Thom S. Rainer's Blog, page 410

Millennials Snapshot

A year and a half ago I began talking about the Millennial Generation on my blog, in large part because my son, Jess, and I decided to research this generation and offer an early assessment of them. Our project is finally complete: a recently released book called The Millennials with B&H Publishing. I commend it to you. In future posts I'll unpack key aspects of our research about this important generation. But for now, I'd like to present a few broad and general insights about the Millennials that will serve as a foundation for later discussions. Who are the Millennials?...

Secret Church: Disciple Making International, David Platt, and LifeWay to Partner

I sat in the capacity-filled worship center on a Friday night for a full six hours. I was told that the 3,000 tickets for this particular event had sold out in just a few minutes. I was amazed. I sat in the worship center and was simply amazed at what God was doing. The event was not new. Indeed my first experience was actually the ninth Secret Church to be held at the Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Alabama. But as I looked around I was amazed at what God was doing. Men and women, many of them young...

Seven Signs of Hope for American Churches in 2011: Four More Signs

In my previous blog post, I noted that many so-called experts on churches in America, including me, have bemoaned the state of most local churches across our land. Indeed, almost any subjective or objective measure demonstrates the dismal condition of our churches. While not desiring to put my head in the sand (metaphorically speaking), I want to continue looking at some reasons for optimism and hope. In the midst of many problems, there is clear evidence of God's blessings. Reviewing the Transformational Church Project As I indicated in my previous blog, I had the opportunity to work on one of...

Seven Signs of Hope for American Churches in 2011: The First Three Signs

The critics are relentless. American churches are in trouble. Biblical preaching and teaching are shallow and superficial. Conversion rates are down. Local churches have become self-centered instead of outwardly focused. Indeed the critics are right. I have been among those self-declared pundits who have found numerous faults with churches across America, and I have not been shy to write and speak about them. While the problems are real, many people like me have magnified them. As a consequence, church leaders are often left demoralized and with little hope. The fact of the matter is that Christ's Church has survived 2,000...

Coming Soon!

I am pleased to announce a fresh launch for ThomRainer.com, coming in January 2011. I'm excited about offering new content and adding something I didn't offer before: reader comments. The new format will allow readers to dialogue about the topics under discussion.A little more work is needed to get things up and running again, so I appreciate your patience. Thank you for your interest in my blog and for your readership. Great days are ahead, so stay tuned . . ....

Cathartic Experiences and the Transformational Church

I began doing research on churches 25 years ago. In each situation, I approached the new project with anticipation and excitement. You see, I have never considered myself to be an expert on American churches. To the contrary, my role has been more of student as I listened to and learned from the true experts serving local churches. They are the ones on the front line of ministry.Recently, I was a part of a project that had to be one of the most comprehensive research assignments ever completed on the American church. We did either telephone interviews or on-site interviews...

What Millennials Want in Leaders

The Millennial generation is the generation that has grabbed my heart. I know that my preference is largely related to having and loving three Millennial sons and their friends. But I know that my favoritism also stems from the attitude of hope that this generation brings.As I have shared in other writings, my son, Jess Rainer, and I just concluded writing a book about this generation with the basic title, The Millennials. The book will be released in January 2011. Our work was based on a massive research project led by LifeWay Research, where that team asked 1,200 older Millennials...

A Girl Named Maggie

My life is enriched, influenced, and enhanced by my family. Any positive quality I possess is because of the grace of God and the influence of my family. Anyone who has heard me speak or read my writings knows that they will hear something about my family. It is a passion I don't try to contain. But something strange and wonderful happened on June 25, 2010. It had never happened in my immediate family. I'm not even sure I fully comprehend its impact yet. On that day, a Rainer girl was born. Her name is Maggie Elizabeth Rainer. She is...

The Principle of the Leadership Lid

The principle of the leadership lid is simple, if not simplistic: An organization can move no higher than the leadership qualities of the leader. Like any so-called principle, the leadership lid certainly has exceptions. It is not an ironclad rule. But it does merit consideration.This principle does suggest, for example, if the leader has character deficiencies, the organization will suffer. Or if he or she has a work ethic problem, the organization does not reach its potential. It is also possible, even likely in many situations, that the leader does not and cannot possess key leadership skills. Again, the organization...

A Letter to My Southern Baptist Family

This article was timed to release shortly after the closing gavel fell at the 2010 Southern Baptist Convention in Orlando, Florida. I am writing it, though, four days before the convention begins. As I write this blog, I thus have no idea how the annual gathering went. I don't know who the new president is. I don't know the results of the vote on the recommendations of the Great Commission Task Force.A Letter for the FamilyFrom your emails and tweets, I realize that many who read my blog are not Southern Baptists. I hope you bear with me as I...