Sam Rainer's Blog, page 20

Five Reasons My Family Loves (Really!) Ministry Together

Shepherding my family and my church are intertwined. Some might advocate separating the two, but it’s impossible since my household is part of the local church. When I leave the church building, I come home to church members. The call to pastor a church is not an individual decision, but rather a collective determination by a family. One of my best mentors taught a seminary class. I’ll never forget his adamant words: “If your wife ain’t called, you ain’t called.” A couple of students chuckled at...

Why Do Some Churchgoers Stick with Bad Pastors?

Most pastors work hard, love their churches, and would sacrifice their lives for the people they lead. If you are reading this article for ways to get back at your pastor, then it’s likely you’re the problem, not your pastor. But there are some bad pastors out there. Why do people stay with them?

There is a romance of leadership. Most studies in leadership focus on the top roles. Many leader-centric approaches assume followers are mere recipients of leader-driven change. To romanticize leadershi...

Can I Be an Effective Pastor If I Don’t Like Management?

Can I Be an Effective Pastor If I Don’t Like Management?

Pastors are not managers, at least in a corporate-business-world-publicly-traded-company-sort-of-way. But pastors are shepherds. And shepherds manage sheep.

Leading a church involves management. A church hierarchy assumes management. And most churches—even smaller congregations—are not completely flat in structure. Even at the most basic level, churches require management. Who pays the bills? When does the meeting start? Who is responsible...

Pastors: Why Your Local Influence is More Essential than a National Platform

Pastor A has a top-ranked podcast, a book deal from a well-known publisher, and 150,000 Twitter followers. Pastor B is the treasurer at the local Rotary Club, is the assistant football coach at the middle school, and recently joined a bowling league. Both pastors have influence. Both are doing God’s will. Both enjoy their callings.

I will make a bold statement: Pastor B’s local influence is ultimately more vital to church health than Pastor A’s national platform. I certainly don’t want to dimini...

New Book! Why I Wrote 7 Basics of Belonging: The Meaning of Church Membership

I’ve taught countless new member classes as a pastor. The people in these classes have any number of reasons why they attend. Some are already bought into the church and ready to join. Others are curious and want to know more information. I’ll never forget the time someone walked out of the class because they realized they were at the wrong church.

 At Church Answers, we’ve written extensively on new member classes and their importance to church assimilation. These classes help set expectations ...

Why Church Staff Should Worship Together During the Week

Every Tuesday morning the West Bradenton staff gathers for a short time of worship before we begin our meetings. There is nothing elaborate about Tuesday worship. We follow a simple structure each week.

Our worship pastor leads a song from the upcoming Sunday setlist.We pray for each other. Then we pray for our church requests and mission partners.I share the direction of my sermon for the upcoming Sunday.

 Don’t let the simplicity fool you. These times are critically important. Tuesday morn...

Simple But Useful Tips for Pastors to Make Good First Impressions with Church Guests

A first impression is made in as little as seven seconds. Within a few moments of being on campus, guests are beginning to form ideas—positive or negative—about your church. The first person a guest meets will influence the first impression. When a guest walks into the building, the first item they see will prompt them to form opinions about the church.

 These first impressions are universal. Businesses and schools deal with them. Everyone has first impressions. Even when you consciously try to ...

Why Worship Pastors and Lead Pastors Should Meet Weekly

Every Monday at 5:00 p.m., I meet with my worship pastor. We review the previous Sunday. We discuss the upcoming Sunday. We laugh together. We hold each other accountable. Sometimes I sing the worship set back to him because I have the voice of a senile cat and it annoys him.

Even if you don’t have a full-time worship pastor, you likely have someone leading the worship experience. Lead pastors should meet with this person regularly for several reasons. 

Music and preaching are complementary, not...

Making Your Church New Member Class Better: Answering the Top Five Questions

With more people regathering in-person for church, a pent-up demand is building for membership classes. The membership class was one ministry many churches put on hold during the pandemic. A year has passed since most churches paused in-person gatherings. During that year, people still decided to join a church. Even if people have not vocalized their decision, you likely have a larger group wanting to join your church than you realize.

Now is the time to restart the membership class. It’s also y...