Thom S. Rainer's Blog, page 318

Pray for Christ Community Church

Location: Wheaton, Illinois

Pastor: Caleb Smith

Worship Time: 10:00 AM Central Time

Fast Facts: This church re-plant is located in the Chicago area in a community which is gaining an increasing number of immigrants and seniors. Please pray for them as they minister to this very diverse community through ESL classes and other cross-cultural ministries. Also pray for their upcoming “Board Advance” service on February 22 as they lay forth a direction for the future of CCC.

Website: christcomyounity.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.

Nine Ways a Pastor Can Lead a Church to Become More Evangelistic

The influence of a pastor in a local congregation is powerful. Like a parent who can influence but not ultimately determine the path of his or her child, so is the pastor in some ways with the congregation.

I recently had a conversation with Tony Merida, lead pastor of Imago Dei Church in Raleigh. He said one of the greatest challenges he has experienced as a pastor is getting Christians motivated evangelistically. He found that Christians are willing to minister to other members and even those in the community. But getting them to be intentionally evangelistic always seems to be a challenge.

So I asked pastors of several evangelistic churches what they did personally to lead their churches to be more explicitly evangelistic. Here are nine of their most common responses.

Pray that the church will become more evangelistic. Conversion is an act of the Holy Spirit. These pastors thus depend on God to reach people before they introduce any type of human methodology.
Pray for opportunities to share the gospel. I heard amazing stories from pastors about how God put people in their paths almost every time they prayed for such an opportunity. One pastor stated simply: “God does not give me a lack of opportunities if I ask Him to bring lost people my way.”
Become accountable to someone else for sharing the gospel. That person could be a family member, another church member, or another pastor.
Start new groups. Churches that intentionally start new groups tend to be more evangelistic. These new groups could be Sunday school classes, small groups, or new ministries.
Preach the gospel. While every sermon does not have to an evangelistic sermon in the classic sense, every message should point to Jesus. There should be some presentation of the gospel in all of the pastor’s messages.
Celebrate new believers. What is rewarded becomes normative. When pastors intentionally lead their churches to celebrate a person becoming a Christian, evangelism becomes a part of the DNA of church life.
Get the gospel in all the ministries. Many churches have many dynamic ministries. Pastors should ask if every ministry is designed to point a person to Jesus.
Evangelize young people in the church. Pastors of evangelistic churches seek to make certain that the youth in the church are presented the gospel. If churches were to evangelize “their own,” the number of conversions would double or triple in most congregations.
Have a meal with a non-believer. I borrowed this insight from Tony Merida. He encourages his church members to invite non-believers to have a meal with them on a regular basis. He makes a powerful case to demonstrate how often that was done in the New Testament.

I probably cannot imagine what would take place in congregations if pastors practiced a few of these ideas regularly.

What do you think of these nine insights? What would you add or change?

Tony Merida on Church Planting, Bivocational Pastors, & Orphan Care – Rainer on Leadership #041

Podcast Episode #041

Subscribe via iTunes • Subscribe via RSS 

Tony Merida, a great friend of LifeWay, was at in town recently, and while he was here, Jonathan and I had a chance to record this episode of Rainer on Leadership with him.

Tony is an accomplished author (Faithful Preaching, Orphanology, Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series), pastor (Imago Dei Church in Raleigh, NC), professor (Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary), and speaker (Fuge, Student Life). In this episode, Tony and I discuss the benefits of a teaching team in the local church, how seminary education is beneficial, the church’s call to care for orphans and widows, and the Meridas’ story of adopting their five children.

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.

Friday Is for Freebies – Transformational Groups

In Transformational Groups, Ed Stetzer and Eric Geiger provide a map to transformational success for your church’s groups ministry. Using data from the largest survey of pastors and laypersons ever done on the condition of groups in the church, they define a simple process to lead your groups from where they are to where God wants them to be.

Also included is the black, genuine leather version of the HCSB Study Bible, a comprehensive, easy to read, and easy to use Bible, with features and formats specifically designed to enhance your Bible study experience. You can also go to MyStudyBible.com and dive right in for a complete digital experience.

This Bible has a retail price of $79.99 and features 15,000 study notes, 290 Hebrew and Greek word studies, 66 highly detailed book introductions, 62 maps, 27 topical articles, 20 charts, and 18 illustrations, all focusing on the most important topics and questions in Bible study.

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.

Name*




Email Address*

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.

Notable Voices – February 6, 2014

I Am a Church Member Sermon Outlines – B&H Publishing Group

Ever since I Am a Church Member debuted in May, we’ve fielded requests for ancillary resources related to the book. We now have this 6-week sermon series outline for pastors to use, a Spanish version of the book, a small-group study based on the concept, and an upcoming leadership training course.

 

4 Things a Pastor Should Consider Before Engaging Social Media – Trevin Wax

Trevin quotes a recent Rainer on Leadership podcast episode and makes the case for why pastors should be involved with social media and the cautions to take when doing so.

 

5 Mistakes We Make in Our Sermons – Philip Nation

Like any pastor, I’ve made my share of mistakes when preaching. Philip list five common mistakes and how to avoid them.

 

3 Unattractive Labels Unchurched People Place on Church Leaders – Carey Nieuwhof

Recently on the blog, I’ve noted the decline of pastoral esteem in the community. It’s a fact that pastors are not held in the same regard as they were a generation ago. Some of that loss of esteem is a direct result of these unhelpful labels that have been placed on many in the church.

 

Pastoral Leadership and Conflict – Dave Earley

Conflict is inevitable as a leader. I touched on that yesterday in my post on responding to critics. But as Dave writes, the issue is not if you will have conflicts in ministry. The issue is how you will handle the conflicts when they arise.

 

4 Habits Behind a Successful Guest Experience – Vision Room

I’m seeing more and more on how churches can make good first impressions with guests. This trend is encouraging because when I was a consultant, it was surprisingly one of the most neglected aspects in many churches.

Four Occasions When You Should Not Respond to a Critic

If you are a leader, you will be criticized. If you are not being criticized, you are probably not a leader. The issue is not whether or not you will be the subject of criticism; the greater issue is how you should respond.

As a general rule, leaders should respond to criticism. I do my best to do so, or at that very least, ask someone in my organization to respond. Critics, more often than not, deserve a response. They need to hear from the leader who can give them his or her perspective. They need to hear from a leader in the event the response can be an opportunity for reconciliation.

But there are times when leaders should not respond to critics. These times are rare, and should be the subject of prayer and counsel. Nehemiah is a biblical character that is often used to define principles of leadership. Look at this passage from Nehemiah 6:2-4. See how Nehemiah, in this case, chose not to respond to a persistent critic.

“Sanballet and Geshem sent me a message: ‘Come let’s meet together in the valley.’ But they were planning to harm me. So I sent messengers to them, saying, ‘I am doing a great work and cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you?’ Four times they sent me the same proposal, and I gave them the same reply.” (HCSB)

Nehemiah offers us both biblical and practical principles about those rare occasions when you shouldn’t respond to critics.

When you have already repeatedly responded. For some critics, a response is not sufficient. They will not stop until they have gotten their way. There comes a point where further communication becomes an exercise in futility. It’s time to move on and do “the great work.”
When the critic intends harm. An occasional critic is not so much interested in communicating his or her issue as causing you harm. Their issue is not actually the issue. They want you hurt in some way. Further communication will only cause problems.
When the critic will not reason. Many critics have very valid points. Whether we agree or disagree, we need to listen to their perspective. Other critics simply want to rant. There is rarely a good outcome when meeting with the very unreasonable and ranting critic.
When the criticism becomes an ad hominem attack. An ad hominem attack takes place when a person attacks your character. The issue is peripheral, and is only used to assail you personally. There is often no need to deal with the critic because he or she really doesn’t care about the issue.

Criticism is painful for most leaders. It is for me. But most criticisms are good for leaders. We can learn from our critics, and we can grow as leaders. But there are a few times when we simply should not respond. In those cases, any response only exacerbates something that is already bad.

Sometimes we need to be like Nehemiah. Continue our work and ignore the critic.

photo credit: jontintinjordan via photopin cc

7 Mistakes Leaders Make

By Chuck Lawless

I love the Bible for its honesty. In fact, the Bible’s bluntness about even the leaders of God’s people is one argument for its Holy Spirit-led inspiration. Writers who determine on their own what to include in the story would likely have omitted stories that paint spiritual heroes in a negative light—but the Spirit would not allow such as He “carried along” the writers of the Bible (2 Peter 1:20-21). Indeed, the Bible stories warn us against making the same mistakes these leaders—most of them significant leaders for God’s people—made:

ADAM: neglecting one’s family responsibilities. This conclusion is admittedly based on silence in Genesis 3, but we can only wonder why Adam did not speak up before Eve ate from the forbidden tree. His failure as a steward of creation and a leader in his marital relationship would bring disaster to creation. My guess is we need not elaborate on the stories of leaders who have lost their homes through neglect.
MOSES: ignoring the commands of God. The Hebrews had no water, and God told Moses to speak to a rock to bring forth water (Num. 20). Instead, Moses spoke harshly against the rebellious people and did what he had done in the past—he struck the rock. His sins were probably several, but the bottom line is clear: he chose to follow God according to his own terms. Frankly, a leader’s frustration with rebellious followers often leads to his own sin.
JOSHUA: not seeking the counsel of the Lord. Joshua 9 tells the tragic story of God’s people being deceived by the Gibeonites. Not only did the Hebrews succumb to the deception, but they also did so without having first prayed to seek God’s insight and direction (9:14). That’s always a risk for leaders who let down their guard. How many times do leaders act first and then pray second?
DAVID: relying only on training and experience. Study the story of David as a shepherd boy, and you find a youth thoroughly trusting God to fight his battles for him (1 Sam. 17).  He knew God would deliver him from bears, lions, and even a Philistine giant. Study David as king, though, and you discover a warrior seeking to determine the strength of his armed forces (1 Chron. 21). That happens sometimes—the young man who trusts God comes to trust in self when he has gained some leadership training and experience.
JAMES AND JOHN: wanting the best seats in the kingdom. Likely thinking wrongly that Jesus was going to establish an earthly kingdom (and certainly under the influence of their mother’s wishes), the brothers sought seats of honor in Jesus’ kingdom (Mark 10:37). Little did they realize that kingdom living for them would mean servanthood and sacrifice rather than position and prestige. Too many leaders make the same mistake today as they seek honor without humility, titles without trial, and power without prayer.
SIMON PETER: speaking for both God and the devil. It was Simon Peter who best stated who Jesus was: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God!” (Matt. 16:16). In this case, the apostle listened to God and spoke the words God had given him. It was also Peter, though, who rebuked Jesus when He spoke of His coming death in Jerusalem. Jesus strongly condemned him in turn for speaking the words of Satan this time (Matt. 16:23). It happens to us, too, you know. Leaders at times speak both God’s word and the devil’s words—sometimes in the same conversation.
THE APOSTLES: being overconfident. Simon Peter is best known for his promise of faithfulness to Jesus when He spoke of his impending death, but don’t miss the last part of Mark 14:31: “But he [Peter] kept insisting, ‘If I have to die with You, I will never deny You!’ And they all said the same thing” (emphasis added). They ALL said they would die with Him, but ALL fled not long thereafter (Mark 14:50). None of the apostles kept his word when the danger level rose. Overconfidence led to trouble.

Perhaps that is where this blog should land. I know no leader who says up front, “It’s likely I’ll commit the same sins I see leaders in the scripture commit. I’ll probably fall, too.” I do know several leaders, however, who would say, “I never thought it would happen to me – but it did.”

Help all of us avoid these dangers. What steps have you taken to keep from making these same mistakes?

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.

Five Reasons Some Churches Have Multiple Teaching Pastors

I noted in a previous article the trend toward more churches having more than one teaching pastor. Though this trend in the past was more common with larger churches, it is becoming more prevalent in smaller churches today. In smaller churches with this approach, many of the teaching pastors are unpaid or bivocational.

In the past few weeks, I have had the opportunity to talk with several of these pastors. Most of the time my conversation was with the lead pastor, the equivalent of the senior pastor in many churches. But my conversations included a number of teaching pastors who are not lead pastors. My question was simple: Why do you have multiple teaching pastors? Here are the five most common responses.

It helps avoid a personality cult syndrome. Because the church members hear from different pastors at different times, no one pastor is always front and center. The focus one pastor typically gets is spread among others.
When one pastor leaves, the church is not left with a leaderless interim time. One of the most difficult times a church can experience is a period with no leader, even if the church calls an interim pastor. Transitions are much smoother when there are multiple teaching pastors.
There is always a back-up pastor when the need arises. As a pastor, I can remember a few times where I was sick or stranded in another city the night before I preached. There is always a time of panic trying to find someone to preach at the last minute. With multiple teaching pastors, there is always a back-up ready.
Variety can be healthy. Every pastor has a different preaching or teaching style. The church does not get stuck in the rut of one approach week after week when different pastors are available.
Pastors need breaks. Unless you’ve been there, it is hard to comprehend how difficult it can be to prepare some 50 messages with consistent quality in the course of a year. It is good for the church and good for the pastor to get breaks from the challenge of preparing messages week after a week.

Churches with multiple teaching pastors are still in the minority. And there are some who disagree with this approach of church leadership.

What do you think of these benefits I have enumerated? What perspectives do you have about multiple teaching pastors?

Pray for Central Christian Church

Location: Newark, Ohio

Pastor: Jeff Gill

Worship Time: 8:30 AM & 10:30 AM Eastern Time

Fast Facts: This congregation has a passion for hands-on mission, personal evangelism, and community outreach. The church was founded in 1884 by a Civil War veteran, Deacon Thomas Madden. The church also houses a medical loan closet that takes donated and cleaned durable medical goods and makes them available at no cost to anyone in the county.

The congregation is journeying through Read the Bible for Life in 2014. The emphasis includes Sunday service themes and sermons and extends out to personal prayer and study for the members. Please pray the emphasis will be a blessing both to the church and the community through this deep-dive into God’s Word.

Website: NewarkCentralChristian.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.

Five Reasons Your Pastor Should Take a Sabbatical

The word “sabbatical” has different meanings depending on the context in which it is used. It has one meaning in the academic community, another meaning in its biblical usage, and still another in many secular settings.

For the purpose of this article, I define sabbatical in simple terms. It simply means time off for rest and/or study. The time can be a few days, a few weeks or, on rare occasions, a few months. The pastor is given paid leave for rest, rejuvenation and, perhaps, deeper study. I would love to see churches of all sizes provide this requirement of their pastor, even if it’s only for a few days.

I have the opportunity to work with lay leaders and pastors. I have a pretty good view of both perspectives. And I am convinced that more lay leaders need to insist their pastors take regular breaks even beyond vacations. Allow me to provide five reasons for my rationale.

A pastor has emotional highs and lows unlike most other vocations. In the course of a day, a pastor can deal with death, deep spiritual issues, great encouragement, petty criticisms, tragedies, illnesses, and celebrations of birth. The emotional roller coaster is draining. Your pastor needs a break—many times a break with no distractions.
A pastor is on 24-hour call. Most pastors don’t have an “off” switch. They go to sleep with the knowledge they could be awakened by a phone call at anytime of the day. Vacations are rarely uninterrupted. It can be an exhausting vocation, and a sabbatical can be a welcome time to slow down.
Pastors need time of uninterrupted study. It doesn’t usually happen in the study at church or home. There is always the crisis or need of the moment. Church members expect sermons that reflect much prayer and study. The pastor’s schedule often works against that ideal. The sabbatical can offer much needed, and uninterrupted, study time.
Pastors who have sabbaticals have longer tenure at churches. Though my information is anecdotal, I do see the trend. And while I cannot prove a cause-and-effect relationship, I feel confident that pastors who have sabbaticals are much more likely to stay at a church because they are less likely to experience burnout.
Pastors who have sabbaticals view the time off as an affirmation from their churches. I have heard from many pastors who share with me a sentence similar to this one: “I know my church loves me because they give me a sabbatical.” Pastors need affirmation. Sabbaticals can accomplish that goal.

I estimate that only about five percent of churches offer sabbaticals. In almost every case where I am familiar, the relationship between pastor and congregation is very healthy. I do think at least one of the reasons is the sabbatical.

What is your view of sabbaticals for pastors? What would you add to my five reasons?