The Church Answers Podcast

Thom and Jess look at seven key traits of long-term pastors.

The post Top Seven Traits of Pastors Who Stay at a Church for at Least 15 Years appeared first on Church Answers.

Jess and Thom share the top seven reasons pastors told us they felt led to leave a church.

The post Top Seven Reasons a Pastor Chooses to Leave a Church appeared first on Church Answers.

Jess and Thom share the top seven reasons pastors choose to go to a church.

New Year, New Goals with Upward Running

It’s a new year—time for new fitness goals! Upward Running gives your church a fun and effective way to reach adults in your congregation and community. Offer a 5K Challenge that promotes both spiritual and fitness growth, helping participants build relationships, encourage one another, and experience health and wellness together. With Upward Running, your small group or adult ministry can engage adults in a meaningful, active, and relational way.

Learn more at Upward.org/Runcoach.

The post Top Seven Reasons a Pastor Chooses to Go to a Church appeared first on Church Answers.

The Enemy seeks to destroy. He loathes evangelism and will do anything he can to hinder church members from sharing the gospel. Jess and Thom share five of his most common tactics.

New Year, New Goals with Upward Running

It’s a new year—time for new fitness goals! Upward Running gives your church a fun and effective way to reach adults in your congregation and community. Offer a 5K Challenge that promotes both spiritual and fitness growth, helping participants build relationships, encourage one another, and experience health and wellness together. With Upward Running, your small group or adult ministry can engage adults in a meaningful, active, and relational way.

Learn more at Upward.org/Runcoach.

The post How Satan Attempts to Hinder Churches from Being Evangelistic appeared first on Church Answers.

Thom knows this person well, because he is one. He and Jess dive into how church leaders can best understand and utilize introverts in the church.

Bring the Game to Your Church

The post The Quiet Power of the Church Introvert: Why the Most Influential People in Your Church May Be the Least Noticeable appeared first on Church Answers.

Thom and Jess continue to examine the largest unchurched group in America, the U3s. In this episode, the Rainers provide some highly practical ways to reach them.

Bring the Game to Your Church

The post How Churches Can Reach the Largest Unchurched Group in the United States appeared first on Church Answers.

There are 30 to 35 million unchurched people in the United States, whom we call “the U3s.” Thom and Jess describe this unreached field and examine its key traits.

New Year, New Goals with Upward Running

It’s a new year—time for new fitness goals! Upward Running gives your church a fun and effective way to reach adults in your congregation and community. Offer a 5K Challenge that promotes both spiritual and fitness growth, helping participants build relationships, encourage one another, and experience health and wellness together. With Upward Running, your small group or adult ministry can engage adults in a meaningful, active, and relational way.

Learn more at Upward.org/Runcoach.

The post The Largest Unchurched Group in the U.S. (and You’ve Never Heard of Them) appeared first on Church Answers.

The Rainer Scale helps churches understand how open an unchurched person is to the gospel, to spiritual conversation, and to attending church. It is not a judgment of spiritual worth, but a practical tool for identifying likely openness.

New Year, New Goals with Upward Running

It’s a new year—time for new fitness goals! Upward Running gives your church a fun and effective way to reach adults in your congregation and community. Offer a 5K Challenge that promotes both spiritual and fitness growth, helping participants build relationships, encourage one another, and experience health and wellness together. With Upward Running, your small group or adult ministry can engage adults in a meaningful, active, and relational way.

Learn more at Upward.org/Runcoach.

The post The Rainer Scale of Unchurched Receptivity appeared first on Church Answers.

Thom and Jess conclude the “Future Church” series with an episode that puts church size into perspective. In an age when many pastors feel pressure to grow larger, the reality is that most congregations are small—and that’s not a problem. This episode explores what the data actually reveals about church attendance, why most churches are smaller than we think, and how leaders can find encouragement no matter the numbers.

2026 – New Year, Greater Family Impact

A new year is the perfect time to dream bigger, reach farther, and make an even greater impact in your community. Upward Sports isn’t just about the game—it’s about bringing the whole family together.

The post Future Church Series – Episode 6: What Is the Size of the Typical Church in the Future? appeared first on Church Answers.

Thom and Jess continue the “Future Church” series with an episode on how church staffing is changing in this new era of ministry.

Churches are smaller, leaner, and more focused than ever. Budgets are tighter, but opportunities for mission are wider. The result is a new kind of church staff—leaders who serve both inside and outside the church, combining pastoral calling with marketplace skills.

In this conversation, Thom and Jess introduce four co-vocational roles that are shaping the staff structure of the future church.

2026 – New Year, Greater Family Impact

A new year is the perfect time to dream bigger, reach farther, and make an even greater impact in your community. Upward Sports isn’t just about the game—it’s about bringing the whole family together.

The post Future Church Series – Episode 5: The Rise of Four New Co-Vocational Church Staff appeared first on Church Answers.