Thom S. Rainer's Blog, page 84

Five Reasons Churches Will Have an Incredible Window of Opportunity

As congregations return methodically to in-person services, something else will be taking place. It will be obvious to some churches; it will be more subtle to others. Simply stated, churches will have an incredible window of opportunity to make substantive and positive changes.

We have been watching closely the responses of congregations and their leaders during the pandemic. We have surveyed thousands of them during our webinars. There seems to be little doubt. God is using this difficult season to prepare churches for unprecedented opportunities. 

Why is the window of opportunity opening right now? Of course, the correct answer and perspective is that God is opening the window for our churches. But it is fascinating to see specifically how He is working in our congregations. I see at least five reasons for this new and exciting opportunity.

Church members are more unified in the midst of the challenges. This crisis has brought our congregations together. Nitpicking and self-serving has transitioned to praying and serving. More of our members are focused beyond themselves. God is preparing them to move in greater passion and obedience to the Great Commission and the Great Commandment.


Our congregations have been exposed to a variety of worship experiences. Have you ever seen a church member’s perspective and attitude change dramatically for the better when he or she went on a mission trip? That church member becomes aware of a world and cultures dramatically different from her own. Our church members have been exposed to hundreds of streaming worship services. Many of them look and sound nothing like their own. Their world has expanded for the better. 


Many church members have already made changes. I received a comment from an older church member who made the transition to digital giving during the pandemic. His words were likely meant to be humorous: “I swore I would never give online because I was certain it was the abode of the devil.” His willingness to change to digital giving is but a microcosm of the changes many church members have already made. They will likely be receptive and prepared for even more change. 


The community is more receptive. In most communities, those who don’t attend church have been watching streaming worship services. Many of the residents of these communities have requested prayer. Many churches have been highly intentional to reach out to members of the community. The window of opportunity is wide open in these communities. 


Church members are anticipating and celebrating re-gathering in person. They are more in the mood of joy and celebration rather than complaining and nitpicking. They are not nearly as focused on themselves. This pandemic has made them realize that their churches, as imperfect as they are, truly are blessings from God. They are not taking their churches for granted. 

It is indeed a window of opportunity. If past major events are indicative, this window of opportunity will remain open for several months to a year. 

God has given us an opportunity. 

We cannot and must not let it go to waste.

The post Five Reasons Churches Will Have an Incredible Window of Opportunity appeared first on Church Answers.

Three Easy Steps to Assess Your Church’s Communication Strategy

As we move to a more digital-focused world, your church’s communication strategy will become more critical as you navigate this new terrain. Your church’s communication strategy will be the roadmap to helping you determine what effective communications will look like for your church and congregation.

In this post, we’re going to walk you three key questions that will help you hit the pause button and take a step back to assess your church’s communication strategy. 

Question 1: Does your church’s communication strategy have a clear goal?

When you look at your strategy, do you have a clear goal for the strategy? This question is crucial because it forces you to understand what you want to communicate clearly.

Think of your goal as a call to action. What is the one thing you want your congregation to do when you execute your communications strategy? For example, do you want people to join a small group, go on a mission trip, or invite a neighbor to church? 

Another way to look at a goal is to figure out your definition of success. How do you know if your communications strategy is a success? What are the key indicators that would let your church know that your church’s communication strategy is working? Without knowing the goal or what success looks like, you’ll have no idea if you have the right strategy. 

Question 2: Can the strategy be explained on a single sheet of paper?

Communication strategies tend to grow larger over time. It’s easy to begin adding new methods of communication such as email, texting, and mobile apps. However, as the new methods accumulate over time, they can start to weigh down your strategy. 

If you effectively answer the first question in this post, you should be able to boil your strategy down to a single sheet of paper. You should know what your strategy’s goal is and then remove anything from your strategy that will not help you reach that goal. 

In essence, you should be able to sit across from a member of your church and in thirty seconds or less explain what you want to do and how your communications strategy will help you achieve it. 

Question 3: Does the goal of your church’s communications strategy align with your church’s mission and vision?

With the proliferation of communication channels (social media, live-streaming, etc.), it’s easy to begin to feel like your church is being left behind. So to keep up, you try to adopt as many new strategies as your church can handle. However, this rapid adoption of strategy can come with a price.

If you’re not careful, a misaligned communications strategy can create sideways energy; to the point where communications is almost an opposing force to where the church is being led. This misalignment is avoided by ensuring that your communication strategy reinforces the execution of the church’s mission and vision.

If your communication strategy is not aligning with the missing and vision of your church, then you need to ask the following questions:

Do we have a clear understanding of the mission and vision of our church?
What communication strategies will it take to execute the mission and vision of the church?
What communications strategies do you need to abandon to make room for new strategies that support your church’s mission and vision?

The questions above will help you gain realignment with your church’s communication strategy and its mission and vision. 

One final note, the reason why assessing your church’s communication strategy is so important is that as the church moves more towards inhabiting digital spaces (i.e., Facebook, YouTube, etc.) our strategies from the physical world might not translate into these new digital spaces. However, by assessing your church’s communication strategy, you’re preparing your church for the future and what lies ahead.

The post Three Easy Steps to Assess Your Church’s Communication Strategy appeared first on Church Answers.

10 Questions to Ask Before Choosing a Builder

Winston Churchill said “we shape our buildings, thereafter they shape us.”

Church facilities are crucial to how you carry out God’s vision for your congregation. When it comes time to address space and facility issues where you serve, here are 10 questions your team should consider before choosing a designer, architect, or builder:

Do they have a solid understanding of ministry?
Do they know how to discover the correct tool for your church?
Do they have good listening skills and will they take the time to understand your church’s DNA?
Can they communicate plans and processes well?
What kind of track record do they have in regard to handling challenges?
Have they demonstrated patience and empathy to clients?
What do other pastors say about their integrity?
Are they prone to desire a business relationship or ministry relationship?
How do they protect a church’s ministry?
Is the price going to be fair and not put the ministry in a financial strain?

There is no right way to build the wrong building. Do your homework and pray God will lead you to an architect/construction firm that has ministry experience. Remember, the bitterness of poor quality lingers long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.

The post 10 Questions to Ask Before Choosing a Builder appeared first on Church Answers.

10 Findings about Church Membership Classes

Several years ago, I completed a study and wrote a book about church membership classes. Since that time, I’ve continued to watch and listen as more and more churches develop a membership class. Here are several of the findings of that ongoing research:

Some folks will disagree with having a membership class. Arguments vary from “There aren’t membership classes in the Bible” to “That’ll lower our number of new members,” but it’s likely somebody will question the necessity of this class.
Well-designed membership classes are worth the effort. I’ve talked with leaders who regretted some aspect of their class (poor leadership, bad scheduling, too long or too short, etc.), but I’ve not heard a leader say, “We simply should have never had a class.” Many leaders have said, “We should have done it sooner.”
Some other activity may need to be shelved to make room for this class. Because this class is important, it deserves priority of staffing and scheduling. Even if the church schedule is clear, involved staff may need to say “no” to something else to participate.
Personally recruiting for the class is not a bad idea. Some attendees will come because they are ready to make a commitment to the church. Other attendees who are, in Josh Harris’ terms “dating the church,” may not take that step. Some of the same folks, though, will attend if they receive a personal invite from a church leader.
The pastor/primary preacher needs to be involved. Class attendees have told us repeatedly, “We appreciated the time with our pastor.” In many cases, a membership class provides attenders the most intimate time they will have with their pastor. After that time, they will hear him differently in the pulpit.
Relationships developed are significant. Think about it – several attendees who are considering the same membership decision (or who have made the decision already) come together during a similar part of their spiritual journey. Even a few hours together can help them develop lasting bonds.
The class must include a clear presentation of the gospel. Don’t assume all potential “new members” are believers. Not only does a presentation make sure that all attendees have a chance to respond to the gospel, but it also helps them know how to present the good news.
Assuming rather than teaching doctrine in the class is risky. We’ve seen classes that focus well on the church’s story and vision. They encourage involvement, stress giving, and talk about accountability, but give little attention to the church’s doctrine. That omission may well lead to problems later.
Attendees should leave the class understanding both privileges and responsibilities of church membership. They should want to be a part of God’s local Body while also understanding that membership requires something. A lack of balance here can result in a distorted understanding of the church.
Follow up is imperative. If the membership class exposes folks to ministry opportunities but no one helps them get connected, the class loses some of its punch. Likewise, someone must follow up after the class to enlist members for small groups, prayer teams, etc. (in fact, it’s best to do as much as possible during the class itself).

What other findings about membership classes have you discovered?

The post 10 Findings about Church Membership Classes appeared first on Church Answers.

Why the Church Needs to Answer Society’s Call

One of the movies that I watched as a teenager growing up in the ‘80s was Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd’s Ghostbusters. When the city was in trouble and being taken over by evil, darkness, and despair the citizens looked for someone to rescue and deliver them from the menacing spirits that besieged the city.  The cry echoed in the streets was, “Who you gonna call?” And the enthusiastic response was “Ghostbusters!”

Today, there is a resounding cry bellowing in the streets for someone to address the pain, hurt, injustice, and anxiety across America. The world around us is seeking for someone or some organization to provide answers, heal brokenness, and repair the fractures that threaten us all. When the world cries out for help, my prayer is that they will seek deliverance from Christ and His church.  

While the world turns to hear the collective voices of the NFL, NASCAR, corporations, Hollywood, and others who speak out against systemic racism we need to make sure that the voice heard above them all is the church. Recently, when there was a disruption in the streets of Atlanta and the peaceful protesters were taken over by rogue looters, the mayor called the rappers to bring peace before she called the reverends.  When our world cries out for the rapper over the reverend then we know we have work to do. Therefore, we must not be absent.  Our voices cannot be silent. Our message must be clear, strategic, and transformative for our communities.

To answer the cry, I have led my church to ensure we embody the character and focus that Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther had when they addressed the difficulties of their day. They all lived at the same time but had different assignments to bring stability, unity, and change to their world. In my opinion, the church must personify each of these roles and every church should have them operating in their church at all times.  

Ezra, as priest, provided the spiritual impact that was needed and called his people to the Scriptures, prayer, and a return to the heart of God. What will ultimately heal the wounds and fractures in our society is not just economic resources or peaceful protest but true spiritual revival that confronts the root of all problems, sin. And only Christ’s church can call the world to a spiritual awakening that will change hearts, resurrect hope, and help all to see that we can be one in Jesus. Through biblical preaching, impactful Bible study, and fellowship ministry that extends outside the four walls of the church. The Gospel can unite society like nothing else.

Nehemiah, as community restorer, rebuilt the torn down walls that surrounded the city. His job was to address the economic, political, and social disparity that existed. He united the people and focused them on projects that would result in community transformation. In our churches, the work of Nehemiah would be seen in advocating for reforms in the criminal justice system, better housing and healthcare for the underserved, economic advancement for the disenfranchised, soup kitchens, job training, recovery programs, and school improvement. Make sure that some form of these initiatives, among others, are operative in your ministry based on your community needs and resources.

Esther, the queen with access to the king, would use the access to power to speak as the prophetic voice of God for those who have no voice. Many pastors and church members are uniquely in position to use their God given influence to lobby local and state government and work with media and business leaders to ensure that legislation and the plight of marginalized people and oppressed people are heard at the highest level. This is not a democratic or republican mandate. Activism is the second characteristic of an evangelical church on the National Association of Evangelical Churches website. It states, Activism: the expression and demonstration of the gospel in missionary and social reform efforts. How are you using your prophetic voice to speak to power on behalf of the powerless?

So, when we hear crying in the streets because of pain, inequality, discrimination, and fear and the masses ask “Who we gonna call?” I pray the world doesn’t look to the rapper, politician, corporation, or millionaire. May their first call be to Christ and His church.

The post Why the Church Needs to Answer Society’s Call appeared first on Church Answers.

The Top Ten Best Selling Bible Translations Compared to Ten Years Ago

There is a lot of stability in the preference of Bible translations, at least from the perspective of sales. The latest data I have is from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association as of January 2020. The numbers in parentheses represent the rankings in 2011. As a caveat, I understand that some Bibles may be paraphrases rather than translations.

Rankings as January 2020 (numbers in parentheses are 2011 rankings) 

New International Version (NIV) (1)
King James Version (KJV) (2)
New Living Translation (NLT) (4)
English Standard Version (ESV) (5)
New King James Version (NKJV) (3)
Christian Standard Bible (CSB) (6)
Reina Valera (RV) (not ranked)
New International Reader’s Version (NIrV) (9)
The Message (Message) (8)
New American Standard Bible (NASB) (7)

 Observations:

The rankings are amazingly stable since 2011. One translation dropped three spots (NASB). One dropped two spots (NKJV). No other translation dropped or gained more than one spot. Technically, the CSB was the HCSB (LifeWay) in 2011.
The TNIV was discontinued in 2011. It was ranked 10 that year.
The NLT is “the quiet Bible.” The translation continues to gain readers without as much attention as other translations. It is now 3 in the rankings. I started reading the NLT this year and I love it.
 Obviously, the RV is a Spanish translation.

The post The Top Ten Best Selling Bible Translations Compared to Ten Years Ago appeared first on Church Answers.

The Top Ten Best Selling Bibles Compared to Ten Years Ago

There is a lot of stability in the preference of Bible translations, at least from the perspective of sales. The latest data I have is from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association as of January 2020. The numbers in parentheses represent the rankings in 2011. As a caveat, I understand that some Bibles may be paraphrases rather than translations.

Rankings as January 2020 (numbers in parentheses are 2011 rankings) 

New International Version (NIV) (1)
King James Version (KJV) (2)
New Living Translation (NLT) (4)
English Standard Version (ESV) (5)
New King James Version (NKJV) (3)
Christian Standard Bible (CSB) (6)
Reina Valera (RV) (not ranked)
New International Reader’s Version (NIrV) (9)
The Message (Message) (8)
New American Standard Bible (NASB) (7)

 Observations:

The rankings are amazingly stable since 2011. One translation dropped three spots (NASB). One dropped two spots (NKJV). No other translation dropped or gained more than one spot. Technically, the CSB was the HCSB (LifeWay) in 2011.
The TNIV was discontinued in 2011. It was ranked 10 that year.
The NLT is “the quiet Bible.” The translation continues to gain readers without as much attention as other translations. It is now 3 in the rankings. I started reading the NLT this year and I love it.
 Obviously, the RV is a Spanish translation.

The post The Top Ten Best Selling Bibles Compared to Ten Years Ago appeared first on Church Answers.

Five Lessons I Am Learning During The Covid-19 Pandemic

I have been in full time vocational ministry for over 35 years, the last 15 as Lead Pastor of a multi-campus, multi-ethnic church in Central Florida. I have made developing leadership skills a priority throughout my ministry. I have studied church models, listened to leadership podcasts, read both business and church leadership books, and felt that I had developed into a decent leader and knew what needed to be done to reach people and see them grow in their faith.  

All of that changed in March 2020.

As I write this, we are in week 10 of not gathering as a church. Almost overnight most of what I knew about leading a church was no longer possible. And what I came to realize is that most of what I knew about church, dealt with the gathered church. The fact that we could no longer gather meant that I was going to have to learn a lot, really fast, about what a church looks like that is scattered. At age 60, I was back to Church 101 in many ways. As hard as it has been to not be able to gather weekly with my church family, God is teaching me several things that I believe will help direct our church in future.

Lesson #1

We were pretty good with gathered worship services, but our online wasn’t as good as we thought.   

Before the shutdown we would spend hours each week preparing 11 gathered worship services in three languages. We thought carefully through every experience a guest and a member might have when they came onto one of our campuses. We were very intentional about the words we used and the experience we were trying to create. We planned the services down to the minute and knew what we wanted to accomplish each week.  

As we did that, we would spend a few minutes talking about streaming the service and even had an online pastor to moderate the chat online. We thought we were providing a decent experience, but, the truth is, we weren’t. We learned that not everything we did in a service translated well online, and if we were going to keep the online audience we were going to have to make adjustments.  

Some of our changes included:

Offering – We already offered online giving, but most of our people chose to give during a gathered worship service. We had to make giving online easy and be very clear about how to give. When we start to gather again, we will no longer take up an offering during a service, but will continue to promote online giving and encourage those in the house to give in the collection bins on their way out.
Communion – When we observed communion, we expected those watching online to view but not participate in communion. This wasn’t driven by a theological conviction, but by not thinking through the lens of an online viewer. Moving forward, we will prepare the online viewers and encourage them to join us in taking communion.
Announcements – We will make our announcements shorter and more engaging. 
Tech Crew – We took our tech crew for granted – after all, that wasn’t a spiritual position.  Today, we view our tech crew as an essential part of our staff, as they help us stream the gospel to thousands of homes. 

Lesson #2

The scattered church has greater potential than the gathered church.

Pre-pandemic we would say that we were one church with four campuses in three languages. We have come to understand that we are one church with potentially thousands of campuses in many different languages.  

When people understand that they are the church and church isn’t a place you go to, it opens up the possibility for a movement that no building could hold. I have always prayed for my neighbors and even invited them to church. During this time of not going to church, I have been much more focused on being the church to my neighbors. I am hearing stories of members who are going grocery shopping, mowing lawns, and running errands for neighbors. We have members who are organizing drive-by birthday and graduation celebrations in their neighborhood. This has led to some great gospel conversations and people turning to Christ.  

I think we have only scratched the surface of what can happen when the church moves away from being building centered to being the church in their communities.

Lesson #3

“Online is here to stay” presents great potential, but we have a lot to learn. 

There is much debate about what online numbers we should count. We have determined that by any metric we use, our viewership is up and more people are taking advantage of online options.  Almost all of our small groups are meeting on Zoom each week and we are seeing those groups grow.  We have taken discipleship classes and membership classes online and are seeing attendance as great or greater than when we did them in person.  

What we still haven’t figured out is, how do we determine engagement? Online attendance isn’t nearly as important to us than online engagement. Is the experience making a difference? We are still in the early stages of trying to determine that. Do we count online givers only? How about those who interact on chat or leave a prayer request? Do they need to fill out an online connect card to count? We are still in the process of determining which is best for us, but it is an important question.  

Lesson #4

Our staff can be highly creative if we empower them.  

What do you do with Kids Ministry and Student Ministry when you are unable to meet in person? I have learned that both paid staff and volunteers are far more creative when we give them permission to try something new.  

Our Kids Ministry developed an online worship experience that plays immediately following our Sunday morning services along with an online Zoom call for fellowship and discipleship. Our Kids Ministry also set up a drive-by Mother’s Day event on each campus where kids got a craft to do for their mothers and a carnation was given to each mom, while Kids Ministry staff and volunteers cheered the moms on.  

Our Student Ministry was most prepared for this and provided several online experiences for students, including their own graduation ceremony with students walking the stage online for all of their family to see around the world!

Worship Ministry has been able to do everything from create a larger Sunday morning band experience to smaller unplugged experiences.  

Lesson #5

You can teach an old dog new tricks.

After I got over the initial shock of knowing that this was going to be a quick learning curve if we were going to make the transition to online church, I became energized to learn a new way of doing church and the possibilities it holds. I know that I am still on the front end of the curve, but I am praying that this season will lead to greater passion and innovation in bringing the gospel to the world and raising up disciples. 

There is great uncertainty of what the new reality will be when we are able to gather again as a church, but it doesn’t frighten me. I believe that we are in a position to see the church thrive in ways that weren’t possible before we were forced to shut down.  

I am praying for an awakening in America as the church boldly presents the gospel in new and innovative ways.  

“Look, I am about to do something new, even now it is coming. Do you not see it?” – Isaiah 43:19

The post Five Lessons I Am Learning During The Covid-19 Pandemic appeared first on Church Answers.

Does the Condition of Your Church Facility Matter to Guests?

Have you ever walked into a highly-recommended restaurant, full of anticipation and excitement, to then be turned off by the lack of care of the facility? I have been disappointed more times than I can list when I was in a mid- to upper-priced establishment and visited their restroom to be totally repulsed by the lack of care and cleanliness, or to look up at their ceilings to see stained ceiling tiles, or, even worse, dirty HVAC grills and cobwebs. (That is a habit for me, so if you invite me to your facility, know I am looking at your ceilings. You have been warned.)  What does that say about you and your facility? What does it say about what you value? Obviously, you do not value the health and well-being of your guests and occupants if you are OK with allowing dirt and dust to blow down on their heads or have them breathe dirty air.

What story is that communicating?

To me it indicates that either you do not care about your facilities, are not intentional about their care, or are in poor financial condition and cannot maintain them. Now, that is just me, but could that message also be the one conveyed to your guests?

Having a facility in poor condition is not a great witness or example in my opinion. Allow me to explain why:

In his book “First Impressions: Creating WOW Experiences,” Mark Waltz, former pastor of connections at Granger Community Church in Granger, IN, addresses what it may be like to be a guest in our churches and how the first impression may not always convey the story we desire. In addition, the first impression may be the only chance we have to impact their lives. He writes;

“When your guests are distracted from the real purpose of their visit to your church, you’ll have a difficult time re-engaging them. In order for people to see Jesus, potential distractions must be identified and eliminated.”

Have you ever considered that the condition of your facilities could affect your ability to engage and minister to people? In previous blogs I have focused on the physical attributes related to the built environment. We tend to focus on the “obvious” components of a first impression such as signage, guest services, banners, and swag bags. But what about the condition?

Over my 35-year career of serving local churches addressing facilities matters, I have witnessed firsthand the use, abuse, and misuse of ministry facilities. I have seen churches spend millions of dollars on new facilities and then neglect to change the HVAC filters, repair leaks, change light bulbs, caulk annually as required, and so on. In my opinion, this is similar to collecting the offering during your worship services and taking 10 to 20 percent of the monies out of the offering plate or basket and setting it on fire. We would all agree that kind of action would be ridiculous and obscene.

“We would never do that… that is God’s money.”

I ask, who provided the funds to build your facilities? We all know the answer: God provided the resources. It was and is His money. And they are His buildings. Yet, we too often act irresponsibly with these assets.

I find that many church members take better care of their homes, boats, cars, motorcycles, and even their pets than they do their ministry facilities. Is this acceptable to you? It is not to me, and I suggest that the church (big “C”) wake up, take notice, and do something about it. I believe that God will hold each of us responsible and accountable for how we steward every resource entrusted to us.

Do you know the current condition of your facility? Or maybe you are trying to create an action plan for intentional facility stewardship? Contact us today and ask about our Facility Condition Assessment. We would love to help you become a faithful steward with the facility you have been entrusted with!

The post Does the Condition of Your Church Facility Matter to Guests? appeared first on Church Answers.

Two People Every Church Leader Needs in a Moment of Crisis

Lead a church long enough, and you will encounter a crisis. People sin. Satan roams. Life happens. Crises are inevitable results of a fallen world. All pastors and church leaders will run into a legitimate crisis at some point. Your church will face a split. You will be forced to resign by an ugly power group. A close staff person will have a moral failure. The types of crises are numerous. All pastors and church leaders have battle scars.

You can’t fight these battles alone. Obviously, Christ is sufficient for every crisis. His armor is enough to take a stand against any evil scheme. But we’re not created to battle alone. We need other believers—our churches—to stand with us. However, the crisis may come from within the church. So every church leader should keep two people close, especially in a moment of crisis.

In a moment of crisis, every church leader needs a friend. In the ministry trench, it’s encouraging to have someone with you, someone to empathize with your plight. The friend can look you in the eye and say, “This sucks.” A friend’s empathy encourages endurance. A friend’s empathy reminds of hope. A friend’s empathy reassures of a better future. 

In a moment of crisis, every church leader needs a mentor. In the heat of the moment, a leader needs a mentor to help with a long-term view and the very next step. When a wildfire blazes, you can’t see the forest or the trees. Not only does the high level vision disappear in the smoke of controversy, the heat drains you of much needed energy for the moment. The mentor can help you create a strategy to survive. The mentor can prevent you from charging into the wrong fire. The mentor can keep you from making emotionally-charged decisions. 

You will need others around you, but the friend and the mentor are especially important. The friend empathizes. The mentor strategizes. And a little empathy and strategy is often just enough to get you through the crisis.

The post Two People Every Church Leader Needs in a Moment of Crisis appeared first on Church Answers.