Sam Rainer's Blog, page 12

Five Leadership Resolutions for Your Church in 2023

New Year’s resolutions are often self-focused. It’s understandable. Successful people often reflect on who they are. They try to be more self-aware, and they desire to develop themselves. So, good leaders often make resolutions involving individual goals, desires, and objectives.

But what about the people around you? Good pastors will consider those around them. This year, rather than making resolutions about you, make them about the people around you. Here are five areas to consider in making s...

Why Churches Resist Change from New Pastors (and What You Can Do About It)

“It’s my first week. What should I change here?” Perhaps new pastors don’t vocalize the question, but I know they think it. The default setting to change something is only natural for a good leader. Having a vision means being dissatisfied with the status quo. 

“The search committee said they were bringing me on to make needed changes. Why is the church resisting the obvious?!”

Why have so many pastors’ honeymoons ended after the first few months? Resistance to change is one of the largest hurdl...

What Is an Appropriate Severance for Pastors on Their Way Out of a Church?

A power group surprisingly forced out Pastor Timothy after four years of successful ministry. Pastor John was caught embezzling funds and was fired immediately. After ten years, the board removed Pastor Ed because they believed he was not a leadership match for the congregation. 

Should these pastors receive a severance? It depends.

Severance pay is a common practice in many industries. Some employers will offer severance as a gesture of goodwill to those laid off, but it is not required by law ...

Five Important Demographics Churches Fail to Know About Their Communities

Pastors and church leaders often miss the basic demographics of their communities. Why?

Demographics tend to change gradually and often go unnoticed.Keeping an existing circle of friends is easier than deepening our relationship with others. We tend to go to places where people are like us, which means we often do not see the areas where demographic changes are occurring in the neighborhood. 

Perceived demographics may not match actual demographics. You may think you know your community, but...

How to Be More Vulnerable Without Freaking Out Your Church

How to Be More Vulnerable Without Freaking Out Your Church

Vulnerability is a two-edged sword. Many appreciate the honesty of tender leaders revealing their secret struggles. Overshare anxieties, however, and you can disrupt the church with unnecessary angst.

Jesus was vulnerable. The incarnation demonstrates the vulnerability of God. Someone had to change baby Jesus’ diaper. Someone had to teach God to speak and walk—it was His mother, Mary. Vulnerability is not something to avoid. God was inte...

What I Learned from Being a Bi-vocational Pastor

Bi-vocational pastors serve outside the spotlight. Though estimates vary, at Church Answers, we estimate there are around one million part-time pastors and staff in North America. They are many, but they get only a fraction of the attention given to pastors of larger churches. They receive little recognition, but they are the workhorses of churches who do much of the heavy lifting.

I served as a bi-vocational pastor of a tiny church in central Kentucky. We started with six people. It was my firs...

An Exciting New Way to Train Your Church Staff and Leaders

Church staffing is undergoing a seismic shift. Part-time positions are becoming increasingly popular. Bi-vocational positions have always existed, particularly in smaller churches. Some estimates reveal over half of all pastors are bi-vocational. They are many, but they get only a fraction of the attention given to pastors of larger churches. They receive little recognition, but they are the workhorses of churches that do much of the heavy lifting.

There will be more—not less—part-time pastors a...

The Taxing Consequences of Constant Urgency for Pastors and Church Leaders

“Pastor, I’ve got to show you something.” Sunday mornings come with various tasks, but I could tell by his tone that I needed to stop what I was doing and follow him. The longtime church member guided me down the stairs to our education area below the sanctuary. He pointed at the door.

“Do we have another leak?” I asked.

“No, but it’s just as significant. Every single doorstop in the church is not to code. They will all need replacements.”

I stood with this kind and caring church member, looking...

Increase Your Ability to Listen with These Three Easy Questions

If you’re not listening well, then you’re not leading well. In the church, listening is essential because of spiritual growth. How can you guide someone to being more like Christ if you don’t listen carefully to what they say?

I know I can be guilty of thinking of my next sentence as someone speaks. Just because you’re not cutting people off while they speak doesn’t mean you are listening.

Even when you are listening actively, with the best intentions, you can still miss important cues and infor...

Pastors with Initiative Build Healthier Church Relationships

Leadership requires initiative. Healthy relationships require initiative. You’re the leader as the pastor. You must take the initiative, especially with relationships in the church. Many pastors rigorously protect their study time in God’s Word. The same intensity should apply to personal relationships.

Will you intimately know every person in your congregation? Of course not. Neither will you know every nuance of every passage in Scripture. But you still make the time to study a specific passag...