Top 13 Posts of 2013 – Part Two
Yesterday and today I am taking a look back at 2013 and the top posts from the year here at ThomRainer.com. It has been an incredible year here on the blog, and I owe that to you, the readers. Without further ado, here is the second half of the top 13 in ’13. (Read part one here)
6. Seven Things Pastors’ Wives Wish They Had Been Told Before They Became Pastors’ Wives — April 6
I am especially grateful to have the opportunity to hear from pastors’ wives since much of my focus is on pastors. A recent, informal survey simply asked the open-ended question: “What do you wish you had been told before you became a minister’s wife?”
5. Ten Things Pastors Wish They Knew Before They Became Pastors — March 9
In an informal survey of pastors, I asked a simple question: “What do you wish you had been told before you became a pastor?” Some of the responses were obvious. For me, a few were surprises. I note them in order of frequency of response, not necessarily in order of importance.
4. How Many Hours Must a Pastor Work to Satisfy the Congregation? — July 24
If I met just the minimum expectations of twelve deacons, I would have to work more than 16 hours a day for seven days a week. Or I could take one day off of work each week, and work 19 hours a day for six days a week. And remember, I still would only meet the minimum expectations of twelve people in the church, not the entire membership. Clearly a pastor will sense the tension of so many factors competing for the limited hours in a week. And clearly no one can ever humanly meet all those expectations.
3. The Main Reason People Leave a Church — January 21
The solution to closing the back door, at least a major part of the solution, is to move members from an entitlement mentality to a servant mentality. Of course, it is easy for me to write about it, but it is a greater challenge to effect it.
2. Autopsy of a Deceased Church: 11 Things I Learned — April 24
Though this story is bleak and discouraging, we must learn from such examples. As many as 100,000 churches in America could be dying. Their time is short, perhaps less than ten years.
1. Fourteen Things You Shouldn’t Say to Your Pastor — December 21
The list is meant to be both humorous and serious. And I bet almost every pastor has heard all of these in the course of a ministry. Enjoy. But do not repeat (at least to your pastor).
