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The Relationship Between a Pastor and Worship Leader featuring Jim Shaddix – Rainer on Leadership #282

Podcast Episode #282

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Jim Shaddix joins us to discuss what a healthy relationship between the pastor and worship leader looks like in the local church.

Some highlights from today’s episode include:

“One of the hardest things to do as a worship leader is to worship personally.”
“The tough part of a pastor working with a worship pastor is when they don’t see eye to eye on worship practice.”
“Worship leading should be a disciple-making event.”
“If you are going to teach theology through music, the worship pastor needs a good theological lens.”
“The personal discipleship of a worship leader will show up in the public worship leading.”
“Humility and genuineness are needed in a worship pastor.”
It is difficult for a worship leader to plan a service effectively when no input is provided by the pastor.
“Mentoring should be a part of all church ministry staff relationships.”

About Dr. Jim Shaddix:

Dr. Jim Shaddix serves as Professor of Preaching at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina  He has pastored churches in Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, and Colorado, and also served as Dean of the Chapel and professor of preaching at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in New Orleans. Jim earned a B.S. in Education from Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, Alabama, a Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Ft. Worth, Texas, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Preaching from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.

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

@JimShaddix

Five Reasons You Should Start (or Continue) Blogging in 2017

By Jonathan Howe

I’ve been a sporadic blogger for the past few years. However, my weekly post here at ThomRainer.com has created a routine for blogging for which I am grateful. As we look ahead to 2017, I want to encourage you, the readers of ThomRainer.com, to consider starting (or continuing) a blog next year.

There are several reasons many people begin blogging—many of which can be quite selfish. Fame, prestige, money, or job freedom is not necessarily a bad reason to begin blogging. But if one of those reasons is your driving motivation for blogging, your journey into blogging will be likely short-lived and frustrating. Most bloggers never become famous, most never make money from their site, and most can’t stick with the schedule blogging demands.

All that being said, I do have five positive reasons you really should consider blogging in 2017. If done correctly—and with the proper motivation—maybe a modest amount of prestige and a little side income might come your way as a bonus.

Discipline carries over into other aspects of life. Most new bloggers don’t realize the demands a blog can place on time and creativity. However, once the discipline of blogging is developed, it can benefit you in other aspects of life. Maintaining a blog practically forces you to develop routines and content plans. These routines can be mimicked in your dietary planning, workout regimens, personal discipleship, and relationships. A successful blog may not always mean more page views. Personal growth through the discipline of blogging can be success in and of itself.
Blogging forces you to think more about a subject. We live in a hot take society. There are far too many commentators online and on television who speak before they think. Blogging can help you avoid a hot take mindset if you let it. Yes, some bloggers write before they really think about the words. But many of the most well-known bloggers online put a great amount of thought into their words. To them, every word matters. And the more you think about what you write, the more you grow and develop as a blogger and as a person.
A personal website adds credibility in your professional life. Regardless of your profession, having a professional-looking website helps add credibility. When it comes to dining, we eat with our eyes first. A meal that looks appetizing will psychologically taste better than one that doesn’t—even if it’s the same dish. The same goes with a personal website or blog. If you have an eye-catching site, you will be taken more seriously than if you don’t. This is one of the many reasons I’m a fan of the websites Mere Agency builds. If you’re intimidated about the technical or design work it takes to get a blog running or upgraded, they can help you out.
You network with people you might never have met otherwise. Along with your credibility, your network of friends and acquaintances is likely to grow as you blog. In any given month at ThomRainer.com, we have readers from every country in the world and commenters from many of them as well. There is no way we will ever meet all of our readers or visit every country our readers live in. But the number of people we have met through this site is incalculably greater than it would be if ThomRainer.com did not exist. The same will be the case when you start consistently blogging.
Blogging can accentuate discipleship of the readers. This might be the most important aspect of blogging if you are a pastor. Pastors, you have the opportunity to speak into the lives of your congregation on a more regular basis when you blog. I encourage you to capitalize on the opportunity you have through blogging and use it to further the discipleship of your congregation.

Have any of you who blog realized these benefits? What other benefits might you add? If you don’t blog, what are some benefits you would hope to realize if you did?

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 Dangers of the Church Cartel

The pastor did not see it coming.

Sure, there were some hints and signs, but nothing to prepare him for the meeting on Saturday with the personnel committee.

He was told he needed to resign. There was no explanation given. He had only been given positive reviews to this point. Some of the people on the personnel committee had been his supporters and friends.

He was shocked.

The pastor was leading change in the church. The church was growing and vibrant. But a couple of weak staff members didn’t like the direction and expected accountability. They teamed with the known church bully and went before the personnel committee. They presented their perspectives.

The pastor never was asked his perspective. He could have fought the weak personnel committee and likely won. But he didn’t want to tear apart a church he loved.

He resigned.

For the sake of the church he loved, he resigned.

He was yet another victim of the church cartel.

A church cartel is an alliance of bullies, bully-followers, carnal Christians, and even non-Christians in the church. Its ultimate goal is to get its way. It feeds off of selfish power.

We don’t like to talk about church cartels. After all, it’s not the Christian thing to do. But they exist in too many churches. And if they are not exposed, they will continue to wreak havoc.

Here are five of the very dangerous realities of the church cartel:

When a cartel is allowed power, the church is already unhealthy. The cartel is, by its definition, self-centered and power-driven. A church is already very sick if members remain silent and do not confront this evil directly.
A church cartel leaves carnages of wounded and dying people. If you have any doubts about this danger, please see my post on “Autopsy of a Deceased Pastor.” See the comments. See the pain and questions and defeat the cartel leaves behind.
Church cartels drive away healthy leaders. Some of these leaders are driven away by the cartel. Others leave on their own accord because they want to be in a joyous and healthy church. Their departure exacerbates the problems in these churches.
Church cartels cause church leaders to work from a posture of fear. Instead of moving forward in faith, church leaders often spend more time worrying about how their decisions will impact the cartel. These leaders know the cartel will come after them if they go contrary to the carnal group’s wishes.
We are told in Scripture to manifest the fruit of the Spirit; the church cartel causes the church to do just the opposite. Galatians 5:22-23 is clear about the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control. Church cartels bring hate, discord, anxiety, impatience, evil, fear, brutality, and chaos.

Churches that have cartels usually know they are present. They know who the bully is. They know who the bully followers are. They see them. They hear them. And they often fear them.

Courageous leaders must confront and stop church cartels. If no one is willing, the church is already on a path toward decline and death.

The Intersection of Theology and Worship featuring Louie Giglio – Rainer on Leadership #281

Podcast Episode #281

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Louie Giglio joins us to discuss the wedding of worship and theology and how the Passion movement has made that a cornerstone of its existence for the past two decades.

Passion is an annual gathering of 18-25 year olds. The next event will take place January 2-4, 2017, in Atlanta, GA, at the Georgia Dome, with more than 60,000 college students expected to fill up the dome and raise the banner of Jesus. Also, this week is a big price break registration deadline—prices go up December 1 so college students and their leaders need to register by Wednesday, November 30 this week to get the best prices. As a bonus to our listeners, if you want to save $20 off of the current price, use the rate code SAVE$20 at checkout.

Some highlights from today’s episode include:

“Worship is our response to who God is and what He has done for us.”
“A life lived best is a life lived for what matters most.”
“The gospel is the engine of worship. Without the gospel, there is no worship.”
“The biggest competitor to worship is a shortsightedness to the gospel.”
“There’s a new generation coming and someone has to be there to point them to Jesus.”
“We didn’t set out to make Passion worship albums. We set out as a theological movement with a theological core.”
“The greatest thing in time, space, and eternity is the fame, the name, and the glory of Jesus Christ.”


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

Passion Conferences
Passion City Church

Five Personal Leadership Lessons I’ve Learned the Hard Way

I am not a great leader.

In fact, there are times I’ve wondered if I am even a good leader.

I have positional leadership, but that does not mean I am truly a leader.

There are several reasons for this rather negative self-assessment, but the essence of my own evaluation comes from my failure to learn quickly and adjust. It’s one thing to make a mistake as a leader; we all do. But it’s another to make a mistake and not learn from it immediately. That reality describes me way too often.

My transparency is not one of false humility. I am sharing these five lessons with the hopes and prayers it will help others. These are lessons I’ve learned the hard way because I have too often failed to adjust even when I’ve known I need to do so.

I sometimes am unprepared to lead on a given day because I have not been in the Word. Think for a moment of the absurdity of my disobedience. I have the opportunity to be in God’s Word, to hear directly from Him, and I fail to do so. I cannot imagine a more blatant act of poor leadership than this one.
I have almost given up right before my greatest victories as a leader. I know. At least I didn’t give up. At least I got to realize God’s victories for me. But it begs the question: How many times have I really given up and, thus, failed to see His way to victory? How many times have I been a quitter instead of a leader?
I have made more mistakes by moving too slowly than moving too quickly. I knew I needed to make that personnel move. I knew it was best for the organization and, ultimately, the person involved. Wise counselors around me told me so as well. But I hesitated. I knew that delay would not solve anything. To the contrary, it would only exacerbate the problem. So I led from a posture of fear instead of faith. The problem ultimately was so much worse than it needed to be.
I have followed others dreams instead of my own. I’ve had a number of well-intended friends who “knew” what was best for my life. And though I really knew differently, I went their way instead of God’s way for my life. Every time, though I knew better, my decision ended up being a bad decision. There’s nothing wrong with seeking counsel. But it’s totally wrong to go down a path that is not your own.
I have failed at humility. I really thought I was this great guy who had the answers. Sometimes I thought I was the smartest person in the room. Too often I have shown my rear end (figuratively please) rather than show my heart. I am not God’s gift of leadership to the world. Unfortunately, I have sometimes acted like I am.

Again, my purpose in this post is neither self-deprecation nor false humility. The purpose is to provide a clear and urgent warning for others lest they go down the forsaken path I should have never traveled.

Pray for Macedonia Baptist Church

Location: Chandler, Texas

Pastor: Carl George

Weekly Worship: 11:00 AM, Central

Fast Facts: Macedonia Baptist Church is 116 years old, and while there are fewer than 100 members, they have seen about a 20% increase in the past eight months. Much of the growth has been students and kids and has led the church to start a children’s worship service. Please pray for their women’s missions group as they provide snacks for Meals on Wheels each week as well as their brotherhood ministry which provides food for less fortunate families in the community. Also, please be in prayer for their holiday canned food drive, their holiday meal program , and their upcoming Conference for Young Men. Finally, please pray that Macedonia Baptist will continue to be a positive active force in their community and a beacon of light that brings lost souls to Christ.

Website: MBC-Chandler.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: November 26, 2016

Earlier this week at ThomRainer.com:

“I Want My Old Church Back!”—Five Responses
8 Causes of Concern for Bible Belt Churches
Seven Things to Consider When Your Sermon Stinks
Thankful…for You
Four Qualities of an Effective Worship Leader

 

6 Leadership Lessons Sports Taught Us in 2016 — Art Rainer

History was made, and some of the greatest athletes of our time hung up their spikes, cleats, and goggles. It was also a year when sports gave us a few great leadership lessons. What leadership lessons did sports teach us in 2016? Here are a few:

 

12 Ways to Know If You’re Pastoring Like a Boss – Or Like a Leader — Karl Vaters

Sadly, too few people in positions of authority know the difference between being a boss or being a leader. Mostly, because we haven’t grasped servanthood. There are some simple ways to tell the difference between a boss and a servant leader. And they come, not surprisingly, from the life and example of Jesus.

 

7 Counter-Cultural Opportunities Most Church Leaders Simply Miss — Carey Nieuwhof

Why are these skills slipping away? Because, for example, when you lose the reason to love each other (a commitment to a Saviour who loves you), you very often lose the motivation for loving others. Self becomes king. In fact—and here’s the surprise—some of the things Christians have always valued are the things the culture most needs and wants.

 

Your Best Sermons are Your Least Favorite — Nicholas McDonald

For me, I value: Excellence. Fluidity. Choice Words and Phrases. Consistency: nothing deviates from my plan or point. No stuttering, no wandering, nothing unpredictable or unexpected. But the congregation often values something else: Electricity. Authenticity. Spontaneity. Genuine Connection. A moment being shared, for the first time, together. In other words: congregants value the sense that their presence is what makes a sermon work.

 

The Common Sin of Middle Age Believers — Barry York

Being a middle-aged believer myself, my real concern is speaking to my own heart and my own age group. For I wonder aloud if complacency is not our most common sin? We have met many challenges that youth presented. We have taken risks and secured through work many goods. The Lord has blessed our efforts for his kingdom, and we begin to rest on our laurels.

 

40 Reasons to Be Thankful for Pastors — Brandon Hilgemann

Some pastors have given the title a bad name. But for the most part, from my experience, the majority of pastors I have met are sincerely doing their best to follow Jesus and remain faithful to their call. For that, we owe them our gratitude.

 

Four Qualities of an Effective Worship Leader – Rainer on Leadership #280

Podcast Episode #280

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

Mike Harland joins us to kick off a four-part series on worship in the church by examining the four essential qualities of a worship leader.

Some highlights from today’s episode include:

“Musical worship should be led skillfully.”
“Music is not our message in the church. It is our language.”
“Shepherds develop flocks. Musical artists don’t develop people, typically.”
“If a worship pastor is not relational, he/she can quickly become isolated from the rest of the ministries of the church.”
“The worship leader who will have tenure and impact beyond the stage is someone who is relational with the people of the church.”
“Because of the way churches setup their facility and staffs, the music suite can easily become isolated from the rest of the church.”
“Worship pastors should be involved in the whole mission of the church, not just the music.”

The four qualities we discuss are:

Musically excellent, but so much more
Has a high “RQ”
Can play QB, but doesn’t have to
Embraces the larger mission


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

LifeWayWorship.com

Thankful…for You

By Jonathan Howe

As we celebrate this day of Thanksgiving, we want to say thanks to you, our readers and listeners. ThomRainer.com and the Rainer on Leadership podcast have experienced unprecedented growth over the past few years—and it is all because of you, the readers and listeners of the blog and podcast.

While the blog itself has continued to gain readers each year, the podcast has really taken off in the past 24 months. You, our listeners, recently pushed the total downloads of the podcast past 2,000,000, and we expect 2017 to be the biggest year yet for the podcast. We have some amazing guests scheduled for future episodes and are so thankful to have Vanderbloemen Search Group and Midwestern Seminary back as sponsors for 2017.

Today, however, we’d like to share with you some of our favorite podcast episodes from the past. Many of you may be new to Rainer on Leadership, so here is a list of some of the top episodes you may have missed:

Why Congregational Singing Is Waning – Rainer on Leadership #215
Why Pastors Often Leave Their Church in the Third Year – Rainer on Leadership #117
Six Church Practices That Are Fading – Rainer on Leadership #222
Change or Die…The Five Types of Dying Churches – Rainer on Leadership #239
How to Grow Discipleship in Your Church, featuring Robby Gallaty – Rainer on Leadership #190
The Disappearance of Choirs – Rainer on Leadership #226
How Churches Can Pray More Effectively – Rainer on Leadership #191
10 Keys to Developing a Healthy Church Staff – Rainer on Leadership #119
What Does a Healthy Church Budget Look Like? – Rainer on Leadership #115
How to Make Announcements in Worship Services – Rainer on Leadership #098

Feel free to binge on these today and over the weekend. We’ll be back with a brand new episode tomorrow in which Mike Harland joins us to discuss The Four Qualities of an Effective Worship Leader. You won’t want to miss it.

Seven Things to Consider When Your Sermon Stinks

Have you ever had that terrible feeling after preaching a sermon?

You know, the feeling where you can’t wait to get home and hide under the covers?

Every pastor experiences it. All pastors dread it.

The sermon is over, and you conclude that your message was terrible. For those who preach 40 to 100 times a year, it will happen. Indeed it will happen on more than one occasion. Here are seven things for you to consider at that moment.

Your self-assessment could be wrong. Just because you think the sermon stinks doesn’t mean others feel the same. Pastors are typically their own worst critics. The Holy Spirit works in ways we do not readily see.
The critic could be wrong. Sometimes we feel lousy because of something a church member said after the sermon. I used to cringe when someone would tell me how a television, radio, or podcast preacher approached the text in a better way. Guess what? That church member could be dead wrong. Don’t assume he or she knows how God really worked in your sermon.
Our standards are not always the same as God’s standards. The pastor told me the story of one his self-perceived lousiest sermons. “I was just off, he said. “I don’t know how else to explain it. I could tell the congregation was not connecting too.” But there was one young man who connected. The Holy Spirit convicted him. He soon became a follower of Christ. His wife soon followed. And so did their four children. And so did his father, only two months before he died.
No one is perfect in the pulpit all the time. Okay, your sermon stinks. Join a very large club. There will simply be times that you are not at your best. Accept your humanity and move on.
Congregations tend to be very forgiving. While you will likely have a few naysayers, the great majority of the congregation loves you. They understand the rigors of your preaching every week. They understand some sermons will be better than others. They will forgive you quickly for the occasional stinker. And they will forget that stinker quickly as well.
The stinking sermon is an opportunity to improve. Don’t just dwell on the negatives of the sermon. Look for opportunities to improve. Ask God to show you how to communicate His Word with greater effectiveness. He will.
Remember, its not about you; it’s about Him. One key reason for being so hard on ourselves is that we think too much of ourselves. We worry what others think. We evaluate ourselves according to standards different from God’s. We need to realize daily that He is in control. We need to die to self daily. Guess what? God can take our imperfections, even our stinking sermons, and use it for His glory. Trust Him. Rest in Him. Leave the results to Him.

Let me hear from you.