Thom S. Rainer's Blog, page 86

Old Tech and New Tech Solutions You Should Keep Doing as You Return to In-Person Services

Podcast Episode #642

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From making phone calls and writing letters to online giving and virtual discipleship, as we return to in-person services, there are many strategies your church should keep doing. Thom and Sam discuss many of these strategies and their benefits on today’s episode of Rainer on Leadership. 

Keep making phone calls and writing letters.
Keep building your church email list. 
Keep moving people towards online giving.
Keep an option for groups via video calls.

Resources

Church Future Indicator


Episode Sponsors

The mission at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ by equipping students to serve the church and fulfill the Great Commission. The school offers more than 40 different degree programs, including the new Master of Arts in Church Revitalization in partnership with Church Answers and the Revitalization Network. This 37-hour degree is designed to help students move established churches from flatlining to flourishing.

Learn about this program and more by visiting sebts.edu. Where are you going? Southeastern will help you get there.

Feedback

If you have a question you would like answered on the show, fill out the form on the podcast page here at ThomRainer.com. If we use your question, you’ll receive a free copy of Scrappy Church.

Goodbye ThomRainer.com . . . Hello ChurchAnswers.com

By Thom S. Rainer

“It will be big, really big.”

My team at Church Answers has heard that line from me many times. Sometimes they hold their collective breaths. Sometimes they cringe. And sometimes they have big expectations.

This time we all have big expectations.

Later this week, ThomRainer.com will disappear. ChurchAnswers.com will become the one-stop site for all things practical church ministry. Let me elaborate. 

Hello ChurchAnswers.com  

We have little doubt this new site will be an incredible place for church leaders and members to find a wealth of information and resources related to practical church ministry. If you looked today, ChurchAnswers.com is simply our subscription coaching site. But if you check out the site at the end of this week, it will be more – a whole lot more! 

ChurchAnswers.com will include daily content by some incredible writers and thinkers. Sam Rainer, Chuck Lawless, and I will continue to post our articles there, but you will see a lot of new names as well.

We will have three podcasts at this site: Rainer on Leadership, Revitalize and Replant, and EST. These three podcasts address topics related to leadership for practical church ministry.

We will have all of our training and certification at ChurchAnswers.com, as well as the great resources many of you are using for your church . . . with many more to come. 

Of course, the Church Answers community will be there, including Church Answers Central, the largest ongoing gathering of ministry leaders in the world. We will also be expanding our coaching and consulting at ChurchAnswers.com 

Whew. There will be more to come. 

Goodbye ThomRainer.com

So, why am I saying goodbye to ThomRainer.com? To begin, having two major sites is confusing and messy. We are combining the two and adding much more. If you happen to type “ThomRainer.com” in your browser later this week, you will be sent to ChurchAnswers.com.  

Further, my old platform ministry has grown well past me. While I am still leading the efforts and contributing each week, you will see new faces and hear new voices. This resource is not all about one person; it is about many voices speaking into the most pertinent and powerful issues in local church ministry. 

I admit it is bittersweet to see my name and my brand become subsumed by another name. But it’s the right thing to do. It is the best thing to do for local churches. It is the best thing to do for the Kingdom.

The Mystery of the Major Ministry Partner  

I am having trouble keeping this part of our future confidential, but I must  . . . for now. On August 1, 2020, Church Answers will join forces with one of the best ministries in the world. I wish I could say more, but I can’t. 

This new ministry partnership will allow us to provide resources, content, and ministry beyond anything I could have dreamed just a few months earlier. It is one of those ministry marriages that makes perfect sense.

For now, the ministry partner remains a mystery. But stay tuned. You will likely be blown away. 

The Best Is Yet to Come  

As we prepare for these changes, we are not forgetting those we serve. In Christ’s power, our mission is to serve local churches and her leaders and members. We will not lose that focus. To the contrary, that focus is sharper than ever. My team and I are honored to serve you. 

Thank you, all of you, for being a faithful reader of our content, listener of our podcasts, user of our resources, or vital part of our Church Answers’ community. You are why we do what we do. And it is our prayer that these major changes will help us to serve you better than ever. 

Stay tuned for the release of the new ChurchAnswers.com later this week.

The best is yet to come.

Of that, I have no doubt.

Pray for Fresno Church

Location: Fresno, California

Pastor: Josh Irmler

Weekly Worship: Sundays at 10:30 AM, Pacific

Fast Facts: Fresno Church in Fresno, California is the recipient of Revitalize Network’s 2020 Church of the Year Transformation Award.

Fresno Church, originally named Ambassador Baptist Church, was founded in 1989 in Fresno, California. In 2008, thirty-seven people voted to make Josh Irmler their new lead pastor. Since then, he and his team have led the church through almost every imaginable transition possible. Everything from a campus relocation and a building construction with an auditorium to seat nearly 500, to re-writing the constitution and changing the name of the church. There were also many other important philosophical ministry shifts that were made throughout the years.

Since re-launching, Fresno Church has had several high days of over five-hundred people in attendance. Personal one-on-one discipleship has always been a high priority at Fresno Church, and over the years they have seen hundreds of people complete their discipleship program. Fresno Church has planted six other churches around the country with leaders who have been raised up from their own congregation.

Please pray for Pastor Irmler as he leads Fresno Church each Sunday in live interactive church services. Also pray for the church members as they serve their community by providing meals to local families, collecting food and snacks for hospital workers, and participating in a prayer drive to cover the Fresno community in prayer.

Website: FresnoChurch.com

The 2020 Church of the Year Transformation Award was made possible by the Christian Standard Bible. https://CSBible.com/

“Pray for . . .” is the Sunday blog series at ThomRainer.com. We encourage you to pray for these churches noted every Sunday. Please feel free to comment that you are praying as well.

If you would like to have your church featured in the “Pray for…” series, fill out this information form.

How to Make Worship Services BETTER Right Now – An interview with Jordan Richmond

Podcast Episode #641

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Today we welcome Jordan Richmond, worship pastor at West Bradenton Baptist Church. We discuss practical ways leaders can make worship services better right now. Jordan has been married to Heather for 14 years and they’ve led worship together for all of it. They have 4 children. 

How to Make Worship Services BETTER Right Now

Check-in with your people personally.
Dig into technical areas where you need to improve
Think intimate. Not big. 
Go shorter. Not longer.

Resources

Church Future Indicator
Jordan Richmond’s YouTube channel
Pro Tools


Episode Sponsors

The mission at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ by equipping students to serve the church and fulfill the Great Commission. The school offers more than 40 different degree programs, including the new Master of Arts in Church Revitalization in partnership with Church Answers and the Revitalization Network. This 37-hour degree is designed to help students move established churches from flatlining to flourishing.

Learn about this program and more by visiting sebts.edu. Where are you going? Southeastern will help you get there.

Feedback

If you have a question you would like answered on the show, fill out the form on the podcast page here at ThomRainer.com. If we use your question, you’ll receive a free copy of Scrappy Church.

Five Characteristics of a Church Leader Who Will Lead Well in the Post-Pandemic Era

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What makes a good leader in the post-pandemic era? Thom and Kevin discuss five characteristics of church leaders who will lead well during the days ahead. 

Courageous
Willing to lead and think outside the box
Prayerful
Willing to understand the times
Willing to count the cost

Resources mentioned in today’s podcast:

Church Answers











Revitalize & Replant is sponsored by the North American Mission Board and ChurchReplanters.com. More than 10% of churches in North America are at risk of closing and the North American Mission Board is committed to reversing this trend by decreasing the death rate of existing churches while simultaneously increasing the birth rate of new churches. To learn more about what it means to become a replanting pastor or to explore resources for replanting and revitalization in your own church, visit ChurchReplanters.com.
Submit Your Question:

Do you have a question about church revitalization or replanting for us to use on the podcast? Visit the podcast page to submit your question. If we use it on the show, you’ll get a copy of Autopsy of a Deceased Church and Reclaiming Glory.

6 Problems in Small Groups

By Chuck Lawless 

Small groups are essential to the health of a church. In a small group, we can experience all six purposes of the church: worship, evangelism, discipleship, ministry, prayer, and fellowship.

On the other hand, our church consulting teams have also experienced numerous problems when attending church small groups. Here are six to consider, followed briefly by suggestions for correction.

Unclear purpose. Some groups are designed for outreach, with members inviting others to join. Others are more closed, with members living life-on-life and drilling deeply into each other’s walk with God. Many groups, though, do not know their primary purpose. Members struggle, not knowing if they should bare their soul to others, invite the unchurched, or both. 

CORRECTION: Determine the group’s purpose, and make sure the leaders and members

know it. Continually keep that purpose in front of the group.   

Bad leading and/or teaching.  We have seen this problem so often that we’re no longer surprised when we see it – though it should surprise us that churches allow poor teachers and facilitators to lead a group. Frankly, this problem is almost inexcusable. 

CORRECTION: Enlist teachers based on faithfulness, willingness, and giftedness. Provide training. Evaluate teaching, and move poor teachers to a better place of service if necessary. 

Little or no Scripture. Here, I’m speaking primarily about small group meetings intended for Bible study. Our consultants have too often attended hour-long Bible studies that included no more than 15-20 minutes of actual Bible study.

 CORRECTION: Enlist the best teachers, and make sure they know the expectations. They are responsible for making sure the Bible is taught. Leaders who cannot lead a group to maintain this standard should not be leading.  

Unfriendly members. I know a lot of groups who say they’re friendly. I also know we’ve sent our consulting “spies” to some of these groups, and they found them to be less than friendly. Typically, groups that see themselves as friendly are friendly only to people they know.

CORRECTION: Consider enlisting an unknown guest to visit your group and give you a report. Train members to reach out to people they don’t know. You might even enlist one sociable group member who is first responsible for greeting guests. 

Not expecting guests. Assuming the intent of the group is to be outwardly focused (like most Sunday school groups, e.g.), here are some signs of this problem: No available seats. No extra curriculum materials. No one ready to get contact information. No one providing or wearing. No one helping guests know where to go after the class. Simply put: a guest who feels like an intrusion will not return. 

CORRECTION: Make sure the leader is outwardly focused. Remind the group weekly of their responsibility to invite others. Schedule other activities to which the unchurched might come. Get everything ready for guests who might attend the regular small group meeting. Expect God to bless your preparations. 

Gossip sessions. You know the scenario our consulting team has faced at times. The group gathers, and in the name of “prayer requests,” somebody shares information that should likely be kept in smaller circles. The request then becomes a launching pad for talking about somebody else’s problems. 

CORRECTION: Enlist a group prayer leader who gently controls the prayer request times. Provide other opportunities to share concerns without gossiping about others. 

What other issues have you seen in small groups? What corrections would you offer? 

Repurposing Your Church During the Pandemic- An Interview with Mike Glenn

Podcast Episode #640

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What does it mean to repurpose your church? What would it look like to repurpose during this time of change within the church. Guest Pastor Mike Glenn visits with Thom and Sam to discuss this new opportunity for your church. 

Let’s begin with definitions. What does it mean to repurpose a church?
How has this issue become more obvious and important during the pandemic?
How would you distinguish repurposing from revitalization?
What are some practical steps churches can take right now?

Resources

Church Future Indicator
Mike Glenn
Know Your Community


Episode Sponsors

The mission at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ by equipping students to serve the church and fulfill the Great Commission. The school offers more than 40 different degree programs, including the new Master of Arts in Church Revitalization in partnership with Church Answers and the Revitalization Network. This 37-hour degree is designed to help students move established churches from flatlining to flourishing.

Learn about this program and more by visiting sebts.edu. Where are you going? Southeastern will help you get there.

Feedback

If you have a question you would like answered on the show, fill out the form on the podcast page here at ThomRainer.com. If we use your question, you’ll receive a free copy of Scrappy Church.

How Will the Lord’s Supper Be Served?

By Thom S. Rainer

I just participated in my first Lord’s Supper via a streaming service. My pastor asked us to have juice and bread ready in our homes. I served my wife, and then I served myself as our pastor prayed and read Scripture regarding the Supper.

It was different, but it was meaningful.

To be clear, I know different churches handle this ordinance differently. Some call it by another name such as Communion. Some have a common cup. Some have different theological understandings of its purpose and meaning. 

Many churches in my tradition have very small cups of juice on a plate with cup holders. And many have pieces of bread on a plate for each person to handle, pick up, and eat. 

Will these practices change as we return to in-person services? Maybe I should ask it differently. How will these practices change as we return to in-person services? 

I don’t have answers, but I do have questions. I hope to hear from some of you in the comments and others of you on social media. I will post the questions at Church Answers as well. 

Will your church return to its previous ways of handling the Lord’s Supper? In other words, the new normal of the post-pandemic era means you will return to serving the Supper with few changes. Do you consider some of the potential responses to be overreactions?




What hygienic changes will you make in preparing and serving the Lord’s Supper? I can only imagine these responses will be both diverse and helpful. For example, I have already heard that many churches will no longer be handing out bulletins/worship guides for hygienic reasons. The risk of handling seems even greater with the elements of the Lord’s Supper. 




Will your church change the frequency of serving the Lord’s Supper? I am assuming that if the frequency does change, it will be less frequent. Some churches have been serving every week. Some are on a monthly rotation, and others do so every quarter. What are the implications of frequency of serving for the future? 




If you have considered significant changes in serving the Lord’s Supper, how do you plan to communicate that to your congregation? They have already seen a lot of changes during the stay-at-home weeks of the pandemic. How will you prepare your church members for the changes that will come once they can gather in person? 

While there are many changes churches will and must implement in the post-pandemic era, the serving of the Lord’s Supper is one of those practices with rich theological and biblical meaning. The way churches handle this matter is not only one of safety and hygiene, it is one of profound theological implications. 

My list of questions is by no means exhaustive. I really would like to learn from you regarding your responses to these issues. It is indeed one of many issues; but it is also one of the most important issues. 

Let me hear from you.

How Will the Lord’s Supper Be Served?

By Thom S. Rainer

I just participated in my first Lord’s Supper via a streaming service. My pastor asked us to have juice and bread ready in our homes. I served my wife, and then I served myself as our pastor prayed and read Scripture regarding the Supper.

It was different, but it was meaningful.

To be clear, I know different churches handle this ordinance differently. Some call it by another name such as Communion. Some have a common cup. Some have different theological understandings of its purpose and meaning. 

Many churches in my tradition have very small cups of juice on a plate with cup holders. And many have pieces of bread on a plate for each person to handle, pick up, and eat. 

Will these practices change as we return to in-person services? Maybe I should ask it differently. How will these practices change as we return to in-person services? 

I don’t have answers, but I do have questions. I hope to hear from some of you in the comments and others of you on social media. I will post the questions at Church Answers as well. 

Will your church return to its previous ways of handling the Lord’s Supper? In other words, the new normal of the post-pandemic era means you will return to serving the Supper with few changes. Do you consider some of the potential responses to be overreactions?


What hygienic changes will you make in preparing and serving the Lord’s Supper? I can only imagine these responses will be both diverse and helpful. For example, I have already heard that many churches will no longer be handing out bulletins/worship guides for hygienic reasons. The risk of handling seems even greater with the elements of the Lord’s Supper. 


Will your church change the frequency of serving the Lord’s Supper? I am assuming that if the frequency does change, it will be less frequent. Some churches have been serving every week. Some are on a monthly rotation, and others do so every quarter. What are the implications of frequency of serving for the future? 


If you have considered significant changes in serving the Lord’s Supper, how do you plan to communicate that to your congregation? They have already seen a lot of changes during the stay-at-home weeks of the pandemic. How will you prepare your church members for the changes that will come once they can gather in person? 

While there are many changes churches will and must implement in the post-pandemic era, the serving of the Lord’s Supper is one of those practices with rich theological and biblical meaning. The way churches handle this matter is not only one of safety and hygiene, it is one of profound theological implications. 

My list of questions is by no means exhaustive. I really would like to learn from you regarding your responses to these issues. It is indeed one of many issues; but it is also one of the most important issues. 

Let me hear from you.

The post How Will the Lord’s Supper Be Served? appeared first on Church Answers.

Pray for Truvine Missionary Baptist Church

Location: Sarasota, Florida

Pastor: Pastor Edward L. Quary, Jr.

Weekly Worship: Sundays at 10:30 AM, Eastern

Fast Facts: Truvine Missionary Baptist Church in Sarasota, Florida is the recipient of Revitalize Network’s 2020 Church of the Year Neighborhood Church Award.

Truvine is a church that loves God’s Church and loves God’s people. Their mission is to provide a Christ-centered ministry that makes and matures disciples of Jesus Christ. The church’s desire is to equip and empower God’s people to achieve their personal and corporate destiny in Christ. They endeavor to accomplish this mission through the power of God through corporate worship, the teaching of the Word, and their intentional witnessing for Christ. Pastor Edward L. Quary, Jr. was called as the pastor at Truvine in 2016, and he has led the church to serve and minister to the families in their community. God has used Truvine and its faithful members to become a shining light in their Sarasota neighborhood.

Please pray for Pastor Quary and the members at Truvine Missionary Baptist Church as they continue to serve their community through online services and Bible studies and by meeting the needs of the neighbors in their community.

Website: TruvineChurch.com

The 2020 Church of the Year Neighborhood Church Award was made possible by LifeAction Ministries. LifeAction.org

“Pray for . . .” is the Sunday blog series at ThomRainer.com. We encourage you to pray for these churches noted every Sunday. Please feel free to comment that you are praying as well.

If you would like to have your church featured in the “Pray for…” series, fill out this information form.