Thom S. Rainer's Blog, page 228
June 25, 2016
Notable Voices: June 25, 2016
3 Reasons Women Can Feel Intimidated at Work — Selma Wilson
Nearly all of us work in a co-ed environment. These three points from Selma would be good for men to remember.
10 Ways to Reach More People Without Investing a Dime — Carey Nieuwhof
We recorded a pair of podcast with Carey this week that will be coming in July. This article from him is a great reminder that you don’t have to spend a lot to be effective in outreach.
Eight Passages Every Christian Should Memorize — Scott Slayton
Scripture memory helps develop us as disciples. These eight passages are a great place to start.
Is Your Worship Service Upside Down? — Jared Wilson
Jared shares three reflective questions to help you determine whether or not you’re emphasizing the wrong things in corporate worship.
7 Reasons Why Large Churches Get Stuck — Tony Morgan
It’s easy to forget that large churches struggle in many of the same ways that smaller churches do. These seven reasons from Tony explain how that happens.
7 Big Church Assumptions that Unintentionally Hurt Small Churches — Karl Vaters
Finally, since most of you are at smaller churches, here is an article on the assumptions that affect small churches and how they are negatively impacted by these assumptions.
The post Notable Voices: June 25, 2016 appeared first on ThomRainer.com.
June 24, 2016
Nine Ways to Make a Terrible First Impression – Rainer on Leadership #236
SUBSCRIBE: iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio
On today’s episode, we discuss an article by Art Rainer on how to make a poor first impression and apply it to churches. Impassioned discussions on proper handshake etiquette and hugs are also included.
Some highlights from today’s episode include:
Church members are often friendly…to the people they already know.
Don’t wait for a guest to ask a question. If you see they need help, help them.
People want to know you are interested in them when they visit your church.
Relationships are the #1 thing that brings people to a church, keeps them, and gets them involved.
When you meet a new guest at church, it is a time to listen to them, not debate with them.
Not everyone is a hugger.
The nine ways churches can make a terrible first impression are:
Wait for them to approach you.
Make your handshake at weak as possible (or as strong as possible).
Avoid eye contact. Instead, look at their eyes.
Don’t use the other person’s name.
Talk about your successes a lot.
Act bored when they talk.
Whenever possible, vehemently disagree with them.
Don’t crack a smile.
Don’t say goodbye.
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
Nine Ways to Make a Terrible First Impression by Art Rainer
Secret Guest Survey
The post Nine Ways to Make a Terrible First Impression – Rainer on Leadership #236 appeared first on ThomRainer.com.
June 23, 2016
Six Technologies That Can Help Your Church Connect More Effectively
By Jonathan Howe
The use of different technologies in the church should always be seen as tools, not as goals—they are the means, not the end. When we start using a new tool or technology, our goal should be to reach more for Christ, not simply to show off a new toy.
Also, there are a lot of technological innovations churches use that aren’t necessary. Even some on this list would be laughable to our brothers and sisters in house churches around the world. God doesn’t need our technology to get His gospel to the nations. But if and when we have them, we should always steward these technologies well.
Here are six technologies that can help your church as it fulfills its mission of reaching, evangelizing, assimilating, and discipling those in your community.
Church websites. The inclusion of a church website should not be a surprise. It is the new front door of the church, yet I’m still amazed at how many churches either don’t have a website or fail to keep it maintained.
Social media involvement. The people you will reach and disciple are online on social media. If your people are on social media, your church should be on social media. It’s a great way to promote and inform members and guests alike..
Church management software. Most members will never interface with this technology, but it will keep things orderly for those who work in the church. My wife, a children’s minister, is constantly checking addresses, attendance, and involvement in our church’s membership database. She’s able to note attendance patterns and organize events and classes accordingly because she has organized records in the church management software our church uses.
Online giving. I have yet to hear of a case where a church saw a decline in giving after implementing online giving. There may be an outlier or two, but every church I know of that has added an online giving method has seen an upward bump in giving.
Computerized check-in. One of the first things my wife did when she started at our current church was to implement computerized check-in for kids and preschoolers. This one small act made a massive difference to members and guests alike. It immediately communicates to parents that the church is serious about safety. And one of the most important factors for guests joining a church is that they feel their children are safe and secure in the kids’ area.
Digital projection. I list this technology last because it’s the least important. I would give up digital projection in the worship center in favor of any of the previous five technologies. We don’t have to have words on a screen. Bulletins and hymnals can suffice. That being said, digital projection offers numerous advantages in the form of showing announcements, using videos, projecting song lyrics, and much more.
These are the six church technologies that have almost become fundamental to the way we operate in churches in the U.S. They help us reach more people, disciple them better, and prepare them to be sent on mission more effectively. What technologies would you add?
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.
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June 22, 2016
Five Headaches Pastors Experience When a Search Committee Fails to Communicate
There it was: another email.
This one had a clear and poignant subject: “Pastor Search Committee Nightmare.”
It was one of hundreds of similar pieces of communication I have received from pastors. The pastor receives a contact from a search committee. Often times the pastor is invited to go to the church for an on-site interview. This particular pastor had flown to the church several weeks earlier.
Everything seemed to go well. The search committee promised to follow up. The pastor left with a sense that this church would be his next church.
Then silence.
Nothing.
Crickets.
The pastor’s wife was looking at the prospective church’s Facebook page one day. She saw that the church was announcing the calling of a new pastor.
But they had never followed up with this pastor.
Totally unacceptable.
Here are five of the headaches a pastor experiences when a search committee fails to communicate. Please read these carefully if you are a part of a church that is seeking a pastor.
Disruption. The moment a pastor is contacted by a search committee, there is disruption in the pastor’s life and the family as well. That disruption does not end until some type of closure takes place.
Lack of focus. It is difficult for a pastor to focus on the ministry of his current church while the possibility exists that he may be moving to another church.
Guilt. Because of the lack of focus in the current ministry, many pastors feel guilty that they aren’t giving their all to the church.
Frustration. The prolonged periods of silence are frustrating. There is no excuse for the lack of communication.
Anxiety. The pastor is often concerned that the possibility of his departure will get out to church members and compromise the current ministry.
I urge all members of pastor search committees to get William Vanderbloemen’s book, Search, so you can know what to do and not to do in the search process. And I plead with all search committee members to stay in touch with all the candidates until closure and resolution takes place. You may feel like you are dealing with only one pastor. But every pastor you contact is impacted by what you do or don’t do.
Search with integrity. Stay in touch. Don’t be a nightmare. Don’t be a headache.
Let me hear from you.
The post Five Headaches Pastors Experience When a Search Committee Fails to Communicate appeared first on ThomRainer.com.
June 21, 2016
The Challenges of Following a Long-term Pastor – Rainer on Leadership #235
SUBSCRIBE: iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio
On today’s podcast, we discuss the challenges that are related to following a long-term pastor. We see this often in other walks of life such as sports and coaching changes. So we shouldn’t be too surprised that it is an issue in the church as well.
Some highlights from today’s episode include:
As a general rule, a long-term pastor who leaves a church needs to stay away and give the new pastor time to grow into the role.
Funerals and weddings are indicators of who you want closest to you when it comes to clergy.
It takes about five to seven years after a long term pastor leaves for the new pastor to be seen as the pastor.
If a pastor has been at a church longer than seven years, the chances of the successor having a short term pastorate are high.
I would never go to a new church as pastor without talking with the previous pastor first.
Eight challenges to consider when following a long-term pastor are:
Will the previous pastor stay at the church and community?
Being compared to the previous pastor.
When the previous pastor is called on to do weddings and funerals.
Five years to forget.
Often the successor is the interim.
The search committee typically does not understand the dynamics.
Have a heart-to-heart conversations with the previous pastor.
Honor the previous pastor.
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
Leadership and the Local Church with John C. Maxwell
Fifteen Crazy Things That Happened at Weddings
Fifteen Crazy Things That Happened at Funerals
Search by William Vanderbloemen
The post The Challenges of Following a Long-term Pastor – Rainer on Leadership #235 appeared first on ThomRainer.com.
June 20, 2016
Five Reasons It Is So Painful for a Pastor to Lose a Church Member
“I don’t want you take this personally, pastor, but we are leaving the church.”
Yeah. Right.
The church member might as well have stabbed the pastor with a knife while noting it was not personal.
One of the most painful and personal aspects of a pastor’s ministry is the departure of church members. Of course, I am referring to church members who stay in the community, not those who move out of town.
Those who choose to leave a church, no matter the reason, need to understand that your pastor will likely be hurt. Sometimes deeply hurt. Instead of rationalizing all the reasons why a pastor should not be hurt, allow me to let you see inside the mind and heart of a pastor. Here are five reasons why many pastors are hurt so deeply when members leave the church.
It feels like personal rejection. One pastor articulated this pain to me well: “What did I do to cause them to leave? They were some of my biggest supporters. What don’t they like about me anymore?”
Relationships have developed. Most pastors have developed a deep love for their church members. They care for them. They defend them. They are there for them. The members’ departures are often abrupt, leaving the pastor with a type of grief and questioning.
There has been much time invested. “I discipled him, and my wife discipled his wife,” the pastor told me. “We invested so much in that family. It feels like we have been betrayed.”
There is concern for the overall morale of the church. Other church members are often hurt when a fellow church member departs. The pastor is thus hurting because of the departure, and because of a concern for the morale of the remaining church members.
There is a fear others will follow. We often say that relationships are the best way to get people in the church. Unfortunately, relationships are often the most common reason people will leave a church. The pastor thus is hurt and concerned that other members will follow the departing members.
This issue is largely an unspoken issue among pastors to one another, and among pastors to church members. The departure of a church member is no small thing to a pastor. It is personal, painful, and can even lead to depression.
Let me hear from you.
The post Five Reasons It Is So Painful for a Pastor to Lose a Church Member appeared first on ThomRainer.com.
June 19, 2016
Pray for Christ Church in Murrells Inlet, SC
Location: Murrells Inlet, South Carolina
Pastor: The Rev. Michael Guernsey
Weekly Worship: 10:30 AM, Eastern
Fast Facts: Christ Church was founded ten years ago, and in that time they have developed into a caring, spirit-filled community that loves Jesus and wants to connect others to Him. Pastor Michael Guernsey came to Christ Church in the fall of 2015, and since then they have begun to take seriously once again their calling to actively share the gospel in the community so that those who are not connected to Jesus or His church will come to know Him and be joined with His people. Their main prayer need is for wisdom and courage in stepping out personally into the community. They know that unless they are intentional about reaching out they will become more inward-focussed (which is what has happened over the years). Christ Church is seeking to be intentional about evangelism once again and need insight and boldness to do that faithfully in their community. They hosted Vacation Bible School this past week and many of the children who attended were truly unchurched. Transitions in a church are always a challenge, and this church has gone through a lot of them in a short time. The congregation is doing very well through them all, so please pray the transitions will be an opportunity for new outreach and evangelism-focused ministry.
Website: ChristChurchMI.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 Christ Church in Murrells Inlet, SC appeared first on ThomRainer.com.
June 18, 2016
Notable Voices: June 18, 2016
Who Pastors the Pastor? — Brent Prentice
Pastoral burnout and spiritual fatigue are real and dangerous for pastors. Brent provides five suggestions for pastors and churches to work together to provide spiritual nurturing for the pastor.
3 Savvy Ways to Bury a Church Event — Eric Geiger
Eric provides insight into how churches can effectively eliminate or modify events that may no longer fulfill their purpose.
2016 SBC Annual Meeting Recap — SBC This Week
My denomination met this week in St. Louis for their annual convention. Jonathan and Amy have a helpful recap of the annual meeting in their podcast.
5 Ways a Leader Can Kill Their Team’s Creativity — Art Rainer
I’ve seen many leaders fall into the traps of these five practices. By avoiding them, you will foster creativity and excitement among those you lead.
15 Productivity Tips for Pastors — Brandon Hilgemann
Even with the unpredictable nature of the pastorate, having a system of productivity will keep you on task. These are some great tips to get your productivity system in place.
This Rapper Might Be America’s Next Evangelical Leader — Michelle Boorstein
This profile in the Washington Post sheds light in the the world of Lecrae, the New York Times best-selling author of Unashamed.
The post Notable Voices: June 18, 2016 appeared first on ThomRainer.com.
June 17, 2016
How Pastors Should Respond to the Gender Neutral Bathroom Controversy – Rainer on Leadership #234
SUBSCRIBE: iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio
On today’s episode, we discuss issues related to the recent transgender bathroom controversy.
Some highlights from today’s episode include:
One of the worst things you can do is to avoid or ignore difficult moral issues in your preaching.
Sexuality and gender identity are biblical issues we must address in the church.
We must teach on difficult moral issues with biblical clarity.
If you haven’t gotten question on this topic from your church members yet, you will.
Don’t make unnecessary enemies and lose your ability to speak truth into the lives of others.
This is not an issue that is going away. It’s only picking up momentum in our culture.
Stay true to the Bible—recognize sin as sin, but love people as well.
The five guiding principles we cover for dealing with gender identity issues are:
Don’t ignore the issue.
Teach with clarity, not nuance.
Display a genuine concern for people who identify as transgender.
Give practical advice.
Don’t make unnecessary enemies.
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
What Pastors Can Do about the Gender Neutral Bathroom Controversy
The post How Pastors Should Respond to the Gender Neutral Bathroom Controversy – Rainer on Leadership #234 appeared first on ThomRainer.com.
June 16, 2016
Five Strategic Ministry Uses for Instagram
By Jonathan Howe with Julie Masson
In previous posts, I’ve covered how pastors, church leaders, and churches can most effectively used Facebook and Twitter. Today, I turn my attention to Instagram.
This picture-based social network can help build affinity, promote events, and provide inspiring insight into the inner-workings of your church. And now that the apps offer multi-account functionality, using Instagram has never been easier for pastors and church leaders.
But when it comes to using Instagram strategically for ministry, you have to post more than pics of food and lattes. So here are five ways you can use Instagram in a ministry context.
Keep it informal. Pastors, give your members an inside glimpse into your day. Don’t just post your sermon quotes or pictures of you preaching. Give them a look into your family life. Show them how you are ministering outside the walls of the church.
Take followers behind the scenes of the church. Provide glimpses into your sermon prep time. Point out special items in your office. Showcase the people who clean the toilets or serve in any weekday ministries. Don’t let your account (Instagram or any other network) be all about you. Use it to help shepherd your people well.
Post pictures of your community and how you are enjoying your city. This reminds people of their mission. They will see you out and about and naturally follow your lead. Much of discipleship is caught, not taught.
Don’t post links in a post. Yes, this is a technical tip. But if you post links that you want people to click, it could indicate you really don’t know what you’re doing. Why? Because the links in Instagram aren’t clickable.
Use relevant hashtags. Searching hashtags is one of the main ways Instagram accounts are found by new followers. So feel free to use a couple hashtags as long as they are related to the content.
Instagram can become an effective ministry tool if used appropriately and strategically. What other tips would you add to these five?
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.
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