https://youtu.be/rW0BmIdJ3Zo

A recent Christianity Today article reported on data from the 2020 Religion Census. According to the report, every Protestant denomination has declined while those congregations claiming to be non-denominational gained millions of people. Thom and Sam discuss their thoughts on this report and what it may mean for the future of churches affiliated with Protestant denominations. 

 	Some churches claim non-denominational when in reality they are loosely affiliated.


 	Institutional decline of denominations is not a new phenomenon. The denomination is only as healthy as the churches in it. Mainline denominations have struggled for decades.


 	Many denominations are at the point of having too many struggling churches and not enough healthy churches. The healthy churches are too few to resource and help struggling churches.


 	Historically, non-denominational churches grew through Mainline transfer growth. Today, the growth is fueled by those who are coming from a Catholic background.


 	Conversion growth is unfortunately extremely rare. Gains in attendance are more often attributed to transfer growth and biological growth (people in conservative churches have higher birth rates). 

Christianity Today article referenced in this podcast: https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2022/august/nondenominational-growth-mainline-protestant-decline-survey.html

 
Resources:

 	Logos.com/churchanswers


 	New Filament Bible Journals


 	See the whole Filament Bible Collection


 	Tyndale House Publishers


 	Christianity Today article referenced in this podcast


 	Check out the Church Answers Christian bookstore! Shop curated, trusted resources for Christian life and ministry.


 	The Hope Initiative

 
Episode Sponsors: 


 	* Nothing beats digging into the Bible for yourself. After all, there’s life in the words of Scripture. But if your Bible study habits have been stale or maybe nonexistent, where do you even begin?


 	* Introducing Logos 10: the new release from the leaders in digital Bible study. Logos takes you beyond Bible reading into deep studying of Scripture.


 	* Want to do a Bible word study? Prep a sermon? Understand a difficult passage? Start (and actually finish) a Bible reading plan? Do all that and more with the study tools and theological library in Logos 10. 


 	* With it, you can uncover biblical insights whether you have five minutes or five hours. And the new Logos is lightning fast on desktop, web, and mobile. It has a sleek,

New Data Reveals Big Gains for Non-Denominational Churches

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https://youtu.be/2fyq2UV2WK8

Proverbs 22:1 makes clear, "Choose a good reputation over great riches; being held in high esteem is better than silver or gold." (NLT) How can a church recover after a scandal? What are some ways a congregation can begin to rebuild a reputation? Thom and Sam discuss some steps forward for these churches.

 	

 	If the scandal is rooted in sin, the church must publicly repent as a first step.




 	

 	If the scandal is derived from a stance on truth, the church must stand firm.




 	

 	The scandal's size and impact of the scandal should determine your response.




 	

 	Quickly remove church leaders from their positions of authority if necessary.




 	

 	Humility and service to the community over time will reduce the impact of the scandal.




 	

 	* When there are victims, seek fair restitution proactively.




 	

 	Do not sue others as a way to save face or retaliate.




 	

 	Put Christ in the middle of your response and seek the Holy Spirit's guidance through prayer.



Resources:

 	* Upward Sports


 	* California Baptist University


 	Church Answers Central


 	Know Your Beliefs


 	“It Is Time to Stop Celebrating Church Transfer Growth” by Thom S. Rainer


 	The Everything Church Resource Directory


 	* The Hope Initiative


 	* Get your FREE tool! Attendance Growth Projector

Episode Sponsors:

Upward Sports equips churches to run self-sustaining sports ministries in their communities.  Whether you are a sports fanatic, or on staff at a church, Upward Sports will give you all the tools you need to run a first-class sports ministry that allows you to reach families in your community.  Upward Sports offers basketball, soccer, flag football, cheerleading, volleyball, baseball and softball through league and camp offerings.

At Upward Sports, we want to help your church make a difference, and give you increased opportunities to share the gospel.  Learn more today at Upward.org/ChurchAnswers.

**As a partner of Rainer or Leadership, Upward Sports is offering a $500 sports start up grant to listeners. Head over to Upward.org/ChurchAnswers and schedule a call… tell them we sent you! Your sports grant will assist you in a 2024 LEAGUE!


 	

 	Did you know that fewer than 20% of Southern Baptist pastors have a bachelor’s degree? That is according to a past Pew Research study. How can this be combated and how can we prepare our churches for the future? California Baptist University has a solution. CBU offers a full breadth of courses through its online degree programs.
 	Whether you’re looking to start your degree, finish your degree, or prepare leaders in your church for advancement opportunities,

Rebuilding Your Reputation after a Church Scandal

https://youtu.be/JQuoh_gle1k

There are good examples of growing churches reaching young families. What are they doing differently than others? Thom and Sam answer this question. There is more to this issue than being a large church in a growing suburb. Churches reaching young families come in a variety of sizes and locations.

 	

 	The demographic reality of an aging population in the United States.




 	

 	Millennials (and soon Gen Z) are starting families at an older age than previous generations.




 	

 	The growing family church understands the worship "show" is less important than rhythms of discipleship and consistent programming.




 	

 	The growing family church understands you have to focus on children to reach young families, which means investing in staff, facilities, and programs.




 	

 	The growing family church understands the family unit is more diverse now than ever before.




 	

 	* The growing family church understands the reality of single parenting.




 	

 	The growing family church has older generations willing to sacrifice their preferences for the sake of reaching children.



Resources:

 	* California Baptist University


 	* Upward Sports


 	Brown Church Development Group


 	Ryan Burge


 	“The Bridger Generation” by Thom S. Rainer (affiliate link)


 	The Everything Church Resource Directory


 	* The Hope Initiative


 	* Get your FREE tool! Attendance Growth Projector

Episode Sponsors:


 	

 	Did you know that fewer than 20% of Southern Baptist pastors have a bachelor’s degree? That is according to a past Pew Research study. How can this be combated and how can we prepare our churches for the future? California Baptist University has a solution. CBU offers a full breadth of courses through its online degree programs.
 	Whether you’re looking to start your degree, finish your degree, or prepare leaders in your church for advancement opportunities, CBU’s degree programs provide a flexible, online learning environment. Classes start every eight weeks, so you can begin any time.
 	An online degree can:

 	Help you gain a better understanding of your life’s purpose;
 	Symbolize competence and integrity in your career; and
 	Provide you with the skills and knowledge to make a difference in the lives of others.


 	Your team may benefit from a degree in business, leadership, finance, communications or Christian studies. There are dozens of online degrees available to you! The online Bachelor’s degree in Christian Ministries develops servant leaders with the tools for understanding and communicating biblical truths. This degree prepares students for active leadership roles in the church, parachurch and Christian organizations.
 	Financial aid is available, and thanks to CBU donors, online undergraduate degrees in Christian Ministries and Christian Studies may qualify for additional scholarship,

How Do Growing Churches Reach Young Families?

https://youtu.be/flFFzgwYsus

One of the signs of a healthy church is people asking tough questions. These questions may be theological, or they may involve life issues. When people are comfortable asking about difficult subjects, it shows trust in leadership. Thom and Sam discuss the importance of having a church culture that encourages asking hard questions.

 	

 	People don't ask tough questions when they don't trust you.




 	

 	People don't ask tough questions when they don't know you.




 	

 	People don't ask tough questions when they don't understand you.




 	

 	People don't ask tough questions when they expect you to ignore them.




 	

 	People don't ask tough questions when they expect you to dodge them.




 	

 	People don't ask tough questions when they expect you to judge them.



Resources:

 	“Every Woman’s Bible” (Discover This Bible)


 	* “Every Woman’s Bible” (Bulk Purchasing)


 	* Tyndale House Publishers


 	* Upward Sports


 	Get your FREE eBook, Deferred Maintenance


 	The Everything Church Resource Directory


 	* The Hope Initiative


 	* Get your FREE tool! Attendance Growth Projector

Episode Sponsors:

Discover your story in God’s story and find a life of extraordinary purpose.

Every woman brings her own questions to the Bible: If I’m God’s child, why does my life sometimes feel ordinary or even disappointing? Why does the Bible say such hard and confusing things about and to women? How can I understand God and my own identity and place in God’s story?

Every Woman’s Bible doesn’t shy away from the questions women ask. In these pages, active and impactful women of yesterday and today share age-old truths with modern relevance. Contributions from more than 100 women around the world—from every continent—explore the heartfelt needs, gritty challenges, and uncommon faithfulness of women of the Bible, throughout history, and today. Serious study and deep reflection will help you clarify your calling through personal stories, insights, inspiration, and study notes that dig into personal needs during your Bible reading—all created by women, for women.

You’ll find . . .

 	

 	Insight and transformation through deep study
 	Personal growth through reflective content
 	Connection to a global community of women
 	Powerful learning through access to additional study and devotional resources in the Filament Bible App
 	Greater understanding of God through digging into passages that are often difficult for women
 	Challenge through learning from a diverse group of women from many walks of life



This beautiful Bible is created in community across socio-economic lines and international borders,

Why People Don’t Ask Tough Questions in Church

https://youtu.be/590nmINYH78

Thom and Sam are delighted to welcome Brady Shearer to the Rainer on Leadership podcast. Brady is the CEO of Pro Church Tools. His work helps churches navigate what he calls "the single biggest communication shift we've seen in the last 500 years." Here are some questions they will discuss:

 	

 	Why is Gen Z really different from previous generations?




 	

 	Can smaller churches be a positive development?




 	

 	What has taken place to cause such a dramatic shift in communications?



Resources:

 	Upward Sports


 	“Every Woman’s Bible” (Discover This Bible)


 	* “Every Woman’s Bible” (Bulk Purchasing)


 	* Tyndale House Publishers


 	* Pro Church Tools


 	The Pro Church Tools Show


 	* Nucleus


 	Social Sermons


 	* “Bad Therapy: Why the Kids Aren't Growing Up” by Abigail Shrier (affiliate link)


 	* Ryan Burge


 	The Everything Church Resource Directory


 	* The Hope Initiative


 	* Get your FREE tool! Attendance Growth Projector

Episode Sponsors:

Upward Sports equips churches to run self-sustaining sports ministries in their communities.  Whether you are a sports fanatic, or on staff at a church, Upward Sports will give you all the tools you need to run a first-class sports ministry that allows you to reach families in your community.  Upward Sports offers basketball, soccer, flag football, cheerleading, volleyball, baseball and softball through league and camp offerings.

At Upward Sports, we want to help your church make a difference, and give you increased opportunities to share the gospel.  Learn more today at Upward.org/ChurchAnswers.

**As a partner of Rainer or Leadership, Upward Sports is offering a $500 sports start up grant to listeners. Head over to Upward.org/ChurchAnswers and schedule a call… tell them we sent you! Your sports grant will assist you in a 2024 LEAGUE!

Discover your story in God’s story and find a life of extraordinary purpose.

Every woman brings her own questions to the Bible: If I’m God’s child, why does my life sometimes feel ordinary or even disappointing? Why does the Bible say such hard and confusing things about and to women? How can I understand God and my own identity and place in God’s story?

Every Woman’s Bible doesn’t shy away from the questions women ask. In these pages, active and impactful women of yesterday and today share age-old truths with modern relevance. Contributions from more than 100 women around the world—from every continent—explore the heartfelt needs, gritty challenges,

Three Major Future Shifts for Churches You May Not Expect: An Interview with Brady Shearer

https://youtu.be/2Oi5sB3jvAo

The Southern Baptist Convention is experiencing a decline in the scope and scale that is unprecedented in American church history. As the largest Protestant denomination in the U.S., the declines in the SBC are noteworthy for many reasons. Ryan Burge joins Thom and Sam on this special episode to discuss what's happening and what the future may hold for the SBC.

 	

 	Membership peaked in 2006 at over 16 million, but today membership is around 13 million, where it stood in 1978.




 	

 	The rate of membership decline has increased, especially in the last three years.




 	

 	The decline in attendance is equally astounding at almost 40%, from a peak of 6.2 million in 2009 to around 3.8 million today.




 	

 	The warning shot from 2005: "A Resurgence Not Yet Realized"




 	

 	Baptisms peaked in 1972 (with fewer members) and have declined by 60% (445k in 1972 compared with 180k in 2022).




 	

 	What got us here? Fights, factions, scandals, and an archaic system of funding.




 	

 	Another big factor is demographics. The SBC became dependent upon its constituency increasing its population size. The opposite took place.




 	

 	What does the future hold? Likely more of the same. The SBC is like a slowly deflating balloon. Every controversy acts as another pinhole, releasing more air. Due to its size, the SBC will not disappear overnight, but it's unlikely the denomination will ever return to its former size.



Resources:

 	Tithe.ly


 	2023 State of Church Giving


 	Ryan Burge


 	“The 2022 Data on the Southern Baptist Convention is Out” by Ryan Burge


 	* The Hope Initiative


 	* Get your FREE tool! Attendance Growth Projector

Episode Sponsors:

Tithely provides churches around the world with software tools to help them and their ministries thrive.

Nearly 40,000 churches use Tithely for online and text giving, managing their people’s information, volunteer management, child check in, church apps and websites, and communicating through email and text messaging.

Made up of a team of ministry-minded people, Tithely’s heart is to see the local church empowered with the tools to fulfill their mission.

You can sign up for free at Tithely.com - yes that's right, it's free! Tithely's giving platform comes with no monthly fees and no contracts. Get started taking donations in just 5 minutes at Tithely.com.

Also, right now Tithely is offering a free report called “2023 State of Church Giving Report.” You can access that report free by clicking on the link in the show notes.

The Burge Report: A Deep Dive into the Decline of the Southern Baptist Convention

Rainer on Leadership

New Data Reveals Big Gains for Non-Denominational Churches

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