Thom S. Rainer's Blog, page 227
July 5, 2016
Change or Die…The Five Types of Dying Churches – Rainer on Leadership #239
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On today’s podcast, we cover a recent blogpost on warning signs for dying churches.
Some highlights from today’s episode include:
These are signs of churches that are not just unhealthy but that are dying.
If a church does not have strong theological roots, it’s not really a church—it’s a civic club.
Unfortunately, good pastors and staff from all over are emotionally and verbally beaten up by church members.
Criticism is the great distraction to the Great Commission.
Most evangelistic churches in the past were program-based. The programs have since stopped.
If something does not change, we could see nearly 100,000 close in the next 10 years.
Is your church getting close to any of these markers of dying churches?
The five types of dying churches we cover today are:
Those with shallow roots.
Those that are self-entitled.
Those that are negatively critical.
Those that are ignorantly idolatrous.
Those that are evangelistically anemic.
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
Who Moved My Pulpit?
Why Conservative Churches Are Growing
I Am a Church Member
The post Change or Die…The Five Types of Dying Churches – Rainer on Leadership #239 appeared first on ThomRainer.com.
July 4, 2016
Four Reasons Pastors and Church Staff Regret Quitting Their Jobs
I quit!
The writer of Ecclesiastes does indeed remind us there are times and seasons in our lives. Regarding where we are in life, he tells us there is “a time to plant and a time to uproot” (3:2).
There are times we are to plant ourselves firmly in the place God has called us. But there are also times to leave or uproot.
Do we get it wrong sometimes? I feel like I did in one church I served. Looking back, I do believe I left prematurely.
I have been a bit surprised at the number of pastors and staff persons who have shared similar stories with me. They left their churches because they were angry, because of the untold numbers of critics, because of the unreasonable expectations placed upon them, or because they were simply burned out.
But then they realized, after it was too late to change, they made the wrong decisions. They followed their immediate emotions instead of God’s plan.
Here are four of the most common expressions of regret with representative quotes.
“I could have made it. I let the emotions of the moment push me to quit. But I have seen pastors with far worse situations stick it out and survive, even thrive in future years.”
“I can’t find a job in ministry. Yep, I found something worse than being in a tough church: not serving in a church at all. I tried to come back to ministry three years after I left, and I got nowhere. Churches don’t want an unemployed pastor who left his last church just because he got frustrated with the members.”
“I failed to consider all those who loved me. I was so focused on the critics that I did not consider all of those people who loved me and supported me. I really let them down when I quit. So many of them told me later they would have fought for me if I shared my struggles.”
“I failed to see that serving the Lord often involves pain and struggles. My problems were a lot less severe than some of the prophets of the Old Testament or New Testament leaders. Yep, my problems were nothing compared to persecuted Christians today. I was too self-absorbed to see it. God never promised me it would be easy.”
For certain there is a time to uproot. But too many church leaders leave before that time is upon them. And they are left with pain and regret.
Let me hear from you.
The post Four Reasons Pastors and Church Staff Regret Quitting Their Jobs appeared first on ThomRainer.com.
July 3, 2016
Pray for Hampton Church of Christ
Location: Hampton, Iowa
Pastor: Gary Davis
Weekly Worship: 10:15 AM, Central
Fast Facts: Hampton Church of Christ is housed in a building that is 103 years old and is in deep disrepair. It’s a non-denominational church that was at one time the largest church in the area but has seen decline due to issues surrounding leadership and lack of vision for about 35 years. Pastor Davis has been at the church for a year now and is leading the church through a time of revitalization. They are currently going through a revival of leadership and are spending a great deal of time with leadership training—looking at their position and perception in the community and working through what the future looks like for Hampton Church of Christ. Please pray that they have the courage to make the hard decisions, that they do so under the Lord’s guidance, and that the people will be led by vision and not by their own ideas or opinions.
Website: HamptonChurchOfChrist.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 Hampton Church of Christ appeared first on ThomRainer.com.
July 2, 2016
Notable Voices: July 2, 2016
Heart Check Questions to Prevent Ministry Burnout — Deborah Ike
Ministry burnout happens to too many pastors and church leaders. Deborah shares 12 questions to help you conduct a self check related to burnout.
4 Reasons Why Leaders Need to Avoid Yes-Men — Art Rainer
Being surrounded by ‘yes-men’ will keep you from reaching your full potential as a leader. Sometimes it can even cost you your leadership position.
Kids, Screens, and Summer: The 3 Decisions Parents Must Make — Joshua Straub
This is not just an issue for the summer for many parents, but with school out, it’s much more pressing this time of year.
How To Make Budget Cuts In A Healthy Way — Ryan Stigile
Budget cuts happen—even in growing and financially healthy organizations. The key is to make the right cuts. Ryan explains how best to make cuts when needed.
5 Reasons You May Not Be Reaching People in Your Community With the Gospel — Marty Duren
Marty examines some new LifeWay research that shows why churches might struggle to reach those in their community.
5 Surprising Reasons People Leave Your Church — Carey Nieuwhof
Carey shares five positives in the life of a church can actually cause members to leave.
The post Notable Voices: July 2, 2016 appeared first on ThomRainer.com.
July 1, 2016
What Defines a Generous Church? – Rainer on Leadership #238
SUBSCRIBE: iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio
On today’s episode, we discuss the characteristics of generous churches and how to tell if your church is a generous one or not.
Some highlights from today’s episode include:
Weekly per capita giving is one of the best numbers to use to measure financial health of a church.
The average weekly per capita giving in the U.S. is $30.
There are certain types of financial campaigns that are more likely to get people involved.
Churches that have foundation funds tend to be the least generous.
It’s good to know if your church is financially dependent on a few giving units or if the giving is spread throughout the church.
We should give cheerfully, not reluctantly.
The six characteristics of a generous church are:
Weekly per capita giving.
Trends in budget giving.
Responsiveness to special offerings
Giving relative to the socioeconomics of the community.
Not overly dependent on one or a few giving units.
A biblical understanding of stewardship.
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/Rainer 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
Search by William Vanderbloemen
The post What Defines a Generous Church? – Rainer on Leadership #238 appeared first on ThomRainer.com.
June 30, 2016
Young Influencer List, June 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 adieu, here is this month’s young influencer list:
Walter Strickland (@w_strickland) – Special Advisor to the President for Diversity & Instructor of Theology at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, NC – Walter leads the Kingdom Diversity initiative at SEBTS. Walter and Maliek Blade also host a podcast on the subject of diversity which highlights voices and addresses topics pertinent to God’s people in pursuit of the Great Commission.
Matthew Hall (@matthewjhall) – Dean of Boyce College, Louisville, KY – Matt was recently named the new dean at Boyce College. He also serves as an elder of a local church in Louisville.
Katie Orr (@thekatieorr) – Author based in Harrodsburg, KY – I’ve known of Katie’s work for the past year or so, but had the chance to meet her earlier this month at the SBC Annual Meeting as she was signing copies of her new devotional studies.
Andrew Hebert (@andrewhebert86) – Lead pastor at Taylor Memorial Baptist Church in Hobbs New Mexico – Speaking of the SBC Annual Meeting, Andrew chaired the committee on order of business for this year’s meeting and served our convention well.
Trip Lee (@triplee) – Rapper, author, pastor at Cornerstone Church in Atlanta, GA – Trip is one of several hip-hop artist-pastors who are influencing both the church and culture through theology and art.
Jennifer Lyell (@jenniferlyell) – Trade Book Publisher for B&H Publishing Group in Nashville, TN – Jennifer directs all the trade book publishing efforts at LifeWay. Over the past few years, she’s directed the publishing of several NYT best-sellers. B&H has also garnered dozens of publishing industry awards in that time. B&H would not be the staple in the Christian publishing industry that it is today without the leadership of Jennifer.
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, and the managing editor of LifeWayPastors.com. 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.
The post Young Influencer List, June 2016 appeared first on ThomRainer.com.
June 29, 2016
Seven Reasons the Church Secretary Position Is Disappearing
I’m in trouble.
I just read the title of this post, and I know I’m asking for trouble. I might have offended some people already.
Hear me clearly. I am not diminishing the worth of church secretaries. I am simply noting a trend that few people are articulating. The position of church secretary is disappearing. Here are seven reasons why:
Many of the responsibilities are being replaced with technology. The Latin origin of the word “secretary” means, “someone entrusted with a secret.” For the traditional church secretary, it means dealing with telephone calls, letters, dictation, and filing in an appropriate and confidential manner. But look at those items I just listed. They have been, or they are being, replaced with technology. There are not many letters these days, but there are a lot of emails.
Assistants are replacing the role of a secretary. The typical nomenclature for such positions is ministry assistant, executive assistant, or assistant.
Church leaders desire assistants who can navigate the world of blogs and social media strategically. These responsibilities did not exist just a few years ago. Some church secretaries can make the transition; many cannot.
Most of the responsibilities of a church secretary were reactive. Pastors and other church leaders seek strategic help. The church secretary’s position has been historically fixed and clearly defined. Assistants must adapt to a world where the responsibilities can change every week.
Preparing the bulletin and/or the newsletter is no longer all time consuming. I can remember the days when the church secretary used clip art and physically cut and pasted articles. Those time-consuming tasks are no longer necessary.
Church leaders desire assistants with time flexibility. The 30 to 40 hour workweek with the same schedule every day is ending. This fast-paced world demands workers with flexibility.
Virtual assistants are becoming more common in church life. There are so many reasons virtual assistants are increasingly in demand. Leaders can determine the number of hours they want each week from a VA. One pastor of a smaller church uses a VA 10 hours a week and loves the arrangement. They are also easy to change or let go without the drama of an assistant who is physically present.
Church secretaries have been important and needed employees of churches for decades. I am grateful for them. But the times are changing, and so is the need for church secretaries.
If I opened a can of worms, please forgive me. But this trend is a trend that cannot be ignored.
Let me hear from you,
The post Seven Reasons the Church Secretary Position Is Disappearing appeared first on ThomRainer.com.
June 28, 2016
Top Trends and Biggest Mistakes in Pastor Searches, featuring William Vanderbloemen – Rainer on Leadership #237
SUBSCRIBE: iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio
On today’s podcast, William Vanderbloemen joins us to talk about the top trends and biggest mistakes he and his company are seeing in pastor searches. Stick around for the end and hear William’s answer to the question “Should a pastor send an unsolicited resume to a church?”
Some highlights from today’s episode include:
Why does the business world have a better plan for succession than the church?
It’s easier to find a job when you still have a job.
The biggest mistake pastors make in the search process is giving up too early.
The biggest mistake churches make in looking for a new pastor is having the wrong people on the search committee.
Including negativity when trying to reach a positive never works.
There’s a huge fear of the unknown that sometimes keeps pastor search committees from making good decisions.
Pride and fear are the greatest stumbling blocks to a pastor search committee.
The greater part of instruction is being reminded of that which you already know.
About William Vanderbloemen
William has been able to combine over 15 years of ministry experience as a Senior Pastor with the best practices of Executive Search to provide churches with a unique offering: a deep understanding of local church work with the very best knowledge and practices of professional executive search.
Prior to executive search, William led growth and innovation in churches in North Carolina, Alabama, and Houston. During his time in Alabama, William had the chance to help rebuild and relocate an ailing congregation, and lead them to new levels of growth. At 31, he was elected Senior Pastor for the First Presbyterian Church of Houston, a church of about 5,000 adults and 1,500 children strong. It is Houston’s oldest congregation.
William also has experience as a Manager in Human Resources in a Fortune 200 company, where he focused on integration of corporate culture and succession planning.
All of these experiences have come together with his pastoral work to form a unique gift for helping churches and ministries connect with the right key people.
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
Search by William Vanderbloemen
Vanderbloemen Leadership Podcast
The post Top Trends and Biggest Mistakes in Pastor Searches, featuring William Vanderbloemen – Rainer on Leadership #237 appeared first on ThomRainer.com.
June 27, 2016
Eight Time Drainers of Pastors and Staff (and Eight Solutions)
“The greatest gift you could give me is more time.”
The statement was made half jokingly by a pastor. Of course, he didn’t think I could create days with more than 24-hours. But he was busy, overcommitted, and worn out.
He is not alone.
What if I told you I could help you get 10 or more hours of your week back? That’s like having an extra three weeks a year. In order to make this quest a reality, let’s look at some of the greatest time drainers of pastors and staff, with suggestions about improving each of them.
Regularly scheduled meetings. How many hours do you spend each month in meetings you feel obligated to attend? Probably a lot. Solution: Ruthlessly evaluate all of your mandatory meetings. You can probably eliminate two or more. And never add a regularly scheduled meeting without eliminating another.
Add-on meetings. “Pastor, can we get together this week to talk about something?” How many times have you received similar requests? Think of the time expended scheduling the meeting, going to the meeting and, possibly, following up on the meeting. Solution: Say no. Tell the person you will talk about it right then. The conversation will likely be shorter than five minutes.
Non-productive meetings. Have you ever ended a meeting thinking it was a total waste of time? Or perhaps most of the meeting was a waste of time. Solution: Never go into a meeting without a clear and specific agenda. Also, have a definitive ending time. Don’t go one minute beyond that time.
Telephone calls. Many of you are constantly answering the phone. You get started on one project, only to be interrupted. Solution: Get a second phone number to share with church members. There are some services and apps that offer a free number. I use Google Voice. Any call to Google Voice goes to voicemail, where I decide later how I will handle the call.
Social media complexity. Some of you pastors and staff are constantly interacting with church members on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and other social media. I wouldn’t be surprised if the amount of time spent on this task is 10 to 15 hours week. Solution: Stop it! You have no obligation to respond on social media. Get rid of the guilt trip and get your time back.
Old school secretaries. The world of support staff has changed dramatically. If you have a secretary who is still in the 1990s or 2000s, you are wasting a lot of time. That secretary provides you no efficiencies. Solution: Get a productive assistant. If your church cannot afford one, check into a virtual assistant. I personally like EAHelp. I will expand on this issue in my next post.
Time in the car. Depending on your hospital visits or commute, you could spend a lot of time in your car. Solution: If possible, select a specific day to do hospital visits, so that you are not interrupting your other days continuously. Also, make the most use of your time in your auto. I love Audible books by Amazon. For less than $10, I choose a new book every month. My learning curve has gone up yet again!
Counseling. I know one pastor who counsels over 20 hours a week. Needless to say, he is burning out as he counsels and carries out other responsibilities. Solution: Most of you pastors and staff are neither trained nor equipped to do counseling. Stop it and refer requests to those who can do the ministry better. Limit your counseling to one-time sessions and to times for spiritual counseling.
Time is a gift from God. It is not to be wasted or abused. Go through these eight items again. Do you see some areas where you can gain back time? Are there some other insights you can provide us?
The post Eight Time Drainers of Pastors and Staff (and Eight Solutions) appeared first on ThomRainer.com.
June 26, 2016
Pray for Bridge42 Church
Location: Morganton, North Carolina
Pastor: Jason Koon
Weekly Worship: 10:30AM, Eastern
Fast Facts: Bridge42 is almost five years into a replant process to reach out the unchurched and dechurched in its community. Please pray that God would develop a disciple-making culture in their people and would send them people who are passionate about taking the gospel into the community and making disciples. Bridge42 just finished its Love828 project in which more than 60 people in the church donated time to serve their community in various service and service-evangelism projects. They are praying and working toward the goal of making the Love828 project into a regular part of they we are as a church—that this kind of service & servant evangelism culture would be much more than two weekends a year, but permeate everything they do as a church. Bridge42 is also gearing up to hold four community outreach bonfires in different neighborhoods near their church building to engage their neighbors with the gospel. Please pray for a community depression/anxiety support group that is currently in the planning stages. Pray that this ministry can be used to strengthen God’s people who are already in the church that struggle with these illnesses. Finally, pray that this could also be used as a way to reach out to the lost in their community who need this kind of support.
Website: www.bridge42.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..
The post Pray for Bridge42 Church appeared first on ThomRainer.com.
