Thom S. Rainer's Blog, page 296

Fifteen Church Facility Issues

By Chuck Lawless

I know the church is not a building. That is not to say, though, that the building is unimportant. A building says something about the congregation that gathers there; so, we need to pay attention to our facilities.

Listed here are fifteen facility issues I and my consulting teams have seen recurrently in churches, including established churches and church plants.

No obvious main entrance. We have seen this problem in churches with large facilities as well as church plants that meet in rented space. The building has several doors, each that enters the facility in a different location. Only one leads to the main entrance, but guests must guess which door that is.
An unmarked (or unattended) welcome center. No signage indicates the welcome center, and no greeters direct people there. Brochures and sermon CDs might be available there, but sometimes no one is there to distribute them. Such a location is an information kiosk – not a welcome center.
Paper signage. Even in larger churches we’ve seen it: handwritten (or even poorly done computer generated) room signs on a piece of paper taped to a wall. I realize emergency situations necessitate a “quick fix,” but this kind of signage implies a lack of attention to excellence.
Old information on screens or bulletin boards. I’ve seen bulletin board announcements for events that took place six months ago. Even in churches with computerized announcements, I’ve seen outdated information flashed on the screen.
Unsecured children’s area. Our “secret shoppers” often report having complete access to children’s areas. In some cases, no security system is in place to protect children. In other cases where security does exist, unmonitored outside doors still allow entrance to this area.
Windowless doors in the children’s area. Windows in doors cannot eliminate the possibility of child abuse in a church, but they are at least a deterrent. Solid doors are an indication the church has not taken enough steps to protect their children.
“Big people” furniture in children’s rooms. Perhaps you’ve seen a children’s room where the table is lowered a bit, but the chairs are still adult chairs. The furniture (and often, the teaching method in the class) say to a child, “Your job is to act and learn like an adult in this room.”
Clutter. The list is long. Old literature on tables. “Donated” toys no one wants. Leftover craft supplies. Jesus pictures. Ugly upright pianos. Last week’s bulletins. Unwashed dishes. Drama costumes. Somehow the church facility has become a gathering place for junk.
Open outlets in preschool rooms. A preschool room electrical outlet without a cover insert is an invitation to trouble. Toddlers typically have not learned not to stick something in the outlet.
Dirty carpet. This one surprises me, simply because cleaning a carpet is not that difficult. It may cost a few dollars, but not cleaning the carpet says, “We’re not that concerned about the look of God’s house.”
Odors. Again, the list is long. The musty smell of water damage. The hangover of dirty diapers in the nursery or spoiled food in the kitchen. An unfixed clogged toilet. What’s hard to believe is that people who attend regularly apparently do not notice the smells.
Unstocked bathrooms. Sometimes I feel like I’m traveling on a mission trip when I enter a church restroom – that is, I’m out of luck if I didn’t bring my own toilet paper, soap, and towels. Those issues are only magnified when the bathroom is generally dirty.
Poor lighting. Dimming the lighting might be an effective device to focus worship, but a service is hardly facilitated if members strain to read their Bibles. I’m especially sensitive to this one as I get older.
Few garbage cans. Church buildings would be cleaner if our buildings included nicely designed, strategically placed garbage cans inside the building. There is a reason garbage cans in bathrooms and kitchens are often overflowing.
Faded paint. It’s amazing what a fresh coat of paint will do to a room. It’s also amazing how long some churches wait before adding that fresh coat.

What other facility issues have you seen?

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.

photo credit: justshootingmemories via photopin cc

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Seven Traits of Pastors Who Lead Breakout Churches

If you want to experience an “aha” moment about revitalizing churches, this research may be the near the top.

Most of you have heard the dire information and statistics about congregations in North America. Indeed, I have been among the purveyors of the negative news. For sure, the overall picture is gloomy. There is no hiding from that reality.

Reasons for Hope

But I remain an obnoxious optimist about churches across our nation. And one of the primary reasons I do so is some ongoing research and observations about churches that have truly been revitalized.

My own research began several years ago and culminated in my book, Breakout Churches. It was a massive project, beginning with over 50,000 churches. My research, and that of many others, continues to this day.

While most of the research has focused on information endemic to structural and congregational issues, I have taken a laser approach to look at the leaders of these churches. And while I will release more comprehensive information later in a video consultation, I am incredibly excited to release some key information about leaders of these churches today.

The Seven Traits

The churches I have studied are churches that were once declining, but now are growing in a healthy fashion. The decline may have been dramatic, or it may have been almost imperceptible. In almost every case, however, the pastor embodied seven key characteristics.

In some of the churches, the pastors were new, and the presence of a new leader energized the congregations to move forward. In other churches, the pastors had been the leader during the decline, but now they were leading a church headed in a positive direction, a breakout church.

But here is a key to remember. The pastors intentionally adopted seven traits that were key to the churches’ turnaround. Let’s look at each of them briefly.

These pastors faced reality. They looked at the current condition of the church. They likely did an informational historical survey of attendance trends. They refused to put their heads in the sand.
They became leaders of hope. They looked at biblical truth regarding possibilities. They communicated that hope to their congregations. They truly believed all things are possible through God, including the revitalization of seemingly dying churches.
These pastors adopted a long-term perspective. They likely did not make some type of public declaration of their intent, but they did begin leading as if they were going to be at their current church for around ten years. Most of them admitted that they did not want to close the door if they sensed God’s leadership elsewhere, but they led as if they were going to be around for a while. In other words, they were not seeking to move.
They led incrementally. Because they had a long-term perspective, they were willing to lead in a way that the congregation could manage. It was not at the speed the pastors desired, but it was healthy for the churches.
They learned how to deal with critics and setbacks. Most of these pastors determined that they would deal with challenging issues in a positive way. Many of them had their own inner processes developed to deal with critics. I have articulated many of those issues at this blog in previous posts.
The pastors developed their own intentional outward focus. Many of them admitted they had become inwardly focused, so they started intentionally getting out in their communities. A number of them became highly intentional about sharing their faith on a regular basis.
They led their churches to an outward focus. These pastors began to lead their churches beyond their own walls. More energy and time were devoted to connecting with their communities and beyond. The congregations became Great Commission churches in action, not just in theory.

The Most Encouraging Part

Though any story or report of church revitalization is encouraging, I was particularly encouraged to find pastors who had moved from a sense of hopelessness in their own leadership and churches, to an attitude of hopefulness and possibilities.

Breakout churches have breakout pastors.

Let me hear from you. Let me hear your stories. What do you think of the seven traits I noted? What would you change or add?

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Pray for FBC Mabank

Location: Mabank, Texas

Pastor: Ed Hale, Interim

Weekly Worship: 10:30 AM Central Time

Fast Facts: FBC Mabank is more than 100 years old and is located in a farming community turned lake community. They are in the second half of a year-long commitment with an intentional interim. During this time, they are retooling the ministries of the church to be more outwardly-focused with the gospel. Please pray that the church would continue to learn how to more effectively reach their current culture and be more focused on the intentional outreach of the church. Also pray for them as they seek the next pastor God would have lead the church.

“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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Seven Positive Ways Christians Can Use Social Media

In a previous post, I shared seven warnings to Christian leaders about their use of social media. The post, by its very topic, was not positive. I do strongly believe, however, that social media can be used for good and for God’s glory.

In this post I show the other side of social media. And I do so with great encouragement that many believers are already approaching social media as a platform to share the gospel and show the love of Christ. Here are seven suggestions I would humbly add to this discussion.

Pray before you post. If I have learned anything about social media, I have learned that I’m not the smartest guy around. I need God’s wisdom to communicate in such a way that brings honor and glory to Him. That is why I must begin with prayer.
Encourage others in social media. Some of the greatest encouragements I receive come from people on social media. I am so thankful for the many Christians who use this platform in obedience to the Word of God: “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up as you are already doing” (1 Thessalonians 5:11).
Respond with a gentle spirit. Let our desire be to win hearts rather than to win arguments.
Remember who is watching you in social media. The words we Christians say to one another and to others are on display for the world to see. This platform is an incredible opportunity to demonstrate the love of Christ in action, which brings us to my next suggestion.
Use social media as an opportunity to demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit. God is doing great works through those in social media who strive to demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit every time they post: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self control” (Galatians 5:22).
Create a prayer ministry through social media. Make it a point to pray for many of those you read or watch on social media. Let them know you are praying for them. At this blog, I ask Christians across the world to pray for a specific church every Sunday (use this form to submit a church).
Seek to create unity in the body of Christ through social media. For sure, there are many who are divisive. But even more of us can be a mighty force for God to bring unity to Christians across the world. Paul said it well: “Above all, put on love – the perfect bond of unity” (Colossians 3:14).

I am incredibly grateful for so many of you who are positive witnesses for Christ on social media. It can be tempting to go negative since negativity draws attention and creates greater traffic. I would love to hear how you are using social media to share the gospel, encourage others, demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit, and to show Christ’s love in a multitude of ways.

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Avoiding the Seven Ways to Hurt Your Pastor – Rainer on Leadership #067

Podcast Episode #067

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I am excited that our Fridays at ThomRainer.com will focus on my podcast, Rainer on Leadership. We will continue to offer free resources on different occasions. I am so thankful for the growth in both the blog and the podcast. I pray both will be a blessing to you.

So this week on the podcast, we discuss one of the most popular posts from the past few months: Seven Ways to Hurt Your Pastor. I experienced every one of these in my pastorates. And if you are a pastor, I’m sure you have too. As we reflect on this post, we provide antidotes to these seven ways that church members hurt their pastor.

Here is a review of the seven ways:

Criticize the pastor’s family. 
Tell the pastor he is overpaid.
Don’t defend the pastor. 
Tell your pastor what an easy job he has. 
Be a constant naysayer. 
Make comments about the pastor’s expenditures. 
Compare your pastor’s preaching and ministry unfavorably to that of another pastor.

To avoid these:

Encourage the pastor’s family. 
Thank the pastor for all that the pastor does at the church.
Take a stand for your pastor. 
Understand the number of hours a pastor puts in each week. 
Encourage the pastor instead of being critical. 
Don’t compare the pastor to the rare exceptions who live lavishly.
Tell your pastor how the sermons impact your life.

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/pastorstoday.

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

The Minister’s Salary

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Notable Voices: August 14, 2014

10 Tips for Christian Leaders Who Don’t Want To Become Self Promoting Jerks Online – Mark Sayers

Pastors and leaders should be on social media. It is the language of our culture. But we should also act responsibly in everything we do, including our social media interactions.

 

7 Easy Ways to Put a Not Welcome Sign on Your Church – Ron Edmondson

One of the great struggles of churches is fighting an inward focus. Ron provides seven ways an inward focus becomes a “not welcome” sign to guests.

 

Pastors, Here’s How to Not Mess Up Your Life – Derwin Gray

Derwin offers a great reminder and word of caution to pastors and staff. We need not forsake our spiritual life for material gain.

 

The Prayer Life of a Pastor – Ronnie Floyd

In a similar article to Derwin’s, Ronnie stresses the importance of a pastor’s prayer life. It’s not only important for the spiritual health of a pastor but for a pastor’s church as well.

 

6 Ways to Lead Staff You Don’t Like – Todd Adkins

If you lead a staff, you will eventually end up with someone on your team that you don’t really like. Todd shares six ways to work through the issues that arise if and when this is the case.

 

Multiplying Disciples in Bivocational Ministry – Nick Abraham

Chuck Lawless wrote on the importance of bivocational ministry earlier this week here at the blog. Nick offers a word of encouragement and a reminder about the importance of multiplying disciples while serving in bivocational ministry.

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Ten Ways Millennials Are Shaping Local Congregations Today

They are the largest generation in history. In the United States alone, they number more than 78 million, even larger than the seemingly ubiquitous Boomers. They are the Millennials. They are changing our nation, our world, and our churches.

For the purpose of today’s post, I want to focus on changes they are already bringing to our local churches. I have the benefit of a large research project on the Millennials, plus the ongoing conversations I have with members of this generation. And I have spoken with countless leaders in churches about their experiences with Millennials.

Keep in mind that the birth years of the Millennials: 1980 to 2000. So the oldest member of this generation is 34, while the youngest is only 14. But their impact is already noticeable, and it will be for years to come. Here are ten ways they are shaping local congregations today:

More of them are attracted to smaller venues. They are thus one of the reasons for the incredible growth in the multi-venue model of churches and the growth of new churches. Leaders of smaller churches should be encouraged by this trend as well.
They see culture as something to influence, rather than an enemy to denounce. Many Millennials truly have a missionary mindset. They are turned off by those who constantly rail against people.
They like to cooperate with others. They do not view other churches and Christian organizations as competitors. They are attracted to congregations that are working with other congregations.
They abhor worship wars. I have a previous post on this topic called “What Worship Style Attracts the Millennials?”
They love churches that love their communities. One of the first questions a Millennial will ask a church leader is, “What is the church doing to influence, impact, and minister to the community?”
They are attracted to churches that emphasize groups. The Millennials want to be a part of a congregation that has healthy small groups, Sunday school classes, home groups, or other groups.
They want to be trained on their schedule. The Millennials truly desire training. But they are accustomed to having that training available when they are able to hear it or view it. Such is the reason that many churches are going to video training while having “live” worship services and small groups.
They will question almost everything. This generation will want to know why a church does what it does. The most unacceptable answer is, “We have always done it this way.”
They are slow to join, and slow to leave. Church leaders are often frustrated that a Millennial takes so long to commit to a local congregation. But they are intentional and thorough. Once they commit to a church, they are less likely to leave, especially over petty issues.
They want to be involved. If a church does not have an intentional plan to get Millennials involved in ministry quickly, they will not reach Millennials.

I love this generation. I love their enthusiasm, their commitment, and even their questions. They are one of the reasons I remain an obnoxious optimist about the revitalization of local congregations.

I would love to hear from some of you Millennials. And I would love to hear from some of the older folks like me who are interacting with this generation. Your comments are always more valuable than my posts.

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10 Reasons Bivocational Ministry Matters

By Chuck Lawless

“I didn’t come to seminary to be a bivocational minister, to have to get another kind of job,” my student told me. I may not have agreed with my student, but I did understand his thinking. Back then (almost 15 years ago), we weren’t talking much about bivocational ministries.

Now, that conversation has shifted. Pastors are beginning to embrace as their primary calling the role of bivocational minister. Some even intend to remain bivocational regardless of the size of their church as it grows. If the Lord were to call me into a bivocational church role, here is why I would gladly follow His leading.

Bivocational ministers serve the church without being dependent on them for income. I affirm full-time pastors; in fact, I served full-time for 14 years. Further, I do not want even to hint that being dependent on a congregation for salary somehow leads to compromise. Nevertheless, I do suspect there is some freedom in leading a congregation that does not pay the bulk of your salary.
Bivocational ministers are often more connected to non-believers. No full-time pastor I know wants to be disconnected from people who need to hear the gospel, but that separation happens. Unless they intentionally fight against it, full-time pastors can be cocooned in the church world. Bivocational leaders can be equally cocooned, of course, but their work outside the church at least provides a roadblock to that process.
Bivocational ministers lead churches that often have a higher percentage of funds available for ministry and missions. In most churches with full-time staff, the largest percentage of their budget goes toward personnel. Funds for doing ministry are often lacking. The church that has fewer personnel commitments, though, can free dollars to reach their neighbors and the nations.
Bivocational ministers make starting more churches possible. To reach North America, we need more churches – healthy, outwardly focused churches. Young churches, however, usually don’t have the funding to support a full-time pastor. A bivocational church planter can provide leadership without straining the church’s budget.
Bivocational ministry models good missiology. Getting the gospel to the world will require efforts far beyond full-time missionaries. Businessmen and women will need to carry the message as they travel the world. Others will start businesses around the world, and they will use that work as a platform for Great Commission work. Bivocational pastors can model that same general approach in North America.
Bivocational ministers must learn how to train workers and delegate ministry. Burnout is always a danger for the bivocational minister unless he learns to share the load. His role should push him toward a 1 Corinthians 12 ministry, recognizing that God puts everyone in the church as He wishes to play a particular role in that body. The bivocational minister realizes he cannot do ministry alone – a lesson I wish I had learned years ago as a full-time minister.
Bivocational leadership affirms vocation as ministry. Pastors speak the language (“Every member is a minister”), but we don’t always help our members understand this truth. We still too often promote a clergy/laity divide that lacks biblical warrant. The bivocational minister, however, brings these worlds together. His workplace is his mission field.
Bivocational ministers likely better understand the struggles of laypersons. Bivocational pastors know what it’s like to work in the secular world for eight hours, run home to have dinner, and then spend the evening at church. They understand the pull of a world that daily beckons church members to live like that world. They know the struggle of trying to be a tentmaker and an evangelist at the same time.
Bivocational ministers can now get theological training without leaving their place of ministry. Via online education, bivocational ministers can now earn fully accredited undergraduate and graduate degrees while keeping their lives planted among the people they seek to reach. That approach is educationally solid and practically relevant. Some denominations, in fact, are providing funds for their bivocational pastors to get this training.
Bivocational opportunities invite us to challenge all our church members to consider God’s calling. Following God’s calling does not always mean leaving home and occupation. It might mean staying where you are and doing what you do as a base for ministry. Indeed, it may mean recognizing that God has given you your job so that you might lead His church.

What other thoughts would you add?  What might we learn from bivocational ministers?

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.

image via southernohiopastorscoalition.org

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Five Reasons Why Video Training Is at an Inflection Point

Video training is about to blow up.

I admit it. The title of the post and my thesis statement seem boring. What’s the big deal about video training? I understand completely.

Several years ago, most of us were yawning about eBooks. The first eBook readers were released in 1998. In 2000, Stephen King released his novel, Ride the Bullet, only as an eBook initially.

But by 2003, the doubters were saying, “I told you so.” Gemstar, one of the first two to produce a reader, closed its doors. Demand for eBooks dropped precipitously. Barnes & Noble stopped selling eBooks at its online store.

Then several factors began to emerge, not the least of them the Kindle in 2007 and Kindle 2 in 2009. Now eBooks are a permanent part of our consumer choices. They are a yawn no more.

And so it is with video training. The convergence of several factors is leading to an inflection point. The world is poised to change with video training becoming one of the primary ways we learn, both informally and in formal education.

What has taken place? I see at least five factors.

High speed Internet has become widely available. Without this development, the jerky and undependable delivery method of old would not be conducive to widespread acceptance.
The cloud has made us less local server dependent. Thus Internet service providers and organizations that deliver video training have more dependable infrastructure.
YouTube and Netflix have trained us to learn and to be entertained by on-demand videos. Such is the reason that cable and network television are having major challenges.
We are using mobile devices almost constantly. Our tablets and smartphones can deliver to us on-demand video to the palms of our hands.
Our lifestyle and work habits have changed. We expect information and entertainment on our schedule, not on the schedule of an institution or an entertainment provider. The free agent nation, with the growing number of self-employed entrepreneurs, has accelerated this trend.

The implications are staggering for many organizations, including educational institutions and churches. I am proud of the folks at LifeWay for responding to the churches’ need for this growing demand with the introduction of Ministry Grid. It’s a great start for something that will only get bigger.

I believe we will look back five years from now with amazement to see how much training, historically done in person, has become digitally delivered. We are at an inflection point. We in churches, educational institutions, and many other organizations, must be prepared for exponential growth of video training.

What do you think of my assessment? How should we prepare for this new reality?

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Church Locality: For Church Leaders with Questions about Church Facilities

Do you have challenges with your church facilities? Perhaps you are in the midst of deciding whether to build or not. Or perhaps you have underutilized facilities, and you are concerned about the poor stewardship of the space.

I recently interviewed Jim Tomberlin and Tim Cool about these issues. We focused the conversation on their new book, Church Locality, since it addresses the issues head on.

What Is the Purpose of This Book?

We wanted to help church leaders make the best choice about the most expensive decision they will ever make as a church leader.

Today there are new factors that are dramatically shifting the way we build and utilize church facilities. The declining cultural value of church attendance and the new economic realities with the emergence of multisite strategies, resurgence of church planting, and exponential growth of giga-churches are changing the church building and facility conversation.

Church Locality (location + facility = locality) is a compilation of practical articles and tools to help church leaders make the best decisions about utilizing their current buildings and selecting sites for new campuses, church plants, and church construction.

Who Is the Audience for the Book?

Church Locality is specifically for leaders of growing churches in need of more ministry space, multisiting churches expanding to multiple locations, church planters needing a 24-7 location, and struggling churches with under-utilized facilities.

What Are Some of the Misconceptions about Church Buildings?

The biggest misconception is that success of a church is defined by a building and the bigger the building, the greater the success.

Another misconception is the myth “if we build it they will come.” The newer version of that myth is “if we launch it or plant it they will come.”

Buildings don’t reach people, people reach people. Buildings are just tools, a means to a greater end, not the end game.

What Are the New Rules Concerning Church Facilities Today?

All the assumptions and rules concerning the use of sacred space have shifted. The technological revolution has extended church impact beyond the walls of a building and geographic location. The multisite revolution freed up churches from overbuilding unsustainable mega-campuses. The economic recession liberated churches from excessive building campaigns. The decline in church attendance is forcing churches to build multi-purpose facilities that serve the local community as well as the church family. The church planting resurgence is retro-fitting existing commercial facilities and building smaller church facilities with multiple venues. The church merger trend is redeeming and recycling existing church buildings for renewed use.

What Are the Trends You Are Observing in Church Facilities Today?

There is a clear trend away from building “big-box” mega campuses to smaller campuses in multiple locations in suburban, urban and rural settings. These facilities tend to be multi-functioning, community-centric and environmentally-friendly. Sloped floors and pews are going away with the addition of video screens and theater seats that are more comfortable. Church facilities today are high-tech and high-touch through intimate worship settings and multiple gathering spaces with Wi-Fi cafes, conversation pits, and conference rooms. Children environments are open, colorful, and secure. Multisiting churches and church planters are utilizing commercial facilities and re-purposing existing church buildings. Mission-driven church mergers (as opposed to the failed survival-driven mergers of the past) are revitalizing declining church facilities.

And Now, Let Us Hear from You

Thanks so much, Jim and Tim. Readers: I would love to hear from you. What questions or comments do you have about church facilities?

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