Rainer on Leadership

Does the doctrine of the church affect the potential for growth? It depends. Thom and Sam analyze historical macro trends in church growth. Growing churches tend to be more conservative, and liberal churches tend to decline. But doctrine alone is not the entire story. The co-hosts discuss recent church history, doctrine, and the growth of churches.

Members will inevitably attach themselves to certain leaders in the church. In multiple-staff churches, this attachment is a mixed blessing. On the one hand, you should expect church members to get close to some of the staff, especially if they serve in their ministries. On the other hand, these constituencies can become problematic when used as leverage to influence the direction of the church.

Pastors do not have unlimited hours and resources to write sermons. Additionally, pastors have workweeks much longer than church members realize because of the invisible nature of sermon preparation. But how long should it take to write a typical sermon? Well, it depends. Thom and Sam discuss what's normal in ministry and how you can become more efficient.

Elections are contentious. They have been for most of our nation’s history. The tensions surrounding this year’s coming election season should not be a surprise. To what degree should pastors be involved in the political process? Thom and Sam discuss this hot-button issue on today's episode.

Sadly, Church Answers is getting an increasing number of consultation requests from churches wanting to deal with the issue of possibly closing their churches. Thom and Sam look at the five issues churches should consider before making such a dramatic move.

The median age of pastors continues to get older. At Church Answers, we often speak with pastors who are contemplating retirement. Sam and Thom address the five most common questions we ask these pastors so that we can help them in their decision-making process.

Todd Brown is the CEO of Brown Church Development Group, a national church design/build firm. In this three-part podcast series, we will look at ministry focused design. In this third part, we talk with Todd about the ways in which church design impacts the culture of a church.

Todd Brown is the CEO of Brown Church Development Group, a national church design/build firm. In this three-part podcast series, we will look at ministry-focused design. In this second part, we talk with Todd about what it means to balance a facility, focusing on groups.

Todd Brown is the CEO of Brown Church Development Group, a national church design/build firm. In this three-part podcast series, we will look at ministry focused design. In this first part, we talk with Todd about how to build ministry value in a facility design.

In last week's episode, Thom and Sam looked at the growing reality of the Never Attenders in the United States. Today, they discuss how churches might reach this group.

Based on the outstanding research of Ryan Burge, we can see more clearly who are and who are not attending church today. Thom and Sam look at his latest research on the Never Attenders, a growing group in America.

Many churches give to missions through the operating budget. But what about funds for the work of evangelism in the community? On this episode, Thom and Sam discuss the importance of allocating a portion of the budget for evangelism. The co-hosts give some practical tips on how much this budget line item should be and what should go into it.

Sometimes churches view interim pastors as "band-aids" to keep the church together, but a good interim will do much more. Thom and Sam discuss what defines a successful interim pastorate. Whether short-term or long-term in duration, these five key objectives can make or break an interim role.

One in four pastors say they have struggled with mental health issues, and 17% of pastors say it was diagnosed. Given the prevalence of the issue, churches cannot ignore the problem. Silence creates the perception that something is off-limits. Mental illness does not signal a lack of faith any more than contracting cancer signals a lack of faith. Thom and Sam discuss how churches can be helpful to...

About 80% of your neighbors are receptive to an invitation to church. At best, most churchgoers invite someone once or twice a year. Almost a third of churchgoers never invite anyone. Inviting someone to a worship service or church event is not evangelism, but this invitation is a significant first step to cultural change in your church. What happened to the culture of invitation? Thom and Sam dis...

In part 2, Sam interviews Jim Davis and Michael Graham. They examine exactly how people are leaving and suggest how to "re-church" those who have exited.

Sam welcomes Jim Davis and Michael Graham. In part 1, they share the highest altitude insights from their study and book, The Great Dechurching.

Criticism is not necessarily toxic, even when it is misguided. And no one likes to field complaints. Sometimes they are warranted, and sometimes they can be toxic. How can a pastor tell the difference? Thom covers the best ways pastors can discern toxic conflict from healthy conflict. It's not always easy, but he offers a few practical tips through six questions.

For years, we have dismissed the potential for a significant move of God in neighborhood churches. At Church Answers, we believe they are primed for a comeback. They are numerous, and they are located in the heart of places with lots of people. Sam discusses the return of neighborhood churches and how this movement is just beginning.

Thom welcomes Susan Perlman, Chief Partnership Officer and one of the founders of Jews for Jesus. In this episode, they discuss how The Chronological Life Application Study Bible, created in partnership with Jews for Jesus, helps connect our Christian faith to its Jewish roots.

Thom welcomes William Vanderbloemen, CEO and Founder of top executive search firm Vanderbloemen Search Group. In this episode, Thom interviews William about his book, “Be The Unicorn,” in which he reveals the 12 teachable traits and explains why hiring managers embrace each trait. He provides actionable takeaways for how readers can incorporate each trait into their personal and professional lives...

Every believer is called to Christlikeness. Pastors, however, have a calling to be above reproach. What does this calling mean? On this episode, Sam interviews Matt McCraw. Together, they cover the universal standards for all pastors and what special burdens they carry.

Women account for six out of ten churchgoers. Frankly, the church cannot thrive if women are not thriving. On this episode, Sam interviews Jacki C. King to discuss some practical insights about women in ministry. A church of any size can have a successful women's ministry.

Thom welcomes Alex Goodwin, co-founder of the Institute for Bible Reading and co-creator of “Immerse: The Bible Reading Experience” and “Immerse: The Reading Bible,” winner of the 2022 ECPA Bible of the Year award. He counts himself as one of many Christians who have struggled to read the Bible and believes that changing how we interact with Scripture can help us become immersed in its transformat...

You've likely heard the phrase "blessed subtraction" referring to divisive church members who leave for another congregation. On occasion, they will return. What should you do? Thom and Sam give some tips to church leaders.