Rainer on Leadership

There are many myths that are pervasive which keep church members from actively inviting guests to church or initiating gospel conversations with them. Today, we debunk them.

Church members leave churches. It happens. Sometimes it can be avoided, sometimes it cannot. Today we cover seven warning signs that someone might be about to leave the church.

Karl Vaters joins us once again to talk about how small churches should focus on growing healthier—not necessarily larger.

How you follow up with guests often determines whether or not they will stick at your church. So these six keys are important for guest retention and assimilation.

Art Rainer joins us to talk about church budgets, budgeting tools, and how churches can free up more money toward missions.

Pastors and church leaders are always asking about apps that can help their productivity. Today, we highlight 15 apps that can help you with productivity and your growth as a pastor.

Podcast Episode #421 The ministers' housing allowance is an oft misunderstood benefit. Today, we discuss the future of the housing allowance and if/when it might go away. Some highlights from today's episode include: * Churches have moved away from providing parsonages for pastors. * Ultimately, I believe the ministers' housing allowance will be ruled on by the Supreme Court. * If you're getting a...

Podcast Episode #420 I have been asked this question several hundred times in the course of my ministry. Today, we cover the answers for it—because it's not an easy answer. Some highlights from today's episode include: * No matter what metric you look at in churches, many of them are just not healthy. * I don't like organ music because it reminds me of funerals. * One of the greatest points of res...

If you want to close the back door of your church and keep members longer, these eight traits should be evident in your church.

Even though the economy has rebounded some churches still struggle financially—and some members struggle with giving faithfully. Today we cover the five reasons giving often decreases.

This resource-laden episode walks through six predictions for the future of churches. We've seen these trends over the past few years and now they are becoming a reality.

William Vanderbloemen joins us today to discuss the importance of workplace culture in the church.

Most every church thinks it welcomes guests well. Unfortunately, many are not welcoming at all. Today we discuss what welcoming churches focus on to more effectively reach guests.

Easter is just around the corner. So today, we take a look at nine keys to being a guest friendly congregation on Easter.

The Worship Guru, Mike Harland, joins us again today to discuss how you can use your worship ministry to help become a more welcoming church.

Pastors often face financial pressure because salaries depend on giving of the church. If giving drops, salaries can be in jeopardy. Today we look at what to do when that happens.

Churches across America are facing facility issues ranging from lighting and code requirements to having too much space. Tim Songster from Cosco & Associates (ChurchDesign.com) joins us to discuss how best to deal with these issues.

There's a continual dialogue between pastors and our team at ThomRainer.com and Church Answers. Because of this, we hear from pastors on an ongoing basis.

Conflict is inevitable in the workplace. But there are things you can avoid that can help limit the conflict. Today, we cover six causes of conflict and how to overcome them.

Echo chambers can be disastrous for leaders. Today we discuss ways you can protect yourself from leading in an echo chamber.

Hiring in the church can be tricky at times. Today, we expound on a post by Chuck Lawless that looks at some warning signs to be on the lookout for when hiring a minister or staff member at your church.

Listener questions are always fun to answer. Today we cover a wide-ranging group of topics and answer several pressing questions from listeners.

The relationship between pastor and worship leader is one of the most important church staff relationships there is.

I love that the pastors we routinely interact with are always looking to improve. Today, we examine seven areas to focus on as a pastor that will help you serve your church better.

An inward focus often leads to an unhealthy church. Unhealthy churches drift from their mission. Today, we discuss how to combat mission drift.