Ten Key Posts from the Past – Part One
I have mentioned on more than one occasion how grateful I am for the growth of this blog. Indeed, yesterday on Christmas, I expressed my profound gratitude for the readers of this blog.
Today and tomorrow I will share with you ten of my personal favorite posts from the early years, particularly 2010 and 2011, of this site. The readership at ThomRainer.com is at a pace of 3.0 million pageviews a year. But in prior years the number was smaller—much smaller. So there is a good chance you have never read these posts.
I hope you enjoy them. They mean much to me, as you readers mean much to me. Here are the first five.
1. William Thomas Rainer: In Memory, To God Be the Glory — February 14, 2011
February 3 was the date of a doctor’s appointment for Rachel. The doctor told Rachel in her previous appointment that she wanted to check a couple of items, but she really wasn’t that concerned. But the news was bad. Very bad. The baby had a rare condition that typically is not detected until later in the term, about the point where Rachel was. Both Jess and Rachel were told that the chances of their son’s survival were slim. But they prayed. They prayed for a miracle. They prayed with hope. Above all though, they prayed that God’s will would be done.
2. How to Encourage Your Pastor — February 24, 2011
I believe that serving as pastor of a church is one of the most difficult vocations a person can have. I believe that it is impossible for a pastor to be effective unless he is truly called of God. And I believe that God can and does use church members to encourage and help these pastors to be all that He wants them to be in their place of ministry. I pray that you will be one of those members who stand alongside your pastor in a role of encouragement.
3. Seven Characteristics of Highly Evangelistic Christians — March 29, 2010
It is inevitable that, when we do research on evangelistic churches, we learn about one or more members in the church who, to use the book title by Charles H. Spurgeon, embody the traits of “The Soul Winner.” Oftentimes one of those members is the pastor. But we have also seen many laypersons who are themselves soul winners.
4. Hubris and Leadership — March 26, 2010
In 2006, Bill Ford, holding the multiple titles of Chairman, President, and CEO of Ford, understood that his leadership was not getting the job done. So he, in essence, fired himself as President and CEO and brought new leadership to Ford. That move likely was the decisive moment that led the company to avoid bankruptcy. “I have a lot of myself invested in this company,” Ford explained, “but not my ego.”
5. How Millennials View the Community — April 29, 2010
For Millennials, community is not a place where we look for prospects to help our church; it is a place where Christians are called to serve and minister. Millennials don’t ask what the community can do for the church; they ask what they can do for the community.
