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The Church Answers Podcast
The Church Answers Podcast episodes
- Why We Must Rethink the Smaller Church, Part 1: The New Norm
While most people would consider a church with an average worship attendance of 50 to be small, those churches are larger than 50% of churches in America. In this three-part series, Thom and Jess discuss the implications of these developments. In this first of three podcasts, they discuss the reality of this new landscape.
Resources:- Chaney & Associates
- The Everything Church Resource Directory
- The Hope Initiative
- Church Answers Central Membership
Episode Sponsor:Focus on your ministry, we’ll focus on the finances.
- Chaney & Associates — The accounting firm for the Church.
- Stop stressing about the state of your church’s finances and start feeling confident knowing you’ve hired an accounting team you can trust.
- At Chaney & Associates, we understand the weight you carry stewarding tithe money which is why we’ve helped over 1,100 churches with accounting & payroll services for over 21 years.
- Save time with our cloud-based software. Access reports in real time. And feel confident knowing you’re working with software that’s the best in class.
- From church plants to megachurches, we’ve got you covered.
- Cumulative Translation Adjustment (CTA): Visit chaneyassociates.com today to get started.
The post Why We Must Rethink the Smaller Church, Part 1: The New Norm appeared first on Church Answers.
12 min - Why Are Conversions Down So Much in Churches? Part 2: The Priority Challenge
All the data points to steep declines in conversions in churches in recent years. In this second of two parts, Thom and Jess examine why evangelism has become a lower priority in churches today.
- Spiritual warfare
- Fewer pastor role models
- The busy culture
Resources:- Chaney & Associates
- “Pray & Go” by Thom S. Rainer
- “When the People Pray” by Thom S. Rainer
- The Everything Church Resource Directory
- The Hope Initiative
- Church Answers Central Membership
Episode Sponsor:Focus on your ministry, we’ll focus on the finances.
- Chaney & Associates — The accounting firm for the Church.
- Stop stressing about the state of your church’s finances and start feeling confident knowing you’ve hired an accounting team you can trust.
- At Chaney & Associates, we understand the weight you carry stewarding tithe money which is why we’ve helped over 1,100 churches with accounting & payroll services for over 21 years.
- Save time with our cloud-based software. Access reports in real time. And feel confident knowing you’re working with software that’s the best in class.
- From church plants to megachurches, we’ve got you covered.
- Cumulative Translation Adjustment (CTA): Visit chaneyassociates.com today to get started.
The post Why Are Conversions Down So Much in Churches? Part 2: The Priority Challenge appeared first on Church Answers.
12 min - Why Are Conversions Down So Much in Churches? Part 1: The Demographic Challenge
All the data points to steep declines in conversions in churches in recent years. In this first of two parts, Thom and Jess look at the aging of church members as a major issue.
Resources:- Chaney & Associates
- “Effective Evangelistic Churches” by Thom S. Rainer (affiliate link)
- The Everything Church Resource Directory
- The Hope Initiative
- Church Answers Central Membership
Episode Sponsor:Focus on your ministry, we’ll focus on the finances.
- Chaney & Associates — The accounting firm for the Church.
- Stop stressing about the state of your church’s finances and start feeling confident knowing you’ve hired an accounting team you can trust.
- At Chaney & Associates, we understand the weight you carry stewarding tithe money which is why we’ve helped over 1,100 churches with accounting & payroll services for over 21 years.
- Save time with our cloud-based software. Access reports in real time. And feel confident knowing you’re working with software that’s the best in class.
- From church plants to megachurches, we’ve got you covered.
- Cumulative Translation Adjustment (CTA): Visit chaneyassociates.com today to get started.
The post Why Are Conversions Down So Much in Churches? Part 1: The Demographic Challenge appeared first on Church Answers.
12 min - Is Church Membership Biblical?
A common refrain among some self-identified Christians is that church membership is not in the Bible. Thom and Jess explore the background and reality of this issue from a biblical and cultural perspective.
- How “membership” became misconstrued.
- What does the Bible really say about membership?
- The paradigm shift began to take place with I Am a Church Member and teachings about church membership from a Reformed perspective.
Resources:- Chaney & Associates
- “I Am a Church Member: Discovering the Attitude that Makes the Difference” by Thom S. Rainer (affiliate link)
- The Complete Membership Class Toolkit
- The Everything Church Resource Directory
- The Hope Initiative
- Church Answers Central Membership
Episode Sponsor:Focus on your ministry, we’ll focus on the finances.
- Chaney & Associates — The accounting firm for the Church.
- Stop stressing about the state of your church’s finances and start feeling confident knowing you’ve hired an accounting team you can trust.
- At Chaney & Associates, we understand the weight you carry stewarding tithe money which is why we’ve helped over 1,100 churches with accounting & payroll services for over 21 years.
- Save time with our cloud-based software. Access reports in real time. And feel confident knowing you’re working with software that’s the best in class.
- From church plants to megachurches, we’ve got you covered.
- Cumulative Translation Adjustment (CTA): Visit chaneyassociates.com today to get started.
The post Is Church Membership Biblical? appeared first on Church Answers.
13 min - Comfortable Ways to Talk about Giving in the Church
Many pastors and church leaders don’t feel comfortable discussing money and giving in the church. Thom and Jess share some ways church leaders communicate giving in very natural (even supernatural) ways.
Resources:- Chaney & Associates
- “Not Your Parents’ Offering Plate: A New Vision for Financial Stewardship” by J. Clif Christopher (affiliate link)
- The Everything Church Resource Directory
- The Hope Initiative
- Church Answers Central Membership
Episode Sponsor:Focus on your ministry, we’ll focus on the finances.
- Chaney & Associates — The accounting firm for the Church.
- Stop stressing about the state of your church’s finances and start feeling confident knowing you’ve hired an accounting team you can trust.
- At Chaney & Associates, we understand the weight you carry stewarding tithe money which is why we’ve helped over 1,100 churches with accounting & payroll services for over 21 years.
- Save time with our cloud-based software. Access reports in real time. And feel confident knowing you’re working with software that’s the best in class.
- From church plants to megachurches, we’ve got you covered.
- Cumulative Translation Adjustment (CTA): Visit chaneyassociates.com today to get started.
The post Comfortable Ways to Talk about Giving in the Church appeared first on Church Answers.
13 min - The Power of Redundancy to Communicate the Church’s Vision
While pastors and staff may get tired of hearing themselves say the same thing every week, it can be highly effective. Thom and Jess discuss how pastors use redundant messaging to communicate a vision that sticks.
Resources:- Chaney & Associates
- The Everything Church Resource Directory
- The Hope Initiative
- Church Answers Central Membership
Episode Sponsor:Focus on your ministry, we’ll focus on the finances.
- Chaney & Associates — The accounting firm for the Church.
- Stop stressing about the state of your church’s finances and start feeling confident knowing you’ve hired an accounting team you can trust.
- At Chaney & Associates, we understand the weight you carry stewarding tithe money which is why we’ve helped over 1,100 churches with accounting & payroll services for over 21 years.
- Save time with our cloud-based software. Access reports in real time. And feel confident knowing you’re working with software that’s the best in class.
- From church plants to megachurches, we’ve got you covered.
- Cumulative Translation Adjustment (CTA): Visit chaneyassociates.com today to get started.
The post The Power of Redundancy to Communicate the Church’s Vision appeared first on Church Answers.
12 min - How to Grow a Church through a Pastor’s Class
Thom and Jess examine the power of groups in a church, focusing specifically on including a pastor’s class. It is absolutely amazing how many people, both church members and non-members, will join this class.
Resources:- Chaney & Associates
- “How to Lead a Healthy Small Group: A Practical and Easy-to-Use Guide” by Kevin Mills (affiliate link)
- The Everything Church Resource Directory
- The Hope Initiative
- Church Answers Central Membership
Episode Sponsor:Focus on your ministry, we’ll focus on the finances.
- Chaney & Associates — The accounting firm for the Church.
- Stop stressing about the state of your church’s finances and start feeling confident knowing you’ve hired an accounting team you can trust.
- At Chaney & Associates, we understand the weight you carry stewarding tithe money which is why we’ve helped over 1,100 churches with accounting & payroll services for over 21 years.
- Save time with our cloud-based software. Access reports in real time. And feel confident knowing you’re working with software that’s the best in class.
- From church plants to megachurches, we’ve got you covered.
- Cumulative Translation Adjustment (CTA): Visit chaneyassociates.com today to get started.
The post How to Grow a Church through a Pastor’s Class appeared first on Church Answers.
13 min - Three Powerful Relational Connections for Churches
Church members have many opportunities to connect with members of their community. Thom shares some of the ways effective churches are doing it.
- The porch ministry
- The single-parent connection
- Getting to know families through sports
- Bonus: Taking care of the car
Resources:- Upward Sports
- Know Your Community
- The Everything Church Resource Directory
- The Hope Initiative
- Church Answers Central Membership
Episode Sponsor: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. By the way, it’s not too early to start thinking about winter sports leagues at your church. Learn more today at Upward.org/ChurchAnswers.
**As a partner of The Church Answers Podcast, 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!
The post Three Powerful Relational Connections for Churches appeared first on Church Answers.
12 min - Turning Community Sports Leagues into Positives for Your Church
Pastors and other church leaders often lament that community sports and travel teams have priority over church for many families. In this episode, Thom shares how you can turn this negative into a positive.
- When a church sponsors a team . . .
- You’ve got coaches!
- If the church had its league . . .
Resources:- Upward Sports
- The Everything Church Resource Directory
- The Hope Initiative
- Church Answers Central Membership
Episode Sponsor: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. By the way, it’s not too early to start thinking about winter sports leagues at your church. Learn more today at Upward.org/ChurchAnswers.
**As a partner of The Church Answers Podcast, 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!
The post Turning Community Sports Leagues into Positives for Your Church appeared first on Church Answers.
12 min - Three Unconventional (But Highly Effective) Ways to Get Your Community to Come to Your Church
In this episode, Thom looks at three ways some churches are reaching out to their communities. These are not traditional types of outreach, but they are proving to be highly effective.
- Build-your-own sports ministry
- Gifts for the neighborhood
- The power of “we’ve prayed for you”
Resources:- Upward Sports
- Good News Neighbors Toolkit
- The Everything Church Resource Directory
- The Hope Initiative
- Church Answers Central Membership
Episode Sponsor: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. By the way, it’s not too early to start thinking about winter sports leagues at your church. Learn more today at Upward.org/ChurchAnswers.
**As a partner of The Church Answers Podcast, 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!
The post Three Unconventional (But Highly Effective) Ways to Get Your Community to Come to Your Church appeared first on Church Answers.
11 min
About The Church Answers Podcast
From the publisher's feed
The Church Answers Podcast with Thom Rainer is fast-paced, to the point, and sometimes witty. It addresses one question about church life and leadership in just ten minutes. Buckle your seatbelt and…
take a ride into the world of congregational health in a fun and fascinating way.
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