Thom S. Rainer's Blog, page 89

What If All Our Church Attendees Showed Up at the Same Time? Five Thoughts

By Thom S. Rainer

A frequent comment I get from pastors and other church leaders often goes like this statement: “If all our members who attend regularly or sporadically showed up at the same time, our worship center would be packed.” 

I get it. One of the more frustrating aspects of a pastor’s ministry is dealing with nominally committed church members. As we wait to return to our in-person worship services, let’s start addressing this issue before the stay-at-home recommendations lift. Here are five thoughts: 

We must address the reality of the 64% factor. Though our social media poll was not scientific, the large number of responses we received was indicative of the interest in the topic. We asked church leaders to provide us two numbers. The first was average weekly worship attendance before the pandemic. The second was the estimated attendance if everyone showed up at the same time. The results were astounding. The median increase in worship attendance would be 64% if everyone showed up at the same time. So, a 100-attendance church would have 164 present. A 500-attendance church would have 820 in attendance.




We must ask the question, “Where have all the church members gone?” In many of your churches, you can do this exercise by each family. In larger churches, you can do a representative sampling. Look at the families and individuals who attend with a frequency of twice a month or less. Assign a reason for their lack of commitment. Is it sports’ leagues? Is it travel? Is it sleeping in? Is it undetermined or other? While this exercise might not be the most encouraging thing you can do, it will help begin your strategy with a healthy dose of reality. 




We must be prepared for the aftermath of social distancing. This issue will become particularly important if no vaccine is available for COVID-19 this year. Our worship services may have a much smaller capacity than before the pandemic. We may have to allow for more space between attendees. What are the implications for attendance at your church if this does become a reality?




We must be prepared for in-person attendance to return in waves after the stay-at-home recommendations are lifted. We anticipate that a number of church members, particularly older members, will not return immediately. So, it is very likely that some of your “every Sunday” members will not be in attendance for several weeks. They will be watching the news carefully to determine when it is safe for them to be in more public settings. 




We must return to the post-COVID-19 world with a renewed attitude about the importance of the gathered church. I have heard this sentence countless times: “The church is not a building; it’s the people.” While that statement is biblically correct, it is often used incorrectly to minimize the importance of worship attendance. The church gathers so it can be the church scattered. Whether attendance takes place in a traditional worship center, a warehouse, a storefront, a home, or under a tree, it is still biblically important for the church to gather. We must stop apologizing for advocating the importance of committed and consistent church attendance.

What if all of our church members showed up at the same time? That is not only an important question to ask, it is an important strategy to begin. 

It’s time. It’s time to stop accepting sporadic attendance as normal, and to expect our church members to be committed to gathering every single week.

Pray for Brainerd Baptist Church

Location: Chattanooga, Tennessee

Pastor: Micah Fries

Weekly Worship: Sundays at 8:00, 9:30, and 11:00 AM, Eastern

Fast Facts: Last Easter Sunday, April 13, 2020, an EF-3 tornado touched down in East Chattanooga resulting in multiple deaths, injuries, and destruction to homes and businesses. Despite the massive season of change and disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Brainerd Baptist responded quickly to serve their members and community during this new state of emergency.

Led by Pastor Micah Fries, Brainerd Baptist is being the hands and feet of Jesus during this difficult time. In addition to meeting their members’ needs for housing and disaster relief, the church is coordinating volunteers to help with tree and yard clean up, delivering care packages and household items, hosting a blood drive, and collecting donations to meet the immediate needs of their community.

Please pray for those who were impacted by the tornado in Chattanooga. Pray for Pastor Micah and the Brainerd Baptist staff and members as they care for their community and share the gospel with those they are ministering to. Please pray that the volunteers will stay healthy as they venture out to serve others in the midst of the pandemic. And please pray that God will be glorified in Chattanooga in the midst of the devastation and loss.

Website: http://www.BrainerdBaptist.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.

What Churches Are Learning in the Digital World

Podcast Episode #633

SUBSCRIBE:

iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio • Google Play • iHeart Radio • Spotify

The current crisis has disrupted the normal practices of almost every church in America. From streaming services to digital giving, church leaders are learning quickly about the digital world and the creative ways technology is reaching people with the gospel.

Digital giving is a lot more important than they realized.
Senior adults adapt well to digital services for a season.
Short-term classes and studies do well in the digital world.
Personnel costs can be reduced in the digital world.
Prayer ministries are thriving in the digital world.

Resources mentioned in today’s podcast:

Church Future Indicator
Leading Virtually Sale
Pushpay
Zoom Video Conferencing
WestB.org
Prayer.wb.org
Give.wb.org
Echo Prayer App


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.

Understanding the Types of Religious People in the United States – Part 1

SUBSCRIBE TODAY:

iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio • Google Play • Spotify

This will be a great topic for churches as they reimagine themselves after the Coronavirus. Upon re-entry, churches will be able to redefine what is new. Many churches have been challenged to reach demographic groups which do not hold to a belief in Christ. New research from PEW Research Center provides the Church with helpful religious typology in order to learn how to reach your community more effectively for the Kingdom.

Part 1:

Most U.S. adults identify with a particular religious denomination or group. They describe themselves as Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, Jewish, Mormon or Muslim– to name just a few of the hundreds of identities or affiliations that people give in surveys. Others describe themselves as atheist, agnostic or say they have no particular religious affiliation. These are the conventional categories into which Americans sort themselves. But a new Pew Research Center analysis looks at beliefs and behaviors that cut across many denominations – important traits that unite people of different faiths, or that divide people who have the same religious affiliation – producing a new and revealing classification, or typology, of religion in America.

The new typology sorts Americans into seven groups based on the religious and spiritual beliefs they share, how actively they practice their faith, the value they place on their religion, and the other sources of meaning and fulfillment in their lives.

Resources mentioned in today’s podcast:

The Religious Typology – Pew Research Center
Your Church Is Now A Blank Slate – ThomRainer.com
Email Kevin Ezell
ChurchReplanters.net











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.

11 Things I Learned the Hard Way as a Pastor

By Chuck Lawless

On April 1, 1981, I began full-time ministry. Since then, I’ve thought a lot about my early days as a pastor – both the good and the bad. Here are 11 things I learned the hard way as a pastor:

I really didn’t know how to exegete and preach the Word. I thought I did because I followed the models of other preachers and used sermon outline books. I look back now, though, and I pray God has supernaturally destroyed any sermon cassette tapes that bear my name. Seriously.  


 I needed counseling training. I have no question that folks can counsel with only the Word, but I needed help in understanding problems and applying the Word appropriately. I was a single pastor for a number of years, but it didn’t take me long after marriage to learn I didn’t know anything about marriage counseling, either. 


I did not know my community. What I realized too late was that I knew the community most connected to my church members. I didn’t know the community completely disconnected from the church world.


 It’s easy to avoid accountability in the pastorate. Especially as a single-staff leader, it’s easy to do ministry (or something) without many folks knowing your schedule, your activities, your outreach, etc. Laziness lurks when accountability is non-existent.


Evangelistic fire needs fuel to continue burning. I was an on-fire evangelist my first years as a pastor (in fact, I’m sure I was a bit obnoxious at times). Ministry, though, had a way of diverting my attention so my fire for telling everybody about Jesus diminished for a while.


Evangelistic growth without discipleship leads to whining. That’s inevitable, actually. If the church has a large number of baby Christians who are not led to growth, they remain babies – even after we place them in leadership positions.


Marriage ministry must be more than reactive. I spent too long working to clean up marital problems among members before I realized we needed to teach youth and young adults about biblical standards of marriage.


 If you think you must (or can) fix everything, you’re probably idolatrous. Only God can fix everything. When I thought I could – and had to if I were a good pastor – I had placed myself in the position of God.


I could (and still can) do ministry in my own power. It stings to write those words even now. Training and experience might make us sound good and lead decently, but they do not automatically result in a display of God’s power.


Rest and exercise matter. More than once in 39+ years of ministry, I’ve burned out at least briefly. I haven’t always taken care of myself as I should. Frankly, I’m still learning this lesson. Pray for me that I will learn it well. 

 Apart from God’s grace, I’m fairly stupid. Actually, I could write several more posts like this one to prove my point. I promise.  

What lessons have you learned the hard way?  

“Why Are Christians Reluctant to Talk about Earning Money?” An Interview with Art Rainer, promoting his new book, Find More Money

Podcast Episode #632

SUBSCRIBE:

iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio • Google Play • iHeart Radio • Spotify

There are those out there who need to focus on expenses and creating a budget. But there is another segment struggling to figure out how to create more income. Thom and Sam talk with Art Rainer about his new book, Find More Money, and why Christians are reluctant to talk about earning money?

Why are Christians reluctant to talk about earning money?
What do most Christian financial experts write and talk about?
What are some reasons people need to find more money?
What is a side gig?
What are some of your experiences helping people find more money?

Resources mentioned in today’s podcast:

Church Future Indicator
ArtRainer.com
Find More Money – Art Rainer
Find More Money video
The Money Challenge: 30 Days of Discovering God’s Design For You and Your Money by Art Rainer
The Marriage Challenge: A Finance Guide for Married Couples by Art Rainer
Rover.com


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.

Ten Pieces of Good News We Are Hearing from Churches During the Pandemic

By Thom S. Rainer

We have a continuous feedback loop from church leaders. Through Church Answers, social media, our podcast, and our blog, we read thousands of comments each week. I am encouraged by some of the things I am seeing.

To be clear, I am not making light of the devastating impact of COVID-19 on many lives and on our economy. But in the midst of the challenges, we are hearing some of the ways God is blessing churches. Here are ten of them. 

Two weeks ago, 15 percent of church leaders thought their churches would close as a consequence of the pandemic. Today, that number is down to 3 percent. There is indeed much more hope.


Giving for 78 percent of churches is either the same in the pandemic as before, or it is only slightly down.


Church members, for the most part, are enthusiastically adopting digital giving.


Church leaders are creatively discovering ways to reach and minister to people who are viewing their streaming services.


Because churches can’t meet in person, most congregations are not having business meetings, avoiding conflicts they’ve had in the past.


Church members are adopting video conferencing technology with enthusiasm. It will become a key delivery mechanism for churches post COVID-19.


The primary beneficiary of the video conferencing technology in churches is small groups. Churches are reporting that some small groups are consistently having 100 percent or more attendance. One church reported that their small group attendance includes more guests than any point in their known history.


Pastors are reporting to us their desire to become better preachers. They are seeing the areas where they can improve as they watch the video stream of their services.


Churches are becoming much more intentional about finding ways to minister to their community. One pastor told us that the pandemic has been used by God to make him fall more deeply in love with the community his church serves.


Church leaders are having financial and stewardship conversations they avoided before the pandemic. They are asking tough but good questions about what really matters.

The pandemic is evil. The God we serve is using this time for His good and His glory.

Pray for Bridge Church

Location: Omaha, Nebraska

Pastor: Rob Johnson

Weekly Worship: 10:00 AM, Central

Fast Facts: Bridge Church is located in the most dangerous neighborhood of Omaha, Nebraska. The church was birthed through outreach ministries in North Omaha as a part of ABIDE, a non-profit with a focus to revitalize the inner city one neighborhood at a time. Bridge Church is a vibrant, diverse church that loves their city and serves their community. Many members are called “lighthouse leaders” as they intentionally move into the neighborhood and serve others.

Pastor Rob and the staff at Bridge actively provide food and household relief to neighbors in need almost every day. They are currently providing “Bridge Boxes” for over 200 families. These boxes include food, household supplies, and family worship activities. The staff members are also working to equip their church to live on mission while staying safe at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Please pray that Pastor Rob, the staff, and the members of Bridge stay healthy during the pandemic so they can continue to be a light in the midst of uncertainty in their community. Also pray for their online Easter service this morning at 10:00 AM, Central. May God bless the ministry of Bridge Church in North Omaha!

Website: http://www.BridgeOmaha.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.

Keeping Your Spirits Up When Your World is Down

Podcast Episode #631

SUBSCRIBE:

iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio • Google Play • iHeart Radio • Spotify

Our listeners are waiting to return to in-person gatherings. But on this Good Friday, the Church Answers team wants to provide hope and encouragement by providing some helpful tips to keep your spirits up during this very difficult time in history.

It’s understandable if you’re struggling right now.

Be intentional about taking a break to do something you enjoy.
Start your day with prayer, not news. 
Connect to old friends with a call.
Encouraging others will give you a lift.

Resources mentioned in today’s podcast:

Church Future Indicator
Leading Virtually Sale


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.

Podcast Episode #631SUBSCRIBE:iTunes • RSS • Stitche...

Podcast Episode #631

SUBSCRIBE:

iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio • Google Play • iHeart Radio • Spotify

Our listeners are waiting to return to in-person gatherings. But on this Good Friday, the Church Answers team wants to provide hope and encouragement by providing some helpful tips to keep your spirits up during this very difficult time in history.

It’s understandable if you’re struggling right now.

Be intentional about taking a break to do something you enjoy.
Start your day with prayer, not news. 
Connect to old friends with a call.
Encouraging others will give you a lift.

Resources mentioned in today’s podcast:

Church Future Indicator
Leading Virtually Sale


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.