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Six Things You Inherit as a New Pastor – Rainer on Leadership #225

Podcast Episode #225

SUBSCRIBE: iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio

On today’s podcast, we discuss a post by Sam Rainer on what you inherit when you become a pastor at a new church.

Some highlights from today’s episode include:

Many new pastors move too quickly because they don’t have buy-in from the existing members.
One of the first things to do as a new pastor in a church is to learn the people.
Most of the time, you inherit a staff as a new pastor and that can be a difficult transition early on.
Everything changes when a new pastor comes to a church except the expectations of the people.
In your first year, listen to stories of those in the church. They’ll tell you expectations the members have.
Change agents do a lot of listening.

The six things you inherit as a new pastor are:

You inherit people.
You inherit a culture.
You inherit a staff.
You inherit a schedule.
You inherit expectations.
You inherit traditions.


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

For the Church in St. Louis at the SBC Annual Meeting
What Is the Best Time for a Worship Service?

The post Six Things You Inherit as a New Pastor – Rainer on Leadership #225 appeared first on ThomRainer.com.

Seven Relational Skills of Great Church Leaders

They are the two most common causes of forced termination of pastors.

Weak leadership skills.
Poor relational skills.

Much has been written in the past decade on leadership skills. The body of literature on the topic is massive and growing. I certainly have little to add in a brief blog post.

It is for that reason I focus specifically on the relational skills of great church leaders. Admittedly, my approach is both anecdotal and subjective. But I have been in the ministry of working with church leaders for thirty years. I think my cursory overview would be supported by more thorough research.

Most pastors and church leaders have never received formal training in relational skills. Perhaps these seven observations of outstanding leaders will prove helpful to many of you.

They have a vibrant prayer life. The more we are in conversation with God, the more we realize His mercy and grace. That realization leads to a greater humility, which is a key attribute of those with great relational skills.
They ask about others. Listen to people with whom you have regular conversations. How many of them focus the conversation on you and others? A key sign of relational health is a desire to direct the conversation to concern and questions about others.
They rarely speak about themselves. This trait is the corollary to the previous characteristic. Have you ever known someone who seems always to talk about himself or herself? They are usually boring or irritating. They are definitely self-absorbed.
They are intentional about relationships. They don’t wait for others to take the initiative. They are so focused on others that they naturally seek to develop relationships.
They have a healthy sense of humor. This trait is natural because the leaders are not thinking obsessively about themselves. Indeed, they are prone to laugh at themselves and their own perceived inadequacies.
They are not usually defensive. Pastors and other church leaders deal with critics regularly. Sometimes a defense is right and necessary. Most of the time, the leaders with great relational skills will not take the criticism too personally.
They constantly seek input. Their egos are not so tender that they are unwilling to receive constructive criticism. To the contrary, many of these leaders seek such input on a regular basis.

I speculate that over one-half of forced terminations have at their foundation poor leadership and/or relational skills of the leader. I hope this brief checklist will help you look in the mirror with greater clarity.

Let me hear from you about the issue of relational skills of church leaders.

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Pray for Long Lake Church

Location: Traverse City, Michigan

Pastor: Christopher Cox

Weekly Worship: 10:00 AM, Eastern

Fast Facts: Founded in 1880, Long Lake church has a history as being the church for the Long Lake community. But over the years, leadership has changed, and vision has faded. In October 2015, the pastor of the church passed away very suddenly. Christopher Cox, a younger pulpit supply pastor in the community, was called in to preach that following Sunday and has been there all but two weeks ever sense.

Through the grief and healing, the church has established a new vision and mission: Help Christians Grow and Help to Grow Christians to Glorify God. Worship attendance, which was around 25 in January of 2016, has more than doubled as the church has started strategically reaching out to its surrounding community. Uniquely situated within 5 miles of two extremely large community churches, Long Lake has begun focusing on the people who would prefer a more intimate worship experience. They have begun to focus on “simple church,” and how they can best serve those in need.

The congregation will begin a deep prayer focus through World Renewal International today, May 15, committing the next four months to regular weekly prayer for its community—for the hurting, lost, and those in need. They are asking God to prepare them to meet the needs of those who are lost and hurting as God brings new visitors and members into the worship community. They also have numerous community-focused events planned over the next 4-6 months.

Please pray for the new leadership, and for a renewed focus on serving those right in their own back yard. There are 8,000 resident’s in the community—many of whom don’t know the Love of Jesus Christ. Their prayer is that they graciously show His love and never get in the way of the work that God would have them to do.

Website: LongLakeTC.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 Long Lake Church appeared first on ThomRainer.com.

Notable Voices: May 14, 2016

Black preaching changed the course of this country. What creates that style? — Frank Thomas

Dr. Thomas explains six distinct characteristics of African-American preachers and their preaching and why it matters.

 

Eight Tips for Beginning Preachers — Jason Allen

Dr. Allen wrote this for beginning preachers, but even for seasoned preachers many of them serve as good reminders.

 

Three Unreasonable Expectations Pastors Have of Their Churches — Sam Rainer

These three are typically found in many churches, but not quite to the level most pastors wish.

 

Three Ways Millennials Make You a Better Leader — Eric Geiger

Working with and supervising Millennials helps you grow as a leader. Eric shares just three of the reasons why.

 

5 Tips for a Winning Presentation — Paul Evans

These tips can be applied to a business presentation, a sermon, or a general talk you might give.

 

7 Reasons Why Emotional Intelligence Is One Of The Fastest-Growing Job Skills — Harvey Deutschendorf

While aptitude is still a main component in hiring, adapt-itude is gaining steam. Having employees who can adapt to changing conditions and work well with coworkers is becoming increasingly important.

 

The post Notable Voices: May 14, 2016 appeared first on ThomRainer.com.

Six Areas Where Millennial Pastors Are Asking for Help – Rainer on Leadership #224

Podcast Episode #224

SUBSCRIBE: iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio

On today’s episode, we take a look at a few areas in which Millennial pastors are seeking help. We hear from pastors of all ages, but Millennial pastors seem to be dealing more with these six common issues that any others.

Some highlights from today’s episode include:

Millennial pastors have a desire to be mentored.
Millennials will inevitably have the responsibility of supervising with staff who are older. Many are unprepared.
You really don’t know someone in a work environment until you actually work with them.
One area of church finance that can be confusing is the rules on designated funds.
I love the Millennials’ emphasis on family.
Most Millennials don’t want to lead the family life that many of their boomer parents displayed.
Your ministry begins with your family. You have a ministry and the first line of that ministry is your family.

The six areas where Millennial pastors seek help most frequently are:

Feedback on sermons
Dealing with staff issues
Understanding church finances
Time management
Life and family balance
Practical ministry


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

ArtRainer.com
The Millennials

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Nine Ways Your Church Can Use Twitter on Sundays

By Jonathan Howe

We’ve covered several uses of social media here on the blog in the past. I’ve even written on the eight most effective ways your church can use Twitter. But that post was geared toward a more comprehensive utilization of the micro-blogging service.

But yesterday, a friend who runs social media for a church plant asked me about the specifics of using Twitter on Sundays. The question was a great one because it points to a greater benefit of Twitter than its use as an information platform. Because of its brevity and immediacy, Twitter can serve as an experience enhancer. Since our main “game day” in the church world is Sunday, here are nine ways your church can use Twitter on Sundays.

Important Reminders. This is similar to how you would use Twitter during the week, but these serve as last minute reminders. This is especially effective for important Sundays or for events that you might be having that day. As a bonus, these last minute announcements can often be scheduled in advance, and you can avoid worrying about them in the often-hectic time before the service.
Sermon Text. Tweeting out the text for the sermon is an easy way to prepare your church members for worship. This scheduled tweet gives attendees the opportunity to read and pray over the text and prepare for corporate worship before they even leave the house.
Calling Audibles. Obviously these tweets cannot be scheduled. Maybe there is a parking issue or a weather issue about which you need to notify the congregation. Twitter is a great way to get the word out to a lot of people about changes you may need to make on the fly.
Repeating Announcements. If you still have verbal announcements in the service, tweeting a link to more info as each announcement is mentioned gives members and guests a chance to stay informed and take action at a later time. Also, members will always know where to find information if they need it during the week. You are literally training them weekly to check Twitter or the church website for information.
Tweeting Sermon Quotes. This is probably the way Twitter is most often used on Sundays. If your pastor preaches from manuscripts, you can even create drafts of your tweets and just send them as the sermon progresses.
Providing Song Information. Have you ever really enjoyed a song during a service but not know what song it was? A simple tweet with the set list (or even better, a Spotify playlist) will keep your members and guests informed as to what they are singing and where to find the songs later.
Prayer Requests. These tweets work well for corporate prayer times rather than for individual requests. If your church has a special time of prayer for an upcoming missions trip or a world event, tweets about the prayer time can serve as prayer reminders throughout the day and the week.
Behind the Scenes Pictures. The possibilities here are endless. A lot of preparation and hard work goes into making a Sunday worship service happen. Tweets showing the behind the scenes action can provide a unique perspective on all that goes on as well as help enlist volunteers for the future. What better way to recruit ministry volunteers than to show your members service opportunities every week?
Post-Service Celebrations. These tweets could be from new members classes, post-baptism pictures, nursery cleanup, and so much more. There’s likely something you could celebrate every week. Just find it and tweet it.

Sometimes we overthink tweets, especially in the bluster of all that happens on a Sunday morning at a worship gathering. These are but nine ways you can plan to use Twitter on Sundays. But I’m sure there are more. What 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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Ten Things You Should Know about Generation Z

I doubt the generational name will stick, but for now we call them Generation Z. There was Gen X, then Gen Y (the Millennials), and now Gen Z.

Their birth years are 2001 to 2020. The oldest Gen Zer is 15; the youngest has not yet been born.

We have much to learn about this young generation, but we have learned much already. Church leaders, particularly, need to keep an eye on this generation. There are some fascinating trends taking place.

For now, let’s look at ten things you should know about Gen Z.

They will be the largest generation in history. Each of their birth years is already a large cohort. By the time 2020 concludes, this generation will include about 82 million people. They will supplant the Millennials who supplanted the Boomers as the largest generation.
The majority of this generation is non-white. That is a first in the history of the United States.
Hispanics are the fastest-growing group in Gen Z. It is simply a matter of fertility rates. Hispanic mothers have an average of 2.4 children, compared to black mothers (2.1), and Asian and white mothers (1.8).
At least one of ten of this generation will marry across ethnic and racial lines. But the number could be higher.
Homosexual marriage will be embraced as normative. But we cannot tell yet what percentage of Gen Z will be in a homosexual marriage.
Two historic events have shaped Gen Z. Most of them were not born when 9/11 took place, but their parents and others have made the event a part of their lives and insecurities. The second event, the Great Recession, is still a reality though the recession is officially over. Gen Z parents, and thus, their children still feel the impact of a weak jobs economy.
Gen Z will be highly entrepreneurial. They have learned from their parents that you cannot trust an employer to take care of you. It is best to create your own job.
Gen Z is and will be in church more regularly. I read one study by Joan Hope that noted a big spike in church attendance by Gen Z. My anecdotal observations confirm an increase in Gen Zers church attendance, but I was surprised by the magnitude of the increase in Hope’s study. We will need to monitor this behavioral pattern closely.
Rapid change is normative for Gen Z. None of us could have imagined the Internet of Things or wearable technology or many other technological trends. They are normative for Gen Z. This generation is accustomed to rapid change.
Gen Zers prefer personal contact. Yes, they are fully immersed in the Internet and social media, but they really want to have personal interaction. Perhaps it is because of the Internet and social media that they desire personal interaction.

The trends are early. The demographics are breathtaking. And the signs are, to a large extent, hopeful. Let me hear from you about Gen Z.

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How to Respond to Cringeworthy Statements – Rainer on Leadership #223

Podcast Episode #223

SUBSCRIBE: iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio

On today’s podcast, we discuss a recent post on ten statements pastors ofter hear which make them cringe.

Some highlights from today’s episode include:

These statements should make you want to pray more for your pastor.
There is really no reason to keep criticism in anonymity in the church.
The seven deadly words in a church: “We’ve never done it that way before.”
Use the history of the church as an example of change in the past to make change in the present for the future.
Giving “through the church” instead of “to the church” conveys a greater sense of mission for tithes and offerings.
There is a false assumption in many churches that the pastor or staff do not have a lot of work to do.

The ten cringeworthy statements we discuss are:

“I love you pastor, but…”
“Why didn’t you visit her?”
“Gotta minute?”
“Have you heard this podcast pastor?”
“Pastor, people are saying…”
“We’ve never done it that way before.”
“I do pay your salary, you know.”
“I wish she had heard that sermon.”
“I wish I worked just a few hours a week like you.”
“Your kids need to behave like pastor’s kids should behave.”





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

Ten Sentences That Make Pastors Cringe
Seven Reasons Your Pastor Is More Than a Podcast
One Sentence That Pastors and Church Staff Hate to Hear

The post How to Respond to Cringeworthy Statements – Rainer on Leadership #223 appeared first on ThomRainer.com.

I Am Not in Church

I am not in church.

Sure, I have visited churches several times, but I gave up.

For the most part, the people were unfriendly in the churches. No one greeted me unless it was some contrived greeting time. No one noticed me while they gathered in their holy huddles. One church member sat down by me and told me I was sitting in her pew. I decided to leave right then.

I am not in church.

But I really would like to know more about Christianity. Unfortunately, most of the sermons I hear seem watered down. Too many of the preachers tend to shy away from dealing with the biblical text straight on. I want to learn, but they just seem to want to please.

I am not in church.

I could make you a list of over 100 things churches are against. The topics range from the serious to the ridiculous. I sure would like to find a church that also tells me what they are for.

I am not in church.

But I need help. I know I need help. There are times I hurt badly and seek answers. I was hoping to find some of those answers at church. I was hoping to meet people who cared. I was hoping to be in place where I am treated with dignity and care.

I am not in church.

My co-worker goes to church. I even know where he’s a member. But he’s never invited me. My neighbor goes to church. My children play with her children. I see their family go to church every Sunday. But she’s never invited me. I would go if she did. I would definitely go.

I am not in church.

But church members don’t seem to care. They seem too busy to care. No one speaks to me. No one invites me. No one shows concern for me.

I am not in church.

I am not anti-church. I am not anti-Christian. I am really seeking answers. I am really looking for people who care.

I am not in church.

But I think I would like to be.

The post I Am Not in Church appeared first on ThomRainer.com.

Pray for New Beginnings Church

Location: Eau Claire, Wisconsin

Pastor: Pastor Russ Atter

Weekly Worship: 10:00 AM, Central

Fast Facts: New Beginnings went through a difficult church split in the fall of 2015. As a result the senior pastor resigned, and Pastor Russ Atter has took on the role of senior pastor. Please pray for the individuals who left the church at that time and are not attending anywhere. Also, pray for those who are returning to the church. Pray that the current congregation continues to welcome them with open arms. Pray for Pastor Russ as he taken on the role of Senior Pastor, and is focusing on rebuilding the body in the unity of Christ. Finally, pray for New Beginnings Church as they begin street evangelism in Eau Claire, WI.

Website: NewBeginningsChurchEC.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 New Beginnings Church appeared first on ThomRainer.com.