Thom S. Rainer's Blog, page 409
February 24, 2011
How to Encourage Your Pastor
I have written on many occasions about the level of stress and pressure felt by pastors across our nation. I have specifically expressed serious concerns about some of the critics who constantly berate and demoralize our pastors (here and here).In this post, let me offer some practical suggestions on ways we can encourage our pastors. The list below is not exhaustive, of course. But it does represent some of the most frequent ideas I have heard from pastors and their families.Let your pastor know specifically how you learned something from his sermon. Pastors spend dozens of hours each week preparing...
February 21, 2011
Say Goodbye to Mediocrity
@font-face { font-family: "Times"; }@font-face { font-family: "Cambria"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; One of the great dangers in our churches today is mediocrity. I do not believe that it is because those in pulpits and pews are content with being mediocre. There just seems to be some confusion about what it takes to be great. I am reminded of the time I was in California for a speaking engagement and a local pastor asked me, "Am I doomed for mediocrity the rest of my ministry?" He...
February 14, 2011
William Thomas Rainer: In Memory. To God Be the Glory.
It's cliché. But it's true. Life can change in a second. Our neatly ordered plans are not always realized. Our dreams can seemingly be dashed in a moment, a blink of the eye.Jess and Rachel Rainer woke up on February 3 with excitement and anticipation. They had moved to Hendersonville, Tennessee to plant a church. Jess was doing radio interviews about his book that he co-authored with me, The Millennials. And, more than anything else, they were soon expecting their second son, William Thomas Rainer. February 3 was also the date of a doctor's appointment for Rachel. The doctor told...
February 10, 2011
More Uncomfortable (Funny?) Moments in Ministry
I love to laugh. I love to have fun. Sometimes it seems that the laughter and fun comes at my own expense with some of the dumb mistakes I have made in ministry. Some of the mistakes have not been so funny. I remember one speaking engagement where I got lazy and preached a passage just like I heard another pastor do. Unfortunately, some of his exposition was just wrong. Someone caught my and his errors and asked me about them. I had to admit both my laziness and error. It was quite embarrassing. But many of my dumb mistakes...
February 7, 2011
The High Commitment Christian: Lessons from Two Mentors
Two of the most influential men in my life were seminary professors. When I was a student in the 1980s, my life was forever changed for the better by Dr. Timothy George and by the late Dr. Lewis Drummond. In essence, these men taught me how to grasp more fully the Great Commission, particularly the Great Commission passage of Matthew 28:18-20.Dr. George and Dr. Drummond helped me prepare for my first pastorate in ways I could not fully grasp at the time. Above all, they taught me the priority and passion of personal evangelism and what it truly means to...
February 3, 2011
Michael Catt on Prayer
These days, when people hear the name Michael Catt, they may immediately think of the amazing films that Michael's church has produced in recent years. With films like Facing the Giants, Fireproof and the soon to be released Courageous, Sherwood Baptist Church is bringing biblical principles right into the homes of today's families. Michael Catt, however, is more than simply one of the names behind these films. He has been the pastor at Sherwood since 1989. He is the founder of the ReFresh Conferences, which focus on revival and the victorious Christian life. He is also a prolific author. I have asked Michael to...
January 31, 2011
Lessons from Nathaniel
Anyone who knows me understands I'm a helpless case. Even those who know me only from my writings and speaking comment on my weakness. You see, I am absolutely crazy about my family. I talk and write about my family incessantly -- to a fault I'm certain. I find it hard to refrain from mentioning my wife, my children, my daughters-in-law, and my grandchildren almost anytime I communicate. I know I go overboard too often. I am just crazy in love with my family. The News about NathanielOver a year ago, Nellie Jo and I learned that our daughter-in-law was pregnant...
January 27, 2011
Prayer and Healthy Churches
On December 27, 2010, one of my favorite people in the world went to be with the Lord. Mrs. Nell Bruce had anticipated this homecoming almost all of her 90 years. Her relationship with her Lord was close and vibrant because she had conversations with him on an ongoing basis. Nell Bruce was an incredible woman of prayer. I am honored and humbled that she chose to intercede in prayer on my behalf for the last sixteen years of her life. I know that my life and ministry were incredibly blessed and protected because she spoke to the Father on...
January 24, 2011
Uncomfortable (Funny?) Moments in Ministry
I often say that God has to have a sense of humor to call me into ministry. I seem to have that certain knack for putting my foot in my mouth or finding myself in less-than-comfortable situations in ministry. In this blog, I will share some of my most uncomfortable moments in ministry. The Attack of the Baptismal Candidate My first baptism was, well, memorable. The baptismal candidate was a young lady who had a mortal fear of water. Only biblical conviction prevented me from steering her to a Presbyterian church where she wouldn't have to be fully immersed. I'm...
January 20, 2011
Responding to the Great Distraction
For years I assumed that criticisms of pastors and other church staff was just part of leadership. Indeed, no leader to my knowledge has ever been spared the verbal or written jabs of the critic.So my advice has been for the leader simply to move on; to focus more on the vast majority who are supportive of him than the relatively few not-so-well-intentioned dragons. Now I'm not so sure my former advice is sound. The level and frequency of criticisms toward pastors and other leaders has increased significantly in the past several years. The Reasons Behind the Great Distraction I...
