Rainer on Leadership

Today Thom and Sam discuss five problems of having too many “main things.” As the frequency of church attenders decreases you will depend on fewer people more frequently. Leaders will burn out those most committed to the church.

* Church members cannot focus on more than one or two priorities.

There is a challenge with infrequent attenders

A leader cannot emphasize multiple main things well.

One or more of the main things will fade.

Members will grow weary.

Other highlights:

People today are busy. Is it possible that the church is contributing to the busyness of people?

Lack of focus is not due to an impure heart but a result of too many ideas.

Churches are declining because of fewer attendants and members attending less frequently.

Ideas become less potent when there is a flood of ideas that are never implemented.

When everything is a priority, nothing is.

Resources:

* 2020 Micro Consultations

Episode Sponsors

The mission at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ by equipping students to serve the church and fulfill the Great Commission. The school offers more than 40 different degree programs, including the new Master of Arts in Church Revitalization in partnership with Church Answers and the Revitalization Network. This 37-hour degree is designed to help students move established churches from flatlining to flourishing.

Learn about this program and more by visiting sebts.edu. Where are you going? Southeastern will help you get there.

Vanderbloemen has 12 Vanderbloemen Differences that allow them to serve their clients better than anyone else. One of those is Theology Matters. Vanderbloemen's staff has more seminary and theological experience than any other search firm with 250+ collective years of church leadership experience.

To learn more about all 12 of Vanderbloemen's Differences, visit VanderDifference.com.

Feedback

If you have a question you would like answered on the show, fill out the form on the podcast page here on Church Answers.

In today’s episode, Thom interviews Sam about four things your church should know about fostering another church. There are neighboring churches in your community struggling and need your church’s love. Listen in as the discussion covers leadership tips and boundaries for fostering churches.

* The motive has to be pure.

* Most fostering will not become adoptions.

* The leadership factor still remains key.

* Fostering beyond 18 to 24 months can create dependence.

Other highlights:

The goal of fostering a church is to help them return to a state of independence. 

Trust that breaks down will eventually be detrimental to any relationship.

Fostering is local churches helping local churches. 

God gave you a specific address for a specific reason. Loving your neighbor applies to people and churches.

If leadership is not aligned, then you should not move forward. 

Resources mentioned in today's podcast

* Church Answers

* Vanderbloemen Strategic Partnership

* Vanderbloemen Expansion

* Join Revitalize Network

Episode Sponsors

Vanderbloemen has been serving churches for nine years, but did you know that Vanderbloemen also serves Christian schools, nonprofits, and Christian businesses? So if you're listening, and you know a Christian school, nonprofit, or values-based business that is hiring, contact our friends at Vanderbloemen for your staffing needs.

For more information, visit Vanderbloemen.com.

The mission at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ by equipping students to serve the church and fulfill the Great Commission. The school offers more than 40 different degree programs, including the new Master of Arts in Church Revitalization in partnership with Church Answers and the Revitalization Network. This 37-hour degree is designed to help students move established churches from flatlining to flourishing.

Learn about this program and more by visiting sebts.edu. Where are you going? Southeastern will help you get there.

Feedback

If you have a question you would like answered on the show, fill out the form on the podcast page here on Church Answers.

Today Thom and Sam welcome Joel Wayne, lead pastor for Chapel Pointe in Hudsonville, Michigan, and author of Steer: Eight Practices to Drive Leadership. In this episode, Joel discusses four neglected practices of leaders trying to shape culture. Key learning is to address splinters before they become infectious. 

Four Often Neglected Practices of Most Leaders

* Shaping (Shifting) Culture

* Maintaining Motivation

* Establishing Default Settings

* Pulling Splinters

Other highlights:

In order to shape a culture, you have to know what you are shaping towards.

Every culture grows toward what feeds it.

We often begin meetings by critiquing things that are going bad. In order to change culture begin meetings by celebrating what is going well.

Remind your staff on a regular basis what God is doing in your midst.

Continual small nuggets of positive encouragement prevent you from having to come up with one big celebration.

Don’t wait to address problems that are blistering underneath the skin.

Splinters are potential infections. If you don’t address the splinter it will become a bigger problem later.

About Joel Wayne: 

Joel Wayne has spent twenty years improving leadership and cultivating a healthy culture within organizations and churches in Connecticut, Kentucky, and Michigan. He currently serves as lead pastor for Chapel Pointe in Michigan and is the founder of VSI Leadership, a business and leadership consulting group. Joel's dynamic communication style conveys his enthusiasm for developing strong leaders focusing on VISION, STRATEGY, and IMPLEMENTATION to create an overall organizational reset. He currently lives in Michigan with his wife and four children.

Resources:

* Steer: Eight Practices to Drive Leadership

* Joel Wayne

* 2020 Micro Consultations

* Church Vision Statement

Episode Sponsors

The mission at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ by equipping students to serve the church and fulfill the Great Commission. The school offers more than 40 different degree programs, including the new Master of Arts in Church Revitalization in partnership with Church Answers and the Revitalization Network. This 37-hour degree is designed to help students move established churches from flatlining to flourishing.

Learn about this program and more by visiting sebts.edu. Where are you going? Southeastern will help you get there.

Vanderbloemen has 12 Vanderbloemen Differences that allow them to serve their clients better than anyone else. One of those is Theology Matters. Vanderbloemen's staff has more seminary and theological experience than any other search firm with 250+ collective years of church leadership experience.

To learn more about all 12 of Vanderbloemen's Differences, visit VanderDifference.com.

Feedback

If you have a question you would like answered on the show, fill out the form on the

Thom and Sam are joined by Dr. Chuck Lawless from Southeastern Seminary. Today’s discussion is on six shifts in church health and revitalization.

The six shifts:

* The local church emphasis in church revitalization

* The institutional emphasis in church revitalization

* The micro-movement

* The return to resource-led revitalization 

* The neighborhood church movement

* The facility adjustment issue 

Other highlights:

We are finally catching up on providing resources and training for church revitalization

In order for a big movement to happen, it is going to have to happen through the smaller neighborhood churches.

Pastors and other leaders often need a starting point for revitalization.

It is very common to find a large worship center and a small congregation.

Resources mentioned in today's podcast

* SEBTS MA in Church Revitalization

* SEBTS MDIV in Church Revitalization

* SEBTS DMIN Church Growth and Revitalization

* Revitalize Network

* Revitalize Network Annual Meeting

* Church Answers

* Cornerstone Bible Church

* 2020 Micro Sign Up

* Pray and Go

* Church Answers Consulting

* Cosco & Associates

Episode Sponsors

Vanderbloemen has been serving churches for nine years, but did you know that Vanderbloemen also serves Christian schools, nonprofits, and Christian businesses? So if you're listening, and you know a Christian school, nonprofit, or values-based business that is hiring, contact our friends at Vanderbloemen for your staffing needs.

For more information, visit Vanderbloemen.com.

The mission at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ by equipping students to serve the church and fulfill the Great Commission. The school offers more than 40 different degree programs, including the new Master of Arts in Church Revitalization in partnership with Church Answers and the Revitalization Network. This 37-hour degree is designed to help students move established churches from flatlining to flourishing.

Learn about this program and more by visiting

Does your welcoming ministry feel stale and stagnant? In today’s episode, Thom and Sam discuss four reasons why churches become less welcoming. Every ministry can get in a rut or routine. Listen in on how you can become a more welcoming church.

* Leaders in your welcoming ministry are not getting constant reminders.

* New members of your welcoming ministry have not been trained.

* Pastors are failing to check for themselves.

* Pastors take it off their priority list.

Other highlights:

A welcoming church has to be consistently persistent. 

You have to be on your “A” game every week. 

When visitors walk into a smaller church they are expecting to be welcomed well.

Consistent vision casting from the leader is important.

Any ministry has the potential to get into a rut and routine.

A guest’s first impression will begin to occur within the first 7 seconds of being onsite at your church.

Resources:

* Becoming a Welcoming Church

* Secret Guest Survey

Episode Sponsors

The mission at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ by equipping students to serve the church and fulfill the Great Commission. The school offers more than 40 different degree programs, including the new Master of Arts in Church Revitalization in partnership with Church Answers and the Revitalization Network. This 37-hour degree is designed to help students move established churches from flatlining to flourishing.

Learn about this program and more by visiting sebts.edu. Where are you going? Southeastern will help you get there.

Vanderbloemen has 12 Vanderbloemen Differences that allow them to serve their clients better than anyone else. One of those is Theology Matters. Vanderbloemen's staff has more seminary and theological experience than any other search firm with 250+ collective years of church leadership experience.

To learn more about all 12 of Vanderbloemen's Differences, visit VanderDifference.com.

Feedback

If you have a question you would like answered on the show, fill out the form on the podcast page here on Church Answers.

In this episode, Thom and Sam discuss a key barrier to church growth, parking. If you are leading a healthy and growing church parking will be an issue. Listen in as the discussion focuses on six ways churches are dealing with parking shortages.

The six questions from today’s podcast:

Ask key church leaders to park in remote places.

Some churches use shuttle parking, at least for a season.

More churches are starting a non-Sunday morning service to deal with space constraints like parking shortages.

When a church becomes multi-site, parking shortages are often relieved.

Nearby businesses are often happy to allow church members to park on their property.

Some churches reconfigure their parking for more effective use.

Other highlights:

Church leaders often arrive early and leave late and do not notice parking issues.

As culture has changed, we have fewer people coming to church per car.

Resources mentioned in today's podcast

* I Am a Church Member

* The Biggest Demographic Churches Are Missing

* Sandals Church

* Cosco & Associates

* Revitalize and Replant

Episode Sponsors

Vanderbloemen has been serving churches for nine years, but did you know that Vanderbloemen also serves Christian schools, nonprofits, and Christian businesses? So if you're listening, and you know a Christian school, nonprofit, or values-based business that is hiring, contact our friends at Vanderbloemen for your staffing needs.

For more information, visit Vanderbloemen.com.

The mission at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ by equipping students to serve the church and fulfill the Great Commission. The school offers more than 40 different degree programs, including the new Master of Arts in Church Revitalization in partnership with Church Answers and the Revitalization Network. This 37-hour degree is designed to help students move established churches from flatlining to flourishing.

Learn about this program and more by visiting sebts.edu. Where are you going? Southeastern will help you get there.

Feedback

If you have a question you would like answered on the show, fill out the form on the podcast page here on Church Answers.

Today’s episode is an important topic in the life of the church leader. Anxiety could come from a number of sources including staff, congregational members, elders, or other church expectations. Thom and Sam take this episode to give some tips on how to find help and stay healthy.

Thom and Sam discuss the possible scenarios in which an internal candidate can transition into a lead pastor role. The discussion considers several perspectives including the internal candidate, external candidate, and potential impact on the church.

Eric Roberts joins the podcast today to discuss how to build a worship ministry. Eric has created over 300 free videos to help churches raise up skilled worship leaders. Training through Eric’s ministry, worshiptheking.com, includes training on guitars, drums, sound, and much more.

Every church has varying membership requirements. In today's podcast Thom and Sam discuss membership classes and the strengths and weaknesses of church expectations.