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Pastors, Politics, and Social Media – Rainer on Leadership #214

Podcast Episode #214

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On today’s episode, we discuss a recent post on pastors and social media. Too often, unnecessary problems are caused because of what’s posted to social media. These 10 commandments won’t fully eliminate those problems, but they will reduce them greatly.

Some highlights from today’s episode include:

You represent Christ in all you do. Do you represent him well or poorly?
Regardless of any disclaimer you may put on your social media account, your views do reflect on your employer.
Some of the most heated online arguments are over things that those who arguing can’t even control.
Even if you delete a tweet or blog post, it’s highly likely that somebody, somewhere still has a screenshot.
Often times we are so busy doing good things that we neglect great things.
When it comes to politics, people have a long memory about what others have said online.

The 10 social media commandments of pastors and politics we discuss are:

You shall remember you are an ambassador for Christ.
You shall remember you are your church to many people.
You shall not be a stumbling block to unbelievers.
You shall refrain from posting when your emotions are high.
You shall remember that others are often posting in the throes of their own anger and emotions.
You shall remember your words are permanent.
You shall understand some members of your congregation likely have a different view than you.
You shall not be a distraction to the gospel.
You shall be aware of the long political memory many people have.
You shall be aware that your political opinions may cause disunity with other churches in the community.


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

Ten Commandments for Pastors, Politics, and Social Media

The post Pastors, Politics, and Social Media – Rainer on Leadership #214 appeared first on ThomRainer.com.

What Worked and What Didn’t for Churches this Easter

By Jonathan Howe

Leading up to Resurrection Sunday, we posted a few articles on how churches could use online tools to invite those in the community to celebrate with them for Easter. From Facebook ads and boosting posts, to special graphics and specific hashtags, online promotion for churches was greater this Easter than ever before.

This week, we took a quick Twitter poll to see what worked and what didn’t for churches. We didn’t limit the survey to online promotion only, though. Because while many churches saw great success with online promotion, personal interaction is still the most effective way of inviting someone to church. The results proved both points.

What Worked for Churches

Personal Invites. Several churches used small printed materials (business card or postcard size) to encourage members to invite their friends, neighbors, and coworkers to Easter services. Personal invites were the most common ways churches promoted their Easter weekend services.
Facebook Promotion. Churches boosted posts, created and shared events, and purchased Facebook ads. With the few exceptions of very limited budgets and run time, Facebook promotion was hugely successful. If your church is not using Facebook to promote major events, you are missing a great opportunity.
Coordinated Graphics. Several churches encouraged staff and members to use their Easter graphic as their avatar on social media. This subtle change in visuals created interest and gave an opening for staff and members to begin gospel conversations with friends.
Door-to-door Invites. A variation of this is in the “What Didn’t Work” section below. The key to the success of these door-to-door invites was the personal conversations and invites.
Intentional, Strategic Planning. We heard from several churches that had been planning their Easter outreach for months. They had a plan leading up to Easter and one for follow-up after Easter. For more on guest follow-up, see our recent post and podcast on the subject.
Prayer. This response was most encouraging. Churches participated in prayer walks, set up special prayer teams, and prayed over the worship center the week before Easter. These prayers were answered in incredible ways.

What Did Not Work for Churches

Door-to-door Drop-offs. Many churches canvassed neighborhoods or the area around their church building. Instead of talking to the residents, they simply dropped off invite cards or door hangers. This impersonal approach was overwhelmingly unsuccessful. Few churches saw any noticeable response to just dropping off information.
Extra Signage. Putting up extra signage and hoping people would read it saw little success. This should come as no surprise. We shouldn’t expect a yard sign the do the work of an evangelist.
Doing Nothing. Surprisingly, several responses to the Twitter poll came back saying that the church had done nothing to promote Easter worship services. As a result, many of these churches saw no noticeable difference on Resurrection Sunday.
Not Planning. Several respondents indicated that their church hadn’t planned anything until the week before or waited too long to get things started. Because of the last minute nature of the promotion, there was little to no impact made.

What Did We Learn?

Personal conversations are still the most effective way to invite people to attend your church worship service.
Online promotion is the most effective way for churches to spend dollars earmarked for marketing.
If your church goes door-to-door to invite people, take the time to talk to people.
When you strategically plan your outreach, you see greater participation and more opportunities for success.
Cover everything your church does in prayer. Do not rely on your own strength, but on the Spirit.

Did your church try anything else to promote its Easter or Good Friday worship services? Did you see any success in the promotions?

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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Seven Personality Traits Guests Like in a Pastor

Initially, when you ask church guests what they like about a pastor, they will respond with a comment about the pastor’s preaching. But if you go just one more level in the conversation, these church guests will also talk about the favorable personality traits of the pastor.

Most of these traits fall under the category of “relational skills.” Here are some of the most common personality traits noted in exit interviews with church guests. Each of the traits is followed with a representative guest comment:

Down-to-earth. “I hadn’t been in church in over seven years. When I visited this church, I was shocked how the pastor seemed to be a regular guy. When I used to go to church, pastors presented themselves as high and mighty. Not this pastor.”
Other-centered. “The pastor is always asking about how others are doing. He really seems to care about other people.”
Sense of humor. “There is no doubt the pastor takes his ministry seriously; he just doesn’t take himself too seriously. He seems to have a lot of fun.”
Humble. “The pastor at the church I’m visiting is one of the most humble people I know. He never talks about himself unless it is self-deprecation.”
Relational. “The pastor says he is an introvert, but he sure has good relational skills. The two times I spoke with him were very enjoyable conversations.”
God-centered. “Pastor Frank is a man of prayer. You can just tell he walks with God.”
Not defensive. “I heard someone criticize the pastor after worship services. I was amazed how he responded kindly and gently. I would have hit the person!”

Of course, the guests who provided these exit interviews do not know the pastors of the churches well. Some had visited only once or a few times. But these first impressions were lasting. Indeed, the personality traits of a pastor, for better or worse, played a major role in the guests’ decisions to return to these churches.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this rather different perspective of guest friendliness.

The post Seven Personality Traits Guests Like in a Pastor appeared first on ThomRainer.com.

Online Giving featuring Rich Birch – Rainer on Leadership #213

Podcast Episode #213

SUBSCRIBE: iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio

On today’s podcast we discuss a recent project by Rich Birch. He donated $10 online to 10 different churches to see what the results of giving online would be from some of the leading churches in the US. He published his results in a free PDF that’s available to download. So today we welcome Rich to the podcast to discuss those results and other aspects of online giving including how smaller churches can use this tool.

Some highlights from today’s episode include:

Giving patterns in both churches and non-profits are changing.
If your church has online giving, make it easily visible on the homepage of your church’s website.
A slow, lengthy process for online giving will discourage and frustrate those trying to give.
More people are starting to use recurring giving when they choose to give to their church online.
When churches set up online giving, it must be simple and strategic.
Rather than just providing a receipt, consider a more pastoral and personal response to those who give online.
Online giving platforms are another way to reinforce the vision of your church.

About Rich Birch

Rich has been involved in church leadership for more than 15 years. He currently serves as a part of a four member Lead Team at Liquid Church in the Manhattan facing communities of New Jersey. Rich oversees communications, weekend service programming, campus expansion and special projects at Liquid Church. A featured speaker at conferences like Orange and WFX, Rich is married to Christine and lives in Scotch Plains, NJ, with their two kids and one dog.

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

UnSeminary.com
UnSeminary Podcast
PayPal
First Time Guest Gifts: 26 Lessons from 33 Churches
15 Lessons from 17 Different Church Bulletins
9 Lessons on Effective Church Job Descriptions (& 59 FREE Samples!)
26 Lessons from 15 Church Annual Reports

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Seven Reasons Your Pastor Is More Than a Podcast

I watched the event with my own eyes.

I heard the words with my own ears.

I could see his face, and how deeply the words cut him.

The church member had to comment after the pastor preached. I guess she thought it was incumbent upon her to share her perspective.

“Pastor, I just heard that same text preached by Alistair Begg on a podcast. You need to listen to it. You could really learn some things.”

My thoughts at the moment cannot be repeated here.

She had hurt her pastor deeply. She had wounded him with, essentially, words of his inadequacy compared to one of the great preachers of today.

Another day. Another podcast comparison. Another hurt pastor.

To be certain, I listen to many of the great preachers of today. They have been gifted by God to exposit passages like few can. It is no wonder their podcasts get millions of downloads.

But they are not your pastor. Let’s look at seven reasons your pastor is more than a podcast.

Your pastor knows you. The podcast pastor couldn’t pick you out of a crowd of two people. Your pastor knows you and has made a commitment to serve as your spiritual shepherd.
Your pastor is there for you. The podcast pastor has no way of being there for you in times of need. Your pastor is available in good times and bad.
Your pastor knows your family. The podcast pastor has no idea who all the listeners are, much less their families. No doubt, you can remember times when your pastor ministered to your family in a very personal way.
Your pastor is at the hospital for you. The podcast pastor does not know the names of the hospitals in your community. Hospital visits are some of the most joyous and painful times of a pastor’s ministry. Your pastor is there to celebrate and grieve with you.
Your pastor is a part of your community. The podcast pastor may interact with the online community by making an occasional comment on the podcast or blog. But your pastor is a recognized face in your community, eating where you eat and going where you go. Your pastor ministers to those outside the church as well as within the congregation.
Your pastor preaches as one who is informed by the needs of your church and community. The podcast pastor does not know the needs of your church and community. Your pastor takes on the burden of bringing God’s message to you, your fellow believers, and those in your community. The pastor does not take this role lightly.
Your pastor was called to your church. The podcast pastor was not.

I am delighted to have the opportunity to listen to some of the best podcast preachers in the world. But they aren’t my pastor.

Church members: the next time you are tempted to tell your pastor how great a podcast preacher is, please pause and think.

Instead, express your love to your pastor.

Comparing your pastor to a podcast pastor is deeply hurtful to your pastor.

The post Seven Reasons Your Pastor Is More Than a Podcast appeared first on ThomRainer.com.

Pray for Rock City Church

Location: Maryland Heights, Missouri

Pastor: Melrick Bogier

Weekly Worship: 9:30 AM, Central

Fast Facts: Rock City Church of St. Louis launched on September 20, 2015 with a vision to be a compassionate, creative and culturally-diverse church that focuses on “building strong lives” based on a solid relationship with Jesus Christ. Offering Children’s Ministry for K-5th grade, Rock City Church focuses on the entire family. This quickly growing church has proven to be a church home for many who thought they would never have one. On Easter 2016 Rock City Church began a focused spiritual growth Campaign. Please pray for the church as they pursue God together. Also as a new church, please pray that Rock City Church is effective in reaching their area with the gospel.

Website: RockCityChurchSTL.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..

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Notable Voices: April 2, 2016

12 Clues That You Are a Micromanager — Tony Morgan

Tony provides a helpful look at the characteristics and drawbacks of micromanaging.

 

17 Things You Should Never Say to Employees — Selma Wilson

Throw a few of these around as a leader and you’ll have no one left to lead.

 

Six Ways Pastors Can Find Work Balance — Sam Rainer

Sam shares his perspective on a recent LifeWay Research project about how many hours pastors work each week.

 

5 Ways to Protect Your Kids at Church — Church Relevance

Church security is of utmost importance, and your church should have all five of these in place.

 

Four Reasons You Need Weekly Sermon Evaluation — Micah Fries

Want to develop your skills as preacher? Then evaluate every sermon, every week. Micah shares four reasons this is important for preachers.

 

The Church Does Not Exist to Entertain Us – Or Bore Us — Karl Vaters

Karl reminds us of the true reasons for attending worship services.

 

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Nine Ways Gossip Destroys a Church – Rainer on Leadership #212

Podcast Episode #212

SUBSCRIBE: iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio

On today’s episode, we discuss a post from Chuck Lawless on gossip in the church and four ways to combat it in the church.

Some highlights from today’s episode include:

Gossip is a sly and sneaky sin that can destroy the unity of a church.
Gossip points to self importance; ministry and service point to the importance of others.
There is never a time when gossip helps or builds up.
Once gossip is out about someone, it’s hard to correct it if it’s false.
Gossip not only hurts the reputation of the subject, but of those who pass it on as well.
If someone gossips about someone to you, they’d likely gossip about you to someone else.
Gossip is a very evil and destructive force within the church.
Churches should have an environment of trust that does not allow for gossip.
Every church covenant should address gossip.

The nine ways gossip destroys a church are:

It’s evil.
It’s idolatrous.
It’s self-centered.
It’s divisive.
It’s often deceptive.
It harms reputations.
It destroys trust.
It indicates hypocrisy in the church.
It risks God’s judgment.


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

9 Reasons Gossip is Destructive to a Church

The post Nine Ways Gossip Destroys a Church – Rainer on Leadership #212 appeared first on ThomRainer.com.

Young Influencer List, March 2016

By Jonathan Howe

As I mentioned previously, when we interviewed Brad Lomenick for the Rainer on Leadership podcast, we talked about his Young Influencer List and the reasons behind why he compiles such a list. Brad encouraged me to do the same—to find young influencers in our sphere and make our audience aware of how these young leaders are impacting others for Kingdom advancement. The qualifications are quite simple: under 40 and making a Kingdom difference.

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.

So without further adieu, here is this month’s young influencer list:

Léonce B. Crump Jr. — Author and Lead Pastor at Renovation Church in Atlanta, GA – I first met Léonce at a church planting leadership event hosted here at LifeWay. His new book, Renovate , tells his story of planting a multi-ethnic church in one of the most violent areas in Atlanta.
Lauren Daigle — Grammy-nominated musician and worship leader in Atlanta, GA – Lauren’s debut album was nominated for a Grammy and the title track ‘How Can It Be?’ won a Dove Award for Best Song. She took home the Best New Artist award at the Dove awards last fall and is my favorite new CCM artist as well.
Matt Brooks — Senior Pastor at First Baptist Jackson, MS – Matt recently began his tenure at First Baptist Jackson after having served as pastor in the Birmingham, AL, area. Matt has a contagious energy and enthusiasm to shepherd Christ’s church to fulfill the Great Commission in Jackson and throughout the world.
Mike Cosper  — Director of The Harbor Institute for Faith and Culture in Louisville, KY – Mike has authored several books and lessons for The Gospel Project, has directed worship and arts for Sojourn Community Church, and is now turning his attention to launching The Harbor Institute for Faith and Culture.
Muche Ukegbu — Lead Pastor at The Brook in Miami, FL – One of the founders of Blueprint Church with Dhati Lewis in Atlanta, Muche planted The Brook in Miami and is seeing God work in great ways in South Florida.
Katie Wylie — Marketing Strategist for Student Ministry at LifeWay Christian Resources in Nashville, TN – Katie directs the marketing efforts for our student ministry resources here at LifeWay and plays a major role in the discipleship of the next generation of leaders in the church.

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.

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Seven Digital Disruptions in Churches

I had no idea what was about to transpire.

The year was 1994. I was serving as pastor of a church in Birmingham. I did not have the foresight to see how churches were about to be disrupted by the digital world.

Now, over twenty years later, I can look back and see the massive digital changes. But I was not prescient. I have been greatly surprised.

So what are the digital disruptions churches have experienced? I don’t have an exhaustive list, but here are seven key disruptions.

From the house to Facebook. We once connected with members and guests with home visits. Today, we are more likely to connect on Facebook and other social media.
From the worship service to the website. A guest’s first point of contact used to be the worship service. Now they go the church’s website to garner first impressions.
From the offertory to online giving. This shift is growing. Churches of all sizes better have online giving as at least one option for giving.
From the newsletter to the blog. When I became a pastor in 1984, I wrote a column for our church’s print newsletter. It had the highly original title of “From Your Pastor.” Today, more pastors and staff communicate via their own blogs.
From the cassette to the podcast. I’m really showing my age now. My first sermons were distributed via a plastic cassette. If you happen to come across one of my sermon cassettes, please destroy it immediately for the sake of the kingdom. Another way podcasts have disrupted churches is providing weekly messages from other pastors, especially well-known pastors. It can be tough on pastors when a church member says, “Matt Chandler says . . .” or “Andy Stanley says . . .”
From the paper Bible to the digital Bible. In the past: “Please open your Bibles . . .” Today: “Please open or turn on your Bibles.”
From the announcements to the app. Some church apps automatically update with news and prayer requests. By the time you hear it on Sunday morning, the news is old news.

There has been so much change in such a short period, so many digital disruptions in the church. What can you add to this list? Let me hear from you.

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