Rainer on Leadership

Taking risks is part of leadership. Today we discuss a few risks taken during my ministry and how some worked and how some didn't.

Church splits aren't quite as prominent as they used to be, but they can still be a problem for some churches. Today, we discuss nine reasons for them.

Churches and church leaders often struggle to know when to discontinue a ministry or to pivot to something else. Today, we discuss how to process the decision to discontinue a ministry in your church.

There are often certain characteristics found in pastors who are effective preachers. Today, we discuss seven of those characteristics.

Some church fights actually are fading. Today we discuss those and the reasons why they are fading.

The practice of ordination has come under scrutiny recently, so we took the time in this episode to discuss its importance and the need to be thorough in the process of ordaining ministers.

Groups are important to discipleship in the church. Today we discuss why both open and closed groups are needed and how they can benefit your church.

Churches can sometimes make unwise decisions when it comes to building facilities. Today we cover seven of them and how to avoid them. Some highlights from today's episode include: * If your church is running short on worship space, consider adding another service before adding millions of dollars of debt. * Churches should plan on maintenance because deferred maintenance will alway cost you more...

Having someone walking along with you in ministry is important. Today we discuss how a coach can specifically help you as you look to lead a revitalization.

We constantly hear from pastors wanting to see prayer increase in their churches. The secret to becoming a praying church is to...pray.

Stewardship is important for churches, and to increase stewardship, you have to be intentional about it and you have to resource it well.

The oldest members of Gen Z are just entering college and the work force. Today, we discuss a recent Wall Street Journal article on Gen Z and the generation's implications on the church.

Corporate prayer is instrumental in shaping the DNA of a church. A praying church is often one who realizes that they are fully dependent on God's power.

More people often means more problems. And that is the case with megachurches when it comes to finding pastors.

We get a lot of questions through Church Answers and at the blog. Today, we take time to answer some of the unique ones we receive.

Growth in a church doesn't have to be the result of a large strategy. Today we discuss how a few small things can lead to big growth.

We are asked for insights into different areas of church life on a consistent basis. Today, we cover the seven most frequent issues pastors come to us with.

Ministry can be disheartening at times. Today, we discuss how you can stay encouraged in ministry.

Church facilities can cost churches more than they ever imagined. Without continuous assessments and upkeep, facilities can eat up funds that would be best used for ministry.

Ministry routines and rhythms can get out of balance at times. Today we discuss what areas are commonly most in need of a reset for pastors.

In episode 506, we discussed things former pastors missed from their time as a pastor. Today, we look at the other side of the coin and discuss things pastors don't miss.

When pastors leave the pastorate, they inevitably miss certain things about pastoring. Today, we discuss the five we hear most frequently.

We are starting to see more and more churches offer alternative worship service times. Today we discuss the when, where, and how of this trend.

The term "internet church" brings a mix of emotions and reactions from church leaders, but if your church is online, there are a few best practices to cover. Today, we discuss eight of them.

Worship attendance swings can be dramatic in local churches. Today we discuss why that is and how to combat it.