Sam Rainer's Blog, page 8

The Megachurch Movement Is Fading. What’s Next?

Once a church reaches two thousand in weekly attendance, its sheer size becomes a self-generating attraction. Massive facilities, a sprawling campus, and numerous attendees give these large congregations more prominence than other churches. Megachurches receive more media attention than smaller churches. Their physical campuses can dominate their surrounding community. Megachurch pastors tend to have charisma, and their churches can offer a wide variety of programs appealing to a broad base of p...

Why Every Single Word in the Bible Matters for You Today

All of Scripture is for every part of our lives.

Every single word in the Bible is powerful, purposeful, and prescient. Understanding the Bible as a whole is worth your whole effort. Every word in the Bible matters because every minute of your day matters. In Luke’s gospel, we learn that God counts the hairs on our heads (Luke 12:7). God is always involved in every area of your life. Since He always knows every hair on your head, God must actively count each one.

The lesson is simple: God is alw...

It’s Time to Release Churches from the Myth of Infinite Expansion

Every church has limiting factors. No church grows exponentially every year. Infinite expansion isn’t possible. Even the largest churches stay at the top of the list for only about twenty years. Each generation has its own group of biggest congregations or fastest-growing congregations. Compare any lists of the largest churches from the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, or 2000s and you’ll find different churches leading the way. By virtue of their size, big churches are constantly shifting. Indeed, some of ...

Behind the Decline: Unraveling the Forgotten Reasons of Fading Neighborhood Churches

No doubt you’ve heard the phrase, “There goes the neighborhood.” Historically, it has been associated with ethnic minorities moving into white neighborhoods. I don’t believe most people use the phrase today in such a way. However, during the civil rights movement and the following decades, many white neighborhood churches changed locations, often moving to the growing suburbs where fewer minorities lived.

For the congregations that stayed, the fracturing of the neighborhood also meant the fractu...

The Neighborhood Church Returns: Making the Comeback a Reality

Neighborhood churches tend to be small or midsize and well-established. For years, we have dismissed the potential for a significant move of God in these churches. I believe they are primed for a comeback. They are numerous, and they are located in the heart of places with lots of people.

I believe in this comeback so much that I wrote a book about it. The Surprising Return of the Neighborhood Church just released! If you lead or attend a neighborhood church or want to know more about this poten...

The New Golden Handcuffs for Pastors (It’s Mortgage Rates)

The real estate market is encouraging some pastors to stay put. For now.

Rising interest rates produce a “golden handcuff” effect on the housing market. Golden handcuffs refer to a set of financial incentives that employers use to encourage certain employees to remain with a company. These incentives are typically tied to some conditions that make it financially unattractive for the employee to leave the company before a specified date.

Many pastors locked in low-interest rates on their homes. R...

Making the Decision to Go to Seminary: Six Considerations Before Going

They inevitably find their way into my office, excited about God’s calling on their lives. I’ve had several conversations with people wanting advice about attending a seminary (or a similar institution). God has called them to ministry. They feel seminary will add clarity to this calling. 

Perhaps. But before a seminary education can help with a calling, one must have a clear plan for seminary. After working through the spiritual aspect of someone’s calling, I typically offer practical advice. T...

How to Discern If a Church Member Is Guilty of Gossip

Gossip is a destructive force in the church. Once the rumors of gossip spread, it’s hard to correct if they are false. Even if partially true, gossip is always wrong because what is shared is inappropriate and hurtful.

Gossip fosters an environment of distrust and suspicion.Instead of focusing on productive work or conversations, individuals involved in gossip discuss improper matters about others.Gossip is often based on hearsay or speculation, which can lead to a distorted understanding o...

Reflections on My First Sermon after Twenty Years of Ministry

I preached Philippians 1.

After standing in the pulpit for a few awkward moments, I said, “Hi.”

“Hi.” The congregation responded.

It was a Sunday night service on a holiday weekend. My pastor was on vacation. The smaller crowd was the core. They knew what they were getting. I was twenty-three years old. Only now can I admit I preached that first sermon not having read the entire Bible yet.

Rookie preachers tend to go very short or very long. I was the former. I think I finished the sermon in und...

Why Your Church Is Larger Than You Realize (And Pastors Are Busier Than Ever)

How big is your church?

It’s a common question. The top metric of success in a church is worship attendance. Maybe it shouldn’t be. But average weekly worship attendance is the most common and most touted church health metric. This figure includes children, assumes each person is counted only once, and includes all worship services during the week but excludes traditional Wednesday night and Sunday night activities.

Your church is likely much larger than your worship attendance average.

Let’s us...