Thom S. Rainer's Blog, page 325

Seven Reasons Why Church Worship Centers Will Get Smaller

A seismic shift is taking place in American church facilities, a shift that will become even more noticeable in the years to come. Church worship centers or sanctuaries will become smaller than they were the past 40 years. As church leaders decide to build, a large number of them will decide to build smaller than most of their predecessors have in previous years.

The trend for the past four decades has been to build increasingly larger worship centers. And while the large worship center will not disappear, you will notice more intentionality to build or buy smaller. Why? As I look at the church landscape in America, I see seven reasons, and only two of them are related to declining attendance. I will note those two first.

Decreasing frequency of attendance among church members.  I noted this trend in a previous article. The informal definition of an “active” church member a decade ago was a member who attended worship services an average of three to four times a month. Now a member can be present only two times a month and be considered active. That trend is definitely adversely affecting attendance.
The growth of the “nones.” I have written or spoken about this issue on a number of occasions. Pew Research found that the number of Americans who say that have no religious affiliation increased from 15 percent of the population to 20 percent from 2007 to 2012. This shift is huge. One out of five persons will likely never be in your church services, and they no longer feel a cultural compulsion to do so.
The growth of the multi-site and multi-venue church. This movement is large and growing. Church leaders are strategically starting different sites and venues to bring the church to the population rather than expect the people to come to one worship center. Churches are more likely to have a few small worship centers or use one worship center on multiple days than to have one large worship center.
The Millennials’ aversion to larger worship centers. I have seen this trend in my research of this generation born between 1980 and 2000. I have also experienced this sentiment personally with Millennial church leaders. On one occasion, I went on a tour of a large worship center with a Millennial. I came away greatly impressed with not only the size of the place, but its functionality as well. My Millennial friend remarked that he hopes he never has to build something that large. On another occasion, I went by a small worship center with little parking with a Millennial leader. I noted that only about 200 people could ever worship there. He countered that 2,000 could be at the worship center each week if it were strategically used throughout the week.
Governmental agencies are increasingly unfriendly to church building plans. I have worked with a number of churches that have run into big roadblocks with zoning authorities that refuse to let them build or expand. Some of the zoning authorities fear increased traffic issues in residential areas. I suspect many of them are concerned about more property that will be exempt from property taxes.
The shift in emphasis from the big worship event to an emphasis on groups. Worship services will not go away. Preaching will remain central. But an emphasis on worship services as the big event will not be as great. Church leaders are giving more of their energy to the development of healthy leaders and groups. As a side note, watch for an increased demand for small group pastors or discipleship pastors. As worship pastors were sought after the past 30 or 40 years, so will these other staff members for the years ahead.
The desire to spend more on ministry and less on facilities. Church facilities have grown in proportion to expenses of churches over the past four decades. Church leaders are looking for more funds for ministry, and they will find those funds by reducing facility costs. The big worship center will not be built in many congregations, so they will have more funds to reach and minister to the community and beyond.

This trend toward smaller worship centers has already begun, and I only see it accelerating. An ancillary issue will be the challenge of churches to do something wise with existing worship centers that will continue to have higher percentages of vacant seating.

But that’s a matter for another article.

I would love to hear from you on this issue of smaller worship centers.

Pray for Memorial Baptist Church

Location: New Haven, Missouri

Pastor: Joe Nogalski

Worship Time: 10:40 AM Central Time

Fast Facts: MBC is a growing congregation in small town America. The church uses a variety of outreach methods to connect with the community including Upward Sports. This past year the church has taken on the responsibility of being a sending church to Great Commission Baptist Church, a church plant in Washington, MO. Memorial Baptist also reaches into Mexico by partnering with Seed Ministry, which helps children with their schooling, and partners in Africa with Care for Ghana. In 2015 they will be taking another medical mission trip to Ghana with full medical team and surgical team. Please pray for their mission trip to Ghana and for the church as they start a preschool, Light Academy, to provide local parents a Bible-centered daycare for their children.

Website: MBCNewHaven.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.

One of the Biggest Mistakes Pastors Make

I love pastors.

I love affirming pastors. I love speaking positively for pastors. That’s why this article is a bit different for me.

Pastors, I want to talk frankly and, hopefully, with a spirit of love, about one of the biggest mistakes I see many of you make. Most pastors have little emphasis, or sometimes, even knowledge about the content that is taught in groups in their churches.

You Wouldn’t Do This in Preaching

I know you pastors would not think of coming to the pulpit unprepared. You know your text. You know your message. You have prayed about it. You have labored over it. You will not preach that sermon without much prayer and work.

It’s just too important. I completely agree. The centrality of preaching is paramount to the health of the church. I commend you for your prayers, your efforts, and your focus. You will not come to the pulpit unprepared.

But What Is Being Taught in Your Church’s Groups?

But many of you don’t give adequate attention to the content used in your church’s groups. Those groups may be home groups, community groups, small groups, Sunday school classes, or a myriad of other names.

I really understand your reticence. You don’t want to micromanage. You don’t want to be controlling. You want to empower people to lead and choose for themselves. But, in a LifeWay Research study, we found that 75 percent of group leaders and members desired direction for the material used in their groups.

Did you get that? Three of four small group leaders explicitly said they are seeking direction. They want your leadership in this vital area of discipleship.

Unintended Consequences

While pastors are largely very careful about who preaches and what is preached, they do not usually give the same diligence to the content of small groups. Discipleship can take place in many places, but it should be taking place in those small groups. And the unintended consequences of not having a wise plan for discipleship is that you will fail to make disciples, or you may even have heretical teaching in some groups.

Leaders must be intentional in providing a clear plan of discipleship for small groups, and that plan must include clear guidance about content. Such a posture does not mean that leaders are autocratic or non-collaborative. Leaders, pastors particularly, must be involved.

An Example of a Wise Discipleship Plan for Groups

While using LifeWay’s Bible studies as an example for content for groups may seem self-serving, I am very pleased with the work that has gone into this discipleship plan. I am well aware that there are many other choices available.

Basically, we have four broad lines of content for small groups and Sunday school classes. They are each distinguished by the starting point for the small group:

Starting Point: Theology. Gospel Project. The Gospel Project is a curriculum that studies the Bible from a theological perspective, particularly by looking at the grand narrative of Scripture.


Starting Point: Biblical Text. Explore the Bible. This curriculum studies the Bible by individual books of the Bible, going chapter by chapter through a particular book.


Starting Point: Life Issues. Bible Studies for Life. Another Bible study with a different starting point, Bible Studies for Life looks at key life issues (example: marriage, relationships, money, and others) from the perspective of biblical texts.


Starting Point: Church Context. Discipleship in Context. This particular curriculum is basically a customized study for the church. Leaders in the church let LifeWay know the biblical texts and focus of the study, and team members at LifeWay design a study just for the church. Many churches are using this approach to design studies around the pastor’s sermons.

We are gratified to see many churches using at least two of the curriculum lines in different settings. For example, one church uses Explore the Bible for its Sunday morning Bible study groups, and Bible Studies for Life for its home groups.

The Urgent Need

Again, LifeWay’s Bible studies are an example of intentionality of a wise discipleship plan to use in groups. You know what is being used for content. And you know why the particular Bible study plan is used. Pastors and other church leaders: please don’t ignore the urgent need to have a plan, purpose, and content for your church’s small groups.

The need is too great to let discipleship become haphazard and unintentional. You wouldn’t approach preaching without a clear idea of what you are preaching and why you are preaching. Please do no less for your small groups.

So, how does your church determine its content for small groups or Sunday school classes? Do you have a clear and specific plan for discipleship through your church’s groups? I would love to hear from you.

Ministry Grid & Leadership Training – Rainer on Leadership #033

Podcast Episode #033

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On this week’s podcast episode, Todd Adkins joins us to discuss the need for improved leadership training in the church and how Ministry Grid can help local churches to produce better leaders and, as a result, healthier churches.

When we were preparing to launch Ministry Grid, our research showed that 75% of pastors surveyed did not have a plan to train their leaders. There were four primary reason for this:

Pastors don’t know how to train others. It’s not a leadership problem as much as it is a leadership development problem.
Pastors don’t have time, nor do volunteers have the time to sit through lengthy sessions of training.
Churches can’t afford it. The costs of training conferences or materials were simply too high.
There is no framework available to them to use to train their people.

I can relate to this a great deal. One of the areas in which I was deficient as a pastor was equipping the saints to do the work of ministry. If I had Ministry Grid, I would have been asking the questions:

What do I need for my church members to be equipped?
What are the priorities?
Who do I need to equip?

And if I had Ministry Grid back then, I would have been establishing answers to these questions right away. It would have helped me immediately. While I’m no longer pastoring, Ministry Grid is now here to aid in training the next generation of church leaders and pastors. You can find out more at MinistryGrid.com.

Episode Sponsor

This week’s podcast is brought to you by Ministry Grid, a leadership training platform which just launched on 11/12/13. Ministry Grid features more than 1,500 videos, including 200 free videos, and is fully customizable to the needs of your church with the option for you to add content, create tracks for different ministries, and track the progress of participants. Ministry Grid offers training for all areas of ministry from the parking lot to the pulpit. It’s training made simple. For more information and to check out dozens of free videos or to visit the blog, go to ministrygrid.com.

Feedback

If you have a question you would like answered on the show, fill out the form on the podcast page here at ThomRainer.com. If we use your question, you’ll receive a free autographed copy of I Am a Church Member.

Resources

Ministry Grid
The Perfectly Unified Church

Friday Is for Freebies – Life Change

Today’s freebie is an HCSB Study Bible and a new book from B&H Publishers. In Life Change, author Jordan Easley takes a spiritual approach to the topic of change, walking readers through the book of Mark to highlight stories of life change in the Bible. Looking at seven miracles Jesus performed throughout that text and the people who were changed by them, Jordan shows how the power of God enables us to do what we are incapable of doing ourselves.

It may feel like the odds are stacked against us, but the good news is that change is possible, and it happens when we live out this three-step process:

A New Hope: Establish an authentic relationship that inspires and sustains hope in your life.
A New Way of Thinking: As a result of that relationship, you have a new way of thinking.
A New Way of Living: As a result of your new way of thinking, you have a new way of living.

Also included is the black and tan simulated 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 $69.99 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.

To enter this week’s giveaway, tell us:

What is your favorite Christmas carol?

The deadline to enter is noon CST this Saturday. We will draw one winner from the entries on Monday morning.

By entering, you acknowledge and accept the terms of the promotion.

Notable Voices – December 5, 2013

3 Opportunities That Arise From Limited Resources — Art Rainer

Sometimes the reality of a limited budget or limited personnel hinders our plans and dreams. But Art shares how limited resources can actually provide opportunities which abundance does not.

 

Seven Ways Senior Pastors Stress Out Staff — Geoff Surratt

Geoff could have listed quite a few more. This list of seven is a good start, though.

 

7 Suggestions NOT To Do When the Church is in Decline — Ron Edmondson

Dying churches seems to have become a theme here at the blog. While knowing what to do to reverse decline is important, knowing what not to do is as well.

 

10 Ways To Leverage Christmas To Reach Unchurched People — Carey Nieuwhof

As a pastor, you know there will be a greater number of unchurched people at your services during the holiday season than during the rest of the year. Are you being intentional to reach them? Carey shares 10 ways your church can make more of an impact with the unchurched this holiday season.

 

Ten Essential Tips for Hiring Your Next CEO — Ram Charan, Dennis Carey, and Michael Useem

Hiring a new CEO—or a pastor—is an important step for any organization—or church. You want to be sure the right person is selected. These 10 principles will aid in guiding your next executive-succession process.

Five Simple but Profound Leadership Lessons from Amazon and Jeff Bezos

Millions of people watched the 60 Minutes television report on Amazon and the interview with its leader, Jeff Bezos. Most of the attention turned to the unveiling of small drones that could be used in the future to deliver packages. In fact, Bezos hopes packages will be delivered by drones within 30 minutes from order. That possibility generated its own level of conversation and debate. You can see the entire 60 Minutes segment here (It’s about 15 minutes long).

Unfortunately, the fixation on the drones overshadowed some profound leadership lessons Bezos can teach us. We can learn from him and Amazon whether we like him and the company or not. Believe me, as president of LifeWay, I know up close what a fierce competitor Amazon can be.

I just watched the 60 Minutes segment a second time right before I wrote this post. Again, I came away amazed at some poignant leadership lessons I learned from Bezos and Amazon. Here are five:

Throw away the box. Most of the time we use the well-worn phrase “Think outside the box.” The problem with that type of thinking is that the box is still our point of reference. We need to be asking how we can do things well beyond our existing and traditional systems. It’s a difficult but necessary exercise. Amazon is Amazon because they refused to use current paradigms as their starting point.
Hard work is strategy. I’ve never known a successful leader who did not expend years working hard. Sometimes we tend to think that there is a lot of luck in success. While there may be fortuitous circumstances, great leaders work hard to take advantage of them. Just eighteen years ago, Bezos was taking Amazon packages to the post office himself.
“Complaining is not a strategy”. A lot of energy has been expended complaining about Amazon. Many have said they have unfair competitive practices. Others object to the way they acquire companies. Great leaders don’t waste time complaining about others. They use the precious resource of time to look to the future. The reason I have the sentence above in quotation marks is because it came directly from Bezos in the interview. It was my favorite quote of the segment.
Constantly take incremental steps to do everything better. Even if Amazon is not making dramatic changes or causing disruptive innovation, the company is constantly seeking to improve its existing systems. If you decide to watch the segment, see how they are improving their fulfillment centers incrementally but constantly. Continuous small improvements lead to major improvements.
Create your own disruptive innovation. It is better for an organization to innovate, even if hurts your existing services, products, or even ministries. If you don’t innovate, some other organization will, and the lifespan of your organization will be reduced.

Amazon may not be the paragon of virtues; but they are an incredible company. And Jeff Bezos is an amazing entrepreneurial leader. We would do well to learn from both of them.

Did you see the 60 Minutes interview? What else did you take away from it?

10 Ways to Show Gratitude the Rest of the Year

By Chuck Lawless

This past week, we celebrated Thanksgiving in the United States. On this one day, we gathered with family, ate a meal, and took a few minutes to express our thanks. Then, we moved on with talking, eating, watching football, napping . . . and eating again.

We have so much for which to be grateful. I fear, though, that we too often limit our expressions of thanksgiving to only this day. Because the Apostle Paul tells us to “give thanks in everything” (1 Thess 5:18), we need to practice thanksgiving. Here are some practical ways to build thanksgiving into your leadership role.

Handwrite thank you notes. Frankly, it was my wife who convinced me of the importance of this task. An email is acceptable, but a personally handwritten note somehow raises the significance of the “thank you.” Take the time to write something – it won’t be a waste of your time.
Make a monthly thank you call. Somebody in your life deserves a “thank you” from you. Again, an email might be the more common expression of thanks today, but God gives us voices to communicate. Each month, find somebody for whom a phone call of thanksgiving will mean much. Use the phone, and have a conversation. You might even find that a phone call takes less time than writing an email.
Surprise your spouse with another “Thanksgiving Day.” Everybody expects to celebrate Thanksgiving in November, but few people will be ready for an undeclared day of thanksgiving. Choose another day during the year (and NOT your anniversary or your spouse’s birthday), and show your gratitude for your spouse’s love and support.
Write a thank you letter to your children. Depending on their age, they might react differently to this letter. Young ones might not fully understand its significance, though they’ll likely be glad to hear you read it to them. Teens might think it to be weird (at least publicly), but they might also cherish it privately. Give your children something to keep for the rest of their lives.
Spend one day a week in thanksgiving prayer. Choose one day, and pray only thanksgiving prayers throughout the day. Begin this way, “Lord, thank you for this new day. Thank you that I have life today,” and then thank God for everything throughout the day. I promise you won’t exhaust your reasons to be grateful.
Send a thank you card to people who have positively influenced your life. The possibilities are numerous: your parents, a teacher, a Scout leader, a pastor, a small group leader, a mentor, the person who did your pre-marital counseling, a boss, a neighbor, etc. Think about sending one card per month. Schedule it. Write it. Send it. Bless somebody else with a simple card.
Sponsor a thank you break for your co-workers. It’s easy to do, and it’s not costly. Get the boss’ approval (of course, you might be the boss), order a few snacks, and surprise your co-workers with a 20-minute unexpected break. Taking time to express your gratitude for them will make their day.
Get involved in a ministry to needy people. Christians often help the needy during the holidays, but the needs continue throughout the year. Find a ministry in which your family can participate regularly. Help your children to see that many other people do not have all the blessings many of us have. Teach them to be grateful for a roof, a meal, a shower, and clean clothes – and you lead the way in expressing gratitude.
Start a thank you journal. I am not typically a journaler, but this type of journaling does not take much time. Keep a small journal handy, and simply write down the things for which you are thankful throughout the day. Pay special attention to God’s answering prayers or moving in unexpected ways. Be sure to share your thanksgivings with someone at least once a week so God alone gets the glory.
Take the Lord’s Supper regularly. Your congregation may already do so. If so, be sure to attend. Use the time as genuine reflection on the death of Christ until He comes again. Allow this church ordinance to grip you with thanksgiving. Live in light of that gratitude by choosing obedience over sin, sacrifice over self-centeredness, and grace over unforgiveness.

This last option, of course, assumes you are a follower of Jesus. If you are not a Christian and would like more information, check out FindItHere.com.

What other ways to express thanksgiving would you recommend? Help us all to show gratitude throughout the year.

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.

Seven Ways Pastoring Has Changed in Thirty Years

We are out of clichés about change or the pace of change. Sometimes we forget how much particular vocations have changed in a short time. In fact, in thirty years pastoring has changed in ways we likely would have never predicted or imagined.

In early 1984, I began serving as a pastor for the first time. I would ultimately serve four churches as a pastor and nine churches as an interim pastor. In 1984 I was a young 28-year-old pastor without a clue. Today I am 58-years-old, and I’m still not sure I have a clue. So much has changed. So much has changed in pastoring in just thirty years. Let’s look at major ways the pastorate has changed in that time.

Thirty years ago, most people in the community held the pastor in high esteem. Today most people don’t know who the pastor is, nor does the pastor hold any position of prominence in most communities.
Thirty years ago, most people in the congregation held the pastor in high esteem. Though I cannot offer precise numbers, there is little doubt that church members as a rule don’t view pastors with the same esteem as they did thirty years ago. That is one major reason serving as a pastor is becoming increasingly difficult.
Leadership skills are required more today than thirty years ago. Thirty years ago, I could preach sermons well and care for the congregation, and I would be deemed at least an adequate pastor. The demands and the expectations of the pastor are much higher today. Many of those demands can only be met with at least decent leadership skills.
Interpersonal skills are required more today than thirty years ago.  Pastors thirty years ago could get away with some personality quirks because they were generally held in such high esteem. No more. Pastors are supposed to relate near perfectly to everyone.
Outreach was accomplished by getting people to come to church services thirty years ago. That is not so today.  I remember some of the classic outreach ministries I led thirty years ago. They were all designed to get people to visit church services as a first step. Today, many barriers must be addressed in order for someone to be receptive to come to our churches.
Thirty years ago, there were very few “nones.” The  2012 Pew Research project that identified 20 percent of all American adults as non-religiously affiliated has become a marker of change. Almost all people claimed some type of religious affiliation thirty years ago whether they were believers or not. It was not culturally accepted to be a “none” thirty years ago; there is no cultural stigma attached today.
The Internet and social media have made pastoring much more challenging than it was thirty years ago. In many ways, it has been healthy that the pastors and their ministries are more transparent. For example, sex abuse of children in churches became a national concern when many priests and pastors were named as sexual predators. But there is no rule that someone must speak truthfully on the Internet and, specifically, in social media. Pastors today must deal with issues about them that travel fast on the Internet, even if a church member or someone else tells a complete lie.

Some things about pastoring, of course, never change. The pastor is still called to preach the Word, equip believers, and provide ministry to congregants and others. But other aspects of pastoral ministry have changed and will continue to change.

Certainly pastors need training in Bible and theology. But, more and more, pastors need additional preparation in leadership skills, interpersonal skills, and missional realities. Thirty years ago, the church expected the pastor to be a capable preacher and caregiver. Today much more is expected.

How are pastors responding? How are you responding? What other challenges and changes do you see?

Pray for Highpoint Church

Location: San Diego, California

Pastor: Matt Sparks

Worship Time: 10:30 AM Pacific Time

Fast Facts: Located atop a hill in San Diego next to one of the largest military housing communities in the city, Highpoint is committed to building a city on a hill by having their community connect to God, connect to others, and connect to ministry. Please pray for Highpoint as they continue to reach their local community and impact San Diego for Christ.

Website: HighpointSD.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.