Thom S. Rainer's Blog, page 223
August 14, 2016
Pray for Fellowship Renewed Church
Location: Sparta, Tennessee
Pastor: Eric Williams
Weekly Worship: Sunday, 10:45 AM, Central
Fast Facts: Fellowship Renewed Church is a strong family-like core group of about 40 people. They have been meeting together for nearly one year and just recently moved into a building in downtown Sparta. The church is formed around 3 principles: true belief, true repentance, and true fellowship. They are honest about the broken relationship man has with God and find joy in redemption and salvation. Their desire is to see Sparta understand their brokenness and see their fellowship renewed with God. Although all are welcome now, they will officially be launching to the community on October 9, 2016. The day before, October 8th, in the parking lot, they’ll be participating in a city wide event in Sparta called Liberty Square. Please be praying for their core group to be strengthened and for the community of Sparta to be prepared to hear the gospel.
Website: FellowshipRenewed.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..
The post Pray for Fellowship Renewed Church appeared first on ThomRainer.com.
August 13, 2016
Notable Voices: August 13, 2016
4 Eye-Opening Lessons for the Church — Rob Tims
This short post by Rob is a great reminder for the church.
Six Reasons Why Church Members Choose One Worship Service Over Another — Sam Rainer
If you have multiple services, these variables come into play.
Churches take new security measures in face of terror threats — Hollie McKay
Church security is growing in importance. This report shows how some churches are responding.
Your Pastor’s Wife Should Have Church Friends — Whitney Putnam
Whitney pushes back against the narrative that a pastor’s wife shouldn’t have friends in the church.
4 Ways Confrontation Must Happen in Christian Community — Eric Geiger
Church discipline should happen, and these four biblical guidelines help.
10 First Impressions Done Well in Churches — Chuck Lawless
These are good reminders for churches. Also, don’t miss my new Church Guest Checklist. You can get it for FREE by subscribing to ThomRainer.com.
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August 12, 2016
Hospitality, Weddings, Millennials, and Other Listener Questions – Rainer on Leadership #250
SUBSCRIBE: iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio • Google Play
Our mailbag is overflowing, so we answer a few listener questions about topics related church leadership.
Some highlights from today’s episode include:
Hospitality is a desire to bring people into your social sphere and should be modeled by pastors.
Sometimes there are low-hanging fruit at your church that you don’t need to pick.
Look at the demographics of your community and see where your church can be most effective.
Ask the question: What is one easy change we could make that would make an immediate impact in the church?
Vision shouldn’t be dictated, but dialogued.
Churches typically err on the side of not giving enough information when a staff member is let go.
The questions we answered in this episode are:
From Aaron
In looking at the qualifications of the pastor (1 Timothy, Titus), one qualification that gets overlooked is “hospitality.” I find very little written on this even in commentaries. What does hospitality look like—especially in the life of the pastor?
From Brent
I recently heard a radio program where the pastor said his church was no longer doing “outside” weddings because of the political climate today. The question is, how do we use our facilities more with the public when that could open us to lawsuits or living outside of our beliefs?
From Kent
It seems like a majority of articles related to church leadership over the last couple of years have been devoted to the subject of reaching Millennials. While I don’t disagree that this is a crucial topic for the church, are we putting too much emphasis on Millennials?
From Andy
I am in the process of transitioning from a church of around 700 in attendance to a church of 120 (both numbers are Sunday mornings). My prior position was as the children’s minister at the larger church, and my new position is as the Pastor of a one man staff church. How long do you wait before making any changes, what are best practices to make connections and meet the people? Should I begin instituting new ministries at the start or shore up the ones already in place? What are some good ways to make sure I don’t lose my family in the process of transition? Should I have a live camel in the auditorium?
From George
How much of your vision do you share with the church? And how much do you just do without comment? Can you overshare and just give people more opportunities to worry or question?
From CJ
I am not a pastor but I have deep concerns for what is happening in my church which is on the decline and in my opinion spiritually dead, if not, critically ill. Is there an appropriate time to ask a pastor to move on from a church? Is it wrong to confront a pastor on activities of an ethical nature?
From Kevin
Could you suggest what transparency might look like before the church when a staff person is let go? We released a office staffer for a culmination of on-going issues such as a willingness to allow on-going immoral issues in their home, continual negative public comments regarding the church, a continual practice of going to various church members to borrow money and then not pay it back, in addition, she had ceased to take part in the church (she is a member). These things were addressed over time with her as we deemed appropriate. We were counseled not to say too much publicly in order to avoid potential ‘wrongful termination’ situations. Yet, the couple are contacting people in the church and sharing inaccurate information and stirring up more divisiveness.
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, located in the heart of the Midwest, is one of the fastest growing seminaries in North America and offers a fantastic array of academic programs, including multiple online and residential options at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels. Midwestern’s new 81-hour Mdiv program, online program, and doctoral program have all been recognized as some of the most innovative and affordable in the country. There has never been a better time to begin your seminary education. Midwestern Seminary trains 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
What Does a Community-focused Church Look Like? – Rainer on Leadership #248
ChurchDesign.com
Secret Guest Survey
ChurchAnswers.com
The post Hospitality, Weddings, Millennials, and Other Listener Questions – Rainer on Leadership #250 appeared first on ThomRainer.com.
August 11, 2016
Three Essential Elements of a Church Communications Plan
By Jonathan Howe
Most churches don’t think strategically about their communications efforts. Many times, communications practices are passed on from staffer to staffer without any regard to what is effective. And often, the responsible staff member or volunteer has other duties that take precedent in ministry.
Regardless of your staffing structure or size, church communications can be done effectively and strategically if you consider the perspective of your audience. Church communication isn’t for the benefit of the church; it’s for the benefit of members and guests. So when considering what to say, when to say it, and which channel to use, keep in mind these three essential elements:
Engage the audience. Your church communications should be engaging. Putting out a tweet or Facebook post just so you can check that item off your to-do list is rarely going to engage your church members and potential guests. Content should be sharable, memorable, and relevant. The difference between engaging content and content that is not typically involves thinking through the messaging. Start with the goals of your communication in mind and work backwards: consider the desired result, decide the best platform to reach your goal, and word your message accordingly.
Inform the audience. Once you’ve engaged your audience, keep them informed. Consistency with your communications is important. Try to plan out your church’s communications week by week and stick to the plan as best as possible. Once you have your weekly schedule set, then you can move to monthly, quarterly, and annual planning. By planning out what you want to communicate to members and guests on a consistent basis, you can more effectively integrate major church events into your communications plan.
Inspire the audience. Informing and engaging your audience isn’t enough. They should be inspired to share. Graphics aid in this area more than words. People are more likely to share inspiring graphics than inspiring paragraphs. Both have value, but one appeals visually. The graphics you choose can be the difference in someone sharing your content and not sharing it.
Over the next few week’s, I’ll be digging deeper into these three elements. So if you have any questions about the specifics, share them in the comments section below, and I’ll be sure to touch on those items in future posts.
Does your church plan its communications strategically? Do you engage, inform, and inspire your church members and guests with your content?
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.
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August 10, 2016
Ten Things Church Members Would Love to Hear from Their Pastors
Most church members love their pastors.
Many church members are encouragers to their pastors. Pastors often lose perspective when a few critical church members become a persistent pain and challenge.
But most church members are indeed a blessing to pastors.
As we have conversed with church members across America, we have heard ten common themes or requests they have of their pastors. None are unreasonable.
Earlier this week, we looked at ten things pastors would love to hear from their church members. This time, let’s listen to the perspectives of the church members.
“I love you.” They want to know that you pastors love them in good times and challenging times. They want to know you really care for the sheep God has entrusted to you.
“I would love for God to give me a long-term ministry here.” Church members desire for you to perceive your church as more than a steppingstone to the next church. Though they don’t expect you to commit to a lifetime there, they are weary of the one to three year pastorates.
“I will provide clear leadership for you.” Church members would like to know you are truly leading them. And they want to know where you are leading them.
“I will listen.” They want to know you care enough about them to hear what they have to say. They want to know you truly value input and different perspectives.
“I will communicate clearly and often.” Church members don’t want to wonder what’s happening in the church. They desire ongoing communication and transparency.
“I will be a praying pastor.” Church members desire for their pastors to be in regular and prayerful fellowship with God. They want to know you are leading in God’s power and not your own.
“I will focus on preaching.” They understand the importance of the preaching of the Word. They want to know you have put hours of prayer and preparation into your message so they can truly understand what God is saying in Scripture.
“I will share my faith.” Most evangelistic churches have an evangelistic pastor. Most church members will follow the lead of their pastors. They want to do as you do more than do as you say.
“I will care for you.” Most church members are reasonable. They know you cannot be present nor should you be present for every ministry need. But they want to know you care for them, hurt for them, and pray for them.
“I will not show favoritism.” Church members sometimes see pastors demonstrating preference toward some church members over others. It grieves and hurts members to see pastors catering to the cliques, the big givers, and the power brokers.
I see this list as reasonable and healthy. Do you agree? What would you add or take away from the list? Let me hear from you.
The post Ten Things Church Members Would Love to Hear from Their Pastors appeared first on ThomRainer.com.
August 9, 2016
Eight Time Saving Solutions for Pastors – Rainer on Leadership #249
SUBSCRIBE: iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio • Google Play
Time wasting can be a problem regardless of what line of work you’re in. Today we examine time drainers and how they can lessen your ministry effectiveness.
Some highlights from today’s episode include:
Don’t take people away from their main task by filling up their schedules with meetings.
Check your bylaws to see if you really are required to have certain meetings or are just having them out of habit.
Deal with inquiries immediately instead of scheduling time for meetings later in the week.
When you’re glad you have something to distract you, that’s a sign of a bad meeting.
Meetings need definite end times to be the most efficient.
You don’t have to answer every phone call at the time it comes in.
To save yourself from distraction, turn off as many smartphone notifications as possible.
A productive assistant will make you more productive as well.
The eight time drainers we solve are:
Regularly scheduled meetings
Add-on meetings
Non-productive meetings
Telephone calls
Social media complexity
Old school secretaries
Time in the car
Counseling
Episode Sponsors
Midwestern Seminary, located in the heart of the Midwest, is one of the fastest growing seminaries in North America and offers a fantastic array of academic programs, including multiple online and residential options at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels. Midwestern’s new 81-hour Mdiv program, online program, and doctoral program have all been recognized as some of the most innovative and affordable in the country. There has never been a better time to begin your seminary education. Midwestern Seminary trains leaders ‘For The Church.’
Visit them online at MBTS.edu and start your ministry training today.
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 I Will.
Resources Mentioned in Today’s Podcast
eaHELP
Eight Time Drainers of Pastors and Staff (and Eight Solutions)
The post Eight Time Saving Solutions for Pastors – Rainer on Leadership #249 appeared first on ThomRainer.com.
August 8, 2016
Ten Things Pastors Would Love to Hear from Their Church Members
It is a simple question.
What do you hear from your church members that gives you the greatest encouragement?
The responses from the pastors were amazingly similar. In fact, I was able to focus on ten specific areas. Here are summary statements of those areas.
“I pray for you every day.” This statement was the most frequent. Read it carefully. It’s not just prayer; it’s daily prayer. The pastor understands ministry is spiritual warfare. The pastor understands prayer is one of the greatest weapons in the warfare.
“I want to help your family any way I can.” Most pastors are stressed and stretched. So are their families. When a church member offers to support and help the family, the pastor feels like shouting for joy.
“I want you to know specifically how God spoke to me through your sermon.” The key word here is “specifically.” It’s not a lot of encouragement if a church member says perfunctorily “good sermon.” Let the pastor know the specific meaning and application to you from the sermon.
“I am ready and willing to take on that ministry task.” Pastors take great joy when a church member understands that ministry is to be done by the members, that the pastor is not the hired hand to do it all.
“I see my role as an encourager.” Pastors need numbers of people who will take on the Barnabas role. The critics will always be there.
“I see my role as one who will confront the bullies and the perpetual critics in the church.” I have heard from countless pastors that it’s not the critics who bother them as much as the “friends” who will not speak up and to the critics and church bullies.
“I will make certain your family has an adequate income.” One of the great stressors on pastors is financial worry. It is such a relief and joy when a church member takes the role of financial advocate for the pastor.
“I am available to babysit your kids.” Pastors with young kids relish a husband-wife date night. Many of them are unable to go out because they can’t find or afford babysitters.
“I will be in church with no excuses unless providentially hindered.” Pastors hear plenty of excuses. It is a refreshing change for them to hear from a no-excuse church member.
“I will never compare you to a previous pastor.” Yep, pastors cringe when they hear, “Pastor Bill used to do it this way.” Let your pastors know they have their own identity, and that previous pastors are not a scorecard against which they are measured.
I would love to hear from church members, church staff, and pastors how they could add to this list.
In my Wednesday post, I will share “Ten Things Church Members Would Love to Hear from Their Pastors.”
I look forward to our discussion.
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August 7, 2016
Pray for City of Refuge Community Church
Location: Little Rock, Arkansas
Pastor: A Neal Scoggins
Weekly Worship: 9:30 AM, Central
Fast Facts: City of Refuge has seen tremendous growth in its short history. It began as a Bible study in February of 2013 with a predicted Sunday worship service launch of August 2014. However, they officially launched a few months early in March 2014. In March of this year, they moved from a 3,000 square foot building into a 12,000 facility. this month, a local church in the area will merge with them. City of Refuge focuses on doing monthly outreach to homeless and youth in their community. They have a ministry that reaches out to pick up homeless people in the local area, brings them to regular worship service, and provides them with a small grab bag of food to help them through the day. Please pray for the upcoming merger this month as well as their last big outreach events of the year: CityFeast. an opportunity to feed homeless people and provide a place of community in November; and a Birthday Party for Jesus, their Christmas outreach that will help a less fortunate family. Pray for the merging of leaders and members into this new body. Pray for wisdom and discernment of the lead pastor and other leadership of the church.
Website: Facebook.com/CityOfRefugeLR
“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..
The post Pray for City of Refuge Community Church appeared first on ThomRainer.com.
August 6, 2016
Notable Voices: August 6, 2016
3 Reasons Some Churches Struggle to Empower Younger Leaders — Eric Geiger
Generational divides often are the cause of conflict in local churches. Often the conflict is a result of not empowering leaders from the next generation. Eric shares three reasons why this happens.
10 Signs You’re Just a Jerk…Not A Leader — Carey Nieuwhof
The title pretty much says it all. Are you a jerk or a leader?
3 Signs That Giving Online to Your Church May Not Be Right for You — Art Rainer
As churches continue to add online giving options, some members wonder if it is something in which they will participate.
3 Dangers of Preaching in a Digital Age — Trevor Laurence
With the ability to be heard all around the globe, many pastors place unnecessary pressure on themselves.
4 Things They Don’t Tell You When Joining a Church Staff — Darrel Girardier
These are great points from Darrel. Point four might be the one to consider the most.
Four Reasons to Pray for Your Pastor Daily — Jason Allen
Praying for your pastor is easy, but also easy to forget.
The post Notable Voices: August 6, 2016 appeared first on ThomRainer.com.
August 5, 2016
What Does a Community-focused Church Look Like? – Rainer on Leadership #248
SUBSCRIBE: iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio • Google Play
Community-focused churches often have these nine traits. Also in this episode, we talk about civic organizations and call an elk.
Some highlights from today’s episode include:
If I were the new pastor at a church, one of the first things I would do is get to know the community leaders.
Unfortunately in some communities it has taken crisis to force churches to be more involved in the community.
The church should show itself as a servant of the community in one way or the other.
Churches can be involved in their community no matter how big or small of a church they are.
There will be times when the community will make requests of your church. Look for ways to meet those needs.
Look for needs where your church can go to the community without asking for anything in return.
Don’t miss the opportunities you have to invite others to church. Typically, people are more receptive than you expect.
This is not a checklist for one person, this is a checklist for the church.
The nine signs of a community-focused church are:
Reaches out to community leaders
Intentionality about being where the people are
The community of eating out and coffee houses
Helping where the community says they need it
Intentionally evangelistic
Intentionally invitational
In the key civic groups
In key political meetings
In the schools
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, located in the heart of the Midwest, is one of the fastest growing seminaries in North America and offers a fantastic array of academic programs, including multiple online and residential options at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels. Midwestern’s new 81-hour Mdiv program, online program, and doctoral program have all been recognized as some of the most innovative and affordable in the country. There has never been a better time to begin your seminary education. Midwestern Seminary trains 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 I Will.
Resources Mentioned in Today’s Podcast
Search
JoshuaStraub.com
Data.Point
SBC This Week
The post What Does a Community-focused Church Look Like? – Rainer on Leadership #248 appeared first on ThomRainer.com.
