Thom S. Rainer's Blog, page 192

The Top Ten Questions Pastor Ask Me

I have the joy of receiving thousands of questions from pastors and other church leaders every year. The questions come through social media, email, my blog at ThomRainer.com, my podcast at Rainer on Leadership and, in recent months, Church Answers.

I developed Church Answers to create a safe place for church leaders to ask questions and interact with each other. It was also the best way to handle the volume of inquiries that come to me.

With the launch of Church Answers, I engaged several subject matter experts to help me provide insightful responses to these church leaders. The response has been incredible. In just a few months we have over 1,100 church leaders interacting with us. It will be several thousand soon at its present growth trajectory.

We offer the value proposition that we will answer any church question within 24 hours, most of the time within three or four hours. Because of my emphases in ministry, most of the questions I get are related to church practices and leadership.

I recently reviewed the thousands of questions and comments we have received. Here are the top ten categories of questions:

Where do I begin to lead my church toward revitalization? Some leaders are in churches that are in steep decline. Others are seeing the early stages of decline. All want to know where to begin.
What do I do about our aging church facilities? Many church leaders are dealing with the problems of deferred maintenance and/or unused space.
How do I handle church financial issues? Most church leaders were not trained in this area. But now they are expected to make financial decisions that impact the entire church.
How do I handle conflict and personnel issues? The variations and quantity of these questions are many.
What is the best leadership structure for a church? Some of these pastors and leaders moved to elder leadership, but it’s not working as they had anticipated.
What are the best practical ministry tools? We get a number of questions about church management software, online giving, text giving, and virtual workers, to name a few.
How do I establish a vision for my church? These questions revolve around both the process to do so, and the philosophy for doing so.
How do I deal with power struggles in the church? Newer pastors in particular are blindsided when they first encounter a power group in the church.
How do I lead change in the worship services? The worship wars are not as intense as they were in the past, but changing the worship service is still a challenge for many church leaders.
Can I survive? Sadly, pastors often ask us if we think they will survive their present church, or if they will be able to stay in vocational ministry.

I love pastors and other church leaders. I love the way they serve their churches selflessly and sacrificially. And I am honored to have this small role in their lives and ministries as I walk alongside them.

If you would like to join us at Church Answers to be a part of this community, click here . We will keep registration open for a few days.

Pray for Faith Family Fellowship

Location: Dover, New Jersey

Pastor: Ed Walls

Weekly Worship: 10:30 AM, Eastern

Fast Facts: The church recently changed its name from First Baptist Church of Dover, NJ, to Faith Family Fellowship. They are planning a “Get to Know Us BBQ” for the community on July 29 to kick off with the new church name. Please pray for the event, and that it will encourage growth. Also pray for other summer outreach events including their church picnic and family film night. Finally, pray for their outreach efforts to the community that they might help FFF find a way to serve the community and to help those in need around them.

Website: FaithFamilyNJ.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..

Notable Voices and the Week in Review: June 17, 2017

Earlier this week at ThomRainer.com:

Six Stages of a Dying Church
Dealing with Private Distractions to Worship, featuring Mike Harland – Rainer on Leadership #336
Twenty Relics of Church Past
Six Memories from the 2017 Southern Baptist Annual Meeting
Eight Signs That Point to Probable Church Death – Rainer on Leadership #337

 

A media firestorm elevates a false narrative of Southern Baptist racism — Jacob Lupfer

What happens when frenzied news cycles, a culture of perpetual outrage, social media and political intrigue infect a religious event? We get a mess: Truth is distorted, intentions are impugned, and energy is wasted — all in the pursuit of self-reinforcing narratives that bolster our unhealthy tribalisms. Predictably, this sad spectacle repeated itself at the Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting, which ended Wednesday (June 14) in Phoenix.

 

3 Ways to Spot “Christian Backstabbing” — Eric Geiger

Manipulative people familiar with the Christian faith can actually use Christian language to embolden their backstabbing. They can call someone friend and brother while manipulating and dividing. They can disguise their sinful behavior with the language of the people of God. It is pretty nauseating when you think on it. Backstabbing among the people of God is a deep violation of our faith and a horrible representation of our faith to the world. With that in mind, here are three ways you can spot “Christian backstabbing” (I put “Christian backstabbing” in quotes because there is nothing Christian about it):

 

How Debt Can Destroy Your Ministry — Art Rainer

For those in ministry, you could say that debt is a ministry killer. Personal debt places burdens and barriers on the lives of those in ministry. Let’s consider how debt can destroy your ministry.

 

9 Ways to Raise Up Leaders in Your Church  — Mark Dever

The New Testament is filled with instruction on discipling believers generally. But now and then it also focuses on raising up church leaders in particular. For instance, Paul tells Titus, “This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order and appoint elders in every town as I directed you” (Titus 1:5). Then he describes what these elders should be like. Similarly, he tells Timothy to find “faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2 Tim. 2:2). In the same way, I’d like to offer counsel on how I’ve personally worked to find, encourage, and raise up other leaders in my church, whether to serve in my church or eventually in other churches.

 

7 Things That Get Harder As Your Church Grows — Carey Nieuwhof

What’s true in church is true in any organization or business. We’re even working through rapid growth issues associated with this blog, my writing, and my podcast. You hope and pray people show up, but when they do, you get a whole new set of challenges. As things grow, everything gets more complicated. It’s the leader’s job to create simplicity in the midst of it all. Bottom line? Your struggles as a leader or as a church don’t go away when your church or organization starts to grow. They simply change. Here are 7 things every leader of a growing church or organization struggles with.

 

14 “New” Things to Do at Church This Weekend — Chuck Lawless

Want to do some new things at church this weekend? See if any of these suggestions would be a “new” thing in your life:

 

Eight Signs That Point to Probable Church Death – Rainer on Leadership #337

Podcast Episode #337

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

These eight signs are almost always evident in churches that are on their way to death. Does your church exhibit any of these?

Some highlights from today’s episode include:

Blogs create fans, podcasts create family.
Four consecutive years of decline indicate a problem that must be addressed.
If your congregation is mostly senior adults, you’re only a few funerals away from closing the church doors.
Don’t sit and expect younger people to come to your church. You have to work to connect with them.
In churches that are on their way to death, members often fight fiercely for their preferences.
One of the most sacred cows in dying churches is the parlor.

The eight issues we cover are:

There has been a numerical decline for four or more years.
The church does not look like the community in which it is located.
The congregation is mostly comprised of senior adults.
The focus is on the past, not the future.
The members are intensely preference-driven.
The budget is severely inwardly focused.
There are sacred cow facilities.
Any type of change is met with fierce resistance.


Episode Sponsors

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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.

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

Eight Signs Your Church May Be Closing Soon
The Need for Church Replanting featuring Mark Clifton – Rainer on Leadership #320
Reclaiming Glory

Six Memories from the 2017 Southern Baptist Annual Meeting

By Jonathan Howe

This week, more than 5,000 Southern Baptists convened in Phoenix for the Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting. While I realize the audience of ThomRainer.com is a diverse one, many of you are Southern Baptist. In fact, we met numerous readers and podcast listeners while we were in Phoenix.

Whether you attended, watched online, saw some stories online, or were completely oblivious to the proceedings, there were several items of note from our time in the desert. Here are my six memories from this week:

IMB’s Sending Ceremony and Presentation. The International Mission Board continues to be a force for the global spread of the gospel. We were blessed to commission nearly two dozen missionaries during the Tuesday night service. These commissioning services are great reminders of why we do what we do. But the IMB impressed with more than just the commissioning service. Dr. David Platt’s presentation on Monday evening was stellar. He walked us through the life of Adoniram Judson and connected his zeal for missions with that which is found in missionaries around the world today. It was a truly spectacular evening.
Passing the Resolution on the Anti-Gospel of Alt-Right White Supremacy . The most public highlight of the week came on Wednesday as a result of something that didn’t happen on Tuesday. After much debate and procedural work, a resolution condemning the Alt-Right and White Supremacy made its way to the messengers Wednesday afternoon and was passed with a near unanimous vote.
Presenting Dr. R. Albert Mohler Jr. with the Innaugural CSB Award. Dr. Mohler is a seminary president, Baptist statesman, and Bible scholar. He has influenced thousands upon thousands with his firm stance on the inerrancy of Scripture. It was only fitting that he become the first recipient of the CSB Award.
A continued focus on evangelism. Regardless of the presentation, presenter, or topic, evangelism emerged as a common theme throughout the week. SBC President Steve Gaines appointed a task force to study the topic as well. An intentional focus on evangelism is needed in the SBC and beyond.
Diversity in elections and nominees. Half of the elected officials this year were non-anglo. And it was good to see a more diverse group of nominees than ever before. Like evangelism, diversity takes an intentional effort.
Engagement by younger Southern Baptists. It was again good to see younger pastors and staff making the trek to the SBC Annual Meeting. The need to show up and be involved is great and greatly obvious. But I am encouraged at the number of younger pastors I saw, talked with, and got to know this week. The future could indeed be bright.

The SBC Annual Meeting is always one of my most favorite weeks of the year, and this year was no exception.

Were you with us in Phoenix? What was your top memory? What did I miss?

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.

Twenty Relics of Church Past

This article will get me in trouble.

It began with a simple and informal poll on social media followed by several direct conversations. The question I asked was basic: “What did you have or do in your church ten years ago that you don’t have or do today?”

The top twenty responses were, for me at least, a fascinating mix of the expected and the surprises. They are ranked in order of frequency.

Sunday evening services. It is amazing how quickly these services have disappeared. Except for Sunday evening services that are an alternative to and replica of the Sunday morning services, there are fewer and fewer churches meeting on Sunday evening.
The stand-and-greet time. A discussion of this issue generated much banter and controversy at this blog several months ago. But the respondents told us it clearly was a practice falling out of favor.
Suit and ties. Ten years ago, church members expected the males on the platform to wear a suit and tie. Casual dress is now the norm in most churches.
The organ. This instrument was a standard in many churches ten years ago. It is now unusual to see an organ still played in worship services.
Print newsletters. The digital world has come to churches. Most church members are fine receiving information digitally today.
Prolonged and frequent business meetings. Many churches decided to limit the amount of time for business meetings because they became a platform for the most negative and contentious members. One church leader called it their “monthly fist fight.”
The name of “Sunday school” for the groups in the church. As the traditional name as fallen out of favor, it has been replaced with community groups, life groups, home groups, and many other names typically ending in “groups.”
Choirs. Many churches have moved from choirs to praise teams and instrumentalists.
The parlor. I didn’t see this one coming. The parlor is a room for special occasions, such as a reception or a bride’s dressing room. One church leader called it “the most unused sacred cow in our church.”
Weekly visitation in homes. Uninvited guests are no longer as welcome in homes as they once were. Several leaders told us the home visitation program did more harm than good.
Hymnals. Hymnals have been replaced with projected words on a screen by many churches.
Wednesday night fellowship meals. Indeed, many churches in the past had paid cooks on staff.
Casual approach to recruiting children’s workers. Today most churches do fairly extensive background checks before they allow someone to work in the children’s ministry.
Program-driven philosophy of ministry. In the past, many churches determined most of their entire schedule by programs resourced by denominations and other providers. The programs drove the ministries and the schedule.
Large pulpits. The big pulpit has been replaced with smaller pulpits or stands.
Special music/anthems. This item was another one that caught me by surprise. But, as I reflect on the many churches I visit, I see why it was a common response.
Food pantry. Many churches have disbanded their food pantries and, instead, contribute to a community food bank. The local church leaders simply did not have the expertise to discern if needs were real.
King James Version. This one was another surprise to me, because I have been in very few KJV churches the past 25 years.
Office hours for ministry staff. Again, I had not expected this response, but it does make sense. If someone wants to meet with a pastor or other staff member, he or she is likely to make an appointment rather than drop by during prescribed office hours.
Land lines. Some churches have done away with them altogether.

Thanks to those who participated in this survey. And now . . . let the discussion begin.

Dealing with Private Distractions to Worship, featuring Mike Harland – Rainer on Leadership #336

Podcast Episode #336

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

Mike Harland is back to talk about those things which can become private distractions to our worship.

Some highlights from today’s episode include:

Church leaders would rather not talk about “dress code” for those leading worship, but it can be problematic.
As a leader, you have to be responsible for people in your ministry.
In the social media age, ministry leaders need to be aware of how those in their ministry present themselves online.
“Online fighting will damage your ministry and is a negative testimony.”
If you’re a ministry leader, you’re accountable for your actions—so should the people be who are in your ministry.
If you’re not willing to hold accountable those in your ministry, you’re not leading well.
When you display spiritual leadership, you have spiritual credibility to address problems spiritually.
“Walk close and clean before the Lord.”

The four items we discuss are:

The longest Monday of my ministry
Spiritual integrity of the platform in a social media age
Accountability of leadership
Spiritual leadership of the Worship Leader


Episode Sponsors

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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

Dealing with Public Distractions to Worship, featuring Mike Harland

Six Stages of a Dying Church

It’s not a pleasant topic.

But if we don’t talk about dying churches, we will act like there are no problems. As I wrote in Breakout Churches, the first stage for any church to reverse negative trends is awareness or, stated another way, confronting the brutal realities.

Somewhere between 7,000 and 10,000 churches in America will close their doors in the next year. And many of them die because they refuse to recognize problems before they became irreversible.

So, it is with both sorrow and great love for local churches that I share a pattern that is increasingly common. I call it “the six stages of a dying church.”

Denial. The church is declining numerically, but no one seems concerned. Fewer people are reached with the gospel, but no alarm sounds. The church’s impact on the community is negligible, but life continues in the church like nothing has happened.
Recalibration. There is a sense that something’s wrong in the church, so the church responds in one of two ways. Do more of what we are doing that has proven ineffective. Or, secondly, seek a “magic bullet” program, emphasis, or new pastor. The church does not really want to change; it just thinks it needs an adjustment.
Anger. Church leaders and members begin to recognize that the magic bullet did not reverse the negative trends, so they deflect the blame. It’s the denomination’s fault. It’s those young people who don’t respect the way we’ve always done it. It’s the messed-up culture. It’s the people in our community who stopped attending churches. The anger in these churches is palpable.
Exodus. The church had been losing members gradually to this point, but now the outflow increases. And even those who don’t officially leave attend less frequently. The worship center is desolate on Sunday mornings. The anger in the church moves to demoralization.
Desperation. For the first time since the dying process began, the remaining members say they are more open to new ideas and change. But their words are more words of desperation than conviction. They now see the handwriting on the wall. Their church will soon die.
Death. The church becomes another sad and tragic statistic. At best, the church deeds its property to a healthy church. The process from denial to death in the recent past would take as many as thirty years. Today, the process is much shorter, ten years or less.

Churches have broken free from the death stages, but they are rare. And the longer the church waits to make substantive changes, the more difficult it becomes to reverse the path. It’s significantly easier to make changes at stage one than stage four.

Also, keep in mind that nearly nine out of ten of the churches that die are in communities that are growing.

The problem is not a shortage of people. The problem is a shortage of courage, commitment, and sacrifice.

Pray for First Baptist Church of Sutton

Location: Sutton, Massachusetts

Pastor: Don McKinnon

Weekly Worship: 10:30 AM, Eastern

Fast Facts: First Baptist Church of Sutton is the fourth oldest Baptist church in Massachusetts. Founded in 1735 by Rev. Benjamin Marsh who also was a founding father of the town of Sutton. Rev. Marsh helped lead the church during the Great Awakening, which saw the church grow from 15 to more than 100 members. The church building was placed on the National Historic Register of Places in 2003. Please pray for FBC Sutton’s upcoming July 4th community barbecue. Also, the church recently called Don McKinnon as its new pastor after the previous pastor of 20 years retired. Pray for Pastor Don as he leads the church to health.

Website: www.fbcsutton.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..

Notable Voices and the Week in Review: June 10, 2017

Earlier this week at ThomRainer.com:

Six Attitudes That Kill Evangelism in the Church
Why So Many Churches Are Too Busy – Rainer on Leadership #334
Seven Personality Types of Sick Churches
Seven Summer Social Media Ideas for Churches
The Money Challenge featuring Art Rainer – Rainer on Leadership #335

 

Don’t Forget the Bible in Pastoral Counseling — Jay Sanders

The Bible is not a psychology journal. Most modern psychological terms won’t be found in its pages. But the Bible does speak to the human heart and its many pains. Pastors, if the Bible is to do our people any good, we must know it, live it, and trust it at all times.

 

The Curse of Talent for Young Ministry Leaders — Eric Geiger

While it is impossible to sum up all that goes wrong in the heart of a ministry leader who has been called “exceptional” or “an amazing leader,” here are three dangers “talented” ministry leaders face, three dangers we all must guard our hearts against:

 

Why Some Great Churches Never Impact Their Community — Karl Vaters

Several years ago I had the privilege of being in a great church service on a trip away from home. The worship was dynamic, the people were friendly, the message was biblical and engaging, the sense of the presence of God was genuine. As I drove away, I thought, “What a great church! I feel filled-up and ready to take on the week! It’s a shame they won’t have any impact on their community – not if they keep doing things the way they’re currently doing them.” Why would I think that if the church was as great as I described?

 

5 Rules for Sermon Illustrations — Jason Allen

Have you ever heard a sermon illustration that did more harm than good? I have. In fact, just recently I heard a sermon illustration that was an absolute train wreck. It sent God’s people on an unhelpful diversion, had nothing to do with the passage, and compromised the sermon’s final, concluding thrust. In other words, it was a disaster, and the results were debilitating to the sermon. Yet, a well-chosen illustration can illumine the passage and strengthen the sermon. That is why generations of seminary students have been taught that good sermons include explaining, illustrating, and applying the text. Of the three, illustrating the text is the least important, but it is important nonetheless. Therefore, how should we view sermon illustrations? Consider these five rules.

 

5 Ways to Reach More Millennials at Your Church — Brandon Hilgemann

While some of the stereotypes are true for some millennials, I know a lot of millennials who break the trend. But there is one stereotype about millennials that is scary because it’s true. Millennials are leaving the church in droves. So while I cannot pretend to speak for all millennials, I can tell you what my millennial friends and I want to see in your church.

 

The Question Churches Can No Longer Ignore — Ardee Coolidge

If a woman in your congregation faced an unplanned pregnancy, to whom could she turn for support? I’ve been a part of the church for my whole life, but I’m not sure I could answer this question. If I don’t know the answer, then a young woman facing an unplanned pregnancy in my church probably doesn’t know either. In the church I’ve learned about the value of pro-life candidates, fundraising for local pregnancy centers, and the national sin of abortion and God’s impending judgment. But I haven’t learned much about positive, practical efforts to cultivate a culture of life within the congregation. And I’m not the only one.