Thom S. Rainer's Blog, page 44
September 5, 2022
14 Unbelievable Things That Happened to Pastors While They Were Preaching
This list needs no introduction other than my word of appreciation for the hundreds of comments pastors made on Twitter and Facebook. I wish I could have cited all of you.
Some are funny. Some are tragic. All are (almost) unbelievable. The pastors’ first names are real.
1. Michael and the Proven Prostate Problem. A commercial about a swollen prostate aired to the entire congregation right before he preached. He provided recorded evidence of the moment: https://www.facebook.com/godsavs/videos/813332402703058
2. Jathaniel and the Scared Goat. Decided to bring a goat to the podium to illustrate the atonement. The goat defecated and urinated the entire time.
3. Ken and the Scary Snake. A baby cobra went between his feet while recounting the resurrection to Muslim friends. I hate snakes.
4. Jarrod and the Eyes Have It. The woman’s glass eye popped out and rolled down the aisle. It was during a public invitation, so it could have counted as a decision.
5. Tyler and the Disappearing Church Members. An entire family walked out one by one during the sermon. Their cows had gotten out and were walking down the street. Someone may have shouted, “We’ve got cows!” (movie reference).
6. John and the Double Tragedy. Two people died mid-service. I have decided not to visit John’s church.
7. David and the Hungry Church Member. A hard-of-hearing church member spoke loudly to his wife, “If I had known he was going to preach this long, I would have brought a sandwich with me.”
8. Esteban and the Magical Words. Pastor asked for a bottle of water. Unfortunately, that was the designated secret phrase to initiate security. Men entered the sanctuary and drew their guns.
9. Cody and the Pot Moment. While he was preaching, a guy lit a joint. Cue the hymn, “Higher Ground.”
10. Conrad and the TP Problem. A woman walked up to the preacher during the sermon to tell him there was no toilet paper in the restroom. I wonder how she resolved the issue prior to that moment.
11. Ashe and the Everything Store. Amazon made a delivery as the sermon began. Church must be a Prime customer.
12. Brian and the Quiet Death. Another story about someone dying during the sermon. This time someone told him to keep preaching while they removed the body. There are a few churches on this list I will definitely not visit.
13. Kevin and Mr. Lucas. Kevin’s strange moment was that Mr. Lucas stayed awake for one sermon. You’re getting better, Kevin.
14. Noah and More Cows. When Noah said in the sermon, “God said . . .” someone’s phone rang to the sound of a cow. Mooooo.
Do you have some stories? I would love to hear them!
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September 2, 2022
Conversations on Womanhood
Now that The Calling of Eve is out in the world, I’m having a lot of conversations around womanhood. I’m seeing more and more confusion and frustration from the many voices that are trying to strip away womanhood in the fight for equality as well as women who grew up in the Church that are reconciling what was passed down as biblical truth or cultural traditions.
I asked on social media for some of the pressures women are feeling when it comes to being a woman today. Here are some responses that I got:
Woman made in the Image of God
Every woman needs a clear definition of womanhood to guide her life. Though each woman is made uniquely and has a specific story and gifts that she embodies, it is imperative to know and root our identity, purpose, and belonging in the truth of God’s Word as we live in and navigate a continually changing culture around us.
In Genesis 1 and 2 we see that Woman is made with distinction and purpose from our Creator God, who is both all powerful and intimately relational. God gives the same instruction to both the man and the woman (vs.28):
Marked more by whose you are, than what you do
I noticed a theme in the verses about with the emphasis being on what women ‘do’ instead of ‘who’ they are. There has been a tendency to place worth and value on how much we can get done in a day, what life stage someone has achieved, how accomplished our pedigrees are, or how a woman looks or dresses. All of these characteristics can be good things, and should be things that are fleshed out of a heart that loves God and loves people, but they can not be the things we consistently measure women by.
When the Bible speaks of a woman (or man) being marked by God it uses attributes like patient, wise, loving, and self controlled. A woman of God is someone who has been saved by grace and leverages her gifts and resources for the glory of God, and this happens across different life stages, circumstances, and cultures.
Root Down, Rest, & Remember
Our days and weeks are spinning with to-dos and voices that are whispering of who we are and what to do. In my own life one of the biggest helps has been to consistently schedule into my days, weeks, and months a time for rest and reflection.
Root Down: I love the imagery we get in Colossians 2:7 to be rooted, established, and firm in Christ. He is the peace, steadiness, and truth that we need. Jesus is and has accomplished all that we need. He is our main pursuit. Rest: Without intentional times to seek out God’s truth and allow Him to fight the lies of over productivity and what I’m building false identities on, I continue to get on the hamster wheel of false fulfillments. Schedule in times of silence, journaling, and time to step away from technology and the other voices that are trying to define you.Remember: Remember where God has brought you and how He has worked through both your failures and successes. Remember who He is as your Dad and Creator and what your purpose is.
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Check out more of how women are a part of God’s redemptive plan in Jacki’s new book The Calling of Eve.
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August 31, 2022
Six Big Ministry Time Wasters and How to Avoid Them
A church is not meant to be the model of operational efficiency. Ministry is inefficient because serving people is not the same as streamlining a manufacturing process.
The Great Commandment is not called “The Great Convenience.” You do not serve and love others only when it works for you. It is never convenient for you when others are in need! The Good Samaritan had things to do just like everyone else. But he stopped anyway.
While ministry can be inefficient, pastors should be good stewards of time. You cannot control when someone needs help, but there are plenty of time wasters you can handle.
1. Stop going on social media crusades. Congratulate your church members on their accomplishments. Wish people a happy birthday. Encourage others who had a rough week. You can—and should—shepherd your congregation online. But that theological debate you’re about to enter? Or the temptation to sling some mud in denominational politics? Don’t. You are not likely to change anyone’s mind on social media. And most of the people you are about to engage do not even go to your church. You will waste time and might even harm your ministry.
2. Start delegating more time-consuming tasks to people who will enjoy them. Several years ago, I took the responsibility of locking up the church after Sunday evening activities. The task took about thirty minutes to walk the campus and check every door. While I did not mind the chore, the time was better spent with my family. An older deacon approached me and volunteered to lock the doors. He wanted to prayer walk the church and allow me more time with family.
3. Stop punching a clock when it is unnecessary. For example, some churches require all staff to be onsite Monday through Friday, arriving around 8:00 a.m. and not leaving until 5:00 p.m. This schedule is archaic and does not consider the time ministers are on the field. While work-from-home every day is not wise, much time is wasted in the office when people simply punch a clock.
4. Start scheduling your emails. There are two kinds of people: pagans with inboxes full of unopened emails and the sanctified who zero out inboxes every twenty-four hours. I understand the urge. An email pops into the inbox, and you want to get it answered. The problem with this approach is how you teach people you will respond immediately to every request. You can also find yourself in a back-and-forth message that consumes time. Most email systems have a way to schedule emails. Reply right away if you must but schedule the email to go out later. It will save you time and not set the wrong expectation you respond to everything immediately.
5. Stop feeling the need to lead every meeting out of obligation or fear. Churches have a lot of meetings. Pastors do not need to lead all of them. I’ll never forget my father’s advice when I mentioned how many meetings I attended and led. He said, “Push less and people will love and respect you more.” He was right. You are not shepherding when you lead out of a sense of obligation or fear of losing control.
6. Start confronting potential churchwide conflict earlier. A wise pastor will not jump into every church spat. But you should not dodge conflicts that have the potential to spread churchwide. You don’t save time in the near term because your thoughts consume you. In the longer term, potential conflict is like a simmering pot. At some point, everything boils over. Turn the heat down earlier, and the conflict makes much less of a mess.
Most ministry is not efficient. But there are ways to steward time better. Some of the biggest time wasters can be avoided.
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August 30, 2022
2 Critical Attitudes in Leading a Church Revitalization Effort
If I were to ask church revitalization pastors what attitudes are critical to their effectiveness, I’m sure I’d hear several options: hopefulness, stick-to-it-ness, faith, patience, wisdom, and so forth. All of these really do matter, but two other attitudes are just as critical—if not more so. Both are found in the book of 1 Corinthians.
You know that the Corinthian church had more than its share of problems. They were divided. They should have been growing but weren’t. They allowed open sin in their midst. They were suing each other. They were abusing their freedoms, arguing over the best spiritual gifts, misusing the Lord’s Supper, and disrupting worship. They were even debating the resurrection. If ever a church needed revitalization, the Corinthian church was that church.
Don’t miss, though, what Paul said about the church:
1. He thanked God for them (1 Cor 1:4-9). God had given them grace, gifted them, and established their testimony in Christ. The God who started this work in them would complete it. They were quite messy, but they were still God’s people—and Paul thanked God for them. Actually, he did it always. He did not cease in expressing gratitude for them.
2. He loved them (1 Cor 16:24). In fact, Paul closed this letter with one of his most intimate closures: “My love to all of you in Christ Jesus.” As one writer described this ending, “Despite everything, there is not the slightest doubt that Paul regarded the Corinthians with tender affection. So he finishes his letter by sending his love to all the members of the church.”¹ Paul genuinely loved this bunch of messy people.
Thus, Paul “bookends” this first letter to the Corinthians with “I thank God for you” and “I love you”—and in between he says, “Y’all are an absolute mess.” The problems in the church were numerous and serious, but gratitude and affection still characterized Paul’s heart. He addressed the issues even while affirming this chaotic church in the process.
Why do these attitudes of gratitude and love matter in church revitalization?
This work is hard, but it’s easier when you thank God for the church and love them, too. You’ll stay committed when you’re leading family.Trying to change a church you don’t yet (or still) love is ineffective and uncaring. If you are both grateful and loving, however, you will be careful not to run over them even as you challenge them to change.You will see the church as sheep who need a shepherd rather than as obstacles to growth. You will patiently disciple them rather than quickly blame them.You will press on in the tough days of revitalization. Gratitude and love also produce perseverance and hope—two more attitudes that matter in revitalization.You will see leading these people as a privilege, even when they’re problematic. Actually, it’s fun to watch messy church people you love grow in their faith.Gratitude and love. They take a pastor a long way in revitalizing a church.
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(1) L. Morris, (1985). 1 Corinthians: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 7, p. 238). InterVarsity Press.
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August 29, 2022
Five (Seemingly) Well-Intending Sentences That Are Hurting the Church
Have you ever received a backhanded compliment? Just beneath the veneer of a compliment lies a stinging insult. It may not register at first, but then you feel the pain.
“Congratulations, I didn’t expect you to get the job!”
“You are so independent; it’s no surprise you haven’t found anyone yet.”
“You really look nice on Instagram.”
“I wish I could be as relaxed as you about all the clutter in the house.”
Ouch.
Several sentences spoken about churches today seem to be affirming on the surface, but they have a negative connotation. I try to give the person articulating these sentences the benefit of the doubt by calling them well-intending.
But they may not be well-intending at all.
1. “The church is not the building; it’s the people.” This sentence is the most common of these five, and it seems to be coinciding with attendance declines. It is biblically true on the surface, but it usually means that fewer people are gathering in the building. It is also a convenient excuse for someone who does not gather with other believers regularly.
2. “Our church is a discipleship church rather than an evangelistic church.” In other words, our church and its members are not reaching people with the gospel. But we will pretend it’s okay and say our members are growing more deeply as believers. The New Testament clearly affirms that a maturing disciple is an evangelistic disciple.
3. “Jesus and I get along just fine by ourselves.” No, you don’t. Jesus wants you to get off your idle posture and connect with other believers. From Acts 2 to Revelation 3, the Bible is about the local church or written in the context of the local church. The local church is God’s plan A, and he didn’t give us a plan B.
4. “It’s not how many are attending; it’s how many we are sending.” Yes, sending people is important. Indeed, it is the mission of the church. But sending is never put in opposition to attending in the New Testament. It’s both/and, not either/or.
5. “We need to grow in discipleship before we start a new church or a new campus.” The challenge with this sentence is that the level of discipleship growth needed is never articulated. Lack of discipleship becomes a convenient excuse for not starting a new church or a new site. You are never fully ready to start a new family. You are likewise never fully ready to start a new church. You will have to depend less on yourselves and more on the Holy Spirit.
The Apostle Paul was clear that the life of a Christian would be challenging, even painful. Among other things, Paul was beaten, imprisoned, confronted by angry mobs, shipwrecked, worked to exhaustion, forced to endure sleepless nights, and deprived of food (see 2 Corinthians 6:5).
Our life is to be one of obedience. The five sentences above are usually clever verbiage to cloak disobedience.
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August 26, 2022
Why First-Time Guest Follow Up Matters (and Isn’t as Annoying as You Might Think)
If you want to divide a room full of church staff members, toss out a fun topic like Calvinism. Oops. I mean first-time guest (FTG) follow up.
(That paragraph was predestined to be unfunny.)
There are multiple reasons that FTG follow up isn’t at the top of most of our priority lists: we view it as a great idea…for someone else on our team. We see it as a necessary evil…not something we want to do, but something we have to do. We look at it as an interruption to our day…as an unwanted intrusion on the part of our guest…as an investment of time with no measurable return.
But I would argue that FTG follow up is one of the most important things we can do, and it’s something our guests both want and need.
Let’s take five bullet points and systematically destroy those above arguments:
1. Follow up is assumed by your first-timers.If a FTG stops by your tent, fills out a card in service, or otherwise lets you know they’re present, there is an inherent assumption that you’re going to follow up with them. To do so isn’t an intrusion…it’s an expectation. To fail to do so leaves a part of the introductory process to your church undone.
2. Follow up is mostly appreciated.In hundreds (maybe thousands?) of FTG calls I’ve made over the years, the opening script is mostly the same:
Me: Hello, is this Bob?
Bob: [deep sigh] Uh, yesss.
Me: Hi Bob, my name is Danny, and I’m one of the pastors at the Summit Church…
Bob: [suddenly sucking that sigh back in, brightening up] Oh, hey! How are you?
The point is that Bob – like all of us – assumes that this unknown caller is trying to sell him something. Once he discovers that I’m just making a friendly follow up call, he opens up. Our guests really do appreciate that personal touch (and in our case, have told us so…more on that in #3). And out of those many, many calls over the years, I can count on two hands the number of calls that maybe weren’t so much appreciated. (Maybe I shouldn’t have tried to sell them an extended warranty on their car.)
3. Follow up really does lead to lasting connections.So many of our staff have shared stories of church members coming up to them months or years later, saying something like, “You know, you’re the reason that I stuck around.” A little digging points back to that first phone call…a phone call that the staff member has long since forgotten, but the guest remembers all too well. The call makes a really large church feel small, it gives a guest a specific point of connection, and it helps them know that there’s someone in their corner.
4. Follow up keeps us tethered to those we serve.For church staff members from the lead pastor to the intern, there is no better grounding than a FTG follow up call. When we ask the guest “How was your experience?” they tell us. Those weekly conversations remind us who we’re here for, how our weekends are perceived, and what actually connects with – or confuses – our guests. I would make the argument that anyone on the payroll at a church should have FTG follow up as part of their job description. (Okay, maybe not the people in charge of the payroll. They’re usually scary.)
5. Follow up narrows down the menu and gives them a map.In #3 above, I said that follow up makes a large church feel small. And before you argue that you’re not a large church, keep in mind that anything new feels big and overwhelming. So that call helps you help the guest: what’s their best next step? How can they get this particular question answered? What makes the most sense for them in this point of their journey?
I tell our team all the time: in the five minutes before I make follow up calls, it’s the moment of my week I dread the most. But in the five minutes after, I know it’s the best investment of my time I can possibly make.
This post originally appeared on dfranks.com .
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August 24, 2022
What Size Must a Church Be to Trigger the Need for Revitalization?
The question came through Church Answers Central, our forum where pastors and church leaders seek feedback in a safe and private place with peers of like mind and subject matter experts. Almost 2,000 church leaders are part of this forum, interacting with each other nearly every hour of every day.
Does the size of a church determine the need for revitalization? Is revitalization based solely on numerical declines? Most would see the need for revitalization in a congregation that shrinks from 150 to 30 in attendance over five years. But what about the church in decline from 1,000 people to 750 people in attendance over ten years?
Several reasons exist as to why a church enters a period of decline.
Inward focus – Evangelism is absent, and the church no longer moves outward.Doctrinal apathy – The fundamentals of the faith are not a priority.Spiritual lethargy – People care more about their preferences than discipleship and holiness.These problems are common in established churches. Most will recognize them as catalysts of decline. But the question in Church Answers Central dealt with the size of the church, and I believe it’s an excellent one to consider. Numerical attendance declines can be evidence of an inward focus, doctrinal apathy, and spiritual lethargy.
The size of the church determines the urgency of the revitalization, not necessarily the need. In the example above, the church of 750 people in attendance likely does not naturally feel any urgency for revitalization. However, the church of 30 is more apt to feel a sense of urgency. Churches usually feel urgency before recognizing what is needed to fix the problem.
Urgency is typically felt in one of two ways:
Facility: The room is too big.Finances: The revenue is too small.The facility urgency. Numerical declines will trigger urgency when so few people attend that the room feels vacuous. Of course, this feeling will depend on the size of the room. Three hundred people in a room seating five thousand is a problem. Thirty people in a room that seats one hundred may not feel like a problem.
Churches are notorious for living in a state of tension between fragility and resiliency. They hang on by their fingernails, but those nails are quite strong. A church can decline in a vacuous room and still not act if the finances support what is left. This support can come from deep cash reserves or a key donor who keeps giving.
The financial urgency. Not every church has deep reserves or a key donor. Financial urgency occurs when the revenue declines to the point where the church lacks cash flow. In other words, when what is coming in through giving no longer supports the bare minimum expenses. A church can go from complete complacency to an all-out emergency in one month when the bills are not paid.
The attendance trigger point of revitalization is more art than science—more feeling than fact. I’ve seen churches with ten or twenty people attending in a room that seats hundreds and still not exhibit any urgency. Some churches will live off cash reserves for years. Urgency is more often about how people feel than the raw numbers.
If you’re looking for a safe place to ask church leadership questions, check out our membership at Church Answers , which includes access to Church Answers Central.
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August 22, 2022
The Compound Effects of Criticism to and about the Pastor
I know pastors make mistakes. I know they don’t get it right all the time. I know leadership means dealing with criticisms.
But . . .
If your church has an attendance of 125, you probably have 300 members and guests who attend at least once a quarter.
If each of the 300 persons “only” complains to or about the pastor once a quarter, that is 1,200 complaints a year.
Those 1,200 complaints a year translate to over three criticisms every day of the year.
Pray for your pastor.
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August 19, 2022
The Three Most Effective Ways to Communicate With Generation Z
Generation Z is a generation with unique qualities. They are the first generation to grow up with mobile devices, social media networks, and the ability to access the internet 24/7. Generation Z is also different from their predecessor (Millennials) because they are more pragmatic and practical in their approach to life. So how we communicate with Generation Z must be unique as well.
First, Generation Z values one on one communication. They want their communication to feel unique to them. Mass communication will not work with them. There’s a reason why Facebook and Instagram are not resonating with this generation. Both of these platforms are designed for one person or organization to communicate with a large audience. However, Generation Z prefers to have one-on-one conversations which is why they prefer messaging apps like What’s App, iMessage, and Facebook Messenger.
So if your ministry’s goal is to reach this generation, understand that a stage announcement, Instagram post, or a church-wide email won’t get the job done. Reaching this generation will require you to reach out and work with them personally. Granted this does not immediately scale, however if you can train your leaders to think this way, then it can fuel your ministry’s growth.
Second, Generation Z values pragmatism in their communication. While they want to aspire to higher goals, they want a sense of realism in their communication. This is not to say that you need to be direct or blunt with Generation Z, however they can tell if what you’re communicating is a pipe-dream or if it’s something that can come to fruition.
This means that when you’re casting vision for the future of your church there needs to be a sense of practicality to the vision. How will this vision impact the community, the church body, and the unreached? What are the tangible ways that it affects Generation Z’s world?
Third, you need to be transparent in your communication. Generation Z wants to be able to see behind the curtain and know what’s really going on. This generation is very savvy when it comes to marketing and they can see right through it if they feel like they’re being sold to. The best way to communicate with them is to be open, honest, and clear.
This means you’ll need to move jargon that can obscur what you’re trying to communicate. If something failed, it’s okay to say it failed. If something works, let them know it works. However, if it feels like you’re trying to spin a situation, then Generation Z will detect it and assume that you’re trying to hide something.
Generation Z has 87 million people in their age group. This makes them the largest generation currently in the United States. They’re also a generation that the church may lose if it does not change the way it communicates. The church needs to understand that this is a generation that is very different from any other and the way we’ve communicated in the past will not work with them. We must be willing to adapt our methods if we want to reach this generation for Christ.
What are some of the ways your ministry is reaching out and communicating with Generation Z? Leave a comment below and let us know.
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August 18, 2022
A Five-Tool Bible to Order and Enrich Your Bible-reading Experience
A new Bible to be released in September is the result of both a sense of mission and a bit of frustration by Bible teacher Iva May.
As she tells it, Iva was frustrated because she had difficulty discovering the connections between the books of the Bible, along with their contexts. She wondered if there was a different way to arrange the content that would allow her to see the connective tissue of God’s grand story in the Bible.
Iva explains: “Imagine trying to assemble a puzzle without the picture on the box, with the straight-edge pieces and corner pieces missing. You’d be frustrated. That’s how I felt for more than 20 years reading my Bible. I had a bunch of little Bible pieces before me, but I didn’t understand how they were connected.”
Iva began developing new resources as she was discipling women in several small groups. She took a seminary course—Chronological Bible Storying—that trained students in the methodology employed by missionaries who worked with primarily oral learners. Iva recognized that most Americans are post-literate, secondarily oral learners who can read but who would rather get their information from media. She was also convicted that without a meta-story, an overarching narrative that makes sense of self and the world, Christians would be prone to follow a lesser story written by a godless culture.
Iva adapted what she learned in the course for her discipleship groups and started using her materials in 2002. These experiences and her view of the importance of new resources for Bible learning led Iva to begin the Chronological Bible Teaching (CBT) ministry. The One Year Chronological Study Bible, published with Tyndale, was developed out of that ministry.
The One Year Chronological Study Bible is so versatile we call it the “five-tool” Bible: a truly unique combination of tools to transform your reading and study.
It’s a one-year Bible, so it comes with the expected promise that if you read each day’s selection, you’ll complete the entire Bible in just one year.This chronological Bible tells the story of God like you’d expect a story to be told—in the order the events took place.There is study content included with each daily reading, providing regular opportunities for insight and reflection.The historical context is explained through a clear framework of 14 Eras, along with a series of helpful articles, charts, and maps.With the clear and accurate New Living Translation, The One Year Chronological Study Bible presents the Bible story in a way that can be understood and applied.More information on this Bible’s features:
Chronological Framework: This unique Bible framework provides a simple structure that builds the story, with each era encapsulating a passage of time. Graphics representing each era capture the big-picture action within that era. The storyline becomes clear as readers connect God’s speaking—His promises, commands, warnings, and prohibitions—to His activity. You’ll find these graphics at the bottom of most pages in the Bible, with the pertinent icon highlighted within each particular section of Scripture.
Discover the Story: Fourteen era overviews capture the story narrated within each era and help readers see the story arc of the Bible.
Daily Introduction: A brief introduction for each day’s reading provides a snapshot of the developing story.
Discovery Questions: Each day’s reading concludes with a set of thought-provoking questions that aid readers in retention, application, and drawing connections throughout the story.
Understand the Story: Sixteen articles address particular themes and track God’s activity through the story. Each article connects God’s activity from one era to both past and future eras.
Era Highlights: Presenting an overview of the story arc of the Bible in summary fashion, the era highlights provide a list of facts for each era and are an excellent tool for helping readers with retention.
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