Thom S. Rainer's Blog, page 379

Dealing with Five Common Objections to New Member Classes

In my post last Saturday, I presented the new findings by LifeWay Research on new member classes. The report was mixed. On the one hand, there does appear to be an increase in the number of churches offering the classes. On the other hand, most churches still do not offer or require new member classes. Only 14% of churches required them; another 21% encouraged new members to attend but did not require them to do so.

The Clear Demographics

One facet of the research was extremely clear. The churches least likely to offer the classes fit one or both of two categories. They were smaller churches and their pastors were older. Both make sense. Smaller churches tend to have leaders who perceive they lack the resources for such a class. And older pastors have led churches many years without new member classes; they thus see little need to make the change.

I am attempting to persuade church leaders differently.

The Reasons for the Advocacy

There is good anecdotal evidence and older research evidence to indicate new member classes are good for the health of congregations. They tend to “raise the bar” of church membership. Members in these churches are more likely to take membership seriously, to be involved in ministries, and to be better financial givers to the church.

A good new member class will not only provide information about what the church believes and how it functions, it will also provide clear expectations of the members. But still, only a relatively few churches have moved in this direction. What are the common objections and what are the responses to the objections?

Five Common Objections/Five Responses

One or more of these five themes are common in many churches that do not offer new member classes. As an advocate of the classes, I offer my responses.

We don’t have the time or the resources. Some leaders in smaller churches offer this reason. But materials for these classes are abundant and relatively inexpensive. Smaller churches may do fine just to offer the class three or four times a year, certainly not too much time for any church.
Salvation is a free gift; we therefore should not expect works for church membership. There seems in this reason to be confusion between soteriology and ecclesiology. The Scriptures certainly make clear that salvation is not attained by works (Ephesians 2:8-9). But the Bible is equally clear that we are to be functioning members of the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-30).
We’ve never done it that way before. It is true that tens of thousands of churches have not ever had any type of entry point class in their history. It is also true that most churches have struggling assimilation rates. I believe there is a connection between these two realities.
We won’t get as many new members if we make them go through a new member class. I have yet to see any evidence of this objection. I can say with a high level of confidence that, without a new member class, you are more likely to lose those members you added.
We will have to do away with our public invitation/altar call if we have a new member class. Many churches today indeed do have public invitations at the conclusion of their worship services. New members are often presented after they respond to this invitation. A simple solution adopted by a number of churches is to continue the invitation, but present those who came forward as candidates for membership. They are then granted membership after they complete the new member class.

What Is Your Church Doing?

As I noted in the previous post, entry point classes go by a number of different names; I have chosen “new member class” for simplicity. I really would love to hear what your church is doing in this regard. Do you have new member classes? Are they required for membership? How often do you offer them? How long have you been offering them? What do you cover in them? Do you differ with my reasoning for new member classes?

I would love to hear from you if you could take time to answer one or more of my questions. And I would welcome hearing from any of you who may not agree with some of the statements I have made in my last two Saturday posts on new member classes.

All comments are welcome. All opinions are valued.

Friday is for Freebies: Apologetics

My giveaway this Friday is a pair of apologetics resources.

First is Moral Apologetics for Contemporary Christians in which author Mark Coppenger mixes compelling references—from classic philosophers to modern entertainers—to reasonably push back against both harsh critics and less intense cultural relativists, arguing that Christianity is morally superior to its competitors as well as true.

The second is the black, bonded leather version of The Apologetics Study Bible. This Bible has a retail price of $59.99 and features more than 100 key questions and articles placed throughout the Bible about faith and science which prompt a rewarding study experience at every reading.

To be eligible to win, tell us your favorite verse or verses in the Psalms.

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

Notable Voices (July 26, 2012)

Ranting is Not Preaching -- Tony Merida

With the rise of podcasting and Youtube, ranting from the pulpit has become more and more prominent in our culture. Unfortunately these rants have distracted from the true gospel message. Tony reminds us that as preachers, we are to be faithful to the text.

Sunday! Sunday! Sunday! -- Skye Jethani

I too have noticed a pattern of churches starting to meet at less traditional times during the week. I understand the desire to select a time to gather out of convenience, but I too would caution to not forget the historical commitment to Sunday worship. Skye does a nice job balancing both sides of the discussion in his article.

20 Top Leadership Tips…in Tweet Length -- Ron Edmondson

My friend Ron Edmondson is a must-read for those interested in leadership and pastoral matters. His list of 20 leadership tweets is a solid foundation for every leader.

7 Church-Growth tips from Mayberry -- Artie Davis

Like many, I was saddened at the recent news of Andy Griffith's death. For many of you, Andy, Barney, and Opie were icons of my formative years. Artie takes some of the classic principles found in Mayberry and shows how they relate to the church.

How Should Your Church Respond to Tragedy? -- Geoff Surratt

In the wake of last Friday's tragedy in Colorado, Geoff shares three biblical principles to incorporate into our response to a tragedy.

6 Reasons Pastors Should Work A Month In Advance -- Mark Pierce

Pastors are busy. I get that. I was once in the pastorate, and my three sons all serve on church staff. Working ahead can greatly benefit both the pastor and his church. I've found that the more you work ahead, the more freedom you have in your ministry to pour into the lives of those you serve.

Do I Set the Right Tone on My Blog?

The question is not rhetorical. I ask myself the question frequently and I ask others to critique me.

I noted in an earlier post that I tend to avoid controversial and divisive blog posts. Maybe I just worry about these matters too much. But I am concerned about how I communicate in the blogosphere.

The Background

I recently reviewed the issue about tone in blog posts when I was reading another book on blogging. I was not an early adopter in the blogosphere, so I sense the need to educate myself as much as possible. The author wrote several pages about setting the right tone in posts. He went over simple issues like gracious writing, disagreeing without being argumentative, and just showing respect for others.

In the middle of a paragraph, I paused. This author made no reference to having any religious background, yet he was urging bloggers to be gracious. I am a Christian. My blog and my life are supposed to reflect Christian values and virtues. I have to admit, however, the secular blogger showed greater concern for basic decency than I do at times.

I was convicted.

The Response

My next step was a laborious task. I re-read many of my old posts at random. I tried to be objective and ask myself if I really was setting the right tone in my posts. Was I demonstrating fairness in what I wrote? Was I treating commenters with respect? Was I more concerned about getting traffic or truly making a contribution?

While I did not give myself a failing grade, I did conclude that I could do better. Much better. I paused for a moment and began to write some basic guidelines for my blogging.

The Result

After some moments of reflection, thought, and prayer, I begin to note basic guidelines I should follow in my posts. Please understand that these guidelines were meant for me; I am not trying to impose them upon others. And, as best I can understand, I came to this point more by conviction from God than self-education to improve my blogging.

Here are my seven personal guidelines as I write my blog:

Do I write to edify? Regardless of the nature of a particular post, I will seek to make a positive contribution. The contribution may simply be some insights. It may be sharing about some new resource. It may be pointing to other (usually much better) bloggers. Or it may be giving someone a gift. I pray that my motivation will not be traffic, argumentation, or display of ego. Do I treat others as I would like to be treated? The golden rule is basic in life and it should not end in my blogs. Whether I am dealing with someone as a topic or a commenter, I should seek to see them through the eyes of Christ. Am I certain about the facts I write? Just because daily posts have a sense of informality, I have no right to communicate words unless I am sure they are factual. Informality is no license for me to be loose with words and thoughts. Do I allow contrary comments? I am in a fairly visible position, so I take a risk by allowing open comments. But since I do, I must be fair and let every reasonable comment be published. I don’t have to publish off-topic comments or ad hominem attacks, but I shouldn’t ban someone just because they disagree with me. By the way, I have only deleted two comments of the thousands that have been posted over the years. Both were ad hominem attacks on a person other than me. Do I respond as a Christian should? I knew the Bible already had my guidelines for this point. The Apostle Paul called them the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22. My responses should thus demonstrate love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control. Do I pray over each post I write before I publish it? Ouch. I’m not doing very well here. I have to do better. Do I receive correction well? Many of those who read my blog are much smarter than I am. When someone makes a correction, they are usually right. The issue is how well I receive the correction.

Those are the guidelines I committed to follow to set the right tone for my blog. And to all you readers: Please hold me accountable and let me know when I violate my own guidelines.

Thank you.

Leadership Lessons from Penn State

When we first heard about the possible sexual abuse of children by a former Penn State coach, it seemed to be a distant sound that would only have local implications. Then we began to hear about the scope of the abuse and the key leaders who were hiding the truth, allowing further abuse to take place for years.

We were stunned. We were horrified. We were outraged.

We still are.

Countless writers and speakers opined about the tragedy. I made my own modest contribution.

Then came the Sandusky trial. In what seemed to be a blur, the jury was selected, the case was heard, and the defendant was convicted. We wept as we heard about the testimonies of those whose innocence was shattered and psyche forever maimed.

They were just children.

The Next Stage

Then the statue of Joe Paterno was removed on a quiet Sunday morning. The next day Penn State was informed that its football program was spared the death penalty while receiving penalties arguably worse than that temporary shutdown of the program.

In the months ahead, we will hear about the sentencing of Sandusky. We will hear about more investigations. We will hear about more leaders indicted. Indeed we will hear about this awful tragedy for years to come.

The adjectives are endless: tragic, devastating, heinous, evil, perverted, demonic, and many, many others.

What Can We Learn?

Can any good from these crimes: crimes of personal assault and crimes of cover-up? I cannot be objective in my analysis. Any objectivity goes out the window when I think of the children. Emotions supersede calm logic.

Nevertheless, I keep asking myself to focus, to learn what I can as a leader. I must force myself to learn something if I am ever to be the kind of leader to make certain this tragedy does not place where I serve. If nothing else, I must learn leadership lessons for the sake of these children and future children. In doing so, I noted seven leadership lessons from Penn State.

Do what is right regardless of the cost to any one individual or the organization as a whole. Be willing to sacrifice our own jobs if necessary.
Be wary of subtle signs of rationalization creep. The Sandusky cover-up was not a singular major event that happened without warning. Rationalization was pervasive. Football and Paterno were protected at all costs. The image of the program was the idol. Many bowed to the idol long before Sandusky was seen in a shower with a young boy.
Remember that no organization or leader is too big to fail or to fall. Leaders are at their greatest points of vulnerability when they think they and their organizations are invulnerable.
Be careful about giving too much attention to your greatest admirers or to your greatest critics. I have written frequently about how leaders should avoid letting a few loud critics control their leadership. But it may even be more dangerous to listen too closely to those who laud us regularly. We could begin to think we really are as great as they say we are. And when we think we are great, we begin to think we can do no wrong.
Set the right tone for an organization. A good leader will encourage transparency and accountability. A good leader will encourage a culture that willingly reports wrong instead of a culture of fear. A good leader will listen carefully when those in the organization have concerns. A good leader will make certain the organization has systems in place that allow people to report wrongs even without the leader being involved.
Know clearly how to handle situations where problems and abuses develop. Indeed all leaders in the organization should be able to respond quickly and decisively when any wrongdoing or abuse takes place. In my organization, leaders at all levels have to take an annual online review of how to respond to sexual abuse and harassment, discrimination, and a number of other issues. Sometimes there are mild complaints about the “waste of time.” I wish Penn State had wasted such time.
Make certain clear accountability is present at all levels of leadership. I am the leader of our organization. But I am accountable to the board of trustees and, more specifically, to the trustee officers. They are usually supportive of my recommendations. On one recent occasion, they suggested I go a different path than my plan. They told me that I didn’t have to; they just suggested it. Though I had a different perspective than theirs, I heeded their suggestion. To do otherwise would have been a clear statement that I was working around my accountability structure.

Perhaps Something Good

More than one commentator has said the football-related penalties can never match the crimes of commission and omission. In that regard, the score can never be even.

Perhaps, though, something good can come out of this evil. Perhaps we can review why this happened in an institution as revered as Penn State and with a leader as beloved as Joe Paterno. If it happened with that organization and that leader, we would be foolish to think it couldn’t happen to us in our organizations. Perhaps the good that can come forth from the Penn State/Sandusky crimes is to learn lessons so that it might not happen again.

I, for one, have learned those lessons.

May I never forget them.

Announcing a New Free Newsletter for Pastors and Staff

On the day I wrote this article, I spoke with my youngest son about a sermon he just preached. I talked with my middle son about exciting developments at his church where he serves on staff as a pastor. And I also got to hear from my oldest son about his excitement of moving to a new church where he will be serving as senior pastor.

Three sons. Three pastors. None of whom had any of their own plans to be pastors. All three of whom expressed at some point that they had no desire to follow dad who had been a senior pastor in four different churches.

But God called them. Dad did not call them.

The Pastor’s Advocate

My sons are among the many reasons I am such an advocate for pastors. I respect them. I love them. I desire to serve them.

So I am incredibly excited to announce the release of a newsletter for pastors and staff of churches. It will be free. It will be weekly, sent directly to your email inbox. And it will be full of resources to help the pastor both in his vocational ministry and in his personal life. It is LifeWay’s and my gift each week to pastors. It is our attempt to say thank you for the ministry you do for others.

The Newsletter: Pastors Today

The newsletter is called Pastors Today. It has actually been around for a while, but we are re-launching with a new look, updated information, and my involvement. Craig Webb will continue as editor and Steve Drake will have involvement from his office of pastoral relations.

It is my prayer and dream that this newsletter will be anticipated each week by tens of thousands of pastors and staff. We at LifeWay are determined to make this resource a first class newsletter at no cost to our readers. We are determined to provide outstanding content and point readers to great resources.

Why Pastors Today?

We could name a number of reasons for re-launching this newsletter. Allow me to share five of our convictions.

Pastors are called by God. We should respect and revere that calling. Pastors give of themselves every day. We desire, even in this small way, to give something back to them. Many pastors don’t have the funds for needed resources. We pray that this free newsletter will help. We also will point pastors to our free or affordable resources. We particularly hope this newsletter will benefit the bi-vocational pastor who is often short on time and resources. Pastors deal with enormous pressures and constant criticisms. We want them to know we have their backs. If we can help pastors, we will also help churches, the bride of Christ.

Join Us, Subscribe, and Offer Input

We invite you to subscribe to this newsletter by clicking on the link below. You may be a pastor, a church staff member, or a supporter of a pastor. All of you should feel free to join us. And please let us know how we can best help pastors. In fact, feel free to give us input right now by commenting on this blog.

We are excited. And it is our prayer that we can make a positive difference in the lives of these pastors we love so dearly.

Yes! Sign me up for the free weekly newsletter, Pastors Today.

How Many Churches Have New Member Classes?

I have been an outspoken advocate for new member classes in churches for nearly two decades. In my 1999 book High Expectations I presented research on churches that had required classes for membership. These churches had much higher retention rates than other churches. Further, the research revealed that simply encouraging new members to attend a class engendered higher retention than having no class at all.

I was thus excited to commission LifeWay Research to discover how many churches in my denomination actually have new member classes, and what the level of expectation they had for new members to attend them. The results were a mixed bag.

Some Encouragement, Some Challenges

On the one hand, it is encouraging to note that four out of ten churches now have new member classes. Though I don’t have longitudinal data, I suspect the numbers are much higher today than they were in 1999. On the other hand, the numbers are still a challenge because six out of ten churches don’t have any entry level class for new members. These new members are therefore not afforded the opportunity to hear information about their church, and expectations about their membership.

The research broke down the matter of new member classes into four categories:

57% of the churches had no membership classes. There was nothing for the new members even if they requested some level of training. 7% of the churches had available membership classes, but they did not encourage new members to attend. The class was more or less an option among many in these churches. Church leadership had no systemic plan to move new members toward the classes. 21% of the churches had membership classes and encouraged new members to attend. While attending the class was not a requisite for membership, the class was a high priority with the leaders. They exhorted the new members to attend. 14% of the churches required the new member class to be a member of the church. Not coincidently, these churches tend to have the highest assimilation rates.

Clear Differences with Size of Church and Age of Pastor

There was a clear relationship between the size of the church and the presence of a new member class. Simply stated, the larger the church, the more likely the church would have a new member class. Furthermore, the larger the church, the greater the likelihood the church would make a new member class a requisite for membership.

The age of the pastor was a major factor as well. The older the pastor, the less likely the church would have a new member class. For example, look at the following clear pattern:

23% of pastors ages 18 to 44 were in churches that had required new membership classes. 20% of pastors ages 45 to 54 were in churches that had required new membership classes. 9% of pastors ages 55 to 64 were in churches that had required new membership classes. 4% of pastors ages 65 and older were in churches that had required new membership classes.

The Need for Entry Point Classes

Next Saturday I will address some possible issues that are hindering churches from starting new member classes. And I hope to offer some ways to overcome those challenges.

I am obviously biased in my advocacy of new member classes, but I really think the research points in this direction as well. These classes not only can dispense good information about the church, they can provide clear membership expectations as well. And raising the bar through expectations results in greater member retention and, more importantly, more biblically functioning church members.

What is your perspective of new member classes? What is your church doing?

*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: The Essence of the Old & New Testaments

My giveaway this Friday is a pair of new books from B&H on the Old and New Testaments.

Based on decades of scholarly research and classroom teaching, a team of biblical scholars provides a practical, readable, and insightful introduction to the Christian biblical canon. These uniquely illustrated, full-color volumes feature book introductions, background studies, outlines, surveys, theological concepts, practical applications, study questions, and helpful word studies. This exciting new survey of the Scriptures highlights the key elements of the Bible. The history, archaeology, and wisdom of the biblical world are revealed with an eye on the application of their moral principles, theological insights, and practical application to today's world.

To be eligible to win, tell us what non-family member influenced you the most when you were a child (before age 12).

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

Notable Voices (July 19, 2012)

Can Liberal Christianity Be Saved? -- Ross Douthat

At this point in our culture, it's no longer surprising to see denominations grow more and more liberal in their convictions. Following the Episcopal Church's approval for bishops to bless same-sex unions last week, Ross Douthat chronicles the steady decline in attendance, influence, and relevancy of denominations which continue to slide toward liberalism.

Killing the Clergy-Laity Caste System -- Ed Stetzer

One of the greatest struggles in ministry is getting churchmembers to recognize their votal role in the success of the church. A church cannot thrive if it relies solely on the staff to do the work of the church. Ed exposes this reality and encourages us to eliminate this way of thinking within the local church.

Where the Next Wave of Urban Growth Will Come From -- Richard Dobbs and Jaana Remes

Cities are growing at a rapid pace. Once rural countries are becoming more and more urbanized. Richard Dobbs and Jaana Remes examine where future growth may be most heavily concentrated.

Are We All Just Broken People? -- Stephen Altrogge

As Christians, our identity is found in Christ. However, we sometimes undermine that unintentionally by referring to ourselves as broken people. Stephen encourages us to not see ourselves as an old, dead-in-sin creation but to identify with our new-in-Christ selves instead.

When Football Is God -- Eric Geiger

When the Penn State sexual abuse scandal was brought to light last fall, I wrote on the necessity of protecting our children. Now that the Freeh report has brought light to numerous ignored opportunities to stop the abuse, we can easily see the god being served at Penn State was football.

Six Reasons Why Leadership Team Conflict Is Good

One of the most important steps a leader can take is to build a good team. Those teams take on a personality unto themselves, a personality that can be good or not so good.

There are obvious extremes that the leader hopes his team will avoid. On the one extreme is a largely passive and quiet team. The leader dominates the conversation; the team is really just his audience. Most comments made by team members are to please or affirm the leader. Team members can choose either silence or sycophantic comments.

The other extreme takes place where team members simply do not get along. Most of them don’t like each other. The leader has little control. Each team member is a judge in his or her own fiefdom with little regard for the organization as a whole.

The challenge is bring together a team where each member respects the other, but each member is also willing to engage in healthy debates or conflict for the good of the organization. These members care fiercely about the organization more than themselves, but they don’t always agree about what’s best for the organization. This conflict is healthy. Let’s look at six reasons why.

Good leaders will have strong opinions. It’s a good sign when team members speak up with good insights. It means the leader has assembled an “A” team with members who are confident and informed. An organization needs differing perspectives. My leadership team is comprised of seven unique leaders. Each of them helps us see issues in differing lights. We have made some good decisions and avoided some bad decisions because of the collective wisdom of strong leaders with different viewpoints. Healthy debate and differences create “aha” moments. One of the fascinating parts of being on a healthy team is to watch the momentum of a healthy debate. As one member challenges another, we sometimes make a “discovery” that one perspective alone would not have engendered. Some of our better decisions have come in the midst of a rather heated debate among team members. Conflict can help identify the stronger team members. If leaders understand that peers will challenge them, they are likely to be better prepared to deal with the challenges brought before them. In that process, the stronger leaders emerge. They have done their homework. They think on their feet well. They are not intimidated or threatened when someone questions their insights. Team members unwilling or unable to participate in healthy debates or either intimated, ineffective, or frustrated. Conflict engenders cross training. Team leaders have different experiences, different backgrounds, different leadership styles, and different responsibilities. As they interact with one another in healthy debates, each member can learn from the other. “Iron sharpens iron” may be cliché, but it is nevertheless true. Team members that fight together are more likely to be united in purpose. At first blush, that statement may sound counterintuitive. But healthy debate allows each member to speak his or her mind. Each member is free to make contributions. Each member is valued. As long as the differences of opinion do not degenerate into hurt feelings and true animosity, the team becomes stronger and ultimately works together better.

One of the most critical responsibilities of a leader is assembling a healthy leadership team. Jim Collins’ well-known metaphor is highly applicable here. You must get the right people on the bus and then get them in the right seats. Those team members must be of unquestionable character, highly competent, and willing to complement and engage other team members in healthy debate and conflict.