Thom S. Rainer's Blog, page 246

Top 10 Posts of 2015 at ThomRainer.com – Part Two

This year, 2015, was another great year at ThomRainer.com. Thanks to all of you who have read, commented on, and shared the posts and podcasts here at the site. We have some great plans for 2016, and I can’t wait to see what this next year will bring, but today we take a look back at the biggest posts of the year. Click here to see posts #6 through #10.

Top 10 Posts of the Year: #1 through #5

#1 – 25 Really Weird Things Said to Pastors and Other Church Leaders

Few people are truly aware of the constant requests, complaints, and criticisms pastors and other church leaders receive. I must admit, however, I was surprised when I asked church leaders on Twitter to share some of the more unusual comments they have received. I was first surprised at how many responded. But I was most surprised at the really strange things people tell pastors and other church leaders.

Many of the comments related to using the Bible too much or to being too evangelistic. I should make those a blog post by themselves.

I narrowed my selection to twenty-five, but it could have been much higher. I left off many great comments to keep this post manageable. I’ve only made minor wording changes to some of these. For the most part, I received these quotes just as you are seeing them. The parenthetical words after each comment represent my off-the-cuff commentary.

#2 – Seven Things Church Members Should Say to Guests in a Worship Service

One of the more common questions I’m asked relates to growth barriers. For example, church leaders may want to know how to move past the 150-attendance level of the past five years. Or other leaders desire to know how to break though financial giving barriers.

Those questions are tough because they often presume a brief response to be adequate. In reality, there are many theological and methodological issues at work in growth barriers. Today, I am looking at a very basic barrier: lack of friendliness to church guests.

In a previous blog post, I noted things we should not say to a guest in our worship services. In today’s post I look at the positive perspective: seven things we should say to guests.

#3 – Six Observations about Speaking to Pastors Right Before They Preach

For most pastors, preaching is one of the most important facets of their ministries. It is that time when they get to expound on God’s Word. Much of their training has focused on preaching, and they often spend 15 to 20 hours preparing each sermon.

Pastors, with few exceptions, love their church members. They desire to serve their congregants well. They desire to be gracious and friendly to those who approach them. That is why most of them would be highly reticent to say what I am about to say.

Many times pastors get very distracted and even discouraged when someone speaks to them right before they preach. Let me elaborate in my usual fashion by making six observations.

#4 – Nine Traits of Mean Churches

“My church is a mean church!”

I received two emails this week from church members who made that very statement. The members are from two different churches in two different states. One of the churches belongs to a denomination; the other is non-denominational. In both cases the church members made the decision to drop out of local church life altogether.

Yes, I tried to reason with the two members. I told them that no church is perfect. If they had any doubt, I wrote, look at the two letters the Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Corinth. I failed in convincing them to stay in their churches. I pray they will become active in other churches later.

I love local churches. But I have to admit, I am hearing more from long-term members who are quitting church life completely. One member wrote me, “The non-Christians I associate with are much nicer people than the members of my church.”

Ouch. That really hurt.

So, after receiving the second email, I began to assimilate all the information I could find where church members had written me about their “mean” churches. They may not have used the word “mean” specifically, but the intent was the same. I then collected characteristics of these churches, and I found nine that were common. I call these the “nine traits of mean churches.”

#5 – Nine Traits of Church Bullies

Church bullies are common in many churches. They wreak havoc and create dissension. They typically must have an “enemy” in the church, because they aren’t happy unless they are fighting a battle. They tend to maneuver to get an official leadership position in the church, such as chairman of the elders or deacons or treasurer. But they may have bully power without any official position.

Church bullies have always been around. But they seem to be doing their work more furiously today than in recent history. Perhaps this look at nine traits of church bullies can help us recognize them before they do too much damage.

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Healthy Church Trends: A Look Back – Rainer on Leadership #186

Podcast Episode #186

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On today’s episode, we take a look back at some healthy church trend predictions mentioned in a 2012 post to see how things have progressed over the past four years. Surprisingly, we see all 12 present in healthy churches today as we enter into 2016.

Some highlights from today’s episode include:

If you read the Bible daily, you are more likely to become a more devoted follower of Christ.
If you’re not doing ministry and missions in your local community, you’re likely not a healthy church.
The SBC was the worst offender on lowering the bar of church membership. That has thankfully reversed.
Pastors of non-evangelistic churches don’t lead in evangelism.
What your church celebrates and focuses on, people tend to gravitate toward.
Most churches don’t have problems adding programs. They really struggle with eliminating them.

The 12 trends found in healthy churches are:

The churches have a high view of Scripture.
A large number of church members read the Bible daily.
The churches have a priority and focus on the nations.
The churches have a missional community presence.
The congregations have membership that matters.
The members are evangelistically intentional.
These healthy churches have pastors who love the members.
The churches allow their pastors to spend time in sermon preparation.
There is clarity of the process of disciple making.
These churches do less better.
The process of discipleship moves members into ongoing small groups.
Corporate prayer is intentional and prioritized.

Episode Sponsor

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

The Shape of Faith to Come
I Am a Church Member
Surprising Insights from the Unchurched
Simple Church
Nine Surprises in Worship Services That Made Guests Return

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Top 10 Posts of 2015 at ThomRainer.com – Part One

This year, 2015, was another great year at ThomRainer.com. Thanks to all of you who have read, commented on, and shared the posts and podcasts here at the site. This week, I’ll be sharing some of the biggest posts and podcasts of the year. We have some great plans for 2016, and I can’t wait to see what this next year will bring.

Top 10 Posts of the Year: #6 through #10

#6 – Ten Things You Should Never Say to a Guest in a Worship Service

If you want to make certain guests never return to your church, say one of these sentences to them when they visit.

Indeed, these unfortunate and ill-timed comments almost always guarantee that you will offend guests and make them very uncomfortable. Most of the time guests are already ill at ease since they are in a new place and a new environment. By the way, each of these quotes was actually communicated to a guest in a worship service. My guess is that all ten of them have been said many times . . . too many times.

#7 – Anatomy of a Sick Church – 10 Symptoms to Watch

There are certain metrics and issues physicians check when we go to the doctor. They want to check our blood pressure and temperature. They do blood tests to see if there are any warning signs. They are looking for symptoms that might indicate real problems exist.

After working with churches for thirty years, I too look for symptoms that might point to greater concerns. The symptoms are not necessarily the problem; they simply provide warnings or cautions of potential issues.

While there are many potential symptoms of a sick church, I have found ten to be consistently common. These ten are not listed in any particular order:

#8 – The Top Ten Most Fiercely Defended Traditions in Churches

I recently embarked on a major research project for a new resource I will soon be offering. Part of my research included a long review of thousands of comments made on this site over the past few years. Though my research had another purpose, I became intrigued by the comments related to church traditions.

Of course, by “traditions,” I am referring to those extra-biblical customs that become a way of life for many congregations. A tradition is neither inherently good nor bad. Its value or its distraction in a given church really depends on how members treat the traditions.

With that in mind, I began noting the most frequently defended traditions in churches. As a corollary, these traditions can also be a potential source of divisiveness. They are ranked here according to the frequency of the comments.

#9 – Ten Things You Shouldn’t Say to a Pastor Right After the Sermon

I’ve actually assembled more than ten things church members have told pastors immediately after they preached. But these are ten responses where pastors have had the most visceral reactions.

#10 – Nine Observations about Announcements in Worship Services

To have or not to have announcements in the worship services? That is the question many church leaders ask today. And indeed there are several tendencies or trends related to announcements, and they are often related to the size of the church.

I asked a number of church leaders of congregations of varying sizes about their practices in this area. They pretty much confirmed what I am seeing as well. Here are my nine observations:

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Pray for Clements Baptist Church

Location: Athens, Alabama

Pastor: Tim Anderson

Weekly Worship: 9:30 AM, Central

Fast Facts: Clements Baptist Church is a church committed to making disciples of Jesus Christ in Athens, AL, and around the world. They are presently involved in training pastors in six different countries. Clements was planted 21 years ago in Athens, AL, and is now in the process of revitalizing another local church within her local association. This new church campus will be called Clements Baptist Church at Poplar Creek. The new campus is on track to relaunch on Easter Sunday in 2016. Pastor Tim has served the church as pastor for all of her 21 years of ministry. In 2016, the congregation will focus on the theme of the local church, and the adult life-groups will study I Am a Church Member. Clements builds her ministry around 4 major ministry themes; Lordship, Discipleship, Relationship, and Stewardship. Pray for their 2016 Year of the Church vision. Also pray for their Focus on the Family emphasis in January and February. Finally, pray for the relaunch of the Poplar Creek campus on Easter Sunday.

Website: ClementsBaptist.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..

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Notable Voices: December 26, 2015

4 Dangers of a Leader’s Echo Chamber — Art Rainer

Leaders need feedback—both positive and negative—to be a good leader. Leaders who live in echo chambers set themselves up for these four dangers without typically realizing it.

 

Dealing with Dying Programs in a Church — Chuck Lawless

You probably have at least one of these in your church, so careful and prayerful action is always best. Chuck’s eight tips also include options for both sustaining the program and ending it.

 

Five Things Pastors Should Do When They’re Not Feeling Creative — Brandon Kelley

Maybe you are having trouble landing the plane with your sermon. Maybe you have a case of writer’s block? What do you do? Brandon provides five suggestions.

 

Seven Joys of Pastoral Ministry — David Murray

I really appreciate David’s joy and love for pastoral ministry. These are great reminders for pastors as we start the new year.

 

A Biblical Approach to Church Revitalization — Brian Croft

This is a great representation of the two extremes people often associate with church revitalization.

 

Seven Ways to Become a Better Sermon Listener — Christopher Ash

We so often assume our congregants know how to listen to a sermon, but there are some nuances involved. Christopher lists seven such nuances.

 

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My Christmas Gratitude for the Gifts You’ve Given Me

I am a blessed man.

The Savior whose birth we celebrate today is my Savior and Lord.

I have been married to my girlfriend for 38 years. Nellie Jo is a beautiful gift of grace.

I have three incredible sons, Sam, Art, and Jess. I am so proud of the godly men they are.

I have been blessed beyond measure with godly daughters-in-law: Erin, Sarah, and Rachel.

I have ten grandchildren, one of whom is with the Lord. They are all joy.

I love LifeWay and the people with whom I work.

But in this post, I want to thank you, the readers of this blog and the listeners of our podcast, for the gifts you have given me.

Thank you for:

The gift of your time, some nine million visits a year. I am blown away that you take that time to read my articles and listen to our podcasts.
The gift of your wisdom. I learn so much from you. Every day is an adventure in learning.
The gift of your encouragement. I don’t deserve it, but you offer words of encouragement regularly.
The gift of your lives. You are men and women who sacrificially serve our Lord every day. You are my examples. You are my heroes.

May this Christmas day be blessed for each of you. For certain, you are a blessing to me.

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The Hope of Christmas Eve for Hurting Church Leaders

By Chuck Lawless

It’s Christmas Eve – a time for families to come together, for congregations to gather, for people all over the world to wait in anticipation to celebrate the birth of Jesus tomorrow. It’s a great time of year as we rejoice for a few days and then look forward to the new year.

Not everybody is fully celebrating today, though. For some church leaders, the holiday is here without joy; the struggles of ministry are so intense that it’s hard to celebrate. For others, memories of great holidays are only painful today because their family is falling apart. Some are so caught in hidden sin that internal conviction and pain force them to fake their way through the holiday season. And, if it’s not church leaders who find themselves in these tough positions, all of us likely pastor somebody in one of these situations.

With that in mind, here are some words of hope today:

God knows exactly where you are. When Adam and Eve sinned, God went looking for them in the Garden. When Elijah cowered in discouragement, God found him in the cave. Don’t worry about trying to hide in any pain you’re experiencing today; the God who came to earth in Bethlehem is the God who will come to you wherever you are today.
Somebody’s praying for you. If you don’t know who that person is, no need to worry – God does. If nobody else is, know that I’m praying even as I write this post for those hurting folks who will read these words. And, I’m asking every reader to take time to pray for other readers who are struggling today. Would you stop even now and pray before reading more?
The Christmas story is about God’s coming for all people – including the weak and hurting. Christ was born in the town of Bethlehem, not in Jerusalem. He was placed in a manger, not in the palace of a king. His parents were nobodies, not the “rich and famous” of the day. Jesus would grow up to minister to the defeated, the discouraged, the demonized, and the dying. You know all these truths because you’ve likely been teaching them – now the challenge is to apply them in faith in your own life!
Perhaps today is another “eve” in your life. You see, an “eve” is not just any day; it’s the day before a special day or event. I don’t know what God’s doing in your life, but perhaps tomorrow you’ll find renewed hope. Maybe He will work supernaturally to free you from sin or restore your marriage. You might be “on the edge” of seeing God work this “eve.” Trust Him now.
The enemy is not going to win. Christmas is but the beginning of the story. The baby brought light into the darkness, and He would break the back of the powers through His later death and resurrection. If you’re struggling this Christmas season, don’t forget the rest of the story!

Throughout this day, I’m setting aside moments to pray for our readers this Christmas Eve. Let us know how we can pray for you.

Be sure to check out Dr. Lawless’ daily blog posts at www.chucklawless.com. Chuck Lawless currently serves as Professor of Evangelism and Missions and Dean of Graduate Studies at Southeastern Seminary. You can connect with Dr. Lawless on both Twitter and Facebook.

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Five Huge Stressors on Pastors: A Christmas Request

I love this time of year. I love celebrating the Savior’s birth, and I love getting together with family.

Still, I am aware that many people are struggling and hurting during the Christmas season. And, probably to the surprise of some of you, pastors are often among those who are struggling.

LifeWay Research recently conducted a survey to ask pastors where they feel the greatest stress. There were four stressors acknowledged by over half of the pastors, and one stressor noted by nearly half.

84% of pastors say they are on call 24 hours a day. Crises do not take a break, so pastors can’t either. Almost every pastor feels tension when the phone rings late at night.
80% of pastors expect conflict in their church. Conflict and criticism come with the role of pastor. It is to be expected. But that doesn’t mean it’s not stressful.
54% of pastors find the role frequently overwhelming. The key word here is “frequently.” Over half of the pastors feel this way.
53% of pastors are concerned about their financial security. It’s a shame a few pastors have given the vocation a bad name with their extravagant lifestyles. Most pastors are paid modestly. Over half of the pastors admit financial struggles.
48% of pastors often feel the demands of ministry are more than they can handle. Many church members expect pastors to be omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. In a church with an average attendance of 200, pastors are often expected to be at 15 or more meetings or events each week. It’s impossible to please everyone.

You probably won’t find your pastor complaining about these stressors. Most of them are selfless and serving individuals.

But may I be bold and request you give your pastor three gifts this Christmas? You won’t have to spend a dime to get these gifts, but they would mean so much to your pastor.

Tell your pastors you are praying for them.

Tell your pastors how much you appreciate them.

Tell your pastors one specific thing they have done this past year that meant a lot to you.

Merry Christmas to all of you.

And may your pastors have a joyous Christmas as well.

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12 Megachurch Trends to Watch – Rainer on Leadership #185

Podcast Episode #185

SUBSCRIBE: iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio

On today’s episode, we discuss some new research from Leadership Network on the state of megachurches in North America. This research summary, Recent Shifts in America’s Largest Protestant Churches: Megachurches 2015 Report, is available to download at the Leadership Network website.

Some highlights from today’s episode include:

Just like churches of any size, there are good megachurches and there are bad megachurches.
I do not recommend a church counts online service viewers in its worship attendance total.
If a church is not emphasizing small groups, it is a weak church.
The healthiest churches (regardless of size) have pastors who are being mentored or coached.
Sanctuary sizes are getting smaller as churches have more services instead of building larger buildings.
A church will likely see a higher growth rate with multisite than with one site.

The 12 findings about American megachurches we cover today are:

79% of megachurches say yes, 41% of comparison churches say yes to the question: Do you strongly agree that your congregation has a clear mission and purpose?
62% of megachurches are multisite, up from 46% five years previously.
The average number of locations for multisite megachurches is 3.5 up from 2.5 five years previously.
Megachurches average five services per weekend.
45% of megachurches have worship services that considerably vary in style between services.
81% of megachurches say that global missions are a major emphasis or specialty of the church.
30% of megachurches host an online campus.
79% of megachurches say small groups are central to their strategy of Christian nurture and spiritual formation.
74% of megachurches have an internship or mentoring program.
57% of megachurches serve communion always or often as a part of worship, up from 51% five years ago.
The median seating capacity of a megachurch main sanctuary is 1,200, down from 1,500 five years ago.
Growth rate over the past five years of younger megachurches (91%) is much higher than that of older megachurches (39%).

Episode Sponsor

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.

Also, don’t miss this special offer that’s only available in December. The first 15 churches that start a search this December will receive a free VanderCoaching subscription. VanderCoaching is their video coaching curriculum that helps church leaders build, run, and keep great teams. It includes over 50 videos on topics like hiring, firing, staff reviews, church legality, and volunteers. It’s normally priced at $1,000.00, but you’ll get it for free if your church starts a search in December.

Find out more about Vanderbloemen Search Group and VanderCoaching 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

MegaChurch Research from Leadership Network
ChurchAnswers.com

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Nine Surprises in Worship Services That Made Guests Return

In a recent Twitter survey, I asked respondents to share with me a singular event that impressed them in a church worship service. In fact, most of the respondents said they were “delighted” or “surprised,” and that the one event made them desire to return to the church.

I am appreciative for all the responses. A pattern developed around nine factors. Here are some representative quotes around each of the issues:

“Someone had an umbrella waiting for me in inclement weather.” This comment was made for both snowy and rainy weather. Some of the respondents indicated that someone actually stayed next to them so they would not slip or fall.
“A member actually invited me to lunch.” I admit I was surprised by the frequency of this response. This invitation had a huge impact on guests.
“The kids area had leaders who were friendly and helpful.” This issue was obviously highly important to young families. I realize more than ever you keep or lose young families at the point you check the kids in or take them to a class.
“There was a time of meaningful prayer.” I continue to be gratefully amazed at how important prayer is to guests. They love the times of quiet when people are asked to pray silently. They also love guided prayers.
“Someone walked us where we were supposed to go.” Every place in a church facility is unknown to a first time guest. They love greeters staying with them and taking the fear of the unknown away.
“There was genuine friendliness outside of the stand and greet time.” I have come to the conclusion that church members tend to like the stand and greet time more than guests do. In fact, most guests see the stand and greet time as artificial, especially if members are not friendly outside that time.
“People followed up with my prayer requests the next day.” Many churches have places on guest cards for prayer requests. If leaders in the church emphasize that people will pray for the guests, many are likely to complete the card. The guests are really impressed if they hear from someone the next day.
“I loved having the opportunity to speak with the pastor.” In some churches, this conversation took place in a reception room after the service. In other churches, the pastor called or wrote a personal email that was obviously not a form email. Guests really love hearing from the pastor.
“I received a gift at the end of the service.” Many guests love receiving a gift for their visit. Their favorite gifts are freshly baked cookies or freshly baked bread. But any gift is appreciated.

Keep in mind, those who responded to our survey noted only one of these nine surprises that caused them to return. They considered any of these efforts above and beyond what they expected.

What do you think of these nine “delights and surprises”? Do you have experiences you can add to the list? Let me hear from you.

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