Thom S. Rainer's Blog, page 312

Twenty of the Most Influential Evangelicals in America

I conducted an informal survey of over 30 persons, simply asking them to name the most influential evangelicals in America today. Though my choice of the respondents was subjective, I do have confidence that the men and women who gave me these names are very knowledgeable about the evangelical scene in the United States.

The respondents represent a cross section of denominational and non-denominational churches and entities. From my perspective, those I surveyed are clearly evangelicals themselves. Among the criteria I gave them, I included the following:

Limit the responses to Americans.
The names must represent living persons.
Name at least eight persons.
Only include evangelicals. I did not define “evangelical.”
Think “influential” rather than just those with whom you agree.

The problem with any list such as this one is the names you omit. Many well-known evangelicals did not make this top twenty. I realize that another list done by another person would likely yield some different names. Here, then, are twenty of the most influential evangelicals listed in alphabetical order.

Matt Chandler — The lead pastor of teaching at The Village Church in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and prominent author. Chandler’s podcast is consistently in the top five of the leading podcasts on iTunes.

Wilfredo De Jesus — Better known as Pastor Choco, he is the head pastor of New Life Covenant Church in Chicago and the author of Amazing Faith. Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in America in 2013.

Ross Douthat — Author, blogger and New York Times columnist. He was a senior editor at The Atlantic and wrote Bad Religion: How We Became a Nation of Heretics.

Tony Evans — Prolific author and senior pastor at Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas. He is also founder and president of The Urban Alternative, a national organization that seeks to bring about spiritual renewal in urban America through churches.

Louie Giglio — Pastor of Passion City Church, Atlanta, speaker, author, and founder of the Passion Movement.

Franklin Graham — President and CEO of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan’s Purse. Prominent evangelist.

Craig Groeschel — Founder and senior pastor of LifeChurch.tv, one of the largest churches in the United States with 15 locations in five states.

Bill Hybels — Founding and senior pastor of Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois, and founder of the Willow Creek Association. Prolific author.

T. D. Jakes — Bishop/chief pastor of The Potter’s House in Dallas. Prolific author of many books.

Tim Keller — Apologist, speaker, and the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City. Author of several books.

Lecrae — Christian hip hop artist, record producer, and co-owner and co-founder of the independent record label Reach Records. Co-founder and president of the non-profit organization, ReachLife Ministries.

Albert Mohler — President of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary for more than 20 years. Prominent spokesman in evangelicalism. Author of several books and hundreds of articles.

Beth Moore — Founder of Living Proof Ministries in Houston. The ministry focuses on aiding women who desire to model their lives on Christian values. Prominent author and speaker.

Joyce Meyer — Prolific author and frequent speaker, with many of her appearances on television. Heads Joyce Meyer Ministries, based in Fenton, Missouri.

Joel Osteen — Senior pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, one of the largest churches in America. Prolific author of several books.

John Piper — Served as pastor for preaching and vision for 33 years at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis. Retired from the church in 2013. Prolific author. Founder of Desiring God Ministries.

Dave Ramsey — Best known for his syndicated radio show, “The Dave Ramsey Show,” heard on more than 500 radio stations. Authored many books, including four New York Times bestsellers. Focuses on personal financial health.

Priscilla Shirer — Bestselling author and frequent speaker, largely at women’s events. Most common venue is Bible teaching to women. She and her husband, Jerry Shirer, own and run Going Beyond Ministries.

Andy Stanley — Senior pastor of North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, Georgia, and affiliated churches. Also founded North Point Ministries. Prolific author and frequent speaker.

Rick Warren — Senior pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, one of the largest churches in the United States. Author of several books, including Purpose Driven Life, which has sold over 30 million copies.

Keep in mind that just over 30 persons responded to my questions. In that sense, it is more of a panel than a survey. Though the respondents did not have to offer comments, most of them did. Some of them offered two lists, such as two levels of influence. Others struggled in their own responses, trying to decide whether or not different persons were truly evangelicals.

I appreciate their time and thoughtfulness. Now it’s time to hear from you.

Who would you add to the list?

photo credit: Kat Northern Lights Man via photopin cc

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Protecting the Pastor’s Ministry in a Church Building Program

We continue the Sunday blog series on church building programs with another outstanding organization. Tim Songster is president of COSCO and Associates, Inc. You can contact the design build firm at ChurchDesign.com.

In this post, Tim asks on behalf of pastors two of the more common concerns of pastors considering a church building program. Both questions relate to the pastor’s ministry and its effectiveness while the building program is underway.

Can a pastor continue to serve effectively while in a building project?

Keep your priorities of Christ, your family, your church ministry, and then the building program. Before entering a building program, make the commitment during the entire process. Educate the members on these priorities. Explain to them that you are not a banker, architect, builder, or any other necessary role that is required to pull off a successful building project.

There will be times you will need to be involved in every one of those roles, but it must always be temporary, and only to empower or encourage other leaders God has brought forward. The truth is that you will be the hardest one to sell on this idea.

If the building project is truly God’s will, He will bring together people from within your congregation required to get the job done. You may enjoy being the “go-to” person. However, that is not what God called you to do. God has equipped you to cast vision and lead. Leading through others is the key to effective long-term ministry.

How does a pastor protect his ministry during a building program?

There are three critical aspects to protecting your ministry during a building program: Manage expectations. Determine the correct budget. Develop the right plan.

1 – Manage expectations. Remember, it is a process, not an event. When expectations don’t match reality, people are frustrated. You must bring the members along, strategically developing momentum towards the vision. Be careful to include all costs in the budget, and protect that budget. Not only can you spend a lot of money on plans that are never realized, but if your people are expecting a Taj Mahal and you build a tent, you are in trouble.

2 – Determine the correct budget that does not put your ministry in a financial bind. You should begin paying yourself the debt service you anticipate by budgeting a line item now. This is a painful exercise since most ministries use all their funds for ministry. Begin this cash flow long before construction, saving for your project and demonstrating to yourself and the bank that you can take on this project and not hinder ministry.

3 – Developing the right plan is not just about what is being built. It is critical to present the project in a way that your people can understand, buy in, and take ownership of the vision. This will greatly impact your ability to raise funds. Your culture will determine your capacity. One of your largest expenses in a project will be the money you could have raised and did not.

The project must be sequenced in a way that during the construction, you can continue to do ministry and not hinder ministry in the process of building. There are going to be inconveniences. However, a smart plan will allow you to grow during construction and continue to develop momentum. I have seen many proposed designs that would hurt a ministry in the process of construction.

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Pray for Clearview Baptist Church

Location: Franklin, Tennessee

Pastor: Vacant

Worship Time: 9:30 AM & 11:00 AM Central Time

Fast Facts: Clearview Baptist is in a time of transition as they search for a new pastor. Their pastor, Mark Marshall, recently accepted another pastorate in Georgia at FBC Conyers. During this time of transition, both Eric Geiger and I will be serving as interim at Clearview. Please pray for the search team as they seek to identify the next pastor for Clearview. Also, please pray for me and Eric as we serve this local body of believers each week through the preaching of God’s Word.

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

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Update from an Overweight Christian

In a previous post, I confessed my obesity and my desire for God to change my bad health habits. I felt my Christian witness was compromised by my gluttony. I also promised that my blog would not become a health and weight update on Rainer’s life, something that would both bore and frustrate my readers.

I have received, however, many requests in writing and in person for an update on my progress. So please bear with me as I use one of my posts to update my progress.

I have been on this journey 144 days.
My total weight loss to this point is 44 pounds.
My waist is five inches smaller.
According to body mass index (BMI) measurements, I am no longer obese, but I am still overweight. I still have a way to go.
I had the best report from my annual physical exam two weeks ago than I’ve had since I was in my early 30s (I’m 58 years old). All of my pertinent medical numbers are great.
I feel great; I have so much more energy.

Everyone who attempts to get in better physical shape has his or her own approach. I will share mine because many of you have asked, not because it’s the best way.

I begin most days with a prayer for strength and God’s wisdom in my eating habits and physical activity.
The treadmill is my primary exercise machine. I typically walk three miles each day on a pretty steep incline. I typically watch a documentary while I walk.
I keep a pocket pedometer to make certain I walk at least 10,000 steps a day.
I use the app called Weightbot to monitor my progress. My son recommends the MyFitnessPal app to log food intake and exercise.
My primary approach to eating is simply eating healthier foods and smaller portions. I found that the typical restaurant portion is three times the recommended portion.
I do not allow myself to get hungry. I eat a healthy snack, like a small orange, to curb my cravings.
I weigh daily. Most sources recommend against this approach. I need the daily accountability.
A few weeks ago, I hit a wall and stayed on a weight plateau for three weeks.
I moved off the plateau by adding strength exercises to my workout three days a week, and by eating a greater variety of healthy foods.
I also purchased a desk treadmill and put it in my study. Now, when I’m writing or doing emails, I do so on the treadmill. It amazed me how much time I was sitting on my large buttocks each day simply writing. The photo shows me on the desk treadmill.

Many of you are probably rolling your eyes at this post. I understand. It is self-centered and self-focused. And I don’t want to imply I have not had my moments of backsliding. Vanilla ice cream has seduced me more than once.

But I recently heard from someone who was diagnosed with early diabetes and warned about future heart problems by his physician. He told me that my first post on this topic “saved his life” (his words, not mine). He also told me that his witness and testimony have changed dramatically for the better because, like me, he was a perpetual sinner of gluttony.

Just a few stories like that make my self-focus worthwhile.

But I truly hope God takes the focus off me, because He deserves all the glory.

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Becoming More Evangelistic Churches – Rainer on Leadership #048

Podcast Episode #048

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Evangelistic conversion is solely the work of the Holy Spirit. No matter what method, idea or strategy you use, it will not be successful in human power alone. Yet, depending on what metric you use, just around 1 in 20 churches are growing through conversion growth. So this week, we discussed nine ways churches can become more evangelistic.

Pray that the church will become more evangelistic.
Pray for opportunities to share the gospel.
Become accountable to someone else for sharing the gospel.
Start new groups. 
Preach the gospel.
Celebrate new believers.
Get the gospel in all the ministries.
Evangelize young people in the church.
Have a meal with a non-believer.

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 autographed copy of I Am a Church Member.

Resources

A Meal with Jesus

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Friday Is for Freebies: Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus

This week’s giveaway includes a pair of pastoral resources. First is Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus, from a series of commentaries edited by David Platt, Daniel L. Akin and Tony Merida. They combine expository teaching and a devotional tone to help readers see Christ throughout the Bible. This new commentary series, projected to be 48 volumes, takes a Christ-centered approach to expositing each book of the Bible. Rather than a verse-by-verse approach, the authors have crafted chapters that explain and apply key passages in their assigned Bible books. Readers will learn to see Christ in all aspects of Scripture, and they will be encouraged by the devotional nature of each exposition.

Also included is a two-tone simulated leather version of the HCSB Minister’s Bible. This newly designed edition is ideal for pulpit use with its large type, wide margins, and extensive ancillary notes from many of today’s top preachers and church leadership voices.

Some features of the Bible include:

Where to Turn When . . .
Plan of Salvation
Four-color presentation page
Various wedding and funeral outlines by Jim Henry
“8 Traits of Effective Church Leaders” by Thom S. Rainer
“21 Essentials of Authentic Ministry” by James T. Draper
“Four Kinds of Expositional Preaching” by Ed Stetzer
“30 Keys to Giving an Invitation” by O. S. Hawkins
“Leading a Child to Christ” by Bill Emeott
“Reaching Students with the Gospel” by Lynn H. Pryor
“The Importance of Baptism and Communion” by Rick White
Commitment Counseling
The Christian Year and Church Calendar
The Apostles and Their History

Enter this week’s Friday Is for Freebies giveaway

To enter this week’s giveaway, fill out the form below. Entries will be closed at midnight Saturday night. We will contact the winner via email on Monday morning. Names and addresses are deleted each week and are just used to select a winner. RSS and email subscribers should register on the webpage.

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After submitting your entry, you will be directed back to the ThomRainer.com homepage. By entering, you acknowledge and accept the terms of the promotion.

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Notable Voices – March 27, 2014

4 Reasons Why Churches Need Good Directional Signage – Art Rainer

One of the most common mistakes I noticed as a church consultant was the lack of directional signage in churches. It’s as if churches expected people who had never been in their building to know exactly where to go on their first visit. Obviously this is a problem. Art shares four reason why your church should not only have directional signage, but good directional signage.

 

Pastor, How Should You Respond When You Do Not Meet the Expectations of Others? – Ronnie Floyd

As a pastor, people will have unreasonable expectations of how you are to lead the church and fulfill your pastoral duties. Ronnie shares how to respond when it happens.

 

Pastors, Preach the WHY Before the WHAT – Trevin Wax

Good speakers know how to communicate not only what people need to do, but why they need to do it. The same goes for preaching.

 

The Friendless Pastor – Mark Brouwer

Pastoring a church can be lonely at times. Mark identifies five specific dangers facing pastors who are friendless.

 

Four Types of Friends Every Pastor Needs – Ike Reighard

Related to the post above, pastors need friends. Ike lists the four types of friends that every pastor needs.

 

40 Best Online Resources on Burnout – David Murray

What a list David has compiled here. This is one of the most comprehensive listings of resources on pastoral burnout you will find.

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Seven Habits of Highly Effective Preachers

I sometimes listen to preachers with amazement, if not awe. So many of them are incredibly effective in communicating God’s Word, so much more effective than I ever was or will be. I certainly understand that assessing effectiveness is a very subjective assignment. But, simply put, a number of preachers I have observed are incredible in explaining and applying the Word. As a consequence, God changes lives and saves people.

The best I can do is to be a student of these preachers, and to share with you seven key habits I have observed in most of them. I regularly ask these preachers about the way they go about preparing, preaching, and evaluating their messages. My list is fallible, but I do hope it’s helpful.

They give preaching a priority in their ministries. A pastor has a 24/7, always on call schedule. It’s easy to let sermon preparation slide with the demands of the moment. The outstanding preachers I know give preaching a very high priority. They make certain they put the hours in to communicate effectively and powerfully.
They make their sermons a vital part of their prayer lives. Here is a quote from one of those preachers I believe to be one of the most effective alive today: “I cannot imagine sermon preparation and delivery in my power alone. I regularly plead with God to anoint my preaching and to guide me in my sermon preparation.”
They have a routine in sermon preparation. To the best of their abilities, these effective preachers set aside many hours a week on their calendars for sermon preparation. And while emergencies will happen, they do their best to stay committed to that time. Most of them have specific days and times of day when they work on their sermons.
They constantly seek input about their messages. I know one pastor whose wife listens to each of his sermons ahead of his preaching. She offers valuable input to her husband. Many of these pastors have mentors and church members who help them evaluate their messages. And a number of them watch and listen to their recorded sermons within a week after preaching them.
They stay committed to a specific sermon length. The pastors with whom I spoke have sermons that range in length from 25 minutes to 45 minutes. But they all are consistent each week on their specific length. In other words, a pastor who preaches a message 30 minutes in length will do so consistently each week. They have learned that their congregations adapt to their preaching length, and that inconsistency can be frustrating to the members.
They put the majority of their efforts into one message a week. Some of the pastors were expected to preach different sermons each week, such as a Sunday morning message and a Sunday evening message. But, to the person, they all told me they can only prepare and preach one sermon effectively each week. The Sunday evening message, for example, is either an old message or a poorly prepared message.
They are constantly looking for ways to improve their communication skills. So they do more than just seek feedback, as noted in number four above. They read books on communications. They listen to other effective communicators. And they are regularly in touch with the context of their church and its community, so that their messages are not only biblical, but relevant as well.

The readers of this blog include some very effective preachers, and it includes many of you who listen to effective communicators. I would love to hear your perspectives on effective preaching.

photo credit: Chris Yarzab via photopin cc

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Leaders, Lust, and Longings

By Chuck Lawless

Leaders are, by their very nature, driven people. Always there are more goals to reach, more dreams to fulfill, more thirsts to quench. That attitude is part of what makes them leaders.

Leaders are simply passionate people. Those passions can, though, mark victory or defeat. You can use this blogpost to think about the passions that most influence you as a leader.

LUSTS

James, the brother of Jesus, warned us about “lusts” or “passions” that war within us (James 4:1). Read each item in the list below, and use this scale to indicate how much each one affects you as a leader.

1-2: Not a deep problem

3-4: A slight problem

5-6: A growing problem

7-8: A serious problem

9-10: An idol

Pleasure. Do you use pornography? Do you give in to immoral thoughts? Have you chosen not to put safeguards on all your electronic devices? Do you expect your spouse to be available to you physically to meet your needs while you give her little emotional, relational, and spiritual guidance?
Power.  Do you like being “in charge”? Do you treat your immediate reports poorly? Do you fight to get your way? Do you struggle admitting when you’re wrong?  Do you prefer not to serve on a team if you’re not the leader? Do you get frustrated when you’re not “in the know”?
Recognition. Do you subtly make sure others know when you’ve done something significant? Do you get frustrated (that is, jealous) when others get acclaim instead of you? Do you develop relational networks on the basis of whether others can help you gain recognition?
Wealth. Are you stingy with the dollars you earn? Do you wrestle with God when you sense He wants you to give more toward His work – perhaps even decreasing your hard earned savings? Do you tithe only to the penny, and then begrudgingly? Do you nonchalantly brag about your salary?
Stuff. Do you like to show others what you have? Do you need the latest gadget, the newest car, the nicest office, the biggest church building? Do you boast about things that will some day be left behind?
Food. Do you eat poorly, with little regard for your physical well-being? Have you ignored the requests of others to take better care of yourself? If you don’t have an eating issue, do you have other habits that are likely harming your body?
Ministry Activity. Is your self-esteem tied to your accomplishments and recognitions? Do you make sure you do your job, but spend little time with God? Do you gently let folks know when you’ve worked many hours and made many sacrifices for God?
Bitterness. Are you angry with someone to the point you choose not to let it go? Do you quietly want God to get revenge on someone on your behalf? Do you refuse even to entertain the thought that you might have been wrong in a particular situation?
Secrecy. Are you living a double life? Is much of your life dedicated to covering up your sin?

LONGINGS

On the other hand, the Bible speaks of “longings” for things that really do matter. Now, read each item in the next list below, and use this scale to indicate how much each one marks you as a leader.

1-2: Not at all a longing

3-4: A slight longing

5-6: A growing longing

7-8: A strong longing

9-10: A life-transforming longing

Longing for God. Do you want God as much as a thirsty deer longs for water (Psalm 42)? Do you desire God so much you cannot make it through the day without spending time with Him? If God were to absent Himself from your life, would it change much?
Longing for Salvation of Others. Would you, like the Apostle Paul, be willing to be accursed so others might get saved (Rom. 9:3)? Is it your heart’s desire and prayer for others to know Jesus (Rom. 10:1)? Does your life show evidence of such a burden? Are you willing to go anywhere so all people groups might know Christ (Matt. 28:18-20, Rom. 15:20-21)?
Longing for Eternity. Do you long for Jesus to return? Can you pray with John, “Come, Lord Jesus!” (Rev. 22:20)? Are you living faithfully in “the meantime,” desiring most to be with Jesus while understanding your call to be here now? Are you living for the temporary or the eternal (1 Cor. 3:10-15)?

Is your life more driven by your lusts or your longings?

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: Daniel Kulinski via photopin cc

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Should Good Grammar Be a Ministry Competency?

I confess. I’m a grammar cop. In fact, I am so obsessed with good grammar that my co-workers take great delight in catching my occasional written and spoken mistakes.

Perhaps, then, I’m not the most objective person to pursue this theme. I recently read again a Harvard Business Review article by Kyle Wiens, CEO of iFixit and Dozuki. The article carried the intriguing title of “I Won’t Hire People Who Use Poor Grammar. Here’s Why.” Wiens is serious. He requires every applicant to take a grammar test. Those who do poorly do not get hired. The article was written almost two years ago, yet it is still getting comments today.

As I reviewed the article, I pondered. Should we place more emphasis on correct grammar in vocational ministry? Or is such an exercise focusing on minors to the neglect of those matters that are really important?

Though some obvious exceptions exist, I lean toward a greater emphasis on good grammar in vocational ministry. Here are five reasons why:

We should do all things for the glory of God. Yes, we should even speak and write well for His glory. Most of us in vocational ministry have little excuse not to learn proper grammar.
A significant portion of ministry is communication. Ministers preach. They teach. They write articles. They author blogs. They are in both formal and informal conversations on a regular basis. If we allow for grammatical slippage, how far will we let it go?
Good grammar can provide greater credibility. Maybe it’s not fair, but it’s a reality. The better we speak and write, the more likely people are to listen to our message. And we have the greatest message the world has ever known.
Good grammar is a reflection of a good work ethic. A person who has not learned the difference between “it’s” and “its” after 30 or more years has not worked hard at grammar. If someone has not worked hard at grammar, can that mean he or she has not worked hard in other areas?
Learning good grammar means we take care of the details. The English language is a complicated language. Those who master it are not necessarily the smartest people; but they are people who care about details. Those who care about details in grammar are likely to care about important details in ministry.

I admit I can get picky about sentences ending with prepositions or split infinitives. Those are debated grammatical issues today. But too many people in vocational ministry simply misuse the English language in a much more egregious fashion.

Am I too picky? Do I major on minors with this issue? Are some or all of my points valid? Let me know what you think. This conversation might get interesting.