Sam Rainer's Blog, page 6

How Can a Christian Vote with a Peace of Mind?

Every election cycle comes with a number of attacks, scandals, and playground-like na-na, na-na, boo-boos. We gravitate towards drama, while at the same time complaining of the lack of leadership. We can’t have it both ways. The melodrama of a soap opera does not produce a strong protagonist. So, how can a Christian vote with a peace of mind?

Know your vote matters. Elections change things. And in our country, we are part of the process. The people we elect make a difference—for better or worse....

Churches Should Close the Pay Gap for Women on Staff

I’ve noticed a disturbing trend in my (almost) 20 years of ministry. At first, I didn’t do much to solve the problem. I should have done more. Now, I voice concern, and I hope I’m a helpful voice.

Women on church staff tend to make less than men for similar roles. Depending on how researchers do the math, the current pay gap for women on church staff is between twenty-four cents and seven cents on the dollar, meaning women make anywhere between seven percent and twenty-four percent less than men...

Five Essential Sources for Sermon Illustrations and Why They Are Important

Preaching is a grind I welcome every week. Expositing God’s Word is one of the toughest but most rewarding aspects of being a pastor. You can’t treat preaching like a sprint, rushing to get a response on Sundays. It’s more like a marathon, a paced lope in which long strides are made over time.

Illustrations are not the most important part of a sermon. The meat is the exposition of the text. The illustrations add spice and flavor. Nobody wants to eat just spices for dinner. But then, meat without...

Churches Are Missing the Big Opportunity to Minister to Single-Parents

Single-parent homes are far more prevalent in the United States than most realize. They comprise one-quarter to one-third of homes with children in many communities. In your community, the number could be even higher. Consider the neighborhood around my church in Bradenton, Florida.

Single Mom Households: 31%Single Dad Households: 12%Married with Children: 57%

Of households with children around my church, 43% are single-parent homes! If you do not know this figure for your community, you can...

The Deacons Every Pastor (Should) Love

In a lot of churches, deacons get a bad rap. If they do too much, people believe they’re trying to take over the church. If they do too little, then people call them lazy.  

I hear and read a lot about controlling deacons and apathetic deacons. The reality is most deacons in most churches do good work. While churches and denominations have varying viewpoints on the role of deacons due to polity differences, what should be universal is how pastors place a high value on deacons who serve well.

The...

Artificial Intelligence: Is There a Right Way for Pastors to Use AI to Create Sermons?

Plagiarism. That was my gut reaction the first time I heard about artificial intelligence. My visceral response was oversimplified and hyperbolic. The tool has enormous potential for good, but I remain more cautious about AI than optimistic. How might AI affect the church? Sermon preparation will be one of the initial areas of impact. But first, what exactly is AI?

The Basics of AI

Will this human creation become a threat to its master? Mary Shelley wrote the book Frankenstein with this question...

Why Pastors Struggle to Ask for Help (And How to Get Past It)

“It took me too long, but I finally decided to get the help I needed.” My first coaching call with this pastor was like so many others.

This pastor shouldered the leadership burden without much support for years. Then tensions built in his church, and he could not take the added pressure. Frankly, no one should carry this weight alone.

Far too many pastors do.

After professional counseling and a few coaching sessions, he was in a better place and ready to tackle the next set of challenges at his...

10 Fresh Pastoral Prayers for the New Year

Before you launch your New Year ministry plan, begin with prayer. How might you pray to start the year?

Passion for people, not numbers. You should track your numbers and know your metrics. Yes, each number represents a person. I get it. But you don’t shepherd numbers. If you struggle with caring more about numbers than people, now is an excellent time to take a new posture. Pray God gives you this passion. A filling of the Holy Spirit over comfort with nostalgia. I have a deep love for the ...

Staying Put: The Increasing Significance (and Growing Desire) of Longer-Term Pastorates

During the 1800s frontier era of church expansion in the United States, a one-year contract to pastor a church was relatively common. If the church liked the pastor, an extension might be granted for another year but not much beyond. As America expanded westward, communities grew, and new churches popped up. Moving on after a couple of years was commonplace.

I assume most people don’t want to return to the frontier era of church methodology. Indoor plumbing, internet access, and long-tenured pas...

4 Big Reasons Why Pastors Lack Work-Life Balance

Pastors are a notorious bunch when it comes to work.

Church members have high expectations. The hours are long. Some weeks, you have no option but to grind it out for 70 hours. An occasional all-nighter is to be expected. But these situations should be rare, not the norm. Why do too few pastors strike a balance? Four major reasons exist.

The Always-On Phenomenon. Most churches expect pastors to be on call 24/7. Even though late-night phone calls don’t happen often, many pastors feel like they...