Thom S. Rainer's Blog, page 210

Young Influencer List, December 2016

By Jonathan Howe

Once again, the goal with this list is not to inflate the egos of those named, but to make you, the readers of ThomRainer.com, aware of the dozens and dozens of Christian leaders who are advancing the gospel in their respective spheres of influence. And while some pundits may sit back and claim Christianity is declining or dying, these leaders are clearly making a statement that it will not happen on their watch. They are passionate about Christ Jesus, His gospel, and taking it to the ends of the earth. The qualifications are quite simple: under 40 and making a Kingdom difference.

So without further ado, here is this month’s young influencer list:

Tim Challies (@challies) – Blogger, Toronto, Ontario, Canada — Yes, Challies did turn 40 this month, but I’m going to include him anyway. As one of the most influential bloggers around, he deserves the recognition.
Dr. Edgar Aponte (@EdgarRAponte) – VP for Mobilization, International Mission Board, Richmond, VA — Edgar previously served as the Director of Hispanic Leadership Development at Southeastern Seminary. He recently left that post to join IMB and direct their global mobilization and communications.
Anna Perez (@mrs_aperez) – National Director of Wives Development for the BLVD Experience, New York, NY — In addition to serving as a pastor’s wife, Anna leads a community of urban church planters’ wives.
Ryan Succop (@ryansuccop) – Kicker, Tennessee Titans, Nashville, TN — In addition to kicking game winning field goals for the Titans, Ryan is active in several ministries in the Nashville area including In His Grip.
David Pothier (@PasteurDavid) – Pastor of La Chapelle, Montreal, Quebec, Canada — David planted and pastors La Chapelle in one of the most unchurched cities in North America.
Laura Magness (@lcmagness) – Content strategist, LifeWay Christian Resources, Franklin, TN — Laura helps shape and write customized curriculum content for churches who are using LifeWay’s smallgroup.com platform.

Please continue to pray for these individuals and their ministries. If you’d like to nominate a young influencer for consideration, let me know on Twitter: @Jonathan_Howe or in the comments section below. For previous young influencer lists, click here.

Jonathan Howe serves as Director of Strategic Initiatives at LifeWay Christian Resources, 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 Commitments of Renewal Every Church Leader Should Make for a New Year

Bah. Humbug.

I admit it. I used to hate New Year resolutions. They seemed so contrived and short-termed. I’ve probably had resolutions to lose over 2,000 pounds over the course of my life.

Obviously, my resolutions have lacked staying power.

Still, I see the New Year as a time for recommitment and re-focus. And though it is simply the changing of the page of a calendar, it is still a good time to be reminded about those areas that are most important in our lives.

With that in mind, I have seven suggestions for church leaders. Consider these seven resolutions to be statements of renewal. Ask others to keep you accountable. Above all, ask God for the wisdom, strength, and perseverance to move these commitments of renewal to reality.

A commitment to move beyond the inward drift in our church. It does not take long for a church to lose its outward focus. It does not take a long time for the tyranny of the urgent to replace the priority of the important. It does not take a long time for most ministries and activities to be focused inwardly instead of outwardly toward the community we serve.
A commitment to renew our attitude. Leading a church is tough. Church members can be critical and demanding. But God has called us to serve in the messiness of life and people. We all can use renewal of our attitude toward others and towards our life situation.
A commitment to become a more grateful leader. It can be natural to focus on the negative, the naysayers, and nitpickers. But we need to turn to prayer and ask for supernatural help in focusing on all the blessings God gives us. A review of Philippians 4:8 would be helpful as well.
A commitment to be a leader of greater faith and courage. Again, this commitment cannot be realized in our own strength and power. But we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.
A commitment to be the leader who realizes our family is our first line of ministry. We seek not to fall into the trap of putting family in opposition to church. First Timothy 3:5 is a clear reminder that our families are our first line of ministry. We can’t be blessed in the totality of our ministry if we are lacking there.
A commitment to clear the church of clutter and activities. By clutter, I mean all the ways we keep our members busy. We are often expecting our members to participate in so many activities that we implicitly discourage them from caring for their families, their health, and their ministries.
A commitment to be an Acts 6:4 leader. If we are not giving focused attention to prayer and the ministry of the Word, we need to get out of vocational ministry. Ministry has become human-powered rather than God-centered.

I remain an obnoxious optimist about the local church. I see God working in so many great ways. I have no reason to believe 2017 will not be a great year for our congregations, especially if our leaders are willing to make these commitments of renewal.

Happy New Year.

Multi-Site Church for the Rest of Us, featuring Jimmy Scroggins – Rainer on Leadership #287

Podcast Episode #287

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

Jimmy Scroggins joins us to tell the story of Family Church in West Palm Beach, FL, and how they have moved to a model of neighborhood churches.

Some highlights from today’s episode include:

If a church calls you as its pastor after not having one for five years, you were not at the top of their list.
“We decided to abandon the regional megachurch strategy in favor of a network of neighborhood churches.”
“Our current models of church planting aren’t always financially sustainable in low income areas.”
“Just because a city is diverse, that doesn’t mean the area is culturally integrated. South Florida is.”
“We are doing multi-site and church planting for the rest of us.”
“You have to use the resources your church has to train the people you have at the highest level possible.”
“Every pastor in every neighborhood can be training leaders to reach people who aren’t being reached.”

About Jimmy Scroggins

Jimmy is husband to Kristin, father to eight, and lead pastor of Family Church—a network of neighborhood churches dedicated to reaching families in South Florida with the gospel.

Episode Sponsors

Are you getting prepared for the changing ministry landscape? Get your Master of Divinity degree at Midwestern Seminary. The M.Div—Midwestern’s flagship degree program—is their primary track for ministry preparation. At just 81 hours, the Midwestern M.Div offers a complete foundation for full-time ministry leaders, offering everything you need, and nothing you don’t. Join other students in vibrant Kansas City as you train in a unique collaborative environment focused on the local church or study online in your current ministry context. Midwestern Seminary is developing a new culture of discipleship devoted to the local church and committed to taking God’s unchanging Word into a rapidly changing world. Join the movement today.

Find out more at mbts.edu/mdiv.

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

Eleven Vital Steps to Minimize Risk of Child Sex Abuse in Your Church

“It will never happen in our church.”

And then it does.

Most church leaders and church members are shocked and unprepared when allegations of child sex abuse arise in their churches. But it is a huge risk in all churches.

Richard Hammar is one of my favorite sources for legal and financial information for the church. Each year he reads 12,000 state appellate and federal court rulings. He takes that information and then ranks the greatest risk to churches.

The number one risk in 2015 was allegations of child sex abuse. In fact, it has been the number one risk for most of the past 20 years.

As we approach a new year, I plead with church leaders to do all they can do to minimize this risk. It is definitely important for the health of the church. But, even more, we need to do everything we can for the safety and care of the children. It’s first about them.

No, we cannot eliminate the risks of allegations of child sex abuse, but we can minimize the risks. Here are eleven key steps to take. The first ten came from Richard Hammar, and the eleventh is mine.

Require membership in the church for an established length of time for anyone who applies to work or volunteer in your children’s ministry. Hammar recommends six months.
Require a written application from both employees and volunteers who work with and around children. Keep digital copies of the applications.
Conduct personal interviews with each person who applies. Keep digital copies of notes from the interviews.
Perform reference checks. Again, keep your digital notes of the conversations.
Run criminal background checks of each applicant. Here is one source to get this information.
Run each candidate’s name through the national sex offender registry. The site is nsopw.gov.
Be diligent about the two-adult rule. A minor should never be left alone with one adult anytime or any place.
Keep all records permanently. In many states discovery is allowed decades after the alleged event occurred.
Have a clear response plan. All leaders and those working with or near children should know how to respond quickly to protect the victim and to comply with all laws.
Have ongoing training for volunteers and staff. Redundancy could save a child. It also demonstrates the church’s diligence in this serious matter.
Make certain your church’s groups operate under all the guidelines of the church as a whole. Church small groups are increasingly becoming more common venues for allegations of child sex abuse.

As your church gets ready to turn the calendar for a new year, please give this issue the highest priority. The church must be protected as much as possible from allegations of child sex abuse.

But, most importantly, we must protect our children regardless of the cost.

Pray for Christian Fellowship Free Church

Location: Chicago, Illinois

Pastor: Tim Gioia

Weekly Worship: 11:00 a.m., Central

Fast Facts: Christian Fellowship Free Church was founded in the 1930s in Chicago as a German speaking Baptist church. As the neighborhood has changed over the years God has been faithful to them throughout the years. The church is a multi-generational, multi-ethnic, reflection of what the gospel can do. They have people living in government housing, nursing homes, and million dollar condos gathered together and united in the gospel. Please pray for the church’s ongoing relationships within its neighborhood. They are trying to grow beyond being known as “the church people vote at” but rather a lighthouse for their neighbors. Pray that they would continue to develop relationships with the leadership of the neighborhood and schools so that they can better serve the community. Pray for opportunities to connect with people in they neighborhood. Finally, please pray for the finances of the church, for the development of leaders and elder, and for the children’s ministry, known as King’s Table. Pray for the children themselves as well as the need for more volunteers.

Website: ChurchInRoscoeVillage.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..

Notable Voices and the Week in Review: December 17, 2016

Earlier this week at ThomRainer.com:

Five Surprising Insights about the Unchurched
Six Surprising Insights Regarding Church Budgets and Salaries
Five Unique Christmas Gifts for Your Pastor and Church Staff
Seven Most Common Mistakes Bloggers Make
The Painful Reality of Church Bully Cartels

 

5 Lies Your Website is Telling About Your Church — Aaron Wilson

If you’re like many churches in the Western world, it’s none of the above. Instead, visitors are likely making first assumptions about your church from its website. As such, it’s worth considering whether your site is being a faithful greeter to guests or if it’s spreading unintentional lies about who you really are. Here are five digital dishonesties your website (or lack of one) might be guilty of communicating.

 

Should Pastors Give to Their Church? — Art Rainer

When we give to our local church, we get to participate in all the amazing ministry God is doing through the church. It is a place of significant impact. He uses your generosity to your church to make a difference in the lives of those in the church, in your community, and around the world. But what about the pastor of a church? Should he give to the church he pastors? It is a question many ask. His salary is derived from gifts given to the church. So if he gives back to the church, isn’t it just creating an unnecessary giving loop? The quick answer is yes, the pastor should give to his church. Here are a few reasons why:

 

3 Financial Tips for Pastors — Randy Stair

I’m not a pastor, but I love pastors. They’re prayerful and thoughtful, and they spend their days shepherding God’s people. I, on the other hand, work with numbers. I’m a finance professional, having served for nearly two decades in executive financial officer positions. Although I’m sure I’ve learned more from my pastors than they have from me, I recognize that I can help them, too. After all, they lead churches that have budgets and are called to be faithful stewards of the resources entrusted to them. Here are three simple pieces of financial advice that I hope will help pastors.

 

3 Unique Leadership Challenges in Ministry to Men — Eric Geiger

Fire is an amazing thing, isn’t it? It can be incredibly helpful—warming your home, cooking your dinner, and when focused, can even cut through steel. Men are similar to fire. Men can either warm families, churches, and communities or they can burn them to the ground. That’s why every church must minister to men in an intentional and strategic way. Ministry to men is challenging for many reasons. Kris Dolberry, who helped with this post, leads our men’s ministry strategy at LifeWay. After years of speaking with pastors and men’s ministry leaders around the country, Kris believes there are at least 3 unique leadership challenges facing a local church’s ministry to men:

 

Wondering if You’re the Next Pastor to Fall — Dave Harvey

In a world where almost anything can be professionalized and outsourced, it’s easy for pastors to farm out their care by finding the primary help for their soul outside of the eldership—sometimes even outside of the church. But just as a train engine pulls the caboose, care tows the burden of accountability. If you are finding your care outside of the people who know you best, then it may be high time to get real. You are living a pretty unaccountable life.

 

3 Ways to Become a Christmas-Loving Pastor — Ronnie Martin

Isn’t Christmas supposed to be a pinnacle of the church year? Isn’t it about light dawning in the darkness, and angel choirs ushering in peace for those whom God loves? Isn’t it that peculiar time of year when you hear “to save us all from Satan’s power while we were gone astray” played in Starbucks, Linus preaching Luke 2 on network television, and scores of unbelievers attending Christmas services to hear the gospel proclaimed? What’s not to love?

 

The Painful Reality of Church Bully Cartels – Rainer on Leadership #286

Podcast Episode #286

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

Church bully cartels are a very real problem in too many churches. Today we look at cartels and how to confront them when they are present in your church.

Some highlights from today’s episode include:

We have too many Christians who choose to remain silent when faced with sin in the church.
It’s a sin to be silent when God has called us to speak up for injustice.
Christians are often hesitant to speak against injustice inside the church because of potential personal repercussions.
It takes a lot more courage to confront injustice inside the church than outside the church.
Church leaders must operate from a posture of courage, not from one of fear.
Church bully cartels cause church leaders to work from a posture of fear.
When the culture of a church turns negative it affects both the leadership and the membership.
A church bully cartel quenches the work of the Spirit in the church.

The five realities we discuss are:

When a cartel is allowed power, the church is already unhealthy.
A church cartel leaves carnages of wounded and dying people.
Church cartels drive away healthy leaders.
Church cartels cause church leaders to work from a posture of fear.
We are told in Scripture to manifest the fruit of the Spirit; the church cartel causes the church to do just the opposite.


Episode Sponsors

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.

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

Five Dangers of the Church Cartel
Autopsy of a Deceased Pastor
Autopsy of a Deceased Church

Seven Most Common Mistakes Bloggers Make

By Jonathan Howe

For more than a decade, I’ve subscribed to, built, read, marketed, launched, and authored blogs. If there were a sixth love language, for me it would be social media and blogs. I’ve seen what works for bloggers…and what doesn’t.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been encouraging you to start blogging in 2017. If you’re considering starting or restarting your blog in 2017 or even continuing your current blog, here are seven mistakes you need to avoid.

Lack of consistency. This is by far the biggest mistake bloggers make—they don’t stick with a plan. Like anything else in life, strategy pays off. If you have a plan and stick with it, good results usually follow. There are certainly times when adjustments can and should be made with your blog schedule. Ultimately, however, a structured blog regimen will be good for both the writer and the reader.
Poor writing. This can be misspellings, poor grammar, poor subject-verb agreement, or even confusing thought flow. Readers will not tolerate writing that confuses them or is obviously bad. However, there’s another end to the poor writing spectrum—overly theological or academic writing. If you’re writing above the heads of your intended audience, it will turn readers away. And pastors are notorious for this. They sometimes use blogs to show off their theological education. Unfortunately for many readers, it comes across like you’re beating them over the head with a dictionary. While pastors should challenge readers theologically, there’s a difference in challenging them and using your education as a weapon.
Not engaging the audience. If you simply write a post and never visit your site or respond to comments, your readers will simply stop engaging. Blogs should be used for dialogue. Offer open-ended questions at the end of posts to engage comments. Not every online comment section has to turn into a dumpster fire. In fact, many times blog comment sections can be where people learn the most.
Not promoting the blog. For many pastors and church leaders, the idea of promoting their blog can be uncomfortable. It doesn’t have to be this way, however. Simply let people know what you’re writing about and where to find it. Social media followers understand it’s part of being a blogger. Don’t overdo your blog promotion, but don’t apologize for it either.
Overthinking and overworking every post. Analysis paralysis is often the downfall of too many bloggers. They edit and edit and edit a post to death trying to find every last pithy statement or specific detail to include. They spend so much work on editing that their writing suffers. Sometimes you just have to hit publish. This is also why shorter posts are often better for blogging. Focus on one specific part of a topic in each post instead of trying to cover more ground. By doing this, you always have another post to write.
Poor web design. If you’re going to put the effort into writing and blogging, then put the effort into having somewhere attractive to publish your thoughts. Again, Mere Agency is one of the best web design companies for Christian bloggers (and churches). If you can’t afford a professional designer, at least spend the money to have a self-hosted blog instead of using Xanga or something like that.
Photos are low quality or not used legally. Finally, photo quality and legality are always an issue with bloggers. Don’t just grab any image off the Internet for your site. Chances are, it’s copyrighted or not eligible for use without royalties. Consider sites like pexels.com or unsplash.com. There are more than a few free photo sites for bloggers. Use them.

What would you add to this list? Have you seen any other major mistakes that bloggers make?

Jonathan Howe serves as Director of Strategic Initiatives at LifeWay Christian Resources, 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.

Five Unique Christmas Gifts for Your Pastor and Church Staff

Corn.

That was my first Christmas gift as a pastor.

A farmer gave our family a basket of corn from his harvest. It meant a lot. We were struggling financially, so the gift of food really helped. But, even more, it was an act of love from a hardworking man. I appreciated his heart as much as I appreciated the physical gift.

I know pastors and church staff pretty well. I know many of their needs, hurts, hopes, and challenges. May I be so bold to suggest some Christmas gifts for them that may not be typical? I have a feeling you could really encourage these servants of God.

A commitment letter of specific prayer. This letter is not just a promise to pray, it is a promise to pray with specificity. I received such a letter from Frances Mason. I loved that senior saint so much! In her letter, she not only promised to pray for me, but she promised to pause for a couple of minutes every day at noon! She also promised to seek others to join her. It became a movement of over 100 people in my church. And it was some of my most rewarding years of ministry.
A commitment letter to stand by the pastor or staff. One of the greatest heartaches of church leaders is not the critics, but those who are silent in the midst of criticism. It means so much when a church member lets a church leader know he has his or her back when attacks or criticisms have little merit.
An anonymous letter of love, support, and cash. When you send cash to a church leader without identifying yourself, that leader realizes you gave the gift with no desire for recognition. I’ve seen church leaders cry tears of joy when they receive such gifts. By the way, the amount of the cash is not nearly as important as the effort itself.
A gift card plus a childcare certificate. This gift is obviously unique for pastors and staff persons who have child care needs if they go anywhere. If you give a restaurant or theater gift card, make an “official “ certificate for childcare services to go with it.
A letter that highlights how that pastor or staff person made a difference in your life and in the church the past year. One of the most rewarding gifts a church leader can receive is a letter with specific recognition of how that person made a difference the past year. Church leaders are certainly grateful for generic expressions of appreciation, but they are particularly moved when someone takes time to add specificity. Imagine how pastors would be so encouraged if they received a letter or email that highlights “20 Ways You Made a Difference This Year.”

Notice that three of the five gifts are neither financial nor material. But they are all expressions of love.

And that means more to these church leaders than you could ever imagine.

Six Surprising Insights Regarding Church Budgets and Salaries – Rainer on Leadership #285

Podcast Episode #285

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

Church budgets and staff salaries are sometimes sore subjects in churches. Today we examine six trends in church budgeting and salaries that affect churches of any size or denomination.

Some highlights from today’s episode include:

Growing churches typically have lower per capita giving than established churches.
Having a large outside income at a church can discourage tithes and offerings from members.
One of the most rapidly growing trends in the church today is the outsourcing of support functions.
No matter the church, you can outsource some functions to save funds and create greater efficiencies.
We are seeing a gradual decrease in church staffing expenses as a percent of budget.
Church staffing needs should be evaluated constantly, not just addressed at budget time or when someone leaves.

The six budget and salary issues we discuss are:

Growing churches pay their pastors and staff slightly less than declining churches.


Only two percent of the churches’ budgets are funded outside congregational giving.


One third of the churches increased the outsourcing of staff over the past five years.


Overall church staffing costs have declined to 49 percent of the budget.


The attendance-to-staff ratio is 76:1.


About 81 percent of churches limit visibility of specific salaries to a board, a subcommittee, or senior staff.


Episode Sponsors

Are you getting prepared for the changing ministry landscape? Get your Master of Divinity degree at Midwestern Seminary. The M.Div—Midwestern’s flagship degree program—is their primary track for ministry preparation. At just 81 hours, the Midwestern M.Div offers a complete foundation for full-time ministry leaders, offering everything you need, and nothing you don’t. Join other students in vibrant Kansas City as you train in a unique collaborative environment focused on the local church or study online in your current ministry context. Midwestern Seminary is developing a new culture of discipleship devoted to the local church and committed to taking God’s unchanging Word into a rapidly changing world. Join the movement today.

Find out more at mbts.edu/mdiv.

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

Church Compensation Trends featuring William Vanderbloemen
Nine Virtual Realities for Churches