Thom S. Rainer's Blog, page 220

Four Models of Dying Churches – Rainer on Leadership #259

Podcast Episode #259

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Dying churches is a frequent topic on the blog. Today, we discuss four specific models of churches that can be considered on a path to death.

Some highlights from today’s episode include:

Without the centrality of Scripture, you don’t really have a church.
The natural tendency of a Christian or a Church is to drift away from Scripture.
If you look in the mirror and ask the right questions, you will get a dose of reality.
There’s a big difference in a country club and a church.
The country club church is pervasive in western culture.
Church business meetings are typically a time of dread for pastors and staff.
A “Bad Words Church” ultimately becomes a toxic church.
A lot of churches are metaphorically burning down, and no one is yelling “FIRE!”

The four types of dying churches we discuss are:

The Ex-Bible Church
The Country Club Church
The Bad Words Church
The Ex-Community Church


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

Why Conservative Churches Are Growing
I Am a Church Member

Seven Ways Pastors Can Deal with the Monday Blues

It can be the toughest day of the week for pastors.

They have preached with passion and conviction. They have prayed for lives to be impacted. They have worked 15 hours on Sunday.

Some have taken the barbs from critics. Others have self-doubt about their sermons.

Some are considering quitting.

I know. I “resigned” about 25 times in the last church I served as pastor.

May I offer some suggestions for dealing with the Monday blues? This counsel is actually the aggregation of conversations I’ve had with pastors much wiser than I.

Here are seven of those suggestions:

Pray. Take an hour to have a conversation with God. Get away from the office and go to a quiet place. Focus on those areas where you can praise and thank God.
Remember that you are involved in spiritual warfare. Some of the blues might come from the Enemy. Fight the adversary with the Word of God and with prayer.
Don’t get obsessed with one week of numbers. Budgets and attendance can have wild fluctuations. Don’t base your worth on nickels and noses. Use numbers in a godly strategic way, but don’t let them control you week by week.
Pray for those who have been negative to you. Christ did indeed tell us to love our enemies (Matthew 5:42-44). While it might be an overstatement to call a critical church member an enemy, we can still love and pray for those who have been negative to us.
Stay healthy. Our physical condition affects our emotions. Eat well. Exercise regularly. Treat your body as the gift from God that it truly is.
Understand the slow nature of leading change in an established church. Major changes rarely happen in a short period. There will always be resistance to some change. Don’t get caught up in the weekly ebbs and flows. Keep a long-term perspective.
Find ways to celebrate and to express your love to the congregation. Write some notes of gratitude. Instead of sulking in the Monday morning doldrums, find ways to express thanksgiving to others. Here is a blog post by Sam Rainer where he expressed his love to his church. It was posted on a Monday.

Serving as pastor can be an incredibly difficult job. Indeed, the only way one can thrive as a pastor is to have a secure call to the vocation.

But having a call does not mean you won’t experience tough days. And many of those tough days are Mondays.

By the way, I often pray for the readers of my blog and for the listeners of my podcast. I am becoming especially mindful to pray for you on Monday.

Let me hear from you.

Pray for Open Door Ministries

Location: Bronx, New York

Pastor: Luis Ramos

Weekly Worship: 11:00 AM, Eastern

Fast Facts: Open Door Ministries began in January 4, 2015 in Pastor Ramos’ living room with his wife and two children. Since then, the living room has been full and just last week, the church moved into a community center in Co-op City, one of the largest cooperative residences in the world with more than 50,000 residents. Open Door is also in the process of establishing a Therapeutic Mentoring program for the youth and children of the Bronx community. Please pray for a counseling program that will begin in October to empower youth and children spiritually and help them make healthy life choices. Also pray that they will be faithful to the call of the gospel and not become complacent in their worship.

Website: OpenDoorMinistries.net

“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 10, 2016

8 Hallmarks of Attractional and Gospel-Centered Churches — Jared Wilson

Jared let out a stream of tweets about this topic earlier in the week. He’s collected his thoughts on attractional and gospel-centered churches into this post.

 

4 Practical Guidelines for Reading Old Testament Stories — George Guthrie

It’s good to know the stories of the Old Testament, but it’s better to engage with them. George explains how.

 

20 Quick Tips to Improve Your Productivity — Tim Challies

This is a great list from Tim.

 

10 Public Speaking Tips from Charles Spurgeon — Christian George

This Spurgeon blog is really taking off. But I’m not sure suggestion #9 will.

 

7 Safeguards for Using Humor in Preaching — Brandon Hilgeman

Humor can be effective, but not if you turn your sermon into a stand-up routine.

 

27 Ways To Bless Your Pastor During Pastor Appreciation Month — Mark Dance

Next month is Pastor Appreciation Month. Don’t miss the opportunity to honor your pastor.

 

Why You Should Consider Not Requiring Office Hours for Ministerial Staff – Rainer on Leadership #258

Podcast Episode #258

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

Reflecting on a post by Sam Rainer, we discuss the parameters of when office hours are needed—and not needed—for church staff.

Some highlights from today’s episode include:

Does your staff have a good work ethic? Do you trust them? Are they accountable?
At least a modest number of office hours is a good thing for church staff.
The world of ministry is not an 8-5 job.
Ministry does not happen on a set schedule.
Many pastors never feel like they are “off duty.”
A church staff is there to do ministry, not just to serve the pastor.
If I don’t trust someone on my leadership team, I don’t want them on my team.
Most church revitalizations come from churches who love their community enough to be in their community more and more.

The seven reasons for not requiring office hours that we discuss are:

The church bubble is often the church building.
Ministry does not happen on a set schedule.
The pastor is selfish.
People are more accessible because of technology.
Trust.
Fewer walk-ins.
Creating a culture of going.


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

Keys to a Multi-Generational Worship Ministry
Six Reasons Why Church Members Choose One Worship Service Over Another

Three Keys to Creating Inspiring Church Communications

By Jonathan Howe

This post concludes a four-part series on church communications planning and strategy. I’ve previously written on engaging and informing your members and potential church guests. Today, we turn out attention to inspiring them.

It’s not enough to simply inform an audience. Ultimately you want them to pass on the information as well. These three elements of your church communications will help motivate your church members to share information about your church.

Use high quality graphics. The graphics you choose can be the difference in someone sharing your content and not sharing it. When it comes to social media (especially Facebook), posts with good graphics are shared more than those without. Having a well-designed post and graphic can be the difference in someone sharing your information or not. And that can ultimately mean the difference in someone seeing it and taking action or not.
Use the right tools. We recently dropped a podcast episode on tools of the trade for pastors and church staff. The tools we listed help make ministers more effective and more productive. When it comes to graphics and communications, using the right tools can make a huge difference. Here are some recommended tools:

Email: Mailchimp, ConvertKit
Graphic Design: Photoshop, Canva
Stock Images: Pexels, Lightstock, iStockphoto
Social Media: Hootsuite, Buffer, Sprout Social


Don’t be afraid to ask, but use caution. Sometimes we are too hesitant to “make the ask” with church communications. If it’s needed, don’t be afraid to ask for the audience to take action. However, if every post or message is a hard sell, then people will tune your messages out. Use discretion when making the ask, but do it in a way that encourages them to act and doesn’t shame people for not acting.

What tools would you add to this list? Do you have certain language that you use to make the ask?

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 Bad Apologies by Leaders

You will make a mistake.

Most of you will do something stupid.

I know. Been there. Done that.

I really don’t like to share my experience with apologies, because it is evidence of my bad leadership. But leaders need to learn to apologize. Real apologies. Sincere apologies.

Leadership credibility will only be restored if leaders are willing to apologize. But too many leaders offer non-apology apologies. Here are five of the really bad ones:

“If I offended anyone . . .” This one is also called the hypothetical apology. There is really no mention of wrongdoing. It tries to put the responsibility of the apology on the offended party or parties.
“For whatever harm I caused . . .” Look, if you are unwilling to acknowledge your actions or words hurt people, don’t waste your breath on a non-apology like this one. You should state specifically your wrongdoing and acknowledge your awareness of it.
“But . . .” Anytime you offer this conjunction, you are attempting to justify your actions. If you say, “I apologize, but . . .” you are not apologizing at all. That little conjunction can do a lot of harm. It’s like telling your spouse, “I love you, but . . . “
Blah, blah, blah, blah. Some apologies have so many added words and sentences that you can miss the apology in the verbiage. Real apologies are not only heartfelt, they are also succinct and to the point.
Here is what he or she did. Simply stated, you are trying to pass the buck with language that implies guilt elsewhere. Or you may be implying that the harm you caused was really initiated by someone else.

Leaders make mistakes. Leaders do dumb things. I hope we can keep them to a minimum, but we are not going to attain sinless perfection in this life.

By the way, in leadership you may be called on to apologize on behalf of the organization or church you lead. You may not have had a specific role in the wrongdoing, but you are the leader and spokesperson for the organization. Those apologies should be as sincere and heartfelt as those for personal wrongdoing.

When you do wrong, apologize. When you apologize, do so with sincerity and contrition.

Real leaders apologize with real apologies.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Tools of the Trade for Pastors and Staff – Rainer on Leadership #257

Podcast Episode #257

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

Other than salary and benefits, these ministry tools of the trade can be some of the most helpful for pastors and church staff.

Some highlights from today’s episode include:

These items are extremely helpful for pastors and staff when doing ministry.
If you want to make a pastor or staff member happy, tell them they have a book allowance.
If churches can’t afford to pay for the cost of continuing education, they can at least consider giving time off if needed.
I have been delighted with how churches have started making coaching available to pastors and staff.
Pastors in civic clubs have great opportunities to meet community leaders.
Your church might not be able to provide all of these, but churches can provide at least some of them.

The thirteen tools of the trade we discuss are:

Computer
Cell phone
Books
Online Study Library
Conferences
Continuing education
Automobile
House
Book Shelves
Health Club Membership
Subscriptions
Coaching
Civic Club Membership


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

WORDsearch: Visit myWSB.com and register for an account. Use redemption code: G42VVVWP9R to access your free Pastor’s Library.
MyLeadershipPipeline.com
ChurchAnswers.com
Ministers’ Housing Allowance – Rainer on Leadership #035

Ten Reasons Why Many Churches Aren’t Evangelistic (Update)

Eighteen months ago, I reported on a Twitter poll that asked why churches aren’t evangelistic. Since that time, I have followed up by asking the same question of church leaders in both evangelistic and non-evangelistic churches.

I could cite you a plethora of statistics that demonstrate the evangelistic apathy of most of our churches in North America. But I really don’t think you need much convincing.

Instead, based on my conversations, I will share with you those key reasons why we aren’t evangelistic. Here are ten of them:

They don’t really believe people need Jesus. Unless church members and leaders really believe in the lostness of humanity without Christ, they will not be evangelistic. John 14:6 is a clear biblical statement on the exclusivity of Christ for salvation. Too many leaders and members only give lip service to it.
Evangelism is spiritual warfare. In the most carnal sense, life is easier without being evangelistic. Spiritual warfare is tough. Sometimes it seems to be easier to go AWOL from the battle than to fight in the trenches.
It’s hard work. From time to time someone will ask me, “What is the easiest way to get our church to do evangelism?” The answer is “none of the above.” Too many churches have become self-serving country clubs rather than obedient and sacrificial vessels of God.
Evangelism requires intentionality. God did not say, “Share the gospel as you stay where you are.” He said, “Go” (Matthew 28:19). When you “go,” you have to know where you are going. That requires intentionality.
Effective evangelism often requires we pray for the opportunities. Consider this challenge. Begin each day with a prayer that God will bring people in your path (or help you to see them) where you can be a gospel witness in word and deed. I have been amazed (though I shouldn’t be) how God has answered that prayer in my own life.
Too many people have too many excuses. One church member told me the entire county where he lives was fully churched. In fact, he said there are too many churches. There are, he said, no gospel opportunities. I then showed him demographics that showed his county was 62% unchurched. His response? “I don’t believe that.”
Too many churches are too busy to do evangelism. If your church has so many activities, meetings, and programs that your members never have time to develop relationships and share the gospel, your church is too busy. Some times Satan’s most powerful tool is to get us doing good things to the neglect of the best thing.
Church leaders are not evangelistic. If the pastor, staff, elders, deacons, and teachers are not evangelistic, it is unlikely the church will be evangelistic. The church members will follow that disobedient example.
Many church leaders and members don’t know their field or ministry area. Jesus said, “the harvest is abundant, but the workers are few” (Matthew 9:37). So where is the harvest field? Too many churches neglect their community because they are really ignorant of who is there and what their needs are.
Evangelism is counter-cultural. If you want to be a people pleaser, don’t be evangelistic. Culture hates the gospel that says there is only one way of salvation. But if you want to be a God-pleaser, share the gospel. You may die doing it, but what an honor to pay such a price!

So what are most of our churches in North America communicating to the world with our self-centeredness and lack of evangelistic fervor? It’s simple.

We are telling the world to go to hell.

May God convict us of our evangelistic apathy.

Pray for Southside Community Fellowship

Location: Billings, Montana

Pastor: Larry Elrod

Weekly Worship: 11:00 AM, Mountain

Fast Facts: Southside Community Fellowship is a twelve-year-old church ministering to the multi-generational poverty culture in Billings. It’s a multi-ethnic church that sponsors a community center providing the only safe, neutral place in the neighborhood for people to gather without the distractions and temptations of street life. They also have a strong children’s ministry that provides a weekly Bible school and meals to dozens of children each week.

Please pray for their children’s Bible school, and that they are able to continue it with the same dedication they have had in the past. Also pray also for their tutoring, counseling, and discipleship ministries. Finally, pray for the community center, that it will be used every day of the week to give people choices they have never considered and opportunities they have never had to discover new life in Christ.

Website: SCFBillings.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..