Thom S. Rainer's Blog, page 292

Pray for New Beginnings Christian Fellowship

Location: North East, Maryland

Pastor: Phil Meekins

Weekly Worship: 8:15 AM & 10:30 AM

Fast Facts: New Beginnings Christian Fellowship was born in 2011 when the summer “Waterfront Worship” program ended for the season and the believers wanted to continue to worship together. New Beginnings is focused on reaching people OUTSIDE the church walls and has many outreach ministries. They have a successful food warehouse ministry that helps an average of 40 families each week with a box of food, prayer, and the love of Christ. They have also financially sponsored several people in long-term Christian recovery programs. New Beginnings will soon open The Monarch House, a residential recovery home for men in recovery looking for a sober-living environment. New Beginnings desires to open a long-term, Christian-based, residential recovery program for women in a rural farm setting in our county as well. Please pray for the right property to become available to them.

Website: NewBeginningsChristianFellowship.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, download this information form and return it to the address on the form.

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Nine Ways to Make Your Ministry Resume Stand Out

Most people in vocational ministry will be required to send a ministry resume at some point. I often hear from many ministers that they can’t seem to get a positive response from churches or other organizations where they would like to be considered. Perhaps the problem is with their resumes.

So I spoke to several church and organizational leaders who were responsible for culling through ministry resumes. I asked them what made a particular resume stand out from others. Here are their top nine responses.

A highly qualified person proofread the resume for grammar, style, and appearance. I am amazed at the number of resumes that were rejected because of poor grammar and style. One leader on a search committee said, “If they are sloppy on their resumes, we assume they will be sloppy in their ministries.” This factor, by far, was number one. Simply having your resume carefully proofread will make it stand out from the crowd.
There are no gaps in dates of employment. If you had a season of unemployment, it is best to explain it on the resume. Any unexplained gaps may cause your resume to be put aside.
The resume had a great photo. First, the leaders with whom I spoke very much wanted to see a photo on the resume, either an individual or family shot. Second, the quality of the photo must be excellent. Again, a photo of poor quality communicates that the applicant is sloppy and uncaring. One search committee member told me that two-thirds of the resumes included “terrible quality” photos.
The resume presented statistics clearly and truthfully. While most of those with whom I spoke really appreciated seeing such statistics as attendance, receipts, and others, they said that often the statistics could not be confirmed with other sources.
The applicant only sent what was requested. If only a resume was requested, send only a resume. Those in the search process are often put off by unrequested supplemental information.
The resume included a narrative of accomplishments, rather than just positions with dates of employment. Those in vocational ministry are often reticent to “brag” about accomplishments in ministry. Don’t be shy. Those on the receiving end desire to hear from you about these matters. Many good resumes, I was told, label this part of the resume “God’s Work at ABC Church.” That approach provides a good summary of the accomplishments while giving credit and glory to God.
The order of the details on the resume reflects the priorities of the organization more than the applicant. So an applicant for a professorship at a seminary might begin with academic credentials. An applicant for pastoral ministry might begin with ministry experience.
Most of the resume uses the active tense. I personally use the passive tense in some of my writings, but resumes sound better in the active tense. “I fulfilled the assignment” thus sounds better than “The assignment was fulfilled by me.”
Good resumes avoid “cutesy” attempts to stand out. One rejected resume had five different font sizes. Another used four different font colors. And even another sent the entire resume as a QR code. All were rejected.

These nine items are not radical matters. They do not require huge investments of time and money. But, if a person heeds the advice in all nine of these matters, his or her resume will likely stand out from over 90 percent of the other resumes.

Let me hear from you about your perspectives on ministry resumes. I know you readers will have much to offer.

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Innovation and the Local Church – Rainer on Leadership #073

Podcast Episode #073

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Our guest this week is Larry Osborne. Since 1980, he has served as one of the senior pastors at North Coast Church in Vista, CA. During that time, North Coast has grown from a fledging group of 128 meeting in a rented high school cafeteria to a multi-site church ministering to nearly 10,000 in weekend attendance. Larry joined us to discuss leadership, innovation, and much more.

Some highlights from the episode:

Change and innovation are twins separated at birth.
There is no value in innovation in the church. There is only value in the mission. Innovation must reflect the mission.
You don’t have to be an innovator as a pastor.
You don’t need buy-in if you truly want to innovate because if you wait for it, you’ll never get it.
Ask for permission, not buy-in as a leader. People will give you permission long before they will give you buy-in.
In the church, the most powerful platform anyone can have is the role of preaching.

Episode Sponsor

This week’s podcast is brought to you by Pastors Today. This weekly newsletter provides pastors with resources and information from around the web written specifically for pastors. For more information and to subscribe, visit lifeway.com/pastors.

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

Innovation’s Dirty Little Secret
Sticky Church
Sticky Teams

The post Innovation and the Local Church – Rainer on Leadership #073 appeared first on ThomRainer.com.

Notable Voices: September 25, 2014

How Much Should You Pay a Guest Preacher? — Art Rainer

When I discuss pastor compensation on the blog, it creates robust discussion. But what about those who fill the pulpit while the pastor is out—especially those from outside the church? What about their compensation? In his article, Art provides some great tips for paying guest preachers.

 

10 Dangerous Distractions for a Pastor — Ron Edmondson

Sometimes as a pastor, you just have to say “No.” If not, you’ll likely end up distracted from your calling and face the issues Ron highlights in this post.

 

Friendless Millennials in a Digital Age — Chris Martin

If you’re ministering to or working with Millennials, you need to be reading Chris’ blog regularly. This week he discusses how a lack of trust is contributing to Millennials becoming a less friendly generation.

 

Why You Shouldn’t Give Up On The Church — Barnabas Piper

For the past two years, I’ve written and spoken a great deal about the importance of church membership. While many churches have come along side of me and stressed this matter, there are still those giving up and leaving the church each week.

 

Why Leaders Fail — Dan Darling

You see it every week in the paper or hear it from friends. Another leader, pastor, politician, or celebrity has failed miserably in their job, family, or life. Dan shares five main reasons this is all too common.

 

The Most Popular Book of All Time — Christian Universities Online

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How I Found My High School Football Coach Who Shared the Gospel with Me 47 Years Ago

The story reads like a miracle. Maybe it is.

The year was 1967. I was 12 years old. I played on a varsity football team as a 7th grader because our school was so small that grades 7 to 12 were considered high school.

Let me say it clearer. I was on the team, but I really didn’t play much that year.

His Name Is Joe Hendrickson

He was our coach. He loved the guys on the team. In fact, he loved us so much that he couldn’t help but share the gospel with us. I was one of those guys who heard the gospel from Coach Joe. It was almost a modern day version of Acts 4:20.

It was the first time I can recall hearing and understanding the gospel. I made a commitment to Christ in less than 24 hours after hearing from Coach Joe.

His impact on my life was eternal. But I never told him.

I never thanked him.

The Search

About 15 years later, I began to look for Coach Joe. I had no success. As I began to write books, I would mention him in the acknowledgements, hoping that someone would connect us.

Nothing happened for decades. Until now.

I found Coach Joe.

The Connection

Several people who know Coach Joe read about him in a Bible study I wrote. He thought there had to be a mistake. Certainly he was not the guy who led Thom Rainer to Christ.

So Coach Joe called the call center of LifeWay. He didn’t want to bother me. He found out that indeed he was the same high school football coach who shared the gospel with me. The LifeWay employee to whom he spoke had the presence to get contact information from him. And that employee sent me an email.

My eyes filled with tears.

I had found Coach Joe 47 years later.

The Reunion

I called Coach Joe today. He is one of the most humble and gracious men I know. He is 78 years old. I am undoubtedly one of countless people he has influenced over the years.

When he said, “hello,” my voice choked. It was really Coach Joe. I must have sounded crazy. I began to express my gratitude to him in such a rapid fire fashion that I wondered if I made any sense.

The conversation lasted for several minutes. We had nearly five decades to bridge. I ended the conversation with a promise to visit him soon in his home of Bay Minette, Alabama. I will keep that promise.

The Impact

If God has used me in any way during my 59 years on earth, it is, from a human perspective, because one man was courageous and loving enough to share the gospel with me. One man cared. One man made a huge difference.

I will never be able to thank Coach Joe sufficiently. I will, however, share this blog post with him. I will continue to express my heartfelt gratitude to him. I will travel to south Alabama to see him soon.

When I wrote my first solo book in 1993, I noted in the acknowledgements these words: “Some twenty-five years ago in Union Springs, Alabama, a high school football coach named Joe Hendrickson introduced to me to the Savior whose church I write about in this book. I never thanked my coach for the eternal difference he made in my life, and I do not know where he is today. Perhaps somehow these words will find you, coach. Thank you for caring enough about one hungry little kid to tell him about the Bread of Life.”

It’s amazing what God will do with one obedient person.

Thank you, Coach Joe.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

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12 Reasons Why Churches Don’t Address Decline

By Chuck Lawless

I have never met a church leader who said to me, “I really want my church to die. I’m not that concerned that we haven’t grown in years.” At the same time, though, most churches in North America are plateaued or in decline. Many of those churches have been in that state for years, if not decades—sometimes under the same leadership.

Why do churches wait so long to address decline? Here are twelve reasons I’ve seen in my church consulting work.

Nobody is counting the numbers. I realize numbers are only one means to evaluate growth, but they are an important means. If no one is keeping a record of growth and attendance patterns, few leaders recognize the first signs of decline. No one is monitoring health, and disease sets in.
Leaders in “growing” churches don’t always recognize decline. This situation especially occurs when a church is experiencing additions, but the back door is even more wide open. The congregation sees people join often, but they fail to see the greater numbers of people leaving. The decline may be slow, but it’s still real.
Members live in their own relational bubble. That is, most members have only few persons with whom they build strong relationships. As long as their friends are still present, they don’t get too concerned about others leaving.
Leaders have given up on growth. Maybe the community is changing. Perhaps the young people have already left. It might be the leaders are just tired after unsuccessfully striving for growth for years. The need for rest trumps the call to reach others.
Members love their pastor. Sure, they realize the church is declining – but their pastor has been good to them. Their lives are marked by his care and concern. No one would ever want to hurt him. Consequently, they remain loyal to him even as the church dies around him.
The leaders don’t know what steps to take. They know how to parse verbs and formulate theological positions, but they do not know how to redirect an organization. They are captains who don’t know how to steer the ship into the right channels. Efforts end in failure, and failures become discouragement.
The church still has a sufficient number to survive. The larger the church was in its heyday, the more likely this situation occurs. The church that averaged 300 five years ago may still appear to be comfortably full at 200 now. The crowds are large enough to ignore the decline, at least for now.
Leaders over-spiritualize the situation. If you’ve read my posts before, you know how much I care about prayer – but “we’re just praying right now” can be a copout for leaders who fail to strategize. “God’s just reducing us to His remnant” may be true, or it may also be theological jargon to avoid taking responsibility for poor leadership.
The church has money in the bank. As long as the bills are being paid, lower attendance numbers don’t matter as much. If the church has a strong reserve account, that’s even better.
The congregation equates activity with life. Programs continue. Somebody gathers in the church building most nights of the week. The weekly bulletin is filled with events. The website carries current announcements. If all of these activities are going on, surely the church cannot be in decline.
Ministries are siloed in the church. Individual ministries may be doing well. Some small groups really enjoy their fellowship and teaching. The choir or praise team is prepared every Sunday. Members cocoon themselves in a few successful ministries, and few people see the overall church decline.
Even Christian leaders are filled with pride. That’s a primary reason leaders won’t seek guidance when the churches they lead are declining. “Surely,” the leader thinks, “I can come up with the solution. After all, I’m called. I’m trained.” And, ultimately, he may find himself alone because of his unwillingness to pursue help from others.

What other reasons would you add to this list?

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 12 Reasons Why Churches Don’t Address Decline appeared first on ThomRainer.com.

Six Updates from Churches with Pastoral Vacancies

Hardly a week goes by that I don’t hear from a church searching for a pastor. As I have taken mental notes from these conversations over the past few months, I have noticed common themes. Here are the six of the most common developments I have heard from leaders of these churches:

It is taking longer for churches to decide on a pastor. About ten years ago, you could expect a church to take about six to nine months to find a pastor. Today, it is more common to hear the range increase from nine to eighteen months.
These churches have many candidates; but they say most of them are not qualified candidates. Each church seems to have a different idea of the desired qualifications for a pastor. Though they all seem to insist the pastor must have basic biblical qualifications, their preferred qualifications beyond that vary from church to church.
There is more frustration from both the churches and potential candidates. The churches express frustration because they can’t find a qualified candidate. Many candidates express frustration because they can’t seem to find churches willing to respond to their expressions of interest.
More churches are giving up on traditional processes to find a pastor. In the past, many churches depended on their denominational organizations to find a pool of candidates. Today, only a small number shared that the denominational path was their preferred alternative.
Churches are turning to internal candidates more frequently. This trend may be the most pervasive. Some churches begin with an intentional process toward an internal candidate. Others get an internal candidate by default.
More churches are screening candidates by listening to their podcasts. They thus avoid the potential awkwardness of going to a candidate’s current church. They also do not ever need to let candidates know they are being considered until they make a decision based on the podcast.

Many of the comments I hear from churches and candidates come through this blog and other social media. If your church is looking for a pastor, I would love to hear from you. I also appreciate hearing from those of you who are looking for a church. Of course, I am always happy to hear from any of you.

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Pray for River City Church

Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Pastor: Eric Baldwin

Weekly Worship: Sunday, 6:30 pm, Oct. 5, Nov. 2, Dec. 7 (Eastern Time)

Fast Facts: Pastor Eric and his family moved to Pittsburgh last year with the goal of starting a new gospel-centered church in a heavily Catholic area on the east side of the city. They are looking for people to join the launch team and are beginning their first preview services this fall.

Pray for their first preview services over the next three months, especially the first one on Oct. 5. Pray for the new children’s ministry starting this month as well. They are running an inexpensive Preschool Co-op to serve the young families in our neighborhood.

Website: RiverCityPGH.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, download this information form and return it to the address on the form.

The post Pray for River City Church appeared first on ThomRainer.com.

Seven Reasons Why We Should Not Give Up on Established Churches

If you truly believe that established churches have no hope, there is no reason to read this post. I am not, however, among those pessimists.

I am an obnoxious optimist about our churches.

Excited about This Book

What motivated me to write this post was a new book by my son, Sam Rainer: Obstacles in the Established Church. All familial prejudice aside, I am greatly heartened to read a work by a 30-something pastor about what we used to call “traditional churches.”

While the title caught my eye, the subtitle gave me hope: How Leaders Overcome Them. It is indeed a book of hope.

Defining an Established Church

Sam offered this definition of the established church: “An established church has a longstanding culture. The histories of these churches include generations of families. Established churches have enduring programs, staff positions, and expectations. In these churches tradition is cherished and change comes more slowly.”

It is perhaps that last sentence that captures the essence of frustration for leaders in these congregations: “In these churches tradition is cherished and change comes more slowly.”

Seven Reasons Not to Give Up

So why should we not give up on established churches? Building on the content of Sam’s book, I offer seven of many reasons.

God is still at work in many of these churches. I wish you were privy to all the great stories of church revitalization that come to me. You would see great hope for these churches.


Many pastors and other staff are still being called to established churches. God’s true calling does not take place unless He has a plan for these congregations.


There are too many of these churches to give up. Depending on the definition you use, there are around 300,000 of these churches in the U. S. alone. We can’t abandon all of these churches.


We need the facilities of these churches. Buildings are expensive. Land is scarce in many areas. Zoning restrictions are onerous in other locations. Either through revitalization or merger, we need to keep these billions of dollars in land and facilities for God’s work.


There is a renewed emphasis in church revitalization. God is stirring the hearts of many for a reason.


Churches and Christians are messy. If you have any doubt, read again 1 Corinthians. It’s always been that way. God does not give up on His people. We must not give up on His churches.


Church membership is being taken more seriously. One of the struggles in many churches has been a weak view of church membership. Many churches expect nothing, and that’s exactly what they get. I am seeing hopeful signs of healthier expectations of members.

A Hopeful Future

I don’t have my metaphorical head in the sand. I know there are serious issues in many churches. But it’s not time to give up on the established church.

Sam said it well when I asked him why he wrote Obstacles in the Established Church: “Many established churches have common obstacles preventing health and growth. I wrote the book to encourage church leaders that these obstacles are not insurmountable. Since the majority of churches in North America are established, we must care about these congregations. God does not give up on them; neither should we.”

Well said, Sam. Well said.

Let me know what you readers think about the future of established churches.

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Leading from the Second Chair – Rainer on Leadership #072

Podcast Episode #072

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Brad Waggoner returns to the podcast this week to discuss how to lead when you’re not the top leader in an organization. Brad also tackles the question I hear most frequently from church staff: What do you do when you don’t really agree with the pastor’s vision for the church?

Some highlights from the episode:

A leader’s success is built upon trust and alignment with the staff.
Work hard to stay aligned with the leadership in your organization
If the pastor does not have any role in the hiring of other ministerial staff, that is often a recipe for disaster.
Pastors need to feel comfortable with and trust those who serve alongside them.
As a second-chair leader, you have to genuinely care that you are helping the first chair succeed.
We are called to availability, not specifically a certain label in a certain position.

Episode Sponsor

This podcast was brought to you by Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary’s Doctor of Ministry program. If you want more out of your ministry, want to study with a world-class faculty and need to stay where you currently serve, the DMin at Southeastern is the answer for you. Visit SEBTS.EDU/DMIN for more information.

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

Autopsy of a Deceased Church
A Culture of Trust

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