Thom S. Rainer's Blog, page 218

Pray for Union Hill Church

Location: Alpharetta, Georgia

Interim Pastor: Mike Franklin

Weekly Worship: 10:00 a.m. & 11:00 a.m., Eastern

Fast Facts: Union Hill Church has been in existence since 1838 and is located in a fast-growing area of metro Atlanta that has completely changed since the church was founded. What used to be a rural community is now a center for technology as well as financial services companies. As a result, there are 37,000 people in the zip code and many have moved to the area from India and China. The church will be hosting a Christmas musical in Mid-December and plan to promote the event in a large apartment community across the street from the church. Many foreign-born technology professionals live in that community, so please pray that God will give Union Hill wisdom to know how to reach into this community and will help the entire congregation unite behind this effort in prayer. Please pray for the church as they seek revitalization, a permanent pastor, workers to help re-launch key ministries for children and youth, and an outward focus to build relationships with the unreached people groups who have moved to the area so that they can share the love of Jesus with them.

Website: UnionHillAlpharetta.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: October 1, 2016

Pastors Are Not Quitting In Droves — Mark Dance

We have all heard, and perhaps shared, these “staggering” scary stats about pastors who leave the ministry every month. The truth is sometimes worse than myth, but fortunately not in this case.

 

Americans Love God and the Bible, Are Fuzzy on the Details — LifeWay Research

Americans don’t know much about theology. Most say God wrote the Bible. But they’re not sure everything in it is true.

 

4 Warning Signs Your Church Isn’t Developing Leaders — Eric Geiger

Embedded in the Christian faith is a history of multiplying, a command to make disciples, and a promise that our mission will not be thwarted. Sadly, many churches struggle to develop leaders. Here are four warning signs…

 

You Know You’re Really Preaching the Gospel When… — Dave Harvey

Because of it’s nebulous nature, some pastors desperately try to find some measurement or number that will help them determine if they are successful. They want to be assured they are doing a good job.

 

3 Ways To Make Your Church Staff Retreats More Effective — Katie Viscontini

Instead of doing the same boring or awkward things you may do at every retreat, focus on these three areas to make your staff retreats as effective as possible.

 

Is Seminary Really Necessary? — Tim Challies

The church has been well-served by pastors who ministered without formal seminary training. John Bunyan, Charles Spurgeon, and Martyn Lloyd-Jones are standout examples of men who had impactful and long-lasting ministries even though they never attended seminary. No wonder, then, that the question often arises: Is seminary really necessary? Might it be better to get straight into ministry instead of expending so much time and effort in preparing for ministry?

 

Four Reasons People Are Dropping Out of Church – Rainer on Leadership #264

Podcast Episode #264

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

Discipleship is critical to many aspects of the church, but today we discuss the link between the lack of discipleship and dropping out of church. It’s a much closer link that you might think. Disciple’s Path is but one resource we mention that might help combat this.

Some highlights from today’s episode include:

Churches where people demand to be served instead of being servants have ceased being Biblical churches—they are religious country clubs.
When people see church as an option, church membership and attendance becomes disposable.
Once you start treating church as disposable, that’s when you begin to drop out.
If we truly have a servant attitude, we won’t see church attendance as optional.
If you don’t challenge someone on the front end, you will have trouble holding them accountable later on.
People want to be a part of a church that is making a difference.
Discipleship often begins with preaching—but it does not end there.
The most common characteristic found in true disciples is daily Bible reading.
The most common question I get from pastors about discipleship is “where do we start?”

The four reasons for dropping out of church that we discuss are:

The disposable mindset.


People aren’t serving.


People aren’t challenged.


People aren’t discipled.


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

Disciple’s Path
Discerning Your Call to Ministry, Featuring Dr. Jason Allen

Young Influencer List, September 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:

Brett Kern (@BrettKern6) – Punter for the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, TN – In addition to his punting duties with the Titans, during the offseason you can find Brett working with several ministries including In His Grip.
Jamie Ivey (@jamie_ivey) – Podcaster, Speaker, Writer, and Adoption Advocate, Austin, TX – Jamie hosts the incredibly popular Happy Hour with Jamie Ivey podcast.
Rich Perez (@RichPerez729) – Pastor and Church Planter, New York, NY – Rich planted Christ Crucified Fellowship in the Washington Heights neighborhood of NYC in 2011.
Dan DeWitt (@DanDeWitt) – Associate Professor of Applied Theology and Apologetics at Cedarville University, Cedarville, OH – In addition to his classroom duties, Dan leads Cedarville’s new Center for Biblical Apologetics and Public Christianity.
Paul Sohn (@pauljsohn) – Leadership Blogger, San Diego, CA – A senior associate with GiANT Worldwide, Paul is a leading voice for Christian leaders.
Emily Freeman (@emilypfreeman) – Author & Blogger, Greensboro, NC – Emily’s first book, Grace for the Good Girl, exploded onto the scene in 2011. Since then, she’s gone on to write three more books and speak all over the country.

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 Areas Where Pastors Have Failed at Reading Minds

On rare occasions, I wish I could read minds.

Granted, most of the time I have no desire to know what’s on the minds of others. But there have been times when I wish I knew exactly what my wife would like for her birthday or our anniversary. When I was a pastor, however, it would have really come in handy. Today, hardly a week goes by where pastors do not share a story with me about their failure at mind reading. Here are seven common examples.

When a church member is sick or in the hospital. “I got chewed out by a church member a month ago,” a pastor shared with me. “I failed to visit her while she was in the hospital. When I told her I didn’t know she was in the hospital, she responded that I should have.”
When there is a death. “I missed a funeral, and I am still getting criticized for it,” noted a Colorado pastor. “A church member’s mother died. The funeral was about an hour away, but I never knew a thing about it until after the fact. The church member told me she doesn’t think she can keep giving to a church where the pastor neglects her.”
When emphasizing ministries in the church. This one came from my Church Answers mentoring group. The pastor was warned by an elder that he was in trouble because he was talking more about the children’s ministry than the student ministry. It was true, the pastor said. Those in the children’s ministry are highly accountable and give regular updates. He rarely hears anything about the student ministry.
When there is a meeting. The church member knew the pastor did not know about the meeting she led, but she was still infuriated. “He should have been there,” she fumed. “The pastor is supposed to know what’s going on in the church.”
When the budget is being prepared. “You don’t care anything about our ministry,” the deacon said. “The church doesn’t have any funds in the budget for us.” The wounded pastor did not know the deacons wanted funding. He should have read their minds.
When someone wants to talk. The pastor summarized the conversation in this manner: “Pastor, I have been really down lately. I don’t know why you haven’t taken time to call me.” The pastor did not know the member was struggling with depression. He had over 500 other members, and he couldn’t read their minds either.
When someone celebrates a special occasion. “I don’t know if I will survive this one, “ a pastor told me. “I missed the 50th wedding anniversary of one of our senior leaders. Her husband does not come to church, and no one told me about the anniversary celebration. But my explanation does not seem to make any difference to her.”

Pastors and church staff have hundreds of things and people on their minds. We cannot expect them to know or to anticipate all of our needs.

The solution is simple.

Don’t assume the pastor should know.

Communicate.

Why Pastors Shouldn’t be the Only Ones Visiting Members – Rainer on Leadership #263

Podcast Episode #263

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

This recent post at ThomRainer.com sparked an intense debate on the subject of pastors and visitation. So today, we highlight that post and the points made in the post and the comments.

Some highlights from today’s episode include:

Pastors are to equip members for the work of the ministry.
If a pastor is doing all the ministry in a church, the members are having their God-given mandate taken away.
Many of our congregations today have a “serve me” mentality.
If the pastor is only caring for the people in the church, the people will only care for the people in the church.
The lives of your members inform your sermons, but the Text guides what you preach.
So many times pastors are worried about pacifying the saints that they fail to reach out to sinners.
If you take away from a pastor’s outward focus, you’re likely taking away from the church’s evangelistic push.
Pastoral turnover is too high in a lot of denominations.
Biblical church members want to be a part of a church that’s making a difference.

The 15 reasons why pastors should not be the only ones visiting members are:

It’s unbiblical.
It deprives members of their roles and opportunities.
It fosters a country club mentality.
It turns a church inwardly.
It takes away from sermon preparation.
It takes away from the pastor’s outward focus.
It takes away vital leadership from the pastor.
It fosters unhealthy comparisons among the members.
It is never enough.
It leads to pastoral burnout.
It leads to high pastoral turnover.
It puts a lid on Great Commission growth of the church.
It leads pastors to get their affirmation from the wrong source.
It causes biblical church members to leave.
It is a sign that the church is dying.


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

I Am a Church Member
Autopsy of a Deceased Church

The Three Most Common Sentences of Dying Churches

If churches could speak, what would their words be on their deathbeds?

You don’t have to wait until a church closes its doors to hear some of the sentences that led to its death. Indeed, these three sentences, or something similar to the words, are pervasive in too many churches.

“We’ve never done it that way before.” This sentence has become the classic example of a church resisting change. While we should never change or compromise the truths of God’s Word, most change resistance is over methodologies, preferences, and desires. Unfortunately, these battles are typically over matters of minutia. One church recently had a battle over using a screen in the worship services. A matriarch argued that the Apostle Paul did not have a projector screen. I guess Paul was comfortable with his printed hymnal.
“Our pastor does not visit enough.” Churches with this complaint often have highly unreasonable expectations of the pastor. The pastor could visit members 24/7 and it would still not be enough. Some of the church members in these churches compare length and frequency of pastoral visits to see who is getting the most attention. These churches are inwardly focused and headed for decline and, many times, imminent death.
“People know where our church is if they want to come here.” This sentence is fraught with problems. First, it assumes the church is a place, that the physical location of the church building is the church. The church, working under this erroneous assumption, can never get outside its walls because it will cease to be the church. Second, this sentence is often used as an excuse for congregations to stay in their “holy huddles,” and never evangelize the community. Third, in some cases it is a cover-up sentence for prejudice and racism. The community outside the church has changed, but the church has not. The members of the church really do not want “those people” invading their fortress.

Numbers of churches are closing their doors every day. And the members of those churches would have never thought that sorrowful day would arrive.

You have an opportunity right now to look at the warning signs in your church. If these sentences, or some variation of them, are part of the common language of your congregation, the church is in trouble.

Yes, your church can turnaround in God’s power. Unfortunately, most church members of these congregations will not forego their personal preferences, comforts, and prejudices to change.

And that type of mindset, sadly, is a certain path toward death.

Pray for Owl Creek Baptist Church

Location: Mount Vernon, Ohio

Pastor: Matthew Brown

Weekly Worship: 10:30 AM, Eastern

Fast Facts: Owl Creek Baptist Church has been in existence since 1809, and is still going strong. Pastor Matthew Brown has been at the church for just over a year now, and the church recently hosted its annual outdoor music festival fundraiser, Praisestock. The proceeds from this event go to support local food pantries to assist with community needs. Please pray for the follow-up from Praisestock. Also pray that unchurched people would continue to meet Jesus through their ministries.

Website: OwlCreekBaptistChurch.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: September 24, 2016

When Pastors Doubt — Barnabas Piper

Everyone doubts – besetting doubts, passing doubts, nagging doubts. The church is full of doubters, whether or not we like to admit it.

 

Why Don’t Small Churches Grow? (Actually, They Do) — Karl Vaters

Big churches do great things, too. But small churches grow disciples and plant other churches really well.

 

10 Free Online Preaching Resources — Kevin Halloran

[These] free online preaching resources include links to a free mp3 or video resources along with related books for further learning. My hope is that these resources would deepen your convictions and sharpen your handling of God’s Word so that His Word would flow mightily in your life and your church.

 

4 Church Finance Mistakes and How to Fix Them — Art Rainer

Whether they know it or not, many churches are making mistakes that could lead to major consequences. These could be things your church does every day or things that only come up every now and then, but it’s crucial to be aware of them and how to handle them.

 

5 Unfair Myths About Megachurches It’s Time To Bust — Carey Nieuwhof

Even on a simple logical level, saying all megachurches are bad is like saying all small or mid-sized churches are bad. It’s just simplistic and illogical thinking.

 

The State of the Church 2016 — Barna Research

Based on a large pool of data collected over the course of this year, Barna conducted an analysis on the state of the church, looking closely at affiliation, attendance and practice to determine the overall health of Christ’s Body in America.

 

Discerning Your Call to Ministry, Featuring Dr. Jason Allen – Rainer on Leadership #262

Podcast Episode #262

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

I’m often asked for advice on discerning a call to ministry. Dr. Jason Allen joins us to flesh out this call and discuss his new book on the topic.

Some highlights from today’s episode include:

“Every Christian everywhere is called to minister.”
“The first sign of a call to ministry is an intense, all-absorbing desire for the work.”
“God has very clear expectations for how the minister should live.”
“Ministry is not a one-time threshold to cross; it’s an ongoing accountability to God’s Word and God’s people.”
“The testimony of the church in many ways hinges on the testimony of those who lead it.”
“The church is responsible for the leaders they call.”
“Churches are cosigning on the lives of students they send to seminary.”
“If the gospel is not the center of ones passion in ministry, one won’t last too long in ministry.”

About Dr. Jason Allen:

Dr. Jason K. Allen serves as president of Midwestern Seminary. He has served as pastor and interim pastor of churches in Alabama and Kentucky over the past fifteen years. He currently serves the church more broadly through writing and preaching ministries, including his own website (jasonkallen.com) and podcast (Preaching and Preachers). He and his wife, Karen, have five children: Anne-Marie, Caroline, William, Alden, and Elizabeth.

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

Discerning Your Call to Ministry
Midwestern Seminary
JasonKAllen.com