Thom S. Rainer's Blog, page 348

Notable Voices – May 23, 2013

New Pastors, Change, and Churches that Resist — Sam Rainer

Every leader, not just pastors, has met resistance when they are in a new position or at a new place of employment. In this post, Sam lists seven reasons why people resist change.

 

7 Ways to Respond on Sunday After a Disaster — Ron Edmondson

This week’s tornado outbreak in Oklahoma was devastating to watch. The destruction left behind is staggering. Ron shares some wise words for pastors on how to handle preaching in the wake of such a disaster.

 

We Still Cry Out to God When Tragedy Strikes — Ed Stetzer

In this article for USA Today, Ed examines the prevalence of prayer in times of tragedy even though many would have us think that America is a post-Christian culture.

 

The Graduation Advice We Wish We’d Been Given — HBR

One of the magazines I regularly read is the Harvard Business Review. In this article, their team of writers and contributors shares the graduation advice they would have rather been given.

 

6 Questions to Shape a Healthy Organizational Structure — Tony Morgan

The overall health of any organization can be influenced either negatively or positively by the structure of the organization. If you lead an organization, you know how important it is to have a healthy structure. Tony provides six questions to get you moving in the right direction.

 

Businessmen on Mission — John Quick

John shares a helpful reminder for those with high-level secular jobs that their position is just as important to the ministry and mission of the church as those in ministerial positions.

Seven (Hopefully) Helpful Hints after Seven Months of Visiting Churches

I’ve been on the road a bit more than usual. My job as CEO of LifeWay requires that I spend most of my time in Nashville, but I do get out to speak and preach frequently. These past seven months have been unusually heavy travel times for a myriad of reasons, but I have tried to make the most of my trips.

Though I’ve not been a church consultant for several years, I do seem to see churches through consultant’s eyes. That reality has been especially apparent as I visited many churches during the past seven months. So, even if I am the guest preacher, I enter the church grounds as a guest. I drive my own rental car, and I have to find parking and entrances just like everyone else.

So what have I found these past seven months? I could give you a fairly extensive consultation report about the churches, but I prefer to distill my words into just a few helpful hints. Each of these issues clearly needed addressing in most of the churches I visited.

Please have plentiful signage on the outside and inside. You can easily forget that we first-time guests don’t have a clue where to park or where to enter. Most of the churches did not help us either. In one church the signage was so bad, I was uncertain if I was still on church property. Take another look at all your signage from the perspective of a first-time guest.
Many of your websites are terrible. Please make them user friendly. I want to see the worship times clearly on the home page. I want to be able to find the church’s physical address. I want to know what the church believes. I found out a lot more about potluck meals and senior trips than I did doctrine and worship times. Most of the websites were designed for those who knew a lot about the church.
Show me where guests park. I recently humorously chastised a pastor for not having parking spots for guests. He thought he had me when he took me to a place that had 12 guests parking places. I then asked him how a first-time guest would locate these spots. His meager response was telling: “Oh.”
Most of us will need to find a restroom. Please make them clear and obvious. Okay, that especially applies to someone my age. It seems like, in many churches, we have hidden restrooms so well that even Indiana Jones couldn’t find them. I am thankful for a church member who gave me clear directions to the restroom; I just wish it had been the men’s room.
Show me how to follow along in the Bible. I am the exception among most guests in that I always bring a Bible. But I watch preachers closely as they begin to preach from a particular biblical text. Very few told me to turn to a pew Bible. Some did put the text on the screen; that was helpful. Most made little effort to help guests follow along with the specific passage that was being preached.
Help me to know how to connect to a small group. You will likely lose members who attend worship only. You will likely keep those members who are in small groups or Sunday school classes. It’s that important. Since it’s that important, it should be mentioned in every worship service, particularly for first-time guests. It was mentioned in only two worship services of the churches I attended over the past seven months.
Help me know how to join the church. As a first time guest, it is not likely I will join the church my first visit. But I do want to know how someone joins the church. I would like to know the process for membership. I only heard that information from one of the churches I visited.

Though I became a bit road weary, I loved my recent excursions to churches ranging from 80 in attendance to megachurches. Indeed, I do love local churches. But many of them could make it a little easier and a little more pleasant next time I visit—or, more importantly, the next time someone from their community visits.

What do you think of my seven hints? Are they helpful? What would you add?

7 Steps to Teach Theology in the Local Church

By Chuck Lawless

Evangelicals know that theology matters, and we’re quick to remind others of this fact. What we’re not so quick to acknowledge is the focus of this blogpost: we do a poor job of teaching the very theology we claim is so important. We think that our church members understand and believe our basic doctrine, even while those same members are learning their theology from TV talk show hosts, popular television preachers, or the latest religious novel. Do an anonymous survey of your congregation’s beliefs, and see what you learn. If the majority knows and believes basic biblical doctrine, your church is more an exception than the norm.

Consider these steps for teaching theology in your church:

Don’t assume that your church members don’t care about beliefs. Too many church leaders give up on teaching theology before they even try. “Nobody cares about theology any more,” they think. Not only does this thinking ultimately question the power of the Word, but it also denies reality. It is precisely because people do care about beliefs that they turn to places and people other than the church for their belief system. Where the church fails, somebody else fills the void.
Realize that attending worship and small groups does not automatically lead to doctrinal fidelity. Here, I am NOT suggesting that preaching and Bible study are unimportant to teaching doctrine; indeed, good doctrinal training does not happen apart from preaching and teaching the Word. I am simply arguing that our church members don’t typically hear our teaching and automatically connect the dots to form a biblical theology. Teaching good theology must happen intentionally.
Include basic theology in a required membership class. In some ways, the best time to teach the basics is when a person first follows Christ or first joins the church—when he or she is most focused on a Christian commitment. Capitalize on that enthusiasm by teaching early the inerrancy and authority of the Bible. Show why the exclusivity of Christ is non-negotiable. Talk about the necessity of the death of Christ. Build the theological foundation early, and build it well.
Take advantage of doctrine studies. Churches don’t need to “reinvent the wheel” to teach theology. Case in point, Lifeway Christian Resources has developed The Gospel Project (a journey through the basics of biblical and systematic theology over a three-year period), The God Who Speaks (a study of the doctrine of revelation), and Read the Bible for Life (a 9-session study that equips individuals and churches to understand the Bible better). If we believe that theology matters, why not take advantage of already-prepared material and teach a current study? Plan extensively, promote well, and prioritize this type of study.
Raise the bar for small group leaders who teach the Word. These leaders have a great opportunity—perhaps one of the best in the church—to influence lives through teaching small groups. Few other leaders have such a ready hearing. For that reason, we must hold group leaders accountable to holy living, sound doctrine, and good teaching. We should not be surprised when members view doctrine as boring after lackluster teachers have taught it. There is simply no excuse for allowing untrained, unfaithful, or boring teachers to drain the life out of Bible studies.
Begin in the home. Teach parents biblical doctrine, and then help them teach their own children accordingly. Because Deuteronomy 6:7 and Ephesians 6:4 demand nothing less from believing parents, our churches should work in cooperation with them—not replace them—in teaching theology to the next generation. Provide good resources that teach basic truths at a child’s level without compromising scriptural teachings, but expect parents to do the teaching.
Be willing to start with the few. Just as Jesus did, focus on the few rather than the many. For example, invite a few men to join you in studying theology one morning each week. Give them the Bible and a basic theology textbook, and challenge them to study the week’s lesson. If you prepare and teach well, you will likely be surprised at how interested the men are. Those men and their families will be stronger because they are learning the Word.

What other guidelines or methods do you recommend for teaching theology in the local church?

 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.

Six Recent Lessons I Learned from Turnaround Churches

I love hearing stories of hope. Instead of waiting for the stories to come to me, I recently interviewed 19 pastors whose churches had moved from struggling to breakout. All of the pastors had been in the church at least four years, and all of them had reached points of frustrations.

Then their churches began to reverse their declines and stagnations.

None of the pastors I interviewed were new at their churches. None of the churches had relocated in recent years. And none of the communities in which the churches were located had grown dramatically.

So what happened at these churches?

All of the pastors were careful to give glory to God. Most of them articulated that their stories were not ones of mere methodological devices. But they did have six common themes worth noting.

They led the church to become highly intentional about starting new groups. The fewest groups started by any one of the churches were four in a one-year period. These churches were serious about new groups, and most of them saw that, at least from a human perspective, as the primary source of turnaround growth.
They led the church to a culture of inviting people. These pastors expressed amazement at how many people started coming to their churches simply because they were invited. To be clear, this type of invitation was personal, from a member to someone else. It was not some type of major commercial marketing initiative. Some of the churches had a big event, “invite-a-friend-day,” to kickoff this new culture of inviting.
They began new member classes. These classes set the tone for new members. They established the expectations for new members. After a few months of these classes, many of the pastors begin to notice an attitudinal change toward the positive among the members.
They began a major community ministry. Some of the churches “adopted” local schools. Some of the leaders made appointments with key civic leaders to find out how their churches could best help the community. In all cases, church members got out of the comfort of the church buildings and went into the community to serve others.
They began to pray for the lost and unchurched by name. For many of the churches, this type of praying was a first. Most of them attested that it seemed awkward at first, but it later became a part of their Great Commission culture.
The leaders began to focus less on negative people and circumstances and more on God’s possibilities. The leaders became, in God’s power, people of faith instead of people of fear. This spirit of faith became pervasive in the churches. Many of the churches saw a negative and unbelieving church culture become a positive and faith-believing culture.

Nine out of ten churches in America are either declining or growing more slowly than the communities in which they are located. In other words, most churches are losing ground in their communities.

But, in the midst of all the bad news about churches, we do see more and more beacons of light. I was delighted and encouraged to hear these stories of turnaround churches and what they are doing. I plan to report on other churches in the future.

So what do you think of these turnaround factors? Have you seen them at work in other churches? Do you have any similar stories from your church? What is God using most effectively in your church to reach people with the love and the power of the gospel?

Pray for Ararat Baptist Church

Location: Jackson, Tennessee

Pastor: Michael D. Stover

Worship Times: 11:00 AM (Central Time)

Fast Facts: Pray for Ararat Baptist Church as they seek to share the gospel at the Travel America Travel Center at exit 68 off of I-40 in Jackson, Tennessee. They hold a chapel service there each Sunday morning at 9:00 AM.

At 9:30 AM each Sunday, the church holds another chapel service in their ministry center in the Whispering Pines Community in West Madison County. The church also provides a homework assistance program for students in this community on Tuesday afternoons and a ladies coffee fellowship on Thursday mornings.

Please pray that relationships will be built with the residents of the Whispering Pines Community so that the gospel might be shared for God’s glory.

Website: AraratBaptistChurch.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. 

The Unspoken Tension Between (Some) Pastors and (Some) Laity

I did not want to write this post. Indeed I have resisted for several months for fear I would do more harm than good.

But the conviction to write it is too great. I pray that God will use it for His glory, and that I will not be an impediment to His work.

Here is the simple thesis: There is a growing tension between some pastors and some laity in churches across America. It is not pervasive, but it’s growing. Frankly, I don’t even like the seemingly opposing labels of pastors and laity. I just don’t know how to describe the groups otherwise.

This tension is like the family secret that no one mentions explicitly, but many speak around it and near it. And this tension is growing.

Anecdotal Evidence

Hardly a day goes by that I don’t hear a layperson expressing some level of concern about pastors in his or her church. Likewise, and with similar frequency, pastors share with me their growing frustration with laypersons in the church.

How pervasive is this tension? I would be surprised if it includes as much as 25 percent of all churchgoers. But the number is high enough that the tension is often palpable. And I have little doubt that the tension is higher today than it was just a year ago.

I also have little doubt that this tension is one of the most effective tools used by Satan to distract from those things that are of Kingdom importance. It’s hard to be focused on the Great Commission when you are focused on a negative attribute of someone else in your church.

What Are The Pastors Saying?

Those pastors who are expressing displeasure with their laity are usually doing so in four major areas of concern:

The critics. A small number of laypersons are highly critical of pastors. They may be relatively few in number but their words sting.
The silent majority. For some pastors, it’s not the critics who bother them, but the rest of the congregation that’s unwilling to confront the critics with their divisive words and actions.
The apathetic. Some pastors are frustrated that so many church members are not giving and serving in the church. They are willing to sit on the sidelines and let a very small minority lead and give.
The self-serving members. Again, a number of pastors express frustration that some members are more concerned about the church meeting their own needs and preferences. They will fight for a preferred worship style, but not share the gospel one time in the course of a year.

Pastors, I get it. Every one of those concerns is legitimate. But do you know what? Ministry is messy. Ministry deals with imperfect people just like you. The reality is that these “problem” members are usually a small minority, but you may have a tendency to focus on their negativity rather than leading the church forward.

God called you to ministry to love even the unlovable unconditionally. You can’t develop a negative or bitter attitude toward anyone in your congregation and lead effectively. It’s time to put the frustration behind, and love them even as Christ loved you. And remember: Christ died on a cross for imperfect people like you and me.

What Are the Laypersons Saying?

Though it’s probably a relatively small minority, a growing number of laypersons are complaining about pastors. The complaints I hear usually come in one of five areas:

The autocratic and abusive pastor. “He steps on people for his own agenda. His overarching concern is getting his way at most any cost.”
The non-leading pastor. “Our church is in the doldrums because the pastor simply won’t lead. He either doesn’t have leadership skills, or he is fearful to use them.”
The change-agent pastor. “He has led and introduced change too rapidly. Our church just isn’t what it used to be.”
The non-pastoral care pastor. “He doesn’t visit us. He doesn’t care for us. He fails to take care of the members of the church.”
The bad preacher pastor. “His sermons are lacking. I’m just not getting fed by his messages.”

Layperson, you too have legitimate concerns. Indeed if you are in one of the few churches led by an autocratic and abusive pastor, it’s time to leave. But most of your other concerns are related to the pastor’s gift set. You want him to be an incredible leader, a perfect counselor, and a phenomenal preacher. You want him both omnipresent and omnicompetent.

You could say that the concerns expressed are connected to needs not getting met. Instead of coming to the church to serve, some laypersons are in the church to be served. They want a perfect pastor, but they are unwilling to pray for him and see the struggles he experiences daily. Very few people understand the demands on his life and time.

The Great Distraction

As long as Satan is able to pit pastor against parishioner, and vice versa, the focus will be on the feud rather than the Great Commission. In most cases, both sides are at fault. The antagonists are focused on themselves rather than the other person.

This tension is still at a relatively low level. But, because it is growing, I feel it is important to sound the alarm on this great distraction.

The solution is simple: In God’s power, focus on the needs and concerns of others rather than your own, whether you are a pastor or a layperson. Learn to be totally self-giving and sacrificial. Then, and only then, will this growing tension abate.

Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves. Everyone should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus (Philippians 2: 3-5, HCSB).

Autopsy of a Deceased Church — Rainer on Leadership #005

Podcast Episode #005

Subscribe via iTunes

When I first wrote An Autopsy of a Deceased Church, I thought it had potential to strike a chord with readers. I had no idea the response would be as overwhelming as it has been. This week’s podcast episode deals with the three major themes that led to the death of a church I had consulted a decade ago. Those themes were:

The church became inwardly focused.
Self-centeredness won the day.
The church forgot their mission.

In light of those themes, this week’s episode further explores the original post as well as the following topics related to church health:

The first step to evaluate your church’s health.
Why a pastor should not do church health evaluations on his own and why a team should be involved instead.
Advice on hiring church consultants. Should you or not?
Advice for the “good and faithful church member” who is part of a dying church and wants to see it revived.

Finally, don’t miss the discussion about church signage and visitors. I’ve written on this issue before (part one, part two), but it bears repeating: When a guest has a good experience, he or she is more likely to return. So be sure that your facilities are well-maintained and inviting.

Episode Sponsor

This week’s podcast is brought to you by Auxano and the Vision Room. VisionRoom.com is an online gathering of articles, tools and resources designed for church leaders like you who value vision clarity and want to live out that vision in meaningful ways. For more information visit VisionRoom.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 Mentioned in this Episode

I Am a Church Member  by Thom Rainer
VisionRoom.com
Auxano

Friday Is for Freebies – Bible Study Insider and I Am a Church Member

This week’s giveaway includes something for practically everyone.

First is a signed copy of my new book I Am a Church Member. Based on an idea originally taken from this blog, I Am a Church Member discusses the attitudes and responsibilities of church members. I address in detail what congregations should really be focusing on—praying for church leaders, being a functioning member, treasuring church membership, and more.

Also included this week is a Bible Study Insider package. Bible Study Insider is a new way to preview the latest and best Bible studies from LifeWay. Members receive a Bible Study Insider box twice a year containing more than a dozen member books of our latest Bible studies for adult, men’s, women’s, and young adult groups. This provides members with an opportunity to take their time and personally review all of the studies from the comfort of their home or convenience of their church.

Each box contains more than $150 worth of member books and costs just $50. But with each box you receive a $50 voucher to apply toward your next Bible study order of $50 or more, so your cost is recovered immediately. And you also get to keep all the member books to have on hand for other group leaders or for  future needs.

Today’s giveaway is for our May/June box which will contain member books for the following Bible Studies:

Seven  (Jen Hatmaker)
Dream  (Kenny Luck)
Wonderstruck  (Margaret Feinberg)
Follow Me  (David Platt)
God Anthology  (Mark Batterson)
Samson  (Chip Henderson)
Gospel According to Jonah  (J.D. Greear)
All Pro Dad  (Mark Merrill)
This Changes Everything: Lessons from James  (Ben Stuart)
The Gospel of Luke  (Dave Morlan and D.A. Carson)
Experiencing God at Home  (Tom and Richard Blackaby)
Gideon  (Priscilla Shirer)
Manhood Restored  (Eric Mason)
The God Who Speaks  (The Gospel Project)
God’s Story, Part 1  (The Gospel Project)
Pressure Points  (Chip Henderson)
When Relationships Collide  (Ron Edmondson)

To enter the giveaway, tell us what Bible study you’ve enjoyed the most in the past.

The deadline to enter is midnight CDT 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 – May 16, 2013

I Am a Church Member App Now Available — B&H Publishing Group

B&H Publishing Group has developed an iPhone & iPad companion app for my new book, I Am a Church Member. As it is with the book, the heart of this app is to take a stance that you are a committed church member. The app offers an opportunity for you to sign the pledge and send your pastor a word of encouragement. When your pastor receives 10 messages sent from this app they will receive a free, complete digital copy of I Am a Church Member. The app also includes a sample from the book, tweetable quotes, and content from Simple Church and Transformational Church as well.

 

7 Ways to Help an Introvert Engage in Meetings — Ron Edmondson

My fellow blogging introvert, Ron Edmondson, shares another great post on introversion. This post details how to best help the introvert on your team engage in team meetings.

 

5 Branding Mistakes You Can Avoid — Social Media Today

Whether you are developing a new brand or redefining an old one, these five tips will help you avoid the pitfalls of poor branding. These suggestions can also be applied to personal, business, or ministry brands.

 

Traits of a Successful Failure — Dave Kraft

No one wants to fail. But we all will at some point. Dave shares how you can turn failures into lessons for future success.

 

How Social Media Made Me a Better Person — Adam and Christine Jeske

Like almost anything in life, social media can corrupt us as people. It tends to feed narcissism, pride, and greed. But when in the correct perpective, it can also be wildly beneficial.

The Importance of Launching New Groups

Most church leaders want their churches to grow, and for the right reasons. They want new people to encounter God, grow in their faith, and join God on His mission of serving others. But there is often a wide gap between a church leader desiring to grow and the church possessing a mentality of multiplication.

During my church consulting days, I could quickly assess a church’s multiplication mentality by asking just one question: How often do you start new groups (or classes)? I would ask the question because I’d seen over and over again a close relationship between the churches that were growing and those who constantly launched new groups. The churches working hard to launch new small groups and Sunday School classes on a regular basis were continually connecting new people and building believers who were passionate about what the Lord was doing through His Church. Thus, they were growing.

The principle is obvious: If you want to connect new people in church, you must launch new groups.

Of course, that raises another question: What’s stopping churches from regularly starting new classes and groups? While a plethora of reasons may exist, here are the three that stand out in my mind:

A lack of vision. It’s easy for church leaders to become trapped in the present. If a church has a handful of Sunday School classes meeting on Sunday mornings and another handful of small groups meeting on Wednesday nights, that may seem good enough. People are gathering in community. Members are being fed spiritually. The system is working. But failing to launch new groups today means there won’t be a community experience available for the guests and new members coming tomorrow. Wise leaders have a continual vision to launch new groups.
A lack of leaders. Launching a new group or class without a capable, competent leader is like launching a cruise ship without a reliable captain—bad things can happen. Therefore, churches are right to be hesitant about starting new groups when they lack the leaders to support those groups. Thus churches must continually identify new leaders, invest in them, and challenge them to help launch new groups for the sake of connecting God’s people in community.
A lack of systems. If launching new groups is important, necessary systems must be developed. I am not talking about complex databases or lengthy procedure manuals, but simple systems that will help the church launch and communicate new groups. Church leaders must be able to answer these few questions and have simple systems in place:

How does a new person get connected to a group/class?
How are leaders recruited and trained?
How are new groups launched and announced to the church?

One of the reasons I’m so excited about the upcoming launch of the new Bible Studies for Life series is that I know it will help churches consistently launch new groups.

The Bible Studies for Life material focuses on compelling themes designed to help churches connect the unconnected, strengthen families, and disciple people with wisdom. And because each study is intuitive and easy to lead, churches will have better success asking volunteers to take the plunge as group leaders.

If you want your church to grow, you need to launch new groups. And Bible Studies for Life can help. Last week we hosted a short, 30-minute webcast for the launch of Bible Studies for Life. You can watch a replay of that webcast below or at the Bible Studies for Life site.