with the remaining members of a dying church. Their plight was the community’s fault. Those people should be coming to their church. It was the previous five pastors’ fault. Or it was the fault of culture. If everything returned to the Bible belt mentality of decades earlier, we would be fine.
They are not willing to change . . . at all. A friend asked me to meet with the remaining members of a dying church. These members were giddy with excitement. They viewed me as the great salvific hope for their congregation. But my blunt assessment was not pleasing to them, especially when I talked about change. Finally, one member asked if they would have to look at the words of a hymn on a screen instead of a hymnal if they made changes. I stood in stunned silence, and soon walked away from the church that would close its doors six months later.
Their “solutions” are all inwardly focused. They don’t want to talk about reaching the ethnically changing community. They want to know how they can make church more comfortable and palatable for the remnant of members.
They desire to return to 1985. Or 1972. Or 1965. Or 1959. Those were the good old days. If we could just do church like we did then, everything would be fine.

These churches are increasing in number. Culture indeed has little patience with a me-focused congregation, much less so than, say, 15 years ago.

Is there hope for these churches? Will these dying congregations indeed die?

I have seen God intervene a few times in such situations. But, in every case, the church has turned its face to Him, and forsaken all of their own preferences, desires, and human-centered traditions.

But most dying churches will die.

I pray that your church, if it is indeed on the path to death, will be the rare exception, to the glory of God.

Five Leadership Roadblocks Effective Leaders Overcome – Rainer on Leadership #352

Podcast Episode #352

SUBSCRIBE: iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio • Google Play

Leaders often face decision making roadblocks that affect the health of their church or organization. Today we discuss how to overcome these roadblocks.

Some highlights from today’s episode include:

“Make the inevitable the immediate.” — Dean Inserra
Too many leaders kick the can on difficult decision.
It is inconceivable to many church members that a church would delete someone’s job or fire a staff member.
When leadership refuses to make necessary decisions, the entire organization suffers.
Good leaders have the courage to act quickly and make necessary decisions.
Ministries and church programs have life cycles. Eventually, they must end.
When making a difficult decision, ask what’s best for the organization—not necessarily what’s best for you personally.
Leadership is not about the perks—it carries a price with it.

The five leadership roadblocks we discuss are:

There are political repercussions for a decision.
The subject of the decision has strong sentimental attachments to it.
The fear that the decision will reflect a lack of compassion or lack of Christian concern.
The desire to give something “just one more chance.”
Fear of change in the leader’s life.


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, one of the fastest growing seminaries in North America, exists to train leaders For The Church. The local church is God’s “Plan A” for the proclamation of the gospel, and there is no Plan B. And this is Midwestern’s vision and heartbeat—equipping pastors and other ministry leaders who are called to expand God’s mission in the world through the local church. At Midwestern Seminary: they train leaders ‘For The Church.’

Visit them online at MBTS.edu and start your ministry training today.

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

Endings and Leadership
Leading Change Roadmap