Thom S. Rainer's Blog, page 81

Five Reasons Why Church Adoption and Church Fostering Are Such Important Movements

When Sam Rainer coined the word “adoption” two years ago as a descriptor of one church acquiring another, I knew he was on to something. Instead of using corporate words like “acquisition” or unclear words like “replanting,” he used a powerful familial word. Adoption is one family bringing another family member into the household of faith.

 I followed Sam’s example a year later by using the word, “fostering” to refer to a healthier church helping a less healthy church for a season. In the case of adoption, the arrangement is permanent. For fostering, the relationship is temporary.

Both are important and powerful words because they describe two distinct but closely related movements that are important and powerful. Why are these terms so important? Even more, why are the movements behind them so important? Here are five reasons: 

When a church is adopted or fostered, closure is prevented or, at the very least, less likely. There is therefore still a congregational presence in the community. The physical resources intended for God’s work remain for God’s work.


The pandemic has increased the need for church adoption and fostering. More churches are struggling. More churches are at risk of closure. More pastors are leaving under pressure and frustration. The need is great. And the resources are there. 


The church adoption and church fostering movements are reminders that churches should work together to reach a community. These movements are a form of “horizontal growth” rather than the typical “vertical growth.” The latter is focused on getting as many people as possible to one place on Sunday morning. The former is focused on reaching the community. 


Churches that foster and/or adopt get healthier themselves. Both church adoption and church fostering are outwardly focused ministries. They take the focus off the unholy trinity of me, myself, and I, and move the focus to reaching others with the gospel. Outwardly focused churches don’t have time to be grumbling churches.


These movements are grassroots and local. Those involved know the community. They typically love the community. This movement is not a movement where a denominational authority or some other distant entity tries to impose its will on a community. Fostering and adopting churches take place because those who lead them know healthier churches will lead to healthier communities.

 We will be spending quite a bit of time discussing, researching, and following these movements. They may prove to be some of the greatest opportunities coming out of the pandemic. 

Is your church involved in either of these movements? What comments or questions do you have? We would love to hear from you.

The post Five Reasons Why Church Adoption and Church Fostering Are Such Important Movements appeared first on Church Answers.

The 100 Factor of Negativity

Every negative word has the power of one hundred positive words. 

This idea comes from one of my mentors, Brad Waggoner. He challenged me to rethink the way I communicate, both personally and professionally.

Think of encouragement and discouragement on different sides of a scale. One hundred pieces of encouragement weigh the same as one piece of discouragement. 

In your marriage, in work relationships, and in the church, the 100 factor of negativity is always in effect. If you are consistently negative, then you are digging a dark hole. Negativity has many variants, all of which can turn into gossip. Avoid these more powerful forms. 

Cynicism. This form of negativity is driven by a lack of hope. The cynic assumes the worst in people. The cynic will spread the worst-case scenario as if it is the expected-case scenario. Doomsday garners more attention than the humdrum of a typical day. But everyday isn’t doomsday. 

Speculation. Another powerful form of negativity occurs when you speculate about someone’s motives, assuming they are driven by self-interest. Speculating gives you power over others because they assume you have insider information. 

Misinformation. Being negative without having all the facts is not only unfair, it is lazy. People feed more quickly on misinformation than facts. 

Selectivity. This person uses only part of the story to emphasize negativity and leaves out the positive portions to reshape the narrative in a darker direction. 

There are times to challenge, to rebuke, and to use a prophetic voice. How do you balance the 100 factor of negativity? How can you keep the scales tipping towards encouragement? Some people have a gift of encouragement. My wife, for instance, is a natural in this area. For the rest of us, we need a roadmap to avoid the giant potholes of negativity.

Assume the best. Start positive! Pessimists are not leaders. Only optimists can take people to a better place. Realism is a tool. Optimism is a posture. Realism is the map. Optimism is the compass. There are too many pessimists out there under the guise of realism. They are looking at the map wrong! 

Maintain a positive tone. The content of your message is important but so is how you communicate. Be cognizant of your non-verbal cues. Watch out for eye rolls and hand gestures. I was once in a meeting where one team member let out an exasperated sigh and kept his face in his hands the entire time. None of us had a clue what was wrong, but it certainly put a damper on our meeting. 

Keep score. Not of others. Of yourself. Take note of how often you encourage others, how often you use a positive or negative tone with individuals. You might be surprised at how you compound negativity on certain people while lifting others up. You may not be a negative person in general, but you may be too negative with select people. 

Just don’t on social media. Imagine you are standing on the corner of a busy street downtown. You have a megaphone, yelling at vehicles and people walking. That’s you on social media. A soft approach on social media simply doesn’t exist. If you’re going to yell at people through a megaphone, it might as well be positive.  

Have a weekly strategy. Build encouragement into your calendar. I have a nightly reminder at 9:00 p.m. I get a notification to pray for people. I then take about ten or fifteen minutes to pray and send out texts of encouragement. 

Brad Waggoner is right. Negativity is one hundred times more powerful than positivity. Being positive requires work, discipline, and intentionality.

The post The 100 Factor of Negativity appeared first on Church Answers.

Five Ways Churches Will Have Changed One Year From Now

I am not prophetic. And if I am prescient, it’s only because I have the incredible vantage point of hearing from tens of thousands of church leaders every year.

While it is admittedly difficult to project trends in typical times, it is exceedingly difficult to do so in a time of pandemic headed for, hopefully, a post-quarantine era. Because we hear from so many church leaders and church members, allow me to venture where local churches will be in one year. 

At least 20 percent of those who attended before the pandemic will not return to church. Of course, this number will vary from church to church, but early indicators point to this level of losses. Some of the former in-person attendees will become digital-only attendees. Most of this group, however, will not attend at all.


More pastors will leave vocational ministry over the next twelve months than any time in recent history. Pastors suffer a death by a thousand cuts. It’s usually not just one or a few factors that push their limits, it’s the drip-by-drip effect of constant criticisms and conflicts they experience. That continuous pressure and discouragement has been exacerbated by the incredible pressures brought by the pandemic. 


Churches will move to a new emphasis on conversion growth. Churches have been quietly disobedient to the Great Commission for three decades. We are seeing signs of a new wake-up call. Church leaders are becoming increasingly convicted that they must lead their churches to reach those who are not believers in Christ. Church members are reflecting that same conviction and commitment. Most church growth for the past three decades has been transfer growth, Christians moving from one church to another. That dismal reality is about to change. 


Churches will start more churches, many of them as microchurches. Churches are moving from vertical growth (getting as many to attend as possible at one place on Sunday morning) to horizontal growth (growth beyond one site on Sunday morning). A lot of this new growth will include the starting of microchurches, congregations of around 25 to 30 people. As a side note to be unpacked later, these trends will have huge implications for the future of church facilities. 


Two movements will grow rapidly: church adoption and church fostering. There will be more unhealthy churches needing help in the next few months. There will be more struggling churches without pastors. Some of these churches will be adopted; they will be assumed into another church family and become a site of the adopting church. Others will be fostered, which means a healthier church will help those struggling churches for a short season. I will address both of these movements next week.

While it has become cliché to say we are living in unprecedented times, we are living in unprecedented times. Those organizations that view this new reality as an opportunity will indeed see limitless possibilities. This perspective is especially true for the organizations we call churches. 

It’s a challenging time. It’s an exciting time. 

The next twelve months will be incredibly telling for the future of local churches around the world. 

Let me know what you think.

The post Five Ways Churches Will Have Changed One Year From Now appeared first on Church Answers.

Coming Together as a Country in the Wake of Tragedy

I’ve always been impressed by what I call the “aftermath mentality.” As Americans, we are so good at treating each other as individuals and family after a crisis. Take, for example, the 2015 shooting in Charleston, South Carolina. If you know anything about the historic city of Charleston, it isn’t difficult to imagine why Dylann Roof chose the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church as his target. Known as Mother Emanuel because it birthed other AME churches, the church has endured more than its share of tragedies since its founding in 1816. Back then, all churches in Charleston were required to have a majority white membership, and blacks were allowed to meet for church services only during the day. African Americans were routinely harassed and forbidden to learn to read. Denmark Vesey, one of the church’s founders, was implicated in a slave revolt and was later executed after a secret trial.

Six years after the church’s founding, the original church building was burned to the ground by whites who were angry about black progress. The black congregation continued to meet in secret until the end of the Civil War, and then they rebuilt Mother Emanuel. In 1969, Coretta Scott King led a march from Mother Emanuel during the infamous hospital workers’ strike. Throughout the church’s history, great speakers like Booker T. Washington, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and the Reverend Wyatt Tee Walker of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference often chose to speak at Mother Emanuel because of its historic importance. Mother Emanuel is a place of significance, history, and influence.

Perhaps a tougher question to answer is this: What led a young man to believe that starting a race war was possible in 2015, fifty years after the passage of the Civil Rights Act? The question is difficult, not because we don’t know the answer, but because of what the answer says about where we stand as a nation.

Dylann Roof saw the cracks in the foundation of our society, where people had begun to retreat into their own echo chambers, removing themselves from the melting pot into individual bowls based on “identity.” Republicans, you watch these channels and read these news outlets over here. Democrats, your channels and news outlets are on the opposite side of the dial. The tragic deaths of more than a few black men, from Trayvon Martin to Michael Brown to Walter Scott, have inflamed racial tensions to levels not seen in decades. We have divided ourselves by religion, race, and relativity, with statements such as “That may be your truth, but it’s not my truth.” We are divided by gender and geography, by ideology, identity, and every idiosyncrasy we can imagine.

And yet, through the tragedy at Emanuel, there came a glimpse of the future we must choose. The families of the Emanuel Nine called for peace and unity. On national television, they forgave the man who killed their mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters. Because of them, Charleston came together in a way not seen before in my lifetime.

Even between people with no previous relationship, this racially motivated atrocity actually bridged a racial divide. Love is always stronger than hate, and God’s love is stronger than anything. If we want to move forward, we must anchor ourselves in God’s powerful, transformative, and genuine love.                                                                                              

Adapted from Unified: How Our Unlikely Friendship Gives Us Hope for a Divided Country by Senator Tim Scott and Congressman Trey Gowdy, from Tyndale House Publishers.        

Consider using this related resource from Senator Scott and former Congressman Gowdy as a way to open conversations on race and diversity at your church: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Friendship Challenge can help you get the conversation started about bridging the racial divide in your community.

The Friendship Challenge is a six-week guide, helping individuals and groups promote racial reconciliation in their communities—one person at a time, one friendship at a time. 
The first week prepares individuals and groups to reach out to a person on the other side of the racial divide, whether it is a person at work or in a nearby church. 
The next five weeks take that small group through a study that fosters true reconciliation—the kind of reconciliation Jesus showed in his own life and death.

The Friendship Challenge study is available online, through retailers, or through the publisher at Tyndale.com.

Tyndale | The Friendship Challenge

The post Coming Together as a Country in the Wake of Tragedy appeared first on Church Answers.

7 Ways for Pastors to Re-focus on the Great Commission

I have been a church consultant for more than twenty years, and I have never seen a strong Great Commission church without a pastor burdened for his neighbors and the nations. Simply stated, a congregation-wide DNA of brokenness over lostness usually trickles down from the top. If your longing to get the gospel to the lost has waned, my goal here is to provide some simple suggestions to re-ignite that passion.

Admit to God and to someone else where you are. Confession to God is the first step toward change, and accountability with others is a daily reminder of your renewed commitment.
Ask someone to pray these texts for you: Ephesians 6:19-20 (that you will share the gospel boldly) and Colossians 4:3-4 (that God will open a door and help you speak the gospel clearly). If the apostle Paul needed folks to pray this way for him, surely pastors need this same support today.
Do a Bible study on “grace.” Frankly, we often lose our passion for the Great Commission because we take grace for granted. Go back to the beginning of your spiritual journey, and let the Word magnify the grace of God again.
Once a week, take a couple of hours to see your community with God’s eyes. Schedule time to be in your community. Drive around, praying as you go. If you see worship sites for other world faiths, grieve for those who worship false gods. Pray for the children and teens who attend schools you pass, knowing you may be the only person praying for them that day.
At least once a week, walk the streets of your community and talk to people. Slow down, take a walk, speak with business leaders, ask for prayer concerns, and get to know the people you need to reach.
At least once a week, take time to pray for an unreached people group around the world. I invite you to go to www.imb.org or www.joshuaproject.net, and learn about a people group. Hear about the spiritual blindness that keeps them in darkness. To be consistent with this task, calendar it each week.
Everyday, make it a point to tell somebody something good about Jesus. What you say may be as simple as, “I’m having a good day because Jesus loves me,” or “May I tell you how God answered my prayer?”  The point is this: if you speak a good word about Jesus every day (even to believers as a starting point), telling the gospel story will become more of your DNA. 

 Pastor, ask God to make Jesus your passion again. Pray and work so others know Him.  Your church will not catch the fire of the Great Commission unless the flame first burns in you.

The post 7 Ways for Pastors to Re-focus on the Great Commission appeared first on Church Answers.

Five Types of Church Members Who Will Not Return after the Quarantine

It is one of the most common questions we get from church leaders: When will all the church members return to in-persons services?

Leaders do not like my response: Never.

It is a reality church leaders and members are hesitant to accept. For most churches, not all the church members who were attending before the pandemic will return. In fact, our anecdotal conversations with church members and church leaders indicate somewhere between 20 percent and 30 percent of the members will not return to your church.

From an attendance perspective, if 20 percent of a church with a pre-pandemic attendance of 200 do not return, the new reality attendance will be 160 in attendance after everyone feels safe to return. You can do the math for your own church.

So, who are these non-returning church members? Why are they not returning? Here are the five most common dropout groups. The groups are not mutually exclusive; there could be significant overlap.

The decreasing attendance members. These were your members who, at one time, attended church almost four times a month. Before they pandemic, their frequency of attendance declined to twice a month or even once a month. COVID accelerated their trends. They are now attending zero times a month.


The disconnected church members. If a church member is in a small group, his or her likelihood of returning is high. If they attend worship only, their likelihood of attendance is much lower. Please let this reality be a strong motivation to emphasize in-person small groups once everyone feels safe to return.


The church-is-another-activity church members. These church members see gathered attendance as yet another activity on par, or lower, than other activities. They were the church members who let inclement weather keep them from church but not their children’s Sunday soccer games. Commitment to the church was a low priority before the pandemic. They have no commitment in the post-quarantine era. 


The constant-critic church members. These church members always had some complaints for the pastor. In fact, your pastor may be dying a death by a thousand cuts. They are likely still complaining even though they have not returned to in-person services. Many of them will not return at all. 


The cultural Christian church members. They were part of a declining group well before the pandemic. They were those church members who likely were not Christians but came to church to be accepted culturally. Today, there are few cultural expectations for people to attend church. These cultural Christians learned during the pandemic that it was no big deal to miss church. It will be no big deal for them never to return.

Church leaders and church members, however, should not fret about these losses. Your local church has the opportunity to write its future on a blank slate, and these church members really had no plans to be a part of that future anyway. 

You may feel the pain of the losses; that is normal. But God has a plan for your church to embrace the new reality to which you are headed. Head into His future with confidence. God’s got your church. And He’s got you. 

It’s cliché, but the best days are likely just ahead.

The post Five Types of Church Members Who Will Not Return after the Quarantine appeared first on Church Answers.

You Are the Least Common Denominator

I spent a decade of my life in camp and youth ministry. Camp is an intense and fast-paced environment that can often be a catalyst to personal and professional growth. I can look back on every summer and see something extraordinary that God worked out in my life.

At the end of one of my last summers, one particular staffer made a comment on his end of summer evaluation that has greatly impacted me professionally and personally. He wrote, “When it comes to staff relationships I realize that I am the least common denominator.” As a 20-year-old, he understood the importance of being self-aware.

Leaders reading this fall into one of two categories: (1) the senior leader, (2) everybody else. Regardless of category it is crucial for you to be self-aware. Here are some questions to ask yourself:

What are your strengths? For me I know that I am a strategy and systems guy. I enjoy seeing the desired future and setting up a path to get there. I love problem solving when things go wrong. I thrive on execution of tasks and accomplishing goals.

What are your weaknesses? I know I can get caught in the details and systems of a task. You can guarantee I will execute the plan, but I often miss the people around me. I have to set reminders and email myself to make sure I check in on those around me. I make a habit in every call or conversation to see how someone is doing before we get to the task at hand.

What are your blindspots? These are the things you don’t know. I have found that this takes careful selection of a mentor AND someone to hold you accountable. These have been different people in my life at different times, but I have tried to create a network of people that can speak into me personally, professionally, financially, and spiritually.

What are you meant to be? Early on in my career I found that I didn’t thrive at the top. It took me a little while to get comfortable in my own skin. My competitive nature said that I couldn’t settle for anything less than the first chair. If you watched the documentary on the Chicago Bulls recently you will know that Michael Jordan wouldn’t be Jordan without Scottie Pippen. I do better when I realize I am Scottie Pippen.

In both your successes and failures you will be the lowest common denominator. God is calling you to something great. He has designed you to be strong in some ways and depend on the body in other ways. You will lead more effectively if you can understand who you are, where you are, and how God has placed you.

The post You Are the Least Common Denominator appeared first on Church Answers.

5 Reasons Why Behavior Problems Pop Up In Kids Ministry

“I just can’t do it anymore. The kids are out of control. I can’t get them to listen. I don’t think I’m the best one to be serving in this spot.”

Chances are high that you have heard this type of statement from a volunteer in your church. Dealing with children’s behavior is a universal issue in children’s ministry. No matter the size, location, or denomination of your church, kids make poor behavioral choices. 

There are reasons why kids misbehave. When we identify these reasons, we can better understand how to minister to the kids in our church. 

Leaders aren’t prepared.  When working with children, downtime is of the devil. If there are gaps in classroom momentum, kids will fill those gaps and probably not in ways that you prefer. When leaders are fumbling over their lesson or having to stop to look for supplies, kids find the opportunity to engage in other behaviors. 
Kids have unmet needs – It is very difficult for a child to feel motivated to participate if he is hungry and hasn’t had breakfast. If a child was awake all night, she may act out. In order to learn and participate, kids need to feel safe, secure, and connected. By choosing to look beyond the behavior and identify unmet needs in the life of the child, we are showing grace that reflects the gospel of Jesus. 
Unrealistic expectations – When we have expectations that are not realistic for the age group that we are serving, we set kids up to fail. When kids fail to meet our expectations, we view that as misbehavior and we get incredibly frustrated. If we expect a group of preschoolers to quietly sit in chairs for an hour or expect fifth graders to participate in “babyish” activities, we are expecting behavior that is not in line with how God made their bodies. When we ask kids to perform tasks that are way too easy or way too difficult, we are often creating behavior problems.
Kids are bored – Ouch. Entertaining children is not our job, but our job is to make sure we don’t bore them with the most amazing truth in the world. When children are bored, they will find other ways to entertain themselves. Strive to have the most engaging lessons possible. Get kids out of their chairs. The more engaged they are, the fewer behavior problems you will encounter. 
We all sin – Romans 3:23 says, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” Why do kids misbehave in your classroom? It is the gospel at work in your classroom. Every time a kid messes up it is a reminder that this is why Jesus came to die for us. Jesus came because none of us can obey all the rules. Every time we address behavior it is an opportunity to point kids towards the gospel. 

When we take the time to evaluate the “why” behind the behaviors we are seeing, we have the opportunity to adjust our approaches. We have the opportunity to improve the environment for both the kids and the volunteers, easing frustrations and providing more opportunities for kids to connect with God. 

The post 5 Reasons Why Behavior Problems Pop Up In Kids Ministry appeared first on Church Answers.

Telling the Difference Between Breaking Trust and Making a Mistake

Leaders fail when they accuse someone of breaking trust when all the person did was make an honest mistake. It’s demoralizing for the accused. Leaders also fail when they dismiss betrayal, thinking that betrayer was simply mistaken. That’s dangerous for the leader.

I’ve made mistakes as a leader. One in particular stands out. The pre-filled-peel-and-partake communion cups were a mistake. I thought they would make the Lord’s Supper process more efficient. Apparently, no one cares about efficiency in worship when the communion cups randomly explode after being exposed to freezing weather during the shipping process. After a few years, I can laugh about it. No one laughed then. 

Leaders make mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes. Mistakes occur for many reasons: laziness, stubbornness, misinformation, miscalculations, and ineptitude. Even the most competent of people, however, make honest mistakes, like when communion cups become grape juice grenades. 

Making a mistake is different than breaking trust—qualitatively different. Breaking trust is never appropriate. Breaking trust is a form of betrayal. It’s one thing for communion cups to explode. It’s another thing to work behind the scenes to undermine or deceive a friend. The mistake stains clothes. The betrayal stains a soul. 

Your team will make mistakes. You should expect others to make mistakes. In fact, you should give your team the freedom to make mistakes. But you should also maintain zero tolerance for a betrayal of trust. As a church leader, how can you tell the difference between a mistake and betrayal? 

Ask before jumping to conclusions. If you believe someone has made a major mistake that could rise to the level of breaking trust, then your first step is to talk to the individual. Too often leaders jump to conclusions without hearing the other side. Too often this leap is due to the leader’s own insecurities. 

Don’t micro-analyze every mistake. If insecure leaders jump to conclusions, overbearing leaders will micro-analyze everyone’s mistakes. When someone on your team makes an honest mistake, move on. Good team members will learn from their own mistakes. Splitting hairs creates splitting headaches. 

Don’t project past offenses on others. Someone from your past betrayed you. Just because another person has a similar personality doesn’t mean he or she will betray you too. You should not project someone’s past offenses on another person. 

Look for a pattern. A few mistakes every now and then is normal. Making the same mistake multiple times after multiple warnings is a pattern you cannot ignore.   

Consider the intent. When someone breaks your trust, intent exists. When someone makes a mistake, they don’t intend to do so. 

Consider the whole of a person. No one wants to be judged by an isolated mistake. Even in the case of something substantial, consider the entirety of a person. All people make mistakes. In fact, all people have sin. As a leader, you must look at all of who a person is, not just who they are in a bad moment.

Mistakes are inevitable. Leading change and taking risk will produce mistakes. Indeed, you can’t move forward without incurring some mistakes. Your team will make mistakes too. Just don’t mistake them for breaking trust.  

The post Telling the Difference Between Breaking Trust and Making a Mistake appeared first on Church Answers.

Tyndale House Publishers and Church Answers Announce New Partnership

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CAROL STREAM, Ill. (August 3, 2020)—Tyndale House Publishers (@tyndalehouse) and Church Answers (@ChurchAnswers) today announced the formation of a new ministry partnership dedicated to serving and equipping the local church with thoughtful, practical, and innovative resources of all kinds to help churches grow and thrive in their God-given mission. This partnership includes a multi-book, multi-year agreement with bestselling author and church strategist Thom Rainer (@ThomRainer), publishing books that cover topics vital to a church’s life and health within the coming decades. Each core book will have an accompanying video curriculum, participant’s guides, and other ancillary books to empower church leaders and inspire church members.

Ron Beers, Tyndale’s Senior VP and Publisher says, “Tyndale is ecstatic about our long-term partnership with Thom Rainer and Church Answers. Thom is a gifted leader, teacher, and communicator whose personal mission aligns perfectly with Tyndale’s. He is so successful and respected among tens of thousands of churches not only because he is a thoughtful and talented writer, but also because he knows perhaps better than anyone the needs and pulse of the church – its leaders and congregants. Working together we have no doubt we will create tools to serve the Church in unique and powerful ways so that we can all participate more fully in the growth of God’s Kingdom for His glory.”

In addition to the multi-book agreement, the partnership will feature a new Church Answers Resource book series edited by Thom Rainer and co-published by Tyndale and Church Answers. These books will focus on key practical issues for the local church and will include some of the leading authors in the genre. 

Both Tyndale and Church Answers will also work jointly on the new ministry site, ChurchAnswers.com. This platform is one of the largest sites in the world focusing on local church ministry. 

The local church is God’s plan for individual and societal transformation, and the Tyndale and Church Answers partnership will do everything within its power to supply the local church with what it needs to fulfill its unique calling. New cutting-edge initiatives are currently in development to supply church leaders with the most up-to-date tools and information to help local congregations flourish in the twenty-first century.

Thom Rainer, founder and CEO of Church Answers commented, “From a personal perspective, I am so grateful for the confidence Tyndale has placed in me to write books for local churches for the next several years. From Church Answers’ perspective, the alignment is perfect. Tyndale is one of the leading Christian content providers in the world. I am incredibly enthusiastic about the two organizations working together for local churches for the glory of God.” 

Founded in Franklin, Tennessee, Church Answers began in 2019 as the continuation of the platform of Thom Rainer. Today, the organization reaches two out of three churches in North America and a growing number of churches globally.

Since its founding in 1962, Tyndale House Publishers has been a voice to trust for generations of readers. Today, Tyndale is one of the largest independent Christian publishers in the world. Tyndale’s mission is to make the Bible accessible to as many people as possible in language that they can relate and respond to. Tyndale publishes the Holy Bible, New Living Translation (NLT) and offers nonfiction books that equip readers with Christ-centered insight, counsel, and life-improving stories. In addition, Tyndale publishes fiction from fresh new voices and celebrated authors alike, capturing the imagination of millions of readers. With a deep understanding of the importance of nurturing future generations, Tyndale also publishes children’s products that make God’s Word and wisdom come alive. Tyndale’s independent status allows it to follow its founding model, giving a majority of annual revenue—more than $100 million throughout its history—to charitable missions. With every book purchased, Tyndale readers help meet the physical and spiritual needs of people around the world.

The post Tyndale House Publishers and Church Answers Announce New Partnership appeared first on Church Answers.