Rainer on Leadership

The Most Frequent Issues Facing Pastors and Other Church Leaders – Rainer on Leadership #511

We are asked for insights into different areas of church life on a consistent basis. Today, we cover the seven most frequent issues pastors come to us with.

Five Reasons Your Church Should Have a Virtual Facility Assessment Immediately – Rainer on Leadership #509

Church facilities can cost churches more than they ever imagined. Without continuous assessments and upkeep, facilities can eat up funds that would be best used for ministry.

What Former Pastors Don’t Miss about Pastoring – Rainer on Leadership #507

In episode 506, we discussed things former pastors missed from their time as a pastor. Today, we look at the other side of the coin and discuss things pastors don't miss.

Reconsidering Worship Service Alternatives Beyond Sunday Morning – Rainer on Leadership #505

We are starting to see more and more churches offer alternative worship service times. Today we discuss the when, where, and how of this trend.

Why Your Church Attendance May Vary 25% Each Week – Rainer on Leadership #503

Worship attendance swings can be dramatic in local churches. Today we discuss why that is and how to combat it.

How to Deal with the Constant Critic in Your Church – Rainer on Leadership #501

Critics are real in the church. And for many pastors, they are incessant. Today, we discuss how to deal with the constant critic in your church.

What Pastors Need to Do When They Are Deeply Hurt – Rainer on Leadership #499

Church members and ministry circumstances can hurt pastors. It will happen, and pastors need a response plan. Today, we discuss how to handle being hurt in ministry.

Seven Keys to Protecting Your Ministry During Your Building Program – Rainer on Leadership #497

Tim Songster of Cosco & Associates joins us to discuss his new book on healthy church design and how churches can best navigate through a building program.

How to Move Forward When the Pastor and the Staff Member Are Not Aligned – Rainer on Leadership #495

Alignment is essential if you want a healthy church staff. Today we discuss how to improve the alignment of both your staff and your church.

Five Incredible Tools for Better Stewardship in Your Church – Rainer on Leadership #493

Not a week goes by without me being asked to recommend a resource for some aspect of stewardship in the church. Today, we cover five of the ones we recommend the most.

Five Types of Interventions for Churches Needing Revitalization – Rainer on Leadership #491

Interventions can meet a great need in churches—and many churches need them. Today we discuss five types of interventions, and I tell the story of my strangest church consultation moment.

Five Common Ways Pastors Overcome Sermon Blocks – Rainer on Leadership #489

Sunday comes every week for a pastor. And that means a sermon needed nearly every week. Today, we discuss how to combat sermon block if and when that happens.

Why Is the Music So Loud in My Worship Service? – Rainer on Leadership #487

Mike Harland joins us on the podcast to answer one of the biggest questions in church worship services today: why is it so loud?

Why Pastors’ Honeymoons are Getting Shorter – Rainer on Leadership #485

Honeymoons always end. There are somethings that can be done by a new pastor to extend them, but there are definitely some other things that can be done to cut them short.

Six Social Media Posts Church Leaders Should Avoid – Rainer on Leadership #483

Social media can be great for expressing yourself, getting news, meeting new friends, and living out your faith. The problem comes when we post something not so smart. Today we cover six areas to avoid on social media.

Six Ways to Minister after a Miscarriage – Rainer on Leadership #481

Miscarriage is a difficult live event for those going through it. It's often not handled well by ministers, either. Today we discuss how to better handle these events in life and ministry.

Five Major “What If” We Regrets We Are Hearing from Churches – Rainer on Leadership #479

Regret often comes when it's too late to change things in a church. Today, we discuss five of the most common regrets we hear from churches.

The Six Characteristics of a Scrappy Church – Rainer on Leadership #477

My latest book, Scrappy Church, was written to offer hope to churches who think they may not have a future. God is not done with your church yet.

Should a Church Pursue Legacy Giving? – Rainer on Leadership #475

Legacy giving, or inherited funds, is something that churches often do not pursue. Today we discuss why that's often a mistake and how to do so.

Seven Reasons Why Writing Handwritten Notes Will Revolutionize Your Ministry – Rainer on Leadership #473

Handwritten notes are a lost art for many. Today, we discuss why they are so important and how you can use them to boost encouragement in your church and ministry.

Why I’m Starting Revitalize Network – Rainer on Leadership #471

I recently announced the launch of Revitalize Network—a 501c3 nonprofit organization focused on helping churches revitalize. Today, we discuss the details of the network and how you can join us.

Five Types of Infrequent Attendees – Rainer on Leadership #469

Declining attendance isn't as much of an issue in churches as declining frequency of attendance. Today we discuss those who miss frequently and how to solve that.

How to Say No to Church Members – Rainer on Leadership #467

Pastors often fall into the trap of being people pleasers. Today, we discuss why and how you can say no to requests or even demands from church members.

Why Poor Discipleship Is Such a Big Issue in Many Churches – Rainer on Leadership #465

Discipleship is something churches say they do, but also something they don't always really understand. Today we explain why.

What to Do If You Desire Excellence in the Church, but You Are Not Seeing It – Rainer on Leadership #463

Many churches aspire to excellence, but unfortunately many of them miss the mark. Today we discuss how to excel in your church.