Thom S. Rainer's Blog, page 256

Pray for Oakhurst Baptist Church

Location: Charlotte, North Carolina

Pastor: Dave Russell

Weekly Worship: 10:30 AM Eastern

Fast Facts: Oakhurst Baptist, a 79-year-old church, relaunches today under new leadership. The church, who recently voted Dave Russell in as the new pastor, has reorganized and is turning a new page in its history today. A church planting core team is joining with some of the existing members of Oakhurst to launch this new work. Please be in prayer for the Oakhurst community as well as the church during this time of transition.

Website: OakhurstRebirth.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: September 19, 2015

7 Qualities of an Easy to Follow Leader — Ron Edmondson

Getting results as a leader doesn’t always mean being easy to follow leader. But it is quite possible, and much better for those whom you lead, to have both qualities.

 

Five Things Learned in an Unhealthy Church — Aaron Armstrong

Learning from healthy situations is important. But learning from unhealthy ones might be even more critical to our development.

 

Four Ways Leaders Should Rebuke and Challenge — Eric Geiger

The ability to confront and correct effectively is needed to lead teams and staff. Eric shares four keys to doing so successfully.

 

5 Pastoral Pet Peeves — Dan Cooley

These are common, and I like that Dan shares five resolutions to his pet peeves at the end of the article.

 

Three Important Ways for Pastors to Build Trust — Dan Darling

Dan shares three ways pastors can build trust in their church, and he starts with one of the most important things a pastors can do—handling Scripture well.

 

Seven Observations by a New Pastor about Search Committees — Chris Hefner

Both pastors and those looking for a pastor would benefit from Chris’ observations.

 

The post Notable Voices: September 19, 2015 appeared first on ThomRainer.com.

Be Humble. Stay Hungry. Always Hustle. – Rainer on Leadership #160

Podcast Episode #160

SUBSCRIBE: iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio

On today’s episode, Brad Lomenick joins us to discuss his new book, H3 Leadership, and one of the most popular features on his blog—the young influencers list.

Some highlights from today’s episode include:

The “what’s next?” for us is often the “what’s now?”
If you don’t understand your true identity in Christ as a leader, you’re never going to be effective and have impact.
Don’t let what you do define who you are.
The habit of execution is perhaps the most important quality of leaders today.
Leaders today have to be able to get it done.
You can be a great idea person, but if you can’t get it done, the ideas don’t matter.
If there is one major area where execution is lacking in the church, it’s with outward focus.
Your legacy as a leader will be as much defined by the way you hand something off as by the way you build it.

The three points from H3 Leadership which we discuss are:

Humble (Who am I?)



Hungry (Where do I want to go?)



Hustle (How will I get there?


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.

Trinity Evangelical Divinity School is a dynamic community of learners who are serious about ministry preparation biblical studies theological reflection and cultural engagement. Their faculty are gifted men and women who minister as much through research and writing as through local church involvement but their primary ministry is teaching and caring for students. Find out more about TEDS at Divinity.TIU.edu.

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

10 Key Leadership Lessons, featuring Brad Lomenick
H3 Leadership
Catalyst Conference
Johnnyswim

The post Be Humble. Stay Hungry. Always Hustle. – Rainer on Leadership #160 appeared first on ThomRainer.com.

Eight Unexpected Blessings of Christianity

By Chuck Lawless

My seventh-grade classmate who shared the story of Christ with me was a matter-of-fact kind of guy. Here’s generally the way he told me the gospel: “You’re going to hell, and you need to get saved.” In fact, he was even more pointed than that on the mornings when he’d meet me at the classroom door with, “It’s a good thing you lived through the night . . . because you’d be in hell right now if you hadn’t.”

To be honest, my primary motivation for following Christ as a 13-year old was to escape the hell I’d heard so much about from my friend. I can look back now over the last 40+ years, though, and I see so many benefits I never even considered back then:

Sleeping without worry. When you first hear the gospel the way I did, you don’t sleep well. I will never forget the first night’s sleep I had after Jesus saved me. I slept like a baby because I no longer worried about what would happen to me when I died.
Not fearing death. This many years after God saved me (and obviously closer to death now than I was then), I still don’t worry about it. I don’t want to die today, and I’d prefer it not hurt when it comes – but I do not fear it.
Gaining family outside my family. By that I mean that God has given me folks who’ve become as much my family as my family of origin. The love God gives us for brothers and sisters in Christ is an amazing, uniting, satisfying love that can carry us through even when we haven’t felt loved otherwise.
Being redirected to better plans. When I became a Christian, I was sure I was going to be a teacher. I made those plans in kindergarten (really!), and nothing was going to change them – except, that is, for a call of God that would eventually allow me to proclaim His Word and God’s plan is always right.
Meeting my wife. Few people know at age 13 the person they are going to marry. I didn’t. In fact, I didn’t know her at age 13, 15, 20, or 25. She’s in my life now because two church secretaries thought I needed help in meeting the right person and making the best marriage decision as I approached my 30s. They were right.
Not worrying if life doesn’t make sense. I’m enough of a control freak that I’d prefer to be in charge, but I’ve learned that God really is sovereign over life. If things don’t go my way, that doesn’t mean it’s time to get stressed. God will work it all out.
Learning that “stuff” doesn’t matter. Sure, I’m glad we have a home, a car, etc. – but I know from conducting dozens of funerals over the years that you really don’t take it with you. It’s seriously liberating when you stop worrying about stuff.
Being forgiven over and over again. At my conversion, I was grateful that God forgave my sins. What I didn’t know then was that the rest of my life would be about God’s forgiving me each day, each hour, each moment. His forgiving love really is sweet.

The peace God gave me about eternity when I became a Christ follower is still real to me today. What I didn’t realize then – but I deeply appreciate now – is that faith is as much present tense as it is future tense.

Maybe you know non-believers and struggling believers you might direct to this post today. Send them this way, and let’s pray they would see that today is the day to serve Him.

What other blessings have you discovered during your Christian walk?

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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Twenty More Funny and Strange Things Church Members Say to Pastors and Staff

If you get a group of pastors and church staff together, you will inevitably hear some pretty unusual comments they received from church members. So I did an informal Twitter poll to get some of these comments in writing.

There were so many good submissions; narrowing the list to twenty was a difficult process. Ultimately, I was able to get the number down to my requisite count. Here they are. Some of the comments have been modified slightly to reflect a direct quote.

“I am not a Christian; I am a Baptist.” I don’t know why I found this one so funny.
“Do you grow weed in your closet?” The church member actually wanted to look in the pastor’s closet to confirm his suspicions.
“Sorry I was late to church. My dog, Rambo, and I have been witnessing to people.” Rambo must be a special dog.
“I don’t know if I will be able to help with baptism tomorrow. I’m bleeding from my rectum. I think it’s hemorrhoids.” By all means, please stay home.
“Are you the one who keeps taking the beer off my daddy’s grave?” I’m left wondering how daddy gets the beer.
“So did you fly or drive there?” That was a question asked of a pastor after he returned from a trip to the continent of Africa.
“We never had these storms until you came.” Those are words said to a pastor after hurricanes Rita and Ike.
“You need to turn all the lights up during worship. You can’t worship God when it’s dark because He is light.” There has to be a theological response to that.
“Can you perform a ceremony just short of marriage for just living together?” Do you take this roommate . . .
“I really appreciate the content of your sermons, but I can’t stand to watch you as you deliver it.” It would be tough to take that statement as a compliment.
“I need you to go catch a peacock that escaped!” Of course, that’s item 6c in the job description.
“ I can tell you have the anointing of God. My cat does too.” It must be a very spirited cat.
“I can’t run the media and worship God at the same time. I can only worship God with my eyes closed.” Note to that church member: Don’t drive and worship at the same time.
“Are you and your wife getting a divorce?” This question was asked of a pastor when he announced his resignation. They were not getting a divorce.
“You need to wear a bra when you preach.” Just to be clear, this statement was said to a male preacher.
“You blink too much when you preach. You are also a very pale person.” Thank you for your kind words.
“When are you going to get your own church?” This question was asked of an associate pastor.
“Top that, preacher!” Words spoken to the pastor by the soloist as she stepped down from the podium.
“Working here will help you overcome your seminary education.” Somebody doesn’t like seminaries.
“Congrats. This is our last Sunday. This church is dead.” Words said to a new pastor on his first Sunday at a church.

Sometimes we just need to laugh. I hope these twenty statements provided a bit of humor. Let me hear from you. I know there are so many more. We can probably have many more laughs together.

The post Twenty More Funny and Strange Things Church Members Say to Pastors and Staff appeared first on ThomRainer.com.

Five Characteristics of Change Leaders in the Church – Rainer on Leadership #159

Podcast Episode #159

SUBSCRIBE: iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio

On today’s episode, we discuss a blog post from the early days of ThomRainer.com on change leadership.

Some highlights from today’s episode include:

Every organization is changing constantly. Good leaders recognize this and lead in the change.
Our methods may change, but the Word of God never does.
One of the best ways to be aware of the change in your church is to be on the lookout for it as it happens.
Real leaders surround themselves with people who can speak into issues from different perspectives and with more knowledge.
Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is moving forward even when you fear.
Do not think for a moment that it is easy to be a change leader.
Five characteristics of a change leader: self awareness, awareness of reality, humility, courage, and decisiveness.

The five characteristics of successful change leaders are:

They assume that change is taking place at an increasing pace
They put the organization they lead above themselves
They are willing to look in the mirror
They don’t think they have all the answers
They are courageous

Episode Sponsors

Trinity Evangelical Divinity School is a dynamic community of learners who are serious about ministry preparation biblical studies theological reflection and cultural engagement. Their faculty are gifted men and women who minister as much through research and writing as through local church involvement but their primary ministry is teaching and caring for students. Find out more about TEDS at Divinity.TIU.edu.

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

Church of the Highlands
I Will
I Am a Church Member

The post Five Characteristics of Change Leaders in the Church – Rainer on Leadership #159 appeared first on ThomRainer.com.

Nine Essentials for Guest-friendly Church Bulletins

In many circles, the church bulletin or worship folder is perceived to be old school, the tool of staid and traditional churches. Leaders with such a perspective are missing an incredible opportunity to put something in the hands of guests that, at least anecdotally, increases the chances they will return.

It is for that reason that I see the church bulletin to be first for guests. While church members can benefit from it, the most effective use comes from those who are new to your church. I thus note nine essentials for church bulletin with the guest in mind.

Worship times. Many bulletins are retained for future use. It is thus imperative for the worship times to be prominent in them.
Physical address of church. You want to encourage the guest to return, so include the physical address of the church for their GPS.
Website and social media links. This is a primary means of communication for our culture. Your church must be speaking that language, and guests need to know where to find you online.
Email, and telephone contact. Make certain there is an email and telephone contact so the guest can get more information on the church. Also, make certain someone responds quickly to any inquiries.
Prayer request contact. I encourage all churches to have some type of prayer line, either email or telephone. Many guests to your church will communicate with you through a prayer line before any other means. Make certain those contacts are in the bulletin, and make certain you have someone responding promptly to them.
Sermon notes. I have been surprised at the number of guests who are eager to take notes during the sermon. They expect to have a place to take notes.
Major events. Never clutter a bulletin with a multitude of events and regularly scheduled activities. Most of the time, the event should be an event for everyone, and should be considered of major value to the congregation.
Vision or mission statement. This (hopefully) succinct statement will communicate to the guests what really matters at your church.
Order of service. Some churches have gotten away from putting the order of service in the bulletin. I think that’s a mistake from a guest-friendly perspective. Guests may not have a clue what’s taking place in the worship services. Make certain they have a clue.

One item that may seem like an obvious omission is a guest registration card. We have found that these cards are more effective if they are placed as loose cards in the bulletin, rather than perforated cards the guest must tear off.

Again, let me emphasize that the bulletin is a primary tool to connect with guests. If you have abandoned this practice because it does not have a cool factor, please reconsider. It’s making a huge difference in churches that are using it intentionally to reach out to guests.

Let me hear your thoughts.

The post Nine Essentials for Guest-friendly Church Bulletins appeared first on ThomRainer.com.

Pray for Jonesboro FBC

Location: Jonesboro, Illinois

Pastor: Michael Turner

Weekly Worship: 8:15 & 10:35 AM Central

Fast Facts: Pastor Mike has led Jonesboro FBC for more than a year now, and the church is approaching its 200th anniversary in 2018. Pray for guidance and wisdom as Pastor Mike seeks to lead the new vision team and church in a move of revitalization. In November the church will host its 2nd annual “Matthew Dinner” where the members are encouraged to invite friends and neighbors who are lost to come experience fellowship like Matthew did. On September 20, the church will participate in National Back to Church Sunday. Pray for renewal and revitalization as well as the new ministries and involvement in church planting and international missions.

Website: JonesboroFBC.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 Jonesboro FBC appeared first on ThomRainer.com.

Notable Voices: September 12, 2015

The Value of Goals — Art Rainer

Wandering aimlessly through life as an individual or as an organization is no way to reach a destination. We need goals, and Art shares five reasons why.

 

One Big Ministry Rule That You Should Break — Andy Flowers

We’ve talked a good bit about pastoral succession here at ThomRainer.com, and Andy shares why it is something pastors should be concerned about as they transition away from a church.

 

5 Ways to Attract the Right Candidates with Your Job Description — Nicole Cochran

Sometimes the reason you get a poor group of candidates applying for a job is because the job description is not written well. Nicole shares five tips for writing better better job descriptions as well as news of an upcoming webinar on the subject.

 

10 Things you Can’t Expect from Church Volunteers — Ryan Holck

This is a great list of reminders on how to better deal with volunteers as a ministry leader.

 

5 Easy Tips for Using Periscope in Ministry — Jesse Gruber

I’ve really enjoyed Periscope over the past few months. I’m also planning on expanding my use of it in the future. For now, here are five tips for Periscope use in the church.

 

How I Dumped the Mega-church Model and Found Something Bigger — JD Greear

I appreciate JD’s honesty and candor in this article. We must always remember that Kingdom growth is more important than local church growth.

 

The post Notable Voices: September 12, 2015 appeared first on ThomRainer.com.

Age Discrimination and Church Hiring – Rainer on Leadership #158

Podcast Episode #158

SUBSCRIBE: iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio

On today’s episode, we discuss a recent post on what churches look for—and avoid—when hiring a new pastor. Please note that when we reference age discrimination, we are referring to more of a preference for and a discounting of candidates of certain ages, not the classic legal definition of the term.

Some highlights from today’s episode include:

Not all intentional age discrimination in a church is malicious.
A pastor in his 40s typically has an easier time finding a church job than a pastor in his 30s or 50s.
The age of 55 is a psychological barrier for many churches when hiring, and it’s a shame.
There are many pastors doing the most effective ministry of their career who would be considered “too old to hire” by some churches.
It’s much easier to find a job when you have a job.
When churches limit their pastor search to young pastors, they could be missing out on some very experienced candidates.
Young pastoral candidates could bring enthusiasm and originality to many churches in need of both.

The six considerations about age discrimination we discuss are:

Age discrimination is common in many churches.
Churches do not discriminate maliciously.
Many churches determine candidate profiles by surveying church members.
Those excluded from consideration are on both ends of the age spectrum: the younger and the older.
Many members use the “+15” mental calculation to determine if a candidate is too old.
Churches are missing some great opportunities narrowing their focus to a certain age.

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.

Trinity Evangelical Divinity School is a dynamic community of learners who are serious about ministry preparation biblical studies theological reflection and cultural engagement. Their faculty are gifted men and women who minister as much through research and writing as through local church involvement but their primary ministry is teaching and caring for students. Find out more about TEDS at Divinity.TIU.edu.

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

Pastoral Succession
Trends in Pastoral Job Searches and Succession

The post Age Discrimination and Church Hiring – Rainer on Leadership #158 appeared first on ThomRainer.com.