Thom S. Rainer's Blog, page 40

The New Very Large Church

It’s time to rethink church size. For the purpose of this article, I define church size as average weekly worship attendance, including children and youth who may not be in the primary worship service. In other words, we count every person attending a worship weekend (or other days for a few churches).

Thanks to Lifeway Research, we have a clearer understanding of the sizes of churches. I don’t know if you will be surprised.

I was.

What is a Large Church?

Let’s look at the breakdown of churches by average worship attendance:

Under 50 in attendance: 31% of all churches51 – 99: 37%100 – 249: 24%250 and above: 8%

All of the numbers are fascinating, but the largest category should cause us to pause. Only 8 percent of churches have an attendance of 250 or more. These churches now define the category, “very large churches.”

Of course, there are still megachurches of 2,000 or more in worship attendance and mid-megachurches of 1,000 to 1,999, but those churches are outliers. If a church has an attendance of 250, its size is in the largest category.

New Names for New Categories

There will be some readers who cringe at the numerical emphases of this article. I get it. Numbers are neither ultimate nor penultimate. But these numbers represent a sea change in how we look at or define church size.

For now, we at Church Answers will speak of churches in the following categories so we can be on the same page:

Under 50 in attendance: smaller churches51 – 99: mid-size churches100 – 249: large churches250 and above: larger churches

Implications of These Paradigmatic Changes

We will discuss the implications of these changes in depth at our podcast, Rainer on Leadership. But it does not take much thought to understand the world of American congregations is dramatically different than just ten years ago.

More pastors and staff will be co-vocational and bi-vocational.

Equipping church members to do the work of ministry is as vital as always.

Ministry and theological training must adapt to this reality.

Search committees will be looking for a different type of pastor.

Church budgets will be smaller.

Denominations must refocus their ministry and support of this new paradigm.

More churches will need to be adopted or they will die.

The list could go on.

The New Reality

Over two-thirds of American churches have a worship attendance under 100. As noted earlier, the new very large church has an attendance of 250 or higher.

It is indeed a new reality.

I would love to hear your thoughts on it.

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Who Should Follow Up With First-Time Guests?

In previous posts in this series, I talked about the importance of following up with first-time guests (FTGs), seven ways to structure your follow up process, and the art of the first-time guest phone call.

Today…who actually follows up with your first-time guests? Is it a team? A person? A paid staffer? A freebie volunteer? Here’s the case … and the buts … for each:

1. The case for a volunteer team.

Enlisting a group of volunteers to do all of your guest follow up can feel quite organic. After all, they’re following up as a fellow church attendee, not someone who’s paid to get in touch with people. Given the right follow up process, outline, talking points, and next steps, a trained and dedicated group of volunteers can be really effective.

But, it can be hard to get responses from guests if they’re getting a call from “just a volunteer.” A volunteer team might occasionally get stumped on questions. And unless you have a great system, accountability can be hard to come by.

2. The case for that one specific volunteer.

What if a first-time guest received a phone call, email, or (gasp!) a handwritten note from the actual volunteer who greeted them on Sunday at the first-time guest tent? This can be a great way to deepen the relationship, give the guest a familiar voice, and make a large church feel small.

While the above “buts” may still apply, there’s something pretty fantastic about implementing this system. Another but is that the volunteer needs to be on board with not only serving guests on Sunday, but serving them throughout the week. Make sure it’s what they signed up for.

3. The case for your entire staff team.

In theory, I’m a firm believer that anyone on the payroll of a church should be following up with first-time guests on a regular basis. That’s right: everyone from the lead pastor to the front desk receptionist to the custodian to the youth pastor. Talking to first timers regularly will help tether your staff to what people actually experience on the weekend.

But, we should acknowledge reality: just because someone is paid by a church doesn’t mean they’re necessarily great with people. We have some incredibly talented people on our team who don’t serve in pastoral roles, and to put them on the phone to cold call a guest would be cruel for … ahem … two different people.

4. The case for one specific staff member.

Let’s say you have a small trickle of first-time guests each year, or you have a staff position that eats, sleeps, and breathes guest services for 40 hours a week. Should that person be the sole liaison between your church and guests? Well, it can be effective, since they can hone a process and know where everyone is in the guest pipeline.

But, it violates the “tether” principle of #3 above. If that staffer is on vacation or sick, that’s a week’s worth of follow up that doesn’t happen. And they’re not replicating the work of the ministry in the lives of others.

Some final thoughts

In our context, we’ve found a modified version #3 above to be the most effective. First-time guest follow up lies in the hands of campus staff members. Depending on the number of guests per weekend, it may not be the entire staff, but it’ll usually fall to our Guest Services Director and some age-appropriate ministry leads.

Years ago when I first took on this role, guest follow up was handled by a superb team of dedicated volunteers (#1 above). But the but was in full force with them. We found that guests didn’t always respond to a voicemail or email from a volunteer. So we began to experiment with staff phone calls, and there was something about the line “I’m one of the pastors at the Summit” that seemed to elicit a response.

However or whoever you choose to follow up, just follow up. Your guests are worth it.

 

This post originally appeared on dfranks.com .

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What I Learned from Being a Bi-vocational Pastor

Bi-vocational pastors serve outside the spotlight. Though estimates vary, at Church Answers, we estimate there are around one million part-time pastors and staff in North America. They are many, but they get only a fraction of the attention given to pastors of larger churches. They receive little recognition, but they are the workhorses of churches who do much of the heavy lifting.

I served as a bi-vocational pastor of a tiny church in central Kentucky. We started with six people. It was my first pastorate, and I had no idea what I was doing. I drove two hours one way to get there. My preaching was awful, and I had to lead music with a karaoke machine. The church was dying. The people were tired. The building was falling apart. And there was no air-conditioning.

I loved that church. Still do.

The people forgave my less-than-spectacular sermons. I encouraged them to reach outward. And, truly by the grace of God, the little church grew. Not to 500. Or 250. Or even 100. More like 40. But we knew God was working. It was great.

God revealed much to me while I was their pastor. I know I learned more from them than they got out of my sermons. Let me share with you a few things I figured out during my time as a bi-vocational pastor.

Ministry is not about ideals. I had several ideals, a big vision, and grand hopes for the little church. My plans were not wrong. But the people had heard it all before from other short-term pastors. I learned that before a church family follows the grand vision of a new pastor, you must first love them where they are.

Ministry means working alongside people. One of our first projects was to paint the church and install air conditioning. If I hadn’t shown up with a paintbrush on our Saturday workday, I would have lost the respect of the people. At the end of the workday, the folks gave me the honor of painting the church bell red—it was a big deal.

Ministry requires you to laugh at yourself. I made more mistakes than I had successes as a younger pastor. And the people knew it. You can laugh at yourself and help everyone feel comfortable. Or you can pretend and make everyone feel awkward (or angry).

Ministry means loving people deeply. I will never forget the gifts people gave me when I transitioned to another ministry assignment. The church was poor, but the people lavished love on us. I didn’t deserve it, but they gave it anyway. The love between a church and its pastor should be like nothing else. The church demonstrated God’s love to me, and it still encourages me two decades later.

 I wasn’t a great bi-vocational pastor (or even close), but most are incredible kingdom workers. Many have served faithfully for years. They love their churches. Their churches love them. And God’s kingdom is larger because of their faithfulness.

 

At Church Answers, we created two resources with bi-vocational church leaders in mind.

  The first is Church Answers University (CAU), an affordable, accessible, and attainable way to train and equip church staff. Not only do we believe this ministry certification is perfect for bi-vocational and co-vocational church staff, but we also believe it works well for those in full-time ministry.

  We also created a bi-vocational certification for those serving in these roles. With certification, you will be better equipped to understand the changing world of bi-vocational ministry and lead in a part-time capacity while keeping your family the priority.

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12 Ways We Might Show We’re Arrogant Church Leaders

It’s always dangerous to write about arrogance. Not only does it “feel” prideful to write about helping others recognize their issues, but most of us also recognize arrogance within others before we recognize our own. That’s why I use the plural “we” in this post—I’m speaking to myself as well as to others. Here are some signs you and I might be arrogant leaders:

1. We always “top” everybody else’s story. No matter what the topic is, we always have a story just a little better, a little more exciting, a little more gripping . . . a little more important. At least in our own eyes, that is.

2. We choose not to raise up leaders to take on some of our responsibilities. Doing that task takes time, and, after all, nobody can really do the job like we can. Why invest in others when we’re the best anyway?

3. We never admit being wrong. Even when we know we were wrong, we somehow justify our actions to maintain our reputation. Sometimes, in fact, we pull the Genesis 3 trick: blame somebody else for our wrongs.

4. We never say, “I’m sorry” or “Please forgive me.” Those words not only reveal too much vulnerability for a prideful leader, but they also reverberate with weakness. They demand that we take responsibility for our sin—and arrogant leaders seldom do that.

5. We exaggerate. For example, we round up our church’s attendance, growth, and giving numbers to make ourselves look better; that is, we lie when doing so brings glory to ourselves and our ministries.

6. We get frustrated when others seemingly less worthy than we get top billing or greater recognition. Sometimes we tear them down among other friends, or we feign praise we know we’re supposed to give. Inside ourselves, though, we think we should have been in that position.

7. We name drop. Our sermons and conversations are littered with the names of significant people we know (even though sometimes we barely know them), especially when we assume others will be impressed.

8. We often make ourselves the star of our sermon or lesson illustrations. What “I” did almost becomes more dominant in our teaching than what God has done. Seldom do we speak of a struggle without an accompanying victory.

9. We shun anyone who criticizes our ministry. Rather than learn from others who critique us (because, after all, we don’t have much to learn in the first place), we bow up and either aggressively or passive-aggressively push folks out the door.

10. We expect affirmations and “pats on the back” after preaching or teaching. To be painfully frank, I’ve sometimes found myself looking forward to them after a worship service—and have been disappointed when I didn’t get them. That’s my arrogance.

11. We don’t pray much. Prideful people just fix everything in their own ability and power; there’s not much need to pray when we can handle all things.

12. We admit that at least one of these observations characterizes us. That’s not always easy to do, but admission is a first step toward humility. May the Lord keep us all humble!

 

Want to learn more about this subject? Check out these resources: “ Preaching with Humility – An Interview with Dr. Jim Shaddix ,” “ How Pastors Should Answer the Hardest Leadership Question ,” and “ Staying Humble While Keeping Your Hustle .” 

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Understanding the Differences between Mission, Vision, Strategy, and Tactics

One of the consultation ministries we provide at Church Answers is to help churches determine their mission, vision, strategy, and tactics. We often find that the first step is defining those four terms for the church leadership.

To be clear, other leaders and experts define these four terms with different nuances than ours. We provide our definitions so we can be on the same page as we work with different congregations.

Thus, we begin with four clarifying definitions. We also provide a current example of each. As we anticipate releasing our new evangelism and outreach ministry in 2023 called The Hope Initiative, we have used these definitions to help churches reach beyond their walls.

Mission

In our work with churches, we define mission as “God’s plan for all churches.” In other words, mission statements are transferable from congregation to congregation. Mission statements declare a high-level and general plan. It is a good beginning point, but it is insufficient by itself.

One church in the Church Answers family has this great mission statement: “We exist because everyone needs the hope of Jesus.” Their statement focuses on Jesus being the hope of the world. It is implicit that the church’s ministry and outreach must show others the hope of Christ.

Vision

We define vision as “God’s specific plan for a specific church at a specific time.” Our definition communicates that this vision is usually not transferrable from congregation to congregation. The vision should consider the specific context of the church and the specific context of the church’s community.

A church in Illinois desired to become a positive presence in its community. They decided that they would find a way to pray for the families in 5,000 homes near their physical location. Their vision was straightforward: “Praying for 5,000 homes in Marion in 2023.” The vision reflected the specific location of Marion, Illinois (not the actual town). The vision was specific in its desired outcome. They planned to pray for the homes in the community. The timetable was specific. The vision would be accomplished in 2023

Using our definition of vision, it would be possible to have more than one vision. We typically recommend that a church work on one vision at a time, but some churches feel comfortable focusing on two or three.

Strategy

Strategy is “a plan of action to achieve the church’s vision.” If we simply say we are going to pray for 5,000 homes in Marion in 2023 without a plan, the vision will not become a reality.

In the case of this church, they decided to use the resource called “Pray & Go” to accomplish the vision. This resource has many of the details or tactics needed to make the vision a reality.

The strategy of the church could then be: “We will pray for 500 homes every month in 2023 except July and December using the resource called “Pray and Go.” To be clear, the church does not have to use an existing resource to accomplish its vision. The resource, however, can be helpful if it takes care of many of the details church members and leaders would have to do.

Tactics

Tactics are the steps, actions, timetables, and responsible persons to carry out the strategy. To be effective, tactics should include deadlines, persons assigned to carry out or be responsible for tasks, and all the other actions necessary to accomplish the strategy,

It is usually not feasible to have a statement of tactics similar to the vision statement, the mission statement, and the strategy. There are far too many details to consolidate into a concise statement. Many leaders find it helpful, however, to create a visual representation of how the vision and strategy will be accomplished. The visual should include all the minute details of the tactics. Again, we often recommend using existing resources since most of the details are almost already done.

God’s Plans

The Bible speaks of the necessity of planning, but only as long as it’s God’s plans. “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans” (Proverbs 16:3, NLT). Good planning is necessary for good stewardship.

The concepts of mission, vision, strategy, and tactics are only as good as their dependence on God. Otherwise, they become yet another human-centered effort that is dependent on futile human insights rather than the wisdom of God.

 

Want to learn more about this subject? Check out these resources: Church Vision Checklist and  “ What Is the Difference between a Church Vision Statement and Mission Statement? ” 

 

 

 

 

 

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The Surprising Joy of Daily Struggle

Practice every day? For one year?

“No,” most of us will respond. Whatever it is, “I don’t want to, I don’t have to, and you can’t make me,” we defy in toddler-speak.

As adults with much to do already, there are few endeavors we willingly pursue daily for the long haul. Maybe brushing our teeth—hopefully most of us practice that daily. Breathing seems to be high on our willingness to practice regularly!

An instrument? Maybe.

Prayer? Yes . . . Well, most days . . .

Whatever it is, every day for an entire year, we will only make such a commitment when we deem it worthy of our time and effort, rewarding on multiple levels.

Some of us have been reading our Bibles every day for years on end, living in the fullness of God’s replenishing and guiding messages. While others of us have only dreamed of being able to accomplish one solid week, let alone one solid year, reading through our Bibles.

Holy Scripture can be hard to understand, even emotionally and mentally taxing in difficult or confusing passages. We want to read God’s Word but are often unsure where to start, how to follow along, and whether His Word is relevant for us in all we face this day.

Is it worth my effort? Will God speak to me? Can I really do this?

I have certainly known this challenge very personally. So when I was invited by Tyndale House Publishers to write daily devotions for The One Year Bible for Women, I felt the enormity of such an undertaking, and I resisted.

Yet ultimately, in reverence and with reluctance-mixed-with-compulsion, I made my decision and accepted the invitation to write—with one caveat. Since I am not one to gloss over hard stuff in favor of fluff, I determined: I would go where the Scriptures led, and likely straight toward the hard stuff. So it began.

There were tears and struggles—and gifts at every turn. I’ll get to those, but first, my invitation for you: What are you doing for . . . say . . . the next 365 days of your life?

Ladies, would you consider joining me (or gentlemen, my husband Steve, who authored devotions for The One Year Bible for Men) for a journey through Scripture this year? It would be my honor and, I trust, our mutual enrichment.

We can read God’s Word together, a day at a time, and see what we find in epic adventure and camaraderie.

Whether it’s your first time through or you’ve followed this method of Scripture reading for years, I also trust that within these pages you will experience a fresh move of God in your life.

Women, together, we will encounter the leadership of Deborah, the sorrow of Job’s wife, the bravery of Jehosheba, and critical contributions from female disciples of Jesus. We will lean into the hard spaces and dare to keep seeking and growing. We will practice new skills, because practice makes progress. And I love to make progress.

What might God have in store for you as you pursue him this year? I received three special gifts while writing for this project, and it makes me wonder: What surprises await you?

I first received the gift of obligation, which did not seem like a gift at the time. I’d committed to read and press for answers, so no longer would I put off troublesome passages until a more convenient time. Now was the time. I would dig for answers until answers came. And far better than that, spiritual awakening came.

This resulted in the second gift: strengthened assurance that answers are there if we want them. God wants to be known and will faithfully reveal himself to the seeker. May we ever move toward him in reaching for truth.

The third gift was born of my own moving toward him. Through reaching and seeking, protest and wrestling, striving, and struggling for yet another year—as with every new season, time and again—I unfailingly landed on one persistent conclusion: God is good.

He is good. And he is for us.

He is for humanity, for women and for men, for everyone.

He is for me, and he is for you.

He is for children. And he has invited us to come to him as such—eager to learn and openhearted.

Will you join us in responding to him? Let us read our Bibles, every day, for one year, and see what God has in store.

 

The One Year Bible for Women , with daily notes from Misty Arterburn, and The One Year Bible for Men , with daily notes from Steve Arterburn, are now available at tyndale.com or wherever books and Bibles and sold. 

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An Exciting New Way to Train Your Church Staff and Leaders

Church staffing is undergoing a seismic shift. Part-time positions are becoming increasingly popular. Bi-vocational positions have always existed, particularly in smaller churches. Some estimates reveal over half of all pastors are bi-vocational. They are many, but they get only a fraction of the attention given to pastors of larger churches. They receive little recognition, but they are the workhorses of churches that do much of the heavy lifting.

There will be more—not less—part-time pastors and church leaders in the future. In fact, the movement is already underway.

Part-time vocational ministry is becoming the norm. At Church Answers, we estimate there are around one million part-time pastors and staff in North America. This trend is not always due to financial limitations. Some staff choose to be part-time, a reality we call “co-vocational ministry” or “marketplace pastors.” People serving in co-vocational roles purposely choose to have two jobs, mainly because of a desire to have a workplace mission field.

This shift did not occur overnight. Nor was it prompted by the pandemic. But this church staffing movement has accelerated in the last couple of years.

This trend excites me. As a co-vocational pastor, I’m biased, but I believe this movement is healthy.

At Church Answers, we spent two years developing a new resource to help equip and train pastors and church leaders with this movement in mind. Here are a few trends we see developing:

Self-paced education and training will increase in popularity.More church staff will be hired who do not have formal theological training but will seek it after moving into a role.Affordability and attainability are two key factors in choosing training. Many cannot afford to spend tens of thousands over several years.Certifications have been popular in the business world and other fields. However, they are beginning to catch quickly in the church world.

With these trends in mind, we created Church Answers University (CAU). An affordable, accessible, and attainable way to train and equip church staff. Not only do we believe this ministry certification is perfect for bi-vocational and co-vocational church staff, but we also believe it works well for those in full-time ministry. For example, when I worked in the financial services industry full-time, I regularly sought additional certifications to further my knowledge. My bosses expected me to do these courses and certifications even though I had a degree in finance.

What is Church Answers University?

Church Answers University is an online training institution that offers ministry certifications designed for today’s church leaders. Each certification is comprised of ten courses that include video training from experienced Christian leaders and scholars, a course textbook, and digital learning guides.

What makes Church Answers University different?

Church Answers University offers an exciting and innovative path toward ministry training and certification that is affordable, accessible, and attainable. CAU is flexible and efficient without sacrificing a quality education. A certification is specific and streamlined, while a degree includes more general courses. Church Answers University seeks to offer quality Christian education for those who desire further training without the cost and time commitment of a degree.

We even offer a group model with lower tuition rates for churches that have multiple people enrolled in CAU through our Ministry Training Centers.

Your books are included! There is no additional cost for textbooks. And we offer low monthly payment plans!

What certifications are offered by Church Answers University?

This year we launched with two certifications: Certification in Christian Ministry and Certification in Women’s Discipleship. 

What if you could access foundational ministry preparation on any device, at any time, from anywhere in the world? What if your training included free textbooks? What if a certification could be completed in six to nine months?

Does it sound too good to be true? With Church Answers University, it is possible!

 

Want to learn more about this subject? Check out these resources: “ The Changing Landscape of Ministry Education and Training ” and “ Why We Are Launching Church Answers University .” 

 

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Four Words of a Dying Church: “I’ve Done My Time”

Many, if not most, churches struggle to find volunteers. This challenge is not new, but it has been exacerbated since the pandemic. Some of the reasons for members declining to volunteer are understandable. But some are not.

Perhaps the most unbiblical reason for no longer serving in a church are those four deadly words: “I’ve done my time.” Indeed, if many of your church members are responding with these words, your church may be on the descent to death. Here are five reasons why that is the case:

1. Ministry in the local church does not have an expiration date. From Acts 2 to Revelation 3, the entirety of that large swath of Scripture is either about a local church, to a local church, or in the context of a local church. There are no church members talking about “doing their time” in those books of the Bible.

2. Those four words sound like a prison sentence. Ministry should be a joy, not a period where we are doing obligatory and cumbersome work. When you hear those words from a church member, you are likely hearing from someone who has not learned the joy of serving.

3. The Bible is clear that all members are to do ministry. Read 1 Corinthians 12 again. Paul reminds us in 12:27: “All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.” The text is clear that everyone (“all of you together”) must be involved in ministry. If any member is not functioning, the church as a whole suffers. There are no members of the Corinthian church on the sidelines because “they’ve done their time.”

4. Those four words are demoralizing to church leaders and active church members. When church members declare “they’ve done their time,” other church members have to take up the slack. It is understandably frustrating for a committed church member to hear other church members declare they are AWOL from doing ministry in the body of Christ.

5. Most often those four words are accompanied with the baggage of bad attitudes. A church member who stops serving because he or she has done their time is typically a church member who has an entitlement attitude. Now that they have served for a season, they expect the church to serve them. It’s analogous to a husband telling his wife that he has served her sufficiently, and that she must serve him for the rest of their marriage. That scenario does not end well.

If a significant number of church members declare, “I’ve done my time,” the church is in trouble. Indeed, the church may be dying. The body of Christ described in 1 Corinthians 12 is a functioning body with all the members carrying out their roles. Once the members declare they are finished, the church is finished.

We’ve seen this sad story play out too many times. “I’ve done my time” are truly the four words of a dying church.

 

 

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The Taxing Consequences of Constant Urgency for Pastors and Church Leaders

“Pastor, I’ve got to show you something.” Sunday mornings come with various tasks, but I could tell by his tone that I needed to stop what I was doing and follow him. The longtime church member guided me down the stairs to our education area below the sanctuary. He pointed at the door.

“Do we have another leak?” I asked.

“No, but it’s just as significant. Every single doorstop in the church is not to code. They will all need replacements.”

I stood with this kind and caring church member, looking at doorstops. In his mind, they were both urgent and significant. They were neither. What did I do? I listened to his concerns and then walked into the worship service. In this case, his urgent concern was not malicious. But that’s the problem. People mean well when they call you into urgency.

The Taxing Consequences of Constant Urgency

You become a reactive leader when you give the bulk of your attention to urgent matters. Little flare-ups always exist. Urgent church leaders reactively move from one to the next. When you set the right priorities, you can discern the dangerous fires with the potential to affect everyone. There are several taxing consequences of constant attention to urgent matters.

The pace of requests is frenzied and unpredictable. Pastors and church leaders receive endless requests for information and guidance. These requests range from the vitally important to the mundane. They come in the form of authorizations for critical ministry decisions or non-essential matters of church facility operations. The difficulty arises when the leader becomes so inundated with requests that he or she can no longer discern what is primary, secondary, tertiary, or totally imprudent. In this scenario, the leader ends up fixing the squeakiest wheel.

The substance of the work is disjointed. The sheer variety of tasks involved in ministry can become daunting. Church leaders will go from counseling someone on serious personal issues to calling the air conditioner repairman. The disjointed nature of ministry work can make the leader lose sight of the true vision of the church.

The work can become reactive. Sometimes pastors and church leaders can feel more like firefighters than gospel workers. They react to “fires” in the church because of the gravitational pull of immediate needs. Some situations require leaders to put a hold on everything. The problem, however, surfaces when this reactive management mode overtakes and detracts from the proactive planning necessary for leading God’s church.

Decision-making and planning can become too incremental. Rarely are decisions in the church made cleanly and distinctly within a specific timeframe. Instead, decisions evolve over time and across many segments of the church. In addition, prolonged decision-making can become an emotional drag on a leader. As a result, the leader spends an excessive amount of time managing and assuaging the emotions of others.

The Difference Between What Is Urgent and What Is Significant

Urgent matters require immediate attention. When you hear a child scream, you feel a sense of urgency. Is it a broken arm? Or did another child grab the toy? The only way to discern the nature of the scream is to give attention to the matter. In the church, pastors and church leaders can bounce between urgent concerns and never get to what is most significant. The tyranny of the urgent has a real effect on church leadership because people lack self-awareness that their issue is less significant than someone else’s problem. Everyone wants attention now.

Significant priorities often get delayed because tending to urgent matters takes an emotional toll. Can something be both urgent and significant? Yes, but such convergence does not happen often. Urgency implies immediacy, while significance tends to have longer-term effects.

In The Church Revitalization Checklist, I dedicate an entire chapter to setting the right priorities. When priorities are neglected, the church creates an unhealthy culture of fragile resiliency. Many churches are simultaneously fragile and resilient. Every Sunday can feel like the precipice of disaster. Yet the same church survives year after year, decade after decade. Struggling churches tend to maintain constant tension between fragility and resiliency. It’s the perpetual state of not quite dying.

This feeling of suspended animation creates a climate in which church members learn to survive but never thrive. On the other hand, the organizational culture has just enough momentum and life to get to the following Sunday, the next month, and the next year. So many churches seem to be hanging on by their fingernails, but those fingernails prove to be incredibly strong.

Want more helpful resources on this subject? Check out “ How To Discern The Top Of Your Priority List ,“ “The Church Revitalization Checklist: Part Two of Three: Tending to What Is Most Important in Church Revitalization,” and Church Answers Membership .

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7 Mistakes Some Young Leaders and Pastors—and Older Ones, Too—Make

I’ve been a seminary professor for 26+ years, and I’ve mentored young leaders and pastors most of those years. I’ve watched young leaders do really well as they started ministry, but I’ve also seen many face struggles really quickly. My conclusions are anecdotal, but here are some of the most common mistakes I’ve seen young pastors make:

1. Trying to change too much too quickly. They see a need—one they see as obvious—and they assume everyone else in the church sees what they see. “Surely everyone will be ready for a quick change,” they think. They’re often wrong.

2. Focusing almost exclusively on preaching, to the neglect of pastoral care. Preaching must indeed be a priority, but I’ve seen young pastors retreat to the office, focus almost exclusively on study, and spend little time with the church family. They then find themselves preaching to a people they don’t really know.

3. Enacting church discipline quickly even if the church has not done discipline in decades. I agree that local churches need to give more attention to the discipline of wayward members. That we need to do it is not in question, but how and when we do it matter. When we do it quickly without adequate education and preparation of the congregation, the church often pays a price.

4. Being impatient with undiscipled church leaders. Many churches have wrongly placed members in leadership who have been faithful in attendance and giving, but who have never truly been discipled. They remain baby believers trying to lead other baby believers—and young, idealistic pastors sometimes seek to correct that problem before helping the church understand the problem.

5. Giving too little attention to “Senior Saints.” It’s natural for young leaders to gravitate toward other young singles, couples, and families, and there’s nothing wrong with that general direction. The problem comes when the young pastor gives little time to those who have often paid the bills and kept the doors open.

6. Giving up too quickly. It’s seldom easy to change overnight what has been ingrained in the church for decades. Young leaders, however, are often accustomed to a microwave world where everything ought to be quick—including church change. They get frustrated with the slow pace of change and often leave a church too soon. The problem is that they don’t recognize their departure was speedy until after they’ve left.

7. Assuming they would never fall morally. I’ve seen some young leaders fall before they ever got started in ministry – but none of them assumed it would ever happen to them. They were convinced they would not fall into traps that have taken down other leaders. Again, some gifted young leaders have been wrong.

I have focused on young leaders with this post, but older leaders and pastors sometimes make the same mistakes. None of us is immune from making bad choices or moving in unhealthy directions. Based on your own experiences, what would you add to this list? 

 

Want more helpful resources on this subject? Check out Leading Change When Nobody Wants It by Sam Rainer , Five Things Older Pastors Would Tell Their Younger Selves , and Church Answers Membership

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