Thom S. Rainer's Blog, page 262
July 22, 2015
Seven Things Search Committees Should Do After the Pastor Is Selected
Pastor search committees’ best opportunities for effective ministry take place after the candidate is selected. Unfortunately, most search committees cease to function too abruptly.
As I have noted in previous posts on this topic, not all churches use a pastor search committee to call a pastor. Still, I hope some of these suggestions could be applied in any context. Also, keep in mind that these same issues apply to ministry positions beyond the pastor. Let’s look at seven things a search committee should do after the pastor is selected.
Make certain other candidates are notified. I hear too many negative stories about prospective pastors who were never notified that they were not the final choice. Such behavior is unprofessional and not Christ-like.
Remind search committee members about the need for confidentiality. While the church should have all the relevant information about the prospective pastor, there is some information that must remain confidential. For example, one member of a search committee told her small group the details of the new pastor’s credit report.
Never discuss the names of other candidates. Here is an unfortunate but true story. A member of a search committee had a relative at the church where the runner-up pastoral candidate served. He told the relative that her pastor wanted the job but didn’t get it. The aftermath for the pastor was not pretty.
Have a clear communication plan for all the members of the search committee. Each member of the search committee will have individual conversations with church members and others. Many committees do not have a plan for these inevitable one-on-one conversations. Make certain all committee members are saying the same thing consistently.
Have a member put the entire process in writing. Without divulging confidential information, have a member provide a written report of what the committee did; what went well; what went wrong; and what they would do differently. Such information is invaluable for future committees at your church and at other churches.
Consider becoming a short-term liaison group for the pastor. The search committee can be a great transition team for the pastor for the first six to twelve months.
Help the family transition to the church and the community. When a church calls a pastor, the church calls a family. Think of the many ways the committee can help the pastor’s family during the transition. Consider not only helping with the obvious matters (such as recommending a realtor), but with the not-so-obvious matters. One search committee got a complete grocery list from the pastor’s family and did the first month’s shopping for them.
Search committees should indeed do more than just search for a pastor. What do you think of these seven suggestions? What would you add?¸
The post Seven Things Search Committees Should Do After the Pastor Is Selected appeared first on ThomRainer.com.
July 21, 2015
Name the 10th I Will Trait and Win a Prize from LifeWay and B&H
In my new book, I Will, I identify the patterns of behavior most common to those Christians who realize that they may be the answer to the problems they see. These outwardly focused Christians are driven by nine traits that I’ve identified as “I will” statements:
I will move from “I am” to “I will”
I will worship with others
I will grow together with others
I will serve
I will go
I will give generously
I will not be a church dropout
I will avoid the traps of churchianity
I will make a difference
In celebration of the launch of I Will, the team at B&H is holding a contest for the best 10th trait of the outwardly focused Christian. That’s where you come in.
Comment below with your idea of the what that 10th trait could be, and you’ll be entered to win one of three prizes from B&H:
First Place: One copy of all my books published by B&H, a subscription to smallgroup.com, and a $100 gift card to LifeWay Christian Stores.
Second Place: A copy of I Will, a subscription to smallgroup.com, and a $50 gift card to LifeWay Christian Stores.
Third Place: A copy of I Will and a $25 gift card to LifeWay Christian Stores.
The contest will run until 11:59 PM on Monday, July 27. Then, you can join us live on Periscope at Noon Eastern on Tuesday, July 28 for a discussion about I Will and the announcement of the contest winners.
Contest rules and regulations (the legal fine print)
The post appeared first on ThomRainer.com.
Crafting a Church Vision Statement – Rainer on Leadership #143
SUBSCRIBE: iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio
On today’s episode, we discuss church vision statements and how they must be memorable, succinct, and connected to your church’s discipleship process. If not, they will either fail or be quite ineffective.
Some highlights from today’s episode include:
A vision statement is God’s specific plan for a specific church at a specific time.
Too many vision statements are abstract and don’t click with the people in a church.
The vision statement of your church should mirror your church’s discipleship process.
Every ministry in your church should align with your discipleship process and, as a result, your vision statement.
Vision statements fail when they are not actionable and are poorly communicated.
Ongoing reminders of the vision statement are required to make it stick with the members.
The six elements of a church vision statement are:
The vision statement must be biblical
Have the vision statement mirror you discipleship process
Keep the vision statement succinct and memorable
Ensure your ministries align with the vision statement
Develop an ongoing vehicle to communicate the vision statement to the members (front end, continuous)
Communicate expectations of the members in the vision statement
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 Decline of Sunday Evening Services
Simple Church
The Five Most Common Mistakes Church Leaders Make When Leading Change
The post Crafting a Church Vision Statement – Rainer on Leadership #143 appeared first on ThomRainer.com.
July 20, 2015
Six Reasons Why Women May Be Leaving Your Church
I have the opportunity to be in many churches. In that regard, I am observer of people. When I enter a worship service, I do a quick scan of those attending. And almost every time I look to the congregation, I notice one clear reality: the majority in attendance are women.
It is for that reason that volumes have been written the past couple of decades about getting more men to attend church. In this brief article, however, I want to look from a different perspective. I want to understand the motivations for women who leave the church. My process was simple; I quickly reviewed thousands of comments on my blog. Many times, I read a comment where a woman told me she had given up on a church. Here are the six most common themes:
Overworked. “I had trouble saying no when I was asked to do something in the church. The leaders piled so much on me that the only way I could get relief was to leave the church.”
Not valued. “I really don’t think the leaders in our church value women. Our roles and opportunities are very limited. I am frustrated. I hope I can find a church where my gifts are appreciated.”
Relationally hurt. “There was a group of ladies in our church that did everything together. When I tried to join them, they paid me no attention. I don’t want to be in a church of cliques.”
Lack of quality childcare. “The preaching was great and the people were friendly, but the childcare was a mess. It was both unclean and unsafe. I’m not taking my child there.”
Busyness. “I work full-time. I have four kids at home. I have so many responsibilities. It’s tough to give even more of my time to the church.”
Husband does not attend. “It’s tough coming to church without my husband. I am totally responsible to get our three kids to church. And I really feel out of place because the church has groups for married adults and single adults. I don’t know where I fit.”
Church leaders: see these comments as opportunities for ministry rather than problems that can’t be solved.
How would you address these concerns? What is your church doing now? What more would you like your church to do? Let me hear from you.
The post Six Reasons Why Women May Be Leaving Your Church appeared first on ThomRainer.com.
July 19, 2015
Pray for Shiloh Baptist Church
Location: Seymour, Tennessee
Pastor: Pastor Glenn Metts
Weekly Worship: 11:00 AM, Eastern
Fast Facts: Shiloh Baptist Church is a dynamic country church in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains. Shiloh is a cross-generational church with many different ages actively participating together in the many ministries of the church. A new sanctuary to accommodate 300 people was built with an eye and a heart to serve the community and to lift high the name of Jesus. Shiloh continues to have a locally recognized music ministry and hosts an incredible VBS each year—a dozen young people prayed to receive Christ this summer. Shiloh hosts an annual Christmas store to help provide basic physical and spiritual needs within our community. Visiting missions teams are hosted at Shiloh, and Shiloh sends out mission team to rural settings and to international locations.
Please pray for Shiloh as they enter a busy fall.
Pray for the continued growth of the church.
Pray for conversions within their community and faithful disciples within the church.
Pray for upcoming fall events.
Pray for continued unity of the church body.
Pray for their pastor, music minister, youth minister, staff, and deacons.
Website: ShilohSeymour.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 Shiloh Baptist Church appeared first on ThomRainer.com.
July 18, 2015
Notable Voices: July 18, 2015
The Atrocities of Planned Parenthood and What to Do — Sam Rainer
Sam offers a well-reasoned response and call to action in light of this week’s release of a very disturbing video regarding Planned Parenthood and the sale of fetal organs.
5 Lies Preachers Believe about Preaching — Marty Duren
These reminders will keep preachers from being too high on their own preaching as well as keep them from feeling too down about it.
7 Gospel-Centered Principles for Protecting Your Marriage — Jim Newheiser
These are great reminders for you to protect your marriage in a gospel-centered way. The article is derived from a speech, and that audio is also available for download.
An Embarrassing Week for Christians Sharing Fake News — Ed Stetzer
This article actually discusses the events of the previous week, but make a good point regardless of the dates in question. As Christians, we hurt our witness when we share fake or simply untrue stories online.
5 Reasons to Join a Local Church — Mike Leake
Mike’s reasons fit right in with the “why” shared in I Am a Church Member and the “how” shared in I Will.
72 Outreach Ideas for Your Church — Thom Rainer
As part of the release for I Will, we compiled a rather extensive list of outreach ideas for churches to get them thinking outwardly.
The post Notable Voices: July 18, 2015 appeared first on ThomRainer.com.
July 17, 2015
I Will: Nine Traits of the Outwardly Focused Christian – Rainer on Leadership #142
SUBSCRIBE: iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio
This week, my newest book, I Will, was released. So today on the podcast, we give an overview of the book and the resources related to I Will. Be sure to listen for the giveaway in the podcast and be one of ten winners who will get a free, signed copy of the book.
Some highlights from today’s episode include:
Church membership is more about how you can serve than how you can be served.
If you’re not in a small group, you’re not a fully functioning member of the body of Christ.
The entire idea behind I Will is to get members focused outwardly.
Giving is one of the key indicators for being an outwardly focused church member.
You can tell a person’s commitment to their church by looking at their giving statements.
Traditions are ok, but not when they become an idol in a church.
The nine “I Will” statements we cover are:
I Will Move from “I Am” to “I Will”
I Will Worship with Others
I Will Grow Together with Others
I Will Serve
I Will Go
I Will Give Generously
I Will Not Be a Church Dropout
I Will Avoid the Traps of Churchianity
I Will Make a Difference
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 Autopsy of a Deceased Church.
Resources
I Am a Church Member
I Will
Simple Church
Southeastern Seminary
The post I Will: Nine Traits of the Outwardly Focused Christian – Rainer on Leadership #142 appeared first on ThomRainer.com.
July 16, 2015
11 Ways to Evaluate Your Preaching and Teaching
By Chuck Lawless
The more important our work is, the more imperative it is we strive to improve. If you are a preacher or teacher of the gospel of Jesus Christ, you are proclaiming the most significant message in the world. Thus, those of us who do this work must be open to evaluation. Here are some ways to do so:
Read good books on teaching/preaching, and compare your approach. No two people preach/teach alike, but we can learn from experienced proclaimers. Even a nugget of truth can affect our preaching/teaching in a positive way. Two books I recommend are Bryan Chappell’s Christ-Centered Preaching and Haddon Robinson’s Biblical Preaching.
Enlist a preaching/teaching team to help prepare and critique your sermons or lessons. Others can help you exegete a text, consider appropriate illustrations, and determine applications for your particular audience. That same team can then evaluate each sermon or lesson when it’s delivered.
Pay attention to your hearers. Are they attentive? listening? sleeping? texting? Your hearers may have a multitude of reasons not to listen well, but boredom might be one – and that issue most often lies at the feet of the speaker.
Do immediate self-reflection. As soon as you finish preaching or teaching, make a few notes. What worked? What didn’t seem to work? What would you change?
Record and watch. I don’t know many people who like to watch themselves preach or teach, but this approach is invaluable. After 30+ years of preaching, I still catch myself giving too little eye contact, fiddling with coins in my pocket, etc.
Ask for evaluations. Even if you don’t use a team to help develop your sermon or lesson, enlist others to evaluate your work every week. Unlike the prep team in #2 above, these folks would be exposed to the teaching only when it’s delivered – that is, like almost all of the people in your audience.
Give “pop quizzes” throughout the next week. As you spend time with your listeners the week following your sermon or lesson, ask them what they remember of your material. Find out what life changes, if any, they’ve made as a result of your teaching.
Ask for feedback the following Sunday. For the entire congregation, include a quiz from last week’s sermon or lesson in this week’s material (perhaps in the worship guide if evaluating a sermon). Ask your hearers to recall major points and application. If few remember, you might want to think about ways to reinforce your teaching.
Watch good preachers/teachers and learn from them. I’m hesitant to include this option, as I don’t want anyone to simply use somebody else’s material or delivery. We can learn, though, from others who seem to do these tasks better. Listen. Watch. Learn.
Ask your spouse and children to be honest with you. It’s likely your spouse will recognize nervousness, confusion, disorganization, etc. Your children—especially if they are teens—can help you know if you connected with their generation.
Intentionally and regularly work on improving one area of your teaching/preaching. Even the best proclaimers have room for improvement. Determine the weakest area of your teaching/preaching, and spend time strengthening that component. Focus on one component every six months – and never reach the point where you have arrived.
What other methods would you recommend?
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.
The post 11 Ways to Evaluate Your Preaching and Teaching appeared first on ThomRainer.com.
July 15, 2015
Should a Church Have Financial Reserves?
Almost all personal financial experts will tell you our families need a financial reserve of several months’ income to weather unexpected challenges. I lead an organization where we seek to have some level of financial reserves for contingencies and capital expenditures.
On the surface, it would seem that a church should have financial reserves if at all possible. But there are implications that argue both ways on this issue. Let’s look at eight of them.
Meet current obligations before funding a reserve. A church in California had reserves of nearly $250,000, but it was not current on its bills, even its utility bills. The witness of a church is damaged when it does not meet current obligations in a timely fashion. That should be a priority over a reserve fund.
A reserve can serve as a contingency for unexpected expenses or downturns in giving. This purpose is consistent with other organizations and with families.
Church members can feel that ministries are neglected if the church has reserves. Ministry needs are unlimited. When a ministry leader or someone who has an affinity with an underfunded ministry sees money in a reserve fund, he or she can feel the ministry is being slighted since funding seems readily available.
The leadership of a church should clearly communicate the purpose of a reserve fund. Here is a statement straight from the annual budget of a church: “As good stewards of God’s funds, we seek to maintain the equivalent of approximately three months’ funding of the annual budget for unexpected contingencies.”
Consider a cap on the reserve funding. In the example of number four, the church implicitly capped the reserve funding at 25 percent of the budget. Such a move communicates wise stewardship rather than hoarding.
Reserves can relieve stress on church leaders. Church leaders have many different areas that can engender stress. A church financial reserve can alleviate some of the financial stress.
Excess reserves can lull members into complacency. I have seen churches with large reserve funds or endowments that are doing a terrible job in ministry. The members do not see the need to give or to serve. Many of them think the church should pay for ministry to take place.
With any reserve, the tension is between stewardship and complacency. For that reason, I often recommend the reserve amount be capped at a certain percentage of the budget, usually between three and six months of the annual budget.
Let me hear your thoughts on financial reserves in churches. What is your philosophy? What does your church do? Some of your churches cannot afford reserves. If your church had excess funds, what would you do with them?
The post Should a Church Have Financial Reserves? appeared first on ThomRainer.com.
July 14, 2015
The Challenges and Opportunities of Female Leadership – Rainer on Leadership #141
SUBSCRIBE: iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio
Today on the podcast, Selma Wilson joins us to discuss the challenges and opportunities women face in leadership. Selma serves as vice president of organizational development at LifeWay Christian Resources and has been with LifeWay for more than 20 years.
Some highlights from today’s episode include:
The diversity and strength of your team makes you a stronger leader.
The team you put around you in leadership really matters.
The diversity of gifts and strengths on your leadership team will make you a stronger leader.
Don’t ignore critics, but don’t lead toward them. Keep the end in mind and don’t let the critics divert you.
The role of pastor is one of the greatest leadership roles in the world.
To manage your time well, you need structure for your time.
There is no replacement for time. You can’t get it back.
Half of a congregation is women. You need leaders in the church who can speak to women’s issues.
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 Autopsy of a Deceased Church.
Resources
SelmaWilson.com
Selma on Leadership
Raising Godly Children
Journey magazine
The post The Challenges and Opportunities of Female Leadership – Rainer on Leadership #141 appeared first on ThomRainer.com.
