Thom S. Rainer's Blog, page 405

Rescue the Perishing

My wife, Nellie Jo, and I recently enjoyed a few relaxing days at our favorite beach. Every day we walked five or more miles on the beach, enjoying the scenery and the time with each other. On a typical walk, Nellie Jo looks down for shells. This particular beach has an abundance of unspoiled seashells. But this time, her usual plans were disrupted for a providential appointment. Seeing the Danger We passed by a little boy, probably about two years old, on the edge of the water. He was playing in the sands and yelling in delight as small waves...

When Change Outpaces the Leader

Fifteen years ago, John P. Kotter wrote his seminal book Leading Change. It is one of those rare books that I try to read every year. It reminds me in fresh ways of the need to be a leader who is a change agent and one who understands the times of change in which we live. I doubt that Kotter could have predicted fifteen years ago the types and pace of change that confronts leaders and organizations today. From multinational organizations to nonprofit companies to churches to community organizations, the challenge of change can seem to have a heaviness and...

HindSight (June 3, 2011)

Pew Research reports 13% of online Americans use Twitter. There are many fascinating stats and demographics in this brief study. 9 surprising new facts about social media in America. Social media specialist Jay Baer offers some provocative insights here. The busyness trap. Could you impose on yourself a one hour per day electronic blackout? Something to consider. 11 questions every pastor should ask. A thoughtful post by Trevin Wax on preaching and mission in pastoral ministry. An eight-month review and look to the future by Kevin Ezell, president of the North American Mission Board. I'm proud of this godly,...

Millennials and Email in the Workplace

The Millennials, those born between 1980 and 2000, have been entering the workforce for over ten years. They are beginning to reshape the culture and norms of businesses and other organizations in a number of ways. For example, significantly less men wear neckties than they did just five years ago. I personally thank this younger generation for removing the daily noose from my neck. I wrote this article primarily for Millennials, but I think it might benefit all of us in the workplace. Good communication is one of the keys to success, and the primary form of communication in the...

Leadership Lessons from the Men and Women Who Serve Our Nation

Normal.dotm 0 0 1 516 2946 LifeWay Christian Resources 24 5 3617 12.0 0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-style-parent:""; font-size:12.0pt;"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-"Times New Roman";} They are heroes every day of the year. As we always do, and as we should do, we set aside a day to remember the fallen members of our military. But all those who have served our nation in the past and those who serve today are our heroes. They deserve so much more recognition than they ever...

HindSight (May 27, 2011)

Seven things a pastor should know about his wife. Good insight here from Pastor Perry Noble. YouTube reports 3 billion views a day, a 50% increase over last year. Let that sink in. Three billion views per day. Training your children to understand money. A thoughtful post by Tim Challies. Atheists in foxholes -- as chaplains? Owen Strachan shows the implications of this idea in this helpful piece. 3 traits every CEO needs. Harvard Business Review rarely fails to offer something valuable. This post has much to commend. Don't make your pastor a statistic? Thibiti Anyabwile concludes, "These statistics indicate a...

Courage to Confront Reality

I think I've been on a diet half of my adult life. I am the classic yoyo dieter. And for you healthier folks out there, I know that it's not a good pattern. But do you know what the toughest part of my diet is? It happens when I step on the scales after failing to do so for weeks or even months. I really don't want to confront the reality of my weight and, thus, the need to do something about it. The Point Where Turnaround Begins I have written and researched about leadership and local churches for nearly...

A Postscript on a Failed Prophecy

Most of the readers of this blog are Christians. At least that's what the best metrics tell us. I do know, however, that some who are not Christians peruse these articles from time to time. And I do hope that some of my Christian readers will share these words with unbelievers. This message is primarily for them. From a Christian to Those Who Are Not Undoubtedly, most of you who are not Christians observed the fanfare connected with Harold Camping and his certainty that the Church would be raptured and those remaining would face a series of calamities and judgments....

The Upcoming Rapture and Judgment Day: The Lighter Side

Harold Camping, president of Family Radio, is predicting again a precise date for the rapture and the Judgment Day. This time it is predicted to take place this Saturday, May 21, 2011, at 6:00 PM. For those who need greater precision, that's 6:00 PM Pacific Time. I hope you will allow me a moment of levity on a very serious topic. The return of Christ is a key doctrinal belief among Christians. His return should be considered with utmost sobriety and readiness. There will be a time when we will meet Him in all of His glory and judgment. But...

You Are My Pastor

You are my pastor. You are not perfect. You get frustrated like everyone else. You don't always say exactly what you should say. You do indeed make some mistakes. On that reality you readily agree. But your imperfections are often magnified in the light of your leadership role. When you please one congregant, you often displease another. You can't make everyone happy, and you hear criticisms more times than most of us could endure. You Are My Pastor Who Loves Despite your imperfections and the critics who vocalize them, you still love the people in the church you serve. You...