Thom S. Rainer's Blog, page 377

Friday is for Freebies: What Every Christian Ought to Know

My giveaway this Friday is a pair of ministry resources.

First is What Every Christian Ought to Know, one of the last books written by revered late pastor Adrian Rogers. It provides readers with a well- organized, well-reasoned grasp of such topics as salvation, eternal security, prayer, the Holy Spirit, resisting temptation, finding God's will, as well as the authority of the Bible and how to understand it better. A valuable volume for new Christians and young disciples, it's also a suitably instructive resource for believers of all ages. This new edition includes an introduction from Steve Rogers, president of the Adrian Rogers Pastor Training Institute, plus discussion questions for personal reflection or group study.

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

Some features of the Bible include:

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

To be eligible to win, tell us what resource or person has helped you the most to understand the Bible.

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

Notable Voices (August 16, 2012)

For Those Who Want to Lead, Read -- John Coleman

Successful leaders are continual learners. Many times, the best way for us to learn as leaders is to read. I am continually reading new books, magazines, and online articles. This article points to the importance of reading if you want to be a better leader.

Simplify Your Strategy -- Donald Sull

Donald Sull, London Business School professor, poses three questions to break down complex strategies into actionable steps

8 Most Dangerous Leadership Traits -- Ron Edmondson

Ron is one of the leading voices within the church leadership community. This post shows why. These eight leadership traits can eventually wreck a leader.

When Indie Rock is a Bad Measuring Stick for the Church -- Micah Fries

As you might imagine, I am not really into the "indie rock" scene. However Micah's point about contextualization is a good one. We must take care not to let our methods distort our message.

The Exchange with Ed Stetzer -- Ed Stetzer

I had the privilege of appearing on Ed's weekly webshow, The Exchange, this week. In case you missed it, here is the full episode of the show. You can catch the show live each week at 2 p.m. Central at EdStetzer.com

Three Major Traits of the (Near) Future Employee

Volumes have been written on organizational leadership. And while the topic of employees in an organization has not been neglected, that topic certainly does not get the same attention as key leadership issues.

In this brief article, I want to examine three overarching themes of the employee of the future. Allow me a few caveats though. First, the future of which I speak is likely a very near future. Indeed it is already a reality in many organizations. Second, these future employees are not limited to large organizations. They are present in small companies, churches, and most any other organization that has employees. Let’s look, then, at each of the major traits.

Trait #1: The Free Agent Employee

Employees of the past most often saw their place of work as a career. They went to their jobs with long-term expectations, even lifelong expectations. Most of these employees could meet certain minimal standards and, as a result, the organization rewarded them with pensions and security.

Employees today are less long-term loyal to organizations because the organization cannot or will not offer them long-term security. The agreement of employment thus lasts only as long as both parties see it as beneficial. The employee does not see his or her role as a career person. The employee is a free agent. He or she will move on to the next opportunity once the present relationship has outlived its usefulness and benefit.

Trait #2: The Less Constrained Employee

IBM recently conducted a fascinating study, interviewing 1,709 CEOs around the world. The study, “Leading through Connections,” included a detailed perspective of the CEOs’ attitudes toward employee. The research found that higher-performing organizations are moving from tight controls to more openness.

That openness means that the policy manual, though useful, does not become the authoritative whip used on employees. It often means that dress codes are relaxed. And it most always means that the organization seeks input and ideas from the employees. Everyone can be an innovator, not just those at certain pay and responsibility levels.

Employees thus have more freedom. But with that freedom comes an expectation that the employee is adapting more readily to the fast-pace world in which they live and work.

Trait #3: The Reinvented Employee

The IBM study also found that the best employees are reinventing themselves. They become more digitally savvy. They embrace social media. They adapt to the changing world so they can be more valuable to their present and future organizations. Today’s connected world is full of ambiguity; future employees must live and thrive in a world where the rules change regularly.

The IBM study called these employees “future proof” employees. They were assuring themselves a place in their current and future organizations because they adapted well to the changing world and marketplace.

The Dual Challenge

This new employee model is fast becoming a reality. As it becomes more pervasive, both organizational leaders and employees will have to make significant changes. The leaders of organizations must be more open and less controlling of employees. Certainly such a move carries risks. It’s always easier to say “no” and not worry about the challenges before an organization. But the “no first” organizations will fast lose their attraction to employees, and the organization will quickly become irrelevant.

Employees have their own challenges as well. They can no longer look on the organization as a benevolent parent. Employees must be wiling to reinvent themselves regularly and thus demonstrate their relevance and value.

The perspective of these new realities is largely in the minds of leaders and employees. They can be lamented with nostalgia to return to the good old days. Or they can be seen as an opportunity and challenge to make a difference in an increasingly confusing world.

Revelation Commentary by Paige Patterson Released

I am excited to announce the release of the New American Commentary volume on Revelation by Paige Patterson. The commentary has been years in the making and represents some of the finest New Testament scholarship in the world.

Dr. Patterson is the president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is also a professor of theology at the seminary and occupies the L. R. Scarborough Chair of Evangelism (“Chair of Fire”).

Those of us who know Dr. Patterson well understand that his life is driven by a fierce commitment to the Word of God and a passion for missions and evangelism. I am excited that he brings that commitment and passion to help us delve deeper into the magnificent Book of Revelation.

Ken Keathley, senior vice president of academic administration at Southeastern Baptist Theology Seminary, noted about this commentary: “Paige Patterson provides an erudite yet clear commentary from a pretribulational, premillennial perspective. Both pastors and scholars will find this work indispensible when studying the Book of Revelation.”

LifeWay and B&H Publishing Group are honored and excited to publish this magnificent work. And I must say selfishly that I am proud it was released on my watch as president of LifeWay.

Thank you, Dr. Patterson, for your love of our Lord, your love of His Word, and your love of His mission. Those passions infuse every page of this commentary.

Read this commentary on Revelation and receive an incredible blessing.

Twelve Church Bulletin Bloopers for 2012

Over a year ago, I cited my top ten favorite church bulletin bloopers. It is now time to name new favorites. In recognition of the year, I am naming twelve bloopers this time.

For some reason, church bulletin bloopers never grow old to me. I love to laugh. Indeed, we Christians could afford to laugh a bit more.

I hope you enjoy this list. Again, I have them listed in reverse order, with my favorite listed last.

12. Attend and you will hear an excellent speaker and heave a healthy lunch.

11. Next Thursday, there will be tryouts for the choir. They need all the help they can get.

10. The “Over 60s Choir” will be disbanded for the summer with the thanks of the entire church.

9. Weight Watchers will meet at 7 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church. Please use large double door at the side entrance.

8. The Low Self Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 PM. Please use the back door.

7. We want to pray for our unloved saved ones.

6. Brother Lamar has gone on to be the Lord.

5. On a church postcard: I have received Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I would like a personal visit.

4. The church is glad to have with us today as our guest minister the Rev. Ralph Green, who has Mrs. Green with him. After the service we request that all remain in the sanctuary for the Hanging of the Greens.

3. Please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased person you want remembered.

2. A new loudspeaker system has been installed in the church. It was given by one of our members in honor of his wife.

1. Please welcome Pastor Don, a caring individual who loves hurting people.

I would love to hear your contributions to the list. Thanks in advance for making me smile.

Pray for . . . Mt. Zion Baptist Church

Location: New Orleans, Louisana

Pastor: Rev. Lester Jackson

Weekly Worship: 11:00 (Central Time)

Fast Facts: Mt. Zion Baptist Churrch in New Orleans, is a 2 year old church plant seeking to take back their neighborhood for the glory of God. Rev. Jackson is praying for revival. Will you pray that God will grant it?

“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 your church to be featured in “Pray for . . .” contact Steve Drake, director of pastoral relations, at Steve.Drake@LifeWay.com .

Three Encouraging Indicators about Pastors

A few months ago I commissioned LifeWay Research to ask pastors in America a number of questions. I admit that I began the research with a negative bias. The state of American churches, as a rule, is not healthy. I therefore did not expect to receive encouraging news from the pastors. So I have been very pleasantly surprised to discover that there is much to celebrate in this study of pastors.

Admittedly, not all the information has been positive. Over the past few Saturdays, I have attempted to give an accurate and realistic view of pastors and the lives they live. Their challenges are many.

But this newly released information is incredibly exciting in many ways. Indeed, if in our longitudinal studies we find this pattern continuing in the years ahead, we will have good reason for optimism for our churches.

The Research

I am convinced that a key to seeing more healthy churches is to do all we can to provide the support and resources the pastors need. Healthy churches have spiritually healthy pastors.

According to Acts 6, the early church leaders focused on just a few priorities. Among those priorities were prayer and the preaching ministry: “But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the preaching ministry” (Acts 6:4, HCSB). They also focused on evangelism as noted in Acts 6:7, “the number of disciples in Jerusalem multiplied greatly.”

So we asked questions related to those big three priorities: prayer, preaching, and evangelism. We specifically wanted to know if they were devoting sufficient time to each of those major areas. The results were greatly encouraging.

Time to Pray

The numbers amazed me. Nearly eight out of ten pastors told us they have time each week to pray. We asked them to respond to the statement, “I have sufficient time each week to be in prayer.” The responses were as follows:

· Strongly agree: 47%

· Somewhat agree: 31%

· Somewhat disagree: 15%

· Strongly disagree: 6%

Time for Sermon Preparation

It was not just the responses that encouraged me; it was the magnitude of the responses. Three out of four pastors told us they had sufficient time each week to prepare their sermons. We asked them to respond to the statement: “I have sufficient time each week for sermon preparation.” Again, look at the amazing responses:

· Strongly agree: 38%

· Somewhat agree: 37%

· Somewhat disagree: 17%

· Strongly disagree: 7%

The Priority of Evangelism

The greatest positive response came in an area where I thought pastors would admit struggles: personal evangelism. But nearly 90 percent of the pastors told us that evangelism was a high priority in their ministries. The results are some of the most gratifying I have seen in Christian research. We asked the pastors to respond to this statement: “I make evangelism a high priority in my personal ministry beyond what I do in my preaching ministry.”

· Strongly agree: 49%

· Somewhat agree: 39%

· Somewhat disagree: 9%

· Strongly disagree: 2%

What Do These Results Mean?

How, then, do we interpret these results? What are the implications for the future of American congregations? Certainly, we need to be careful not to read too much into a few questions connected with a single study.

I have to admit, however, that I am personally encouraged and enthusiastic. If pastors today are spending more time in prayer and in the Word, and if they are making evangelism a priority in their lives and ministries, it can only be good news for their churches in the months and years ahead.

Maybe we truly do need a sense of expectancy that God is moving in an extraordinary way in our churches. Maybe the fruit of revival is just around the corner.

Thank you, pastors, for your faithfulness. Now may the rest of us follow your godly examples.

*In the months of April and May 2012, 1,066 SBC pastors participated in a survey asking a number of questions. The sampling was weighted to represent accurately churches by worship size and geographic location. The sample provides a 95% confidence that the sampling error does not exceed +/- 3.0%. Margins of error are higher in sub-groups

Pastor to Pastor is the Saturday blog series at ThomRainer.com. Pastors and staff, if we can help in any way, contact Steve Drake, our director of pastoral relations, at Steve.Drake@LifeWay.com . We also welcome contacts from laypersons in churches asking questions about pastors, churches, or the pastor search process.

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 be eligible to win, tell us what verse or verses are your favorites in Proverbs.

The deadline to enter is Saturday night at midnight.

Notable Voices (August 9, 2012)

10 Ways to Ensure I’ll Never Revisit your Church -- Ben Reed

A few weeks back, I wrote about what guests notice when they a your church. Ben adds to that list, so to speak, with his list of 10 more turn-offs for visitors.

Pastors: Your Words Matter -- Dan Darling

A staggering responsibility is entrusted to pastors. For as a pastor, you hold the spiritual life of a congregation in your hands. Dan provides some words of both encouragement and conviction: Pastors shed your opinions, your preferences, and your pet legalistic ideas. Because when the Word is delivered with power, it shapes the culture of a community.

The Worst Tool for Evangelism -- Jon Acuff

On Wednesdays, Jon mixes things up at his blog and provides some thought-provoking content rather than the laugh-inducing content found there the rest of the week. I found this week's article on the use of shame and church signs as evangelism tools to be especially insightful.

Best Practices for Leading via Innovation -- Rick Lash

We recently launched an innovation initiative at LifeWay. In just a few short months, we've gathered several great ideas from the submissions. Innovation is a key for businesses to thrive—not just survive, and these best practices can help you increase innovation at your church or company.

One Secret to Long-term Leadership Success -- Ron Edmondson

Ron provides some great pastoral advice. If you are going to succeed in any organization, you need to learn the people. You can't lead a people you don't know, and people won't follow a leader they don't know.

Twitter Five Years Later: Five Reasons I’m Still a Big Fan

Tools can be used for good and evil. That is certainly the case with the social media tool called Twitter. Tens of thousands of reviews and commentary have been written about the simple yet powerful communication device. Allow me to add my voice now that Twitter has been a part of my life for several years.

The Early Days

Twitter was launched in 2006, but it really gained recognition and momentum a year later in 2007. My son, Sam Rainer, was an early adopter. He convinced me to try to the tool. I was a skeptic. Why should I waste my time writing 140 characters about what I was doing? Why would I want to read what others were doing? Indeed, one of the first tweets I read was a person telling the world that he was flossing his teeth. My skepticism increased.

Some of the early analyses of the content of the tweets were less than favorable. For example, in 2009 Pear Analytics provided the following descriptions of the thousands of tweets it analyzed. Most of the descriptors were certainly not that flattering.

Pointless babble: 40% Conversational: 30% Pass-along value: 9% Self-promotion: 6% Spam: 4% News: 4% Other: 7%

From Skeptic to Advocate

Now that Twitter has settled into the world of mainstream social media, we are able to take a brief historical assessment of the social media tool. I can only speak for myself, not the millions of other Twitter users and inquirers. From my perspective, I have moved from a cautious skeptic to an enthusiastic advocate.

Indeed, Twitter has added value to my life and leadership that I never dreamed possible. As social media continues to grow in size and importance, this microblogging tool of 140 characters has become one of the powerhouses. For me, its value falls into five different categories.

Five Reasons, Five Values

Obviously people use Twitter for a variety of reasons. And obviously the motives of the users are mixed. I can say with clarity and conviction, though, its value in five areas for me is immeasurable.

Trending topics. Twitter allows me to look into the eyes of millions around the world to see what people are thinking and saying. Almost daily, I read the trends on my Twitter page. I feel more informed seeing what’s important to everyday people without the filter of news media. News. The first place I typically receive local, national, and world news is Twitter. The great advantage is that many of the news tweets come from eyewitnesses to the news. It is news in real time, raw and unfiltered. Family. Every adult member of my family is on Twitter: my wife, three sons, and three daughters-in-law. I love hearing about their lives and activities, and I usually get a good laugh at many of their tweets because the Rainer gang has a healthy sense of humor. I can’t wait until my grandchildren adopt the tool. Integration with other social media. I am grateful to Twitter because it allows me to integrate it with at least three other social media tools: Facebook, my blog, and Google+. The four venues complement and amplify each other. Leadership. As a leader of a large organization, I tweet for my own visibility. It is important to me that employees and any others who follow my leadership hear my voice on a regular basis. In the old days, MBWA (management by walking around) was deemed important for visibility. Today LBTR (leadership by tweeting regularly) is indispensable for me.

Certainly others could write their own five-year review of Twitter and be less positive than my own assessment. I am, however, grateful for those who created it and the millions who use it. My life and leadership are better for it.