Sam Rainer's Blog, page 5

What Should Pastors Do When They Must Lead People They Don’t Trust

Pastors must trust their churches for God’s mission to be accomplished. And congregants must trust their leaders for church culture to be healthy.

Blind trust is unwise.Trust is granted more than earned.When pastors do not grant trust to anyone, they become paranoid tyrants.

Trust between individuals is derived from reliability, confidence, and truthfulness. People become trustworthy when you rely on them confidently because they are honest. 

You may not trust someone for several reasons...

Fifteen Questions to Ask of Every Sermon Before Preaching

Writing sermons is a challenge for many reasons. For one, I never feel like my sermons are quite complete! But Sunday is coming, and the writing process must end at some point. Then begin again.

These questions are designed to help you quickly review your sermons before you deliver them. Use this checklist to evaluate your sermon’s content, tone, and application.

Is the good news of Jesus in my outline or manuscript?How will this sermon please and glorify God?Who is my audience? Am I preach...

Why Vacation Bible School Is as Important Now as Ever

He’s older now. Retired, but not done. He doesn’t move quickly, and his hearing is not great. For thirty years, he shepherded our church. We call him “Brother Bob.” All of Bradenton calls him that. He’s a passionate evangelist for evangelism. Give him a minute of your time, and you’ll hear him share the gospel. Boldly. Without apology. 

A couple of years ago, he brought three children to Vacation Bible School. Two of them accepted Christ. In fact, dozens of children, even a few parents, have acc...

The Right Way for Older Deacons to Mentor Younger Deacons

“Is he too young?” I was glad someone asked the question because we were all thinking it. 

“Is he qualified?” Another deacon asked a better question. We all agreed the young deacon candidate was full of the Spirit, wise, hard-working, and had a good reputation. 

“Is he ready?” In response, several old-timers chimed in at the same time, “No one is.” Case closed. The next step was to equip and mentor him. However, the deacon body did not have a formal mentoring program. It is a problem for many ch...

The Hidden Reason Churches Nail Worship

It’s you. You’re the reason—hidden in plain sight. I’m writing to you, pastor. The hidden reason churches nail worship is because the pastor leads out in worship.

Most churches will only worship to the level of their pastors. If you’re the stoic stander, your church will be full of Sunday morning totems. If you raise your hands, then people in the church will follow your lead. When pastors immerse themselves in worship, churches do the same.

Stop blaming your worship pastor for the lack of energ...

The Real Story Behind Transfer Growth and Churches: A Twenty-Five-Year Analysis

Transfer growth occurs when someone moves his or her membership from one church to another within the same community. In this article, I posit that most of church growth in the last twenty-five years has been via transfer—mainly from smaller churches to larger churches. But first, I want to analyze more deeply what defines transfer growth and why it occurs.

What Is Transfer Growth?

Growing a church should be a spiritual exercise through obedience to the Great Commission. God has not changed His ...

From Idea to Implementation: Three Keys for Change Efforts in Churches

Most church leaders have ideas, but not all ideas lead to change. What separates the dream from reality?

In 1948, two graduate students at the Drexel Institute of Technology overheard a supermarket executive discussing a fundamental problem—the need for an automatic system to read each product item. Working together, the two students helped change the way retailers do business. They created the idea of a barcode.

Before the barcode, supermarket clerks had to punch numbers into a keypad. It was s...

How to Know When You’ve Stayed Too Long as a Pastor

The prevailing wisdom for pastors is longer tenure is better. I believe this principle is generally true. A string of shorter tenures is usually not healthy for churches. But it is possible to stay too long. What are some of the signs?

When you become the lightning rod with every change effort. Challenging the status quo is disruptive. You should expect people to push back when significant changes are proposed. The pastor will, at times, be the focus of criticism. If you lead, you will be challe...

Discipleship Requires Management as Much as Leadership (Why Pastors Can’t Neglect Church Operations)

Pastors manage churches as much, if not more, than leading them. Making disciples requires pastors to be involved in the day-to-day operations of a church.

If you’re not willing to manage a church, you’re not qualified to lead a church. Should pastors be involved in every task? No. However, every pastor should have some involvement in the daily operations of church life. Shepherds—by God’s design—are among the sheep. Why is it tempting, and dangerous, to neglect the task of management?

It’s temp...

Eight Essential Qualities of Pastors Who Love Their Jobs

You can do your job well without loving it. However, for pastors, the calling often goes beyond mere duty. It encompasses a passion for serving and guiding their flocks. What distinguishes pastors who love their jobs from those who do their jobs? It boils down to several essential qualities.

They embrace awkward moments. At my first church, the lone deacon would take a smoke break in the middle of my sermon. (Yes, I preached too long.) Then, there was the time someone brought a pet parrot to chu...