Rainer on Leadership

https://youtu.be/2BAt6sohj-s

If you think serving a church as a pastor is more difficult today than in recent years, you are not imagining things. Thom and Sam look at five of the reasons this change took place.

Culture no longer honors the role of the pastor.

The expectations of pastors by church members have grown significantly.

Social media is more toxic than ever.

Church practices have changed dramatically.

Denominations are no longer a safety net.

 

Resources:

Walk Thru The Bible

Church Answers

“What Should You Do When You Get Hate Messages? Four Options to Consider” by Sam Rainer

Church Growth Services

Southeastern Seminary

Watch today’s episode on YouTube

 

Episode Sponsors:

 

 

 

 

For 45 years, Walk Thru the Bible has helped people overcome obstacles to knowing and living God’s Word. Our innovative live events and high-quality biblical resources inspire passion for reading God’s Word and advance biblical literacy in 130 countries. Our otLIVE and ntLIVE events help people discover and understand the big picture storyline of God’s grand story of redemption. In just 2½ hours, a trained, certified Walk Thru the Bible instructor leads a church or group in a fun and unforgettable Bible experience event that teaches the major events, people, and chronology of the Old or New Testament. Post event, 75% of participants commit to reading their Bible on a regular basis. Millions of people around the world have experienced a Walk Thru the Bible live event—we can help bring an unforgettable Bible experience to your church. For more information: walkthru.org/bibleexperience. We have a special offer for you at walkthru.org/bibleexperience.

 

Southeastern is committed to helping you get the training you need to pursue your ministry from anywhere around the world. That’s why we’re waiving the application fee to any of our programs for Church Answers listeners. Use the code “CHURCHANSWERS” and we’ll waive the fee. No matter what stage of life’s journey you find yourself in, we want to help you take your next step in getting equipped to disciple and teach others. In coming to Southeastern, you’ll find that seminary isn’t just about theological education; it’s about ministry preparation. Explore degrees, schedule a visit, or apply today at sebts.edu.

https://youtu.be/ia1ruVLqXi8

The Christmas season is a time when guests are more likely to visit your church. Christmas Eve services, in particular, are popular with people from the community. Now is the time to start making plans. On this episode, Thom and Sam discuss what will be different and what you can expect for Christmas this year. 

1. Christmas Eve services will be as popular as ever. Guests will be there!

2. Christmas Eve falls on a Friday this year. It's ideal timing. Have a separate Christmas Eve service and invite people to your Sunday services.

3. This year people will spend a lot on gifts. Don't be afraid to ask people to be generous with gifts to the church.

4. Most community activities that were canceled last year will be back in full swing.

5. People still expect a more traditional worship service at Christmas.

 

 

Resources:

Church Growth Services

"12 Things Churches Changed During COVID That They Are Keeping after COVID" by Thom S. Rainer 

View today’s episode on YouTube at https://youtu.be/ia1ruVLqXi8

 

 

Episode Sponsors:

If you're a church, school, nonprofit, values-based business, or family office, Vanderbloemen would be honored to serve you. Their team's goal is to empower yours by aligning your people solutions for growth: hiring, compensation, succession, and culture. Hire the right people. Pay them well. Plan for the future. Build a culture that lasts. Learn more at Vanderbloemen.com

 

Southeastern is committed to helping you get the training you need to pursue your ministry from anywhere around the world. That’s why we’re waiving the application fee to any of our programs for Church Answers listeners. Use the code “CHURCHANSWERS” and we’ll waive the fee. No matter what stage of life’s journey you find yourself in, we want to help you take your next step in getting equipped to disciple and teach others. In coming to Southeastern, you’ll find that seminary isn’t just about theological education; it’s about ministry preparation. Explore degrees, schedule a visit, or apply today at sebts.edu.

https://youtu.be/LtHQUr2lySo?list=PLNU7KRxwmwxmlIrF757PkwPE2y8oAuJrF

Working in ministry can be demanding and stressful, but sometimes we forget to have fun in our callings. Perhaps you need a lighter season. On this episode, Thom and Sam discuss some ways to restart the fun in your vocation. 

1. Skip a few standing meetings and spend more time with your family.

2. Call an old friend and go on a weekend road trip together.

3. Practice using more humor in your sermons.

4. Have a meal with your faithful supporters and thank them.

5. Play a practical joke on someone you trust.

6. Go on a night out with your leadership team and their spouses.

 

Resources:

The Levity Effect: Why it Pays to Lighten by Adrian Gostick and Scott Christopher

Practical joke soap

View today’s episode on YouTube 

 

Episode Sponsors:

Southeastern is committed to helping you get the training you need to pursue your ministry from anywhere around the world. That’s why we’re waiving the application fee to any of our programs for Church Answers listeners. Use the code “CHURCHANSWERS” and we’ll waive the fee. No matter what stage of life’s journey you find yourself in, we want to help you take your next step in getting equipped to disciple and teach others. In coming to Southeastern, you’ll find that seminary isn’t just about theological education; it’s about ministry preparation. Explore degrees, schedule a visit, or apply today at sebts.edu.

 

If you're a church, school, nonprofit, values-based business, or family office, Vanderbloemen would be honored to serve you. Their team's goal is to empower yours by aligning your people solutions for growth: hiring, compensation, succession, and culture. Hire the right people. Pay them well. Plan for the future. Build a culture that lasts. Learn more at Vanderbloemen.com

 

Knowing and enjoying God should be integral to the Christian life. However, many of us struggle to grow in the means of grace and develop a deeper relationship with God. On today’s episode of Rainer on Leadership Thom and Sam talk with Tim Challies about the daily spiritual disciplines that help Christians know and enjoy God more fully.

Tim Challies is a Christian, a husband to Aileen, and a father to two girls in their teens and one son who is waiting for him in heaven. He worships and serves as an elder at Grace Fellowship Church in Toronto, Canada. He is a blogger and book reviewer and has written a number of popular books. His latest book is Knowing and Enjoying God (Harvest House, September 2021).

1. What was your inspiration for writing a devotional book?

2. How can a small message grow someone’s faith in a big way?

3. In Knowing and Enjoying God, you challenge readers to cultivate consistent means of grace – also referred to as spiritual disciplines. What means of grace are you seeing the church in the most need of right now?

4. A great majority of your book falls into the habits of reading the bible, of praying, and of participating in the local church. Why a strong emphasis on these three?

 

Resources:

* Brown Development Group

Church Growth Services

Tim Challies

Knowing and Enjoying God by Tim Challies

Know Your Community

* View this episode on YouTube

 

 

Episode Sponsors:

If you're a church, school, nonprofit, values-based business, or family office, Vanderbloemen would be honored to serve you. Their team's goal is to empower yours by aligning your people solutions for growth: hiring, compensation, succession, and culture. Hire the right people. Pay them well. Plan for the future. Build a culture that lasts. Learn more at Vanderbloemen.com

 

Southeastern is committed to helping you get the training you need to pursue your ministry from anywhere around the world. That’s why we’re waiving the application fee to any of our programs for Church Answers listeners. Use the code “CHURCHANSWERS” and we’ll waive the fee. No matter what stage of life’s journey you find yourself in, we want to help you take your next step in getting equipped to disciple and teach others. In coming to Southeastern, you’ll find that seminary isn’t just about theological education; it’s about ministry preparation. Explore degrees, schedule a visit, or apply today at sebts.edu.

Thom and Sam look at the challenging issue of plagiarism in sermons. They suggest five things you can do to avoid this mistake.

1. Cite verbally and/or in writing every source that you used to write a sermon.

2. Be careful with sermon resource sites. If you copy their material you need to say so.

3. Remember it's more than specific words that can be plagiarized. Key thoughts and outlines are also subject to copying.

4. Use one of the resources available to check for plagiarism.

5. Consider preparing your sermon first with no outside aids.

 

Resources:

View this Episode on YouTube

Grammarly

Know Your Community

 

Episode Sponsors:

Southeastern is committed to helping you get the training you need to pursue your ministry from anywhere around the world. That’s why we’re waiving the application fee to any of our programs for Church Answers listeners. Use the code “CHURCHANSWERS” and we’ll waive the fee. No matter what stage of life’s journey you find yourself in, we want to help you take your next step in getting equipped to disciple and teach others. In coming to Southeastern, you’ll find that seminary isn’t just about theological education; it’s about ministry preparation. Explore degrees, schedule a visit, or apply today at sebts.edu.

 

If you're a church, school, nonprofit, values-based business, or family office, Vanderbloemen would be honored to serve you. Their team's goal is to empower yours by aligning your people solutions for growth: hiring, compensation, succession, and culture. Hire the right people. Pay them well. Plan for the future. Build a culture that lasts. Learn more at Vanderbloemen.com

 

It’s time for the neighborhood church to make a comeback. The stigma of small churches is fading. Incredible potential is right around the corner. Imagine what could happen if neighborhood churches got healthy on a large scale. The neighborhood church movement is primed for a launch. If this comeback occurred, what might it look like?

1. The stigma becomes the advantage.

2. Church fostering becomes more common.

3. Local pastors become less like islands and make friends.

4. Community revitalization becomes part of the mission.

 

Resources:

Know Your Community 

View this episode on YouTube

 

Episode Sponsors:

If you're a church, school, nonprofit, values-based business, or family office, Vanderbloemen would be honored to serve you. Their team's goal is to empower yours by aligning your people solutions for growth: hiring, compensation, succession, and culture. Hire the right people. Pay them well. Plan for the future. Build a culture that lasts. Learn more at Vanderbloemen.com

 

Southeastern is committed to helping you get the training you need to pursue your ministry from anywhere around the world. That’s why we’re waiving the application fee to any of our programs for Church Answers listeners. Use the code “CHURCHANSWERS” and we’ll waive the fee. No matter what stage of life’s journey you find yourself in, we want to help you take your next step in getting equipped to disciple and teach others. In coming to Southeastern, you’ll find that seminary isn’t just about theological education; it’s about ministry preparation. Explore degrees, schedule a visit, or apply today at sebts.edu.

Church leaders should love their community as much as their churches. Love for a congregation mismatched with disdain for a community will cause you to retreat in an unhealthy church bubble. What are some ways church leaders can learn to love their communities more?

Don't travel away from the community at every opportunity you get.

Celebrate with the community at public events.

 Live in the heart of the church neighborhood, not on the outskirts or in another community.

Join a civic organization and serve.

Try something new in the community on a regular basis.

 

Resources:

Free 30-day trial Church Answers Silver membership

Know Your Community 

 

Episode Sponsors:

Southeastern is committed to helping you get the training you need to pursue your ministry from anywhere around the world. That’s why we’re waiving the application fee to any of our programs for Church Answers listeners. Use the code “CHURCHANSWERS” and we’ll waive the fee. No matter what stage of life’s journey you find yourself in, we want to help you take your next step in getting equipped to disciple and teach others. In coming to Southeastern, you’ll find that seminary isn’t just about theological education; it’s about ministry preparation. Explore degrees, schedule a visit, or apply today at sebts.edu.

 

If you're a church, school, nonprofit, values-based business, or family office, Vanderbloemen would be honored to serve you. Their team's goal is to empower yours by aligning your people solutions for growth: hiring, compensation, succession, and culture. Hire the right people. Pay them well. Plan for the future. Build a culture that lasts. Learn more at Vanderbloemen.com

 

If a church member was at the main intersection in town with a bullhorn yelling at people, then you would want to know about it. Social media is the bullhorn, and there is a lot of noise out there. While you need to be aware of what church members say online, balance is key. On this episode, Thom and Sam discuss how pastors and church leaders can shepherd the congregation on social media. 

Social media is a communication tool. It becomes good or bad by how you use it.

Completely avoiding social media is a mistake.

Immersing yourself in social media is a mistake as well.

You don't need to know everything people say online, but it is good to be aware of patterns in behavior on social media and elsewhere.

Guard your church's social media pages and track what staff and key leaders are doing.

Set the example by using social media for encouragement, not political attacks or denominational power grabs.

 

Resources:

“Stop It!” - Bob Newhart

Know Your Community

 

Episode Sponsors:

If you're a church, school, nonprofit, values-based business, or family office, Vanderbloemen would be honored to serve you. Their team's goal is to empower yours by aligning your people solutions for growth: hiring, compensation, succession, and culture. Hire the right people. Pay them well. Plan for the future. Build a culture that lasts. Learn more at Vanderbloemen.com

 

Southeastern is committed to helping you get the training you need to pursue your ministry from anywhere around the world. That’s why we’re waiving the application fee to any of our programs for Church Answers listeners. Use the code “CHURCHANSWERS” and we’ll waive the fee. No matter what stage of life’s journey you find yourself in, we want to help you take your next step in getting equipped to disciple and teach others. In coming to Southeastern, you’ll find that seminary isn’t just about theological education; it’s about ministry preparation. Explore degrees, schedule a visit, or apply today at sebts.edu.

Pastoral succession is an important process many churches overlook. On today’s episode of Rainer on Leadership Thom and Sam talk with William Vanderbloemen about why it is important for the future health of your church now more than ever.

What is pastoral succession and why is it important for the health of the church?

Why is pastoral succession more important now in a post-COVID world?

How does the senior pastor role of the future look different than the role does today?

When should pastoral succession discussions begin? Do you have any advice on how to lead this process?

 

Resources:

Vanderbloemen

Next: Pastoral Succession That Works, Expanded and Updated by William Vanderbloemen 

How Your Church Can Reach People In a Post-COVID World Ebook

* Free 30-day trial Church Answers Silver membership

 

Episode Sponsors:

If you're a church, school, nonprofit, values-based business, or family office, Vanderbloemen would be honored to serve you. Their team's goal is to empower yours by aligning your people solutions for growth: hiring, compensation, succession, and culture. Hire the right people. Pay them well. Plan for the future. Build a culture that lasts. Learn more at Vanderbloemen.com

 

Southeastern is committed to helping you get the training you need to pursue your ministry from anywhere around the world. That’s why we’re waiving the application fee to any of our programs for Church Answers listeners. Use the code “CHURCHANSWERS” and we’ll waive the fee. No matter what stage of life’s journey you find yourself in, we want to help you take your next step in getting equipped to disciple and teach others. In coming to Southeastern, you’ll find that seminary isn’t just about theological education; it’s about ministry preparation. Explore degrees, schedule a visit, or apply today at sebts.edu.

The concept of generosity is an important part of the Christian faith. However, many pastors and church leaders struggle to develop a culture of joyful giving in their congregations. On today’s episode of Rainer on Leadership Thom and Sam talk with Michael Stadelmayer from Church Growth Services about how to develop a culture of generosity in your church.

Why is the concept of generosity so important to the local church?

What is something a pastor can do right now to help grow generosity in their church?

Are these simple steps a complete picture of developing a culture of generosity in your church?

What are a few of the most common or greatest barriers a pastor must overcome to develop an intentional generosity strategy?

Resources:

Free Download from Church Growth Services : 4 Simple Ideas To Grow Generosity at Your Church

More Than Money

 

Episode Sponsors:

Southeastern is committed to helping you get the training you need to pursue your ministry from anywhere around the world. That’s why we’re waiving the application fee to any of our programs for Church Answers listeners. Use the code “CHURCHANSWERS” and we’ll waive the fee. No matter what stage of life’s journey you find yourself in, we want to help you take your next step in getting equipped to disciple and teach others. In coming to Southeastern, you’ll find that seminary isn’t just about theological education; it’s about ministry preparation. Explore degrees, schedule a visit, or apply today at sebts.edu.

 

If you're a church, school, nonprofit, values-based business, or family office, Vanderbloemen would be honored to serve you. Their team's goal is to empower yours by aligning your people solutions for growth: hiring, compensation, succession, and culture. Hire the right people. Pay them well. Plan for the future. Build a culture that lasts. Learn more at Vanderbloemen.com