Thom S. Rainer's Blog, page 326

The Importance of Groups in the Church: An Interview with Ben Reed

Ben Reed is the small groups pastor at Long Hollow Baptist Church in Hendersonville, Tennessee. He is considered one of the leading authorities in the nation on the vital role of groups in the church. Ben’s recent book, Starting Small: The Ultimate Small Group Blueprint, has just been released. It is currently available as an ebook, and will soon be released as a print book as well.

I am delighted Ben took time for this interview. I believe the issue of groups in the church will be one of the most vital discussions of the next decade. Ben Reed will be at the forefront of that discussion.

If a casual observer were to ask you: “Why should I have groups in my church?”, how would you respond?

Because “groups” aren’t just a church growth strategy. They’re not just the latest innovation. They’re not just something “cool” to do. They’re not just something to fill up people’s time.

Small groups are the heart of the church. Because without relational connections, the church isn’t the church. At best, without relationships, we are putting on a show. At worst, we’re wasting people’s time, energy, and resources. Relationships with people who want what’s best for us and who are headed in the direction we want to head . . . those fuel our faith.

What are some common challenges with groups?

Childcare is a perennial issue. “What do we study” is one that comes up regularly. Developing contributors, not just “consumers” haunts groups.

But one of the biggest challenges is people. Because people are messy and can’t be controlled. People come with their baggage from the past and their mess from the present. They come with bad theology, no theology, and just plain weird theology. They come with guilt and shame and hurts and frustrations and anger. And they actually share all of that!

Which is both a challenge and a beauty.

As long as a group leader leads with grace and love and patience, small groups can be an amazing place of authenticity.

What are some different kinds of groups?

There are all different kinds: on-campus, off-campus, affinity-based (what do you like doing? Oh, me too!), geography-based, missional, short-term, long-term, semester-based, study-based, lecture-driven, and probably thousands more.

But at the end of the day, I see there being two different types of groups, no matter the church, your strategy, or your location: healthy groups and unhealthy groups.

The way I help our group leaders define health (we have both on-campus and off-campus groups) is by explaining what a “win” is:

A small group is a group of people taking steps of faith together.

There are all kinds of other things that a group does, but if they’re not consistently taking steps of faith together, then it’s not a healthy group. No matter the frequency, study material, or location of the group.

What do you like best about being a leader whose responsibility in the church is groups?

I get to create environments all across my city where life change is optimal. Where I have seen God work powerfully in my life, and in the lives of others. Where people get to use their God-given gifts and passions. Where disciples are made. Where Scripture is debated, explored, and applied.

I get to create beautiful expressions of the church. That meet all over my city.

There’s nowhere else I want to be.

Thank you for your time Ben. I encourage church leaders to get a copy of Ben’s book. His work is vitally important for the discussion of healthy groups in churches over the next several years,

 

After-Thanksgiving Specials at LifeWay Christian Stores

When you think of LifeWay as a company, what comes to mind initially? Do you think of LifeWay as a publisher? A curriculum provider? A conference center operator? An event host? A technology developer? A research provider?

While LifeWay is all of those things—and more—many of you probably immediately think of LifeWay as a retail store. With nearly 200 locations throughout the United States, it’s quite likely that you are within an hour or two of one, if not more, of our stores.

And it’s no surprise that today is a big one for our retail stores. As you read this, thousands of employees are assisting customers on the biggest shopping day of the year—Black Friday.

So today on the blog, I wanted to highlight a few of the special deals that might be of interest to my readers in our 2-Day After Thanksgiving Sale. These are only a few of the items available, but you can download a full PDF of the mailer here.

$1.99 Books

Journey by David Jeremiah
Radical Together by David Platt
God’s Story by Max Lucado
The Church Awakening by Chuck Swindoll

Friday Specials – Starting at 7:00 AM while supplies last

Courageous DVD – $3.99
Duck the Halls CD – $5.00

Saturday Specials – Starting at 9:00 AM while supplies last

Talk the Talk with the Duckman DVD – $2.99
Michael W. Smith’s  It’s a Wonderful Christmas CD – $2.99
Uncle Si Teacup Christmas Ornament – $2.99

$4.00 CDs

Acoustic Sessions by Casting Crowns
Burning Lights by Chris Tomlin
Eye on It by TobyMac
Reckless by Jeremy Camp
Gravity by Lecrae
Let the Future Begin – Live from Passion 2013

$4.00 DVDs

Facing the Giants
Flywheel
Fireproof
What’s in the Bible for Kids? Volume 1

$4.00 Books

God Is Able by Priscilla Shirer
Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman
The Love Dare for Parents
Nearing Home by Billy Graham

$7.00 Books

Whispers of Hope by Beth Moore
Follow Me by David Platt
You’ll Get Through This by Max Lucado

Special Deals on Bibles – All $19.99

HCSB Study Bible
ESV Gospel Transformation Bible
Holman Study Bible, NKJV Edition
Holman KJV Study Bible

Notable Voices – Thanksgiving Edition

Since today is Thanksgiving, I compiled a quick Notable Voices post of some holiday-related posts from both around the web and some prior Thanksgiving content from ThomRainer.com.

Nellie Jo and I wish you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving.

Entitlement and Thanksgiving – Thom Rainer
With Thanksgiving for the Local Church – Thom Rainer
How to Deal with Holiday Family Tensions – Russell Moore
Five Truths About Thanksgiving – Joseph Scheumann
Giving Thanks in Hitler’s Reich – Timothy George

Thank You Readers and Listeners

I admit that I have been shocked at the growth of my blog and podcast. I am so grateful for Team Rainer: Jonathan Howe, Amy Jordan, and Amy Thompson. Those three do an incredible job of keeping ThomRainer.com and Rainer on Leadership fresh and relevant.

But on this Thanksgiving Day eve, I want to thank each of you, the readers of the blog and listeners of the podcast, for being the true heroes and heroines of this conversation on leadership and the local church. Allow me to thank you specifically for several reasons.

Thank you for taking time to read my posts. The blog will have 2.5 million views or more in 2013, and it shows no sign of slowing down. I am blown away that you are willing to invest your time a few minutes each day to read my posts.


Thank you for listening to my podcast, Rainer on Leadership. Though relatively new, the podcast is regularly ranked high on iTunes.


Thank you for your comments on the blog posts. There are some incredibly smart men and women who contribute by speaking to these issues. It is not unusual for the comments to be the source of interest more than my post.


Thank you for the Christ-like spirit I see in your comments and interaction with each other. With few exceptions, I genuinely believe you add your thoughts for the good of the Kingdom and for the encouragement of one another.


Thank you for your suggestions for blog content. I have taken many of your ideas, and they have become some of my most viewed posts.


Thank you for your encouragement of me via the blog, Twitter, and Facebook. I am ashamed that I have not responded to all of you, for you certainly deserve a response.


Thank you for being men and women of prayer. Every time we have asked you to pray, you have done so. I am still overwhelmed by the prayer support I received when I shared the gospel with my friend, a friend who is now a believer.


Thank you for embracing and welcoming Chuck Lawless to this blog. His Tuesday posts are incredible, and you have responded with support and enthusiasm.


Finally, thank you for being a godly member of the body of Christ. We come from different backgrounds. We have some different doctrinal views on secondary and tertiary matters. But there is a wonderful spirit of unity among the members of this community.

I pray you will have a great Thanksgiving. May you enjoy the food. May you cherish the moments with family. And, above all, may we give thanks to God, in Whom all things are possible. To Him alone be the glory!

Are Church Leaders Responsible for Church Members?

By Chuck Lawless

Several times, the Apostle Paul wrote about the church as the “body of Christ” (Rom. 12:5; 1 Cor. 12:12; Eph. 4:12; Col. 1:24). While this image is only one of dozens of images of the church in the New Testament, it is a most helpful one. Thinking and applying this image properly should lead us to consider several implications for the church and church leadership:

1. The church is God’s church, not ours. This point is clear in 1 Corinthians 12. Everyone in the church is empowered by the same Spirit (vv. 6, 11). We were all baptized into God’s body through the Spirit (v. 13). God arranges all of us in the body as He chooses (v. 18). He appoints leaders in the body (v. 28) – and He can do so as He desires because the body is His body. This simple truth reminds us that while we may be the leaders, the story is not about us. God can, and will, raise up other leaders if we decide the church is ours.

2. We really are family. The body of Christ is genuinely family, even if we do not share a physical lineage. All of us hurt when one of us hurts; all rejoice when one rejoices (vv. 25-26). God somehow takes people who previously worshiped mute idols (v. 2-3) and makes them part of His body. We then share the love so beautifully described in 1 Corinthians 13.

3. Every member matters. The body is made up of many members, but all of the members form one body (vv. 12-13). In fact, God gives spiritual gifts to each member of the body (vv. 4-11), and the body needs all the gifts. No person is insignificant in God’s eyes. That means I must love even the church member who seemingly can give little in return.

4. The seemingly less significant need more attention, not less. It’s easy to focus on only those members who are equipped, ready, and willing. Those less ready to serve require time and energy. On the other hand, Paul said that God gives attention needed to the “less presentable” so they fit well in the body. We must do the same. Sometimes the “less presentable” are that way because no one has given them time.

5. We must be comfortable with diversity. If everyone were an ear, there would be no body (vv. 17-19). We need ears, eyes, noses, and arms to be a body. Let’s be honest, though: if I’m an ear, I’m more comfortable hanging out with others who are also ears. That kind of thinking only hinders the body.

6. Every member has a role in the body. He may be an “eye,” or she may be an “ear” – but each one has a purpose. This truth has huge ramifications for the church. Not only must we assume that each member has a purpose, but we must also help these members find their place in the body.

7. We learn to serve within the body. We have different gifts, but the same God grants these gifts (v. 4-11). By implication, we help one another recognize these gifts as we serve – that is, we do something – in the context of His body. The ear serves, others recognize and affirm his abilities and gifts, and he begins to see how he fits in the body. Hence, we must have in place a means to help people serve in entry-level positions. We must help them discover their giftedness.

These next two implications, I suspect, will raise some questions. I separate them here to encourage you to give them some extra thought.

8. We are responsible for uninvolved church members. I hear it all the time: “My church members just won’t serve. They just won’t get busy.” Here’s my response to that thought: if church members come to our churches and “only sit,” they do so because we allow them to do so. They do so because we have not done our job as leaders to help them find their place of service and then hold them accountable.

9. We are responsible for overworked church members. We love the members who are committed to serving anywhere, anytime, doing anything. We appreciate the person who is willing to be an ear, an eye, a hand, a leg, and a nose—perhaps all in the same week. Here’s the problem, however: God does not intend for one church member to play all the roles. Our members get overworked, too, because we fail to lead our church to understand and live out New Testament “body life.”

Perhaps I’m overstating my case, but I don’t think so. Let me know your thoughts.

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.

Thoughts on the Court Ruling on the Ministers’ Housing Allowance

Almost as soon as the ruling was made public, I began to receive inquiries through social media, by email, by text, and by phone. U. S. District Judge Barbara Crabb of  the Western District of Wisconsin ruled unconstitutional a provision in the U. S. tax code that allows ministers to declare some or all of their ministerial income as a housing allowance. That allowance is not subject to federal income tax.

Though it is still too early to gauge the full implications of this ruling, there are several questions many are asking. I will somewhat randomly try to respond to those questions I’ve heard.

The housing allowance law was passed by Congress in 1954. Subject to certain guidelines, ministers are able to declare a portion of their ministry income as a housing allowance that is not subject to federal income tax.


There is no doubt that ministers have benefited from this law. Many churches have as well, particularly smaller churches. The smaller churches are able to pay a minister a salary that has greater take home pay than a non-ministry counterpart. They are thus able to afford to pay pastors that they could not have afforded otherwise.


This ruling was not a complete surprise. Judge Crabb does not have a friendly track record on ruling on issues dealing with religious matters.


Judge Crabb stayed the ruling until the appeals process is exhausted. That means there is no immediate impact on ministers’ housing allowances.


My best guess is that this ruling will eventually be overturned or reversed. Predictions are difficult, particularly when dealing with the intersection of legal and religious issues. But, because so many have asked me to do so, I will go out on this particular limb. Still, I predict that the ministers’ housing allowance will continue to be challenged, even if this particular effort at reversing the law proves unsuccessful.


I advise ministers to be very conservative as they deal with this issue in the future. If at all possible, do not be dependent on the tax benefits garnered from having a housing allowance. Look carefully at the tax benefits you gain with the housing allowance. Be prepared to know what to do if the benefit goes away.


The amount a minister can take as a housing allowance has clear guidelines. Make certain you stay within those guidelines and do not abuse the tax privilege.


Watch for insights and updates from the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission and Guidestone. Both organizations have top-flight leaders who are staying on top of these matters. You can read their initial joint statement after the ruling here.

We who are ministers are under the authority of the God we serve. But our God also told us to be subject to the laws of the land where we live and minister. Though matters such as these can be disconcerting and unsettling, we know that God is always in control. For that reason, we have no cause to worry.

Stay tuned to this blog as well. I will continue to update you with any major new developments.

Please feel free to comment or ask questions. I will get to as many of them as I can.

Pray for Cornerstone Church

Location: Blue Springs, Missouri

Pastor: Shawn Apking

Worship Time: 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM Central Time

Fast Facts: Located just east of Kansas City, Cornerstone Church will celebrate its 30th anniversary in January. This multi-generational church hosts a Christmas Extravaganza each year for the Blue Springs community. They will be providing Christmas presents for families in the area and a Christmas meal on December 14. Please be in prayer for this event and for the families that will be impacted. Also pray for the church as they look to retire their remaining debt and launch another local campus in 2014.

Website: CornerstoneLife.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.

Pastors and Christmas Gifts

I am always grateful when pastors and church members share with me topics of interest to them. Those suggestions tend to be viewed by more readers than my own ideas. I guess that says something about my creativity!

A reader recently indicated his curiosity and perhaps concern about how pastors are treated at Christmas time. In the course of posts similar to this one, I typically hear from one or two persons who are eager to point to pastors who feel entitled or who are treated too lavishly. Please hear me clearly. Those pastors are the clear exceptions. Most pastors receive little and expect little. They see their clear call to serve and to care for the congregation.

The Question and the Concern

So I asked a simple question on Twitter:

What do you do for your pastor at Christmas time?

For pastors, I asked what their congregations gave them at Christmas.

Though my survey was not scientific, it was nevertheless revealing. I am truly concerned about how congregations treat pastors. I thought the issue of the Christmas gift would at least be an indicator of such concern.

The Responses and the Heartbreak

There were two dominant responses, each at about 40 percent of the total. One of those came from pastors or church members who shared with me that they indeed did give a gift to their pastor during the Christmas season.

The most common gift noted was a cash gift equivalent to one week of salary. The pastors who received such a gift expressed deep appreciation for the thought. I sensed no attitudes of entitlement in their responses.

A second dominant response, from both pastors and church members alike, was that the pastor received nothing at Christmas time. Church members were more likely to comment on this attitude than pastors. One person said: “If it’s anything like pastor appreciation month, they won’t even know it’s Christmas.”

My heart broke as I read many of those type responses. My pain is not so much related to the failure of a church to give a monetary or material gift; rather it’s the failure of a church to acknowledge the gift that a pastor is during this season.

The Exhortation and the Inquiry

There are few hundred thousand pastors in America. The vast majority of them sacrifice and give for the sake of their congregations and for the glory of God. Many of them struggle financially and, often, emotionally. A gift of some sort would do wonders for the pastor and the pastor’s family. The amount or cost of the gift is not the issue here; it is the encouragement the pastor receives when he knows he is loved and appreciated.

As we approach these seasons of Thanksgiving and Christmas, please remember your pastors and staff. Please let them know in some tangible way how much you truly value them.

And I would also appreciate your help informing this issue. What does your church do for the pastor and staff? What do you think your church should do for these servants of Christ?

Is Your Church Dying? – Rainer on Leadership #032

Podcast Episode #032

Subscribe via iTunes • Subscribe via RSS 

Churches are not as healthy as they once were. American churches, by and large, are in trouble. Only about 10% of churches are growing faster than the community in which they are located. Churches are becoming more comfortable, more complacent, more inwardly-focused and more conflict-focused. There are two large approaches to address these issues. One is a renewed emphasis on what it truly means to be a church member. The other is to move beyond focusing on just the church toward a more outward focus.

Yet I remain encouraged for the simple reason that we are beginning to ask the question “why.” Once we begin to ask that question, we can begin to discern what some of the things are that we need to do differently. Turnaround is not easy. Problems typically did not occur overnight, and they can’t be fixed overnight. But through God’s power, it is possible.

We cover all of that and more on this episode of Rainer on Leadership. Also, while we don’t mention it specifically in the podcast, Autopsy of a Deceased Church is now available for pre-order.

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

Five Questions to Ask to See If Your Church Is Dying
Autopsy of a Deceased Church by Thom S. Rainer
I Am a Church Member by Thom S. Rainer

Friday Is for Freebies: HCSB Study Bible

My giveaway this Friday 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.

To enter the giveaway, tell us your plans for Thanksgiving.

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.