Rainer on Leadership

Podcast Episode #227 We update listeners on 10 current reasons that pastors are leaving the ministry. Some highlights from today's episode include: * Don't go into ministry unless you are called. * I wonder how many pastors' dreams have died, and they are now struggling to move forward. * More pastors are forced/asked to resign than those who are outright fired. * Pastoral care can be taught in se...

Podcast Episode #226 We welcome Mike Harland back to the podcast to discuss a trend we've noted before—the disappearance of choirs in the church. Some highlights from today's episode include: * The church choir as we have known it historically is disappearing. * Church choirs are doing less presentational music and more congregational leadership signing. * The line between choir and praise team ha...

Podcast Episode #225 We discuss a post by Sam Rainer on what you inherit when you become a pastor at a new church. Some highlights from today's episode include: * Many new pastors move too quickly because they don't have buy-in from the existing members. * One of the first things to do as a new pastor in a church is to learn the people. * Most of the time, you inherit a staff as a new pastor and t...

Podcast Episode #224 We take a look at a few areas in which Millennial pastors are seeking help. We hear from pastors of all ages, but Millennial pastors seem to be dealing more with these six common issues that any others. Some highlights from today's episode include: * Millennial pastors have a desire to be mentored. * Millennials will inevitably have the responsibility of supervising with staff...

Podcast Episode #223 We discuss a recent post on ten statements pastors ofter hear which make them cringe. Some highlights from today's episode include: * These statements should make you want to pray more for your pastor. * There is really no reason to keep criticism in anonymity in the church. * The seven deadly words in a church: "We've never done it that way before." * Use the history of the c...

Podcast Episode #222 A descriptive look at six church practices that are fading in many North American churches. These fading practices cross almost all theological and denominational lines. Some highlights from today's episode include: * Few churches do Sunday evening worship well. Most don't do them well or don't do them at all. * So many churches did away with programmatic evangelism, but never...

Podcast Episode #221 Discuss about the origins of Sunday morning worship service times as well as the most common times and some not-so-common worship times. Some highlights from today's episode include: * Your worship service start times will be influenced by capacity, culture, and convenience. * Why not be convenient with the worship service start time at your church? * 11:00 AM is typically the...

Podcast Episode #220 We discuss a recent post on why announcements can cause so many problems in local churches. From announcements being forgotten to members getting upset their announcement was short or not done by the right person, announcements often cause an undue amount of conflict in a church. So we discuss the problem and give some ways to solve it as well.  Some highlights from today's ep...

Podcast Episode #219 Discussion about seven relevant trends that churches are facing when it comes to facilities. From the shift to smaller gathering spaces to what types of spaces are being built, facility trends are changing where and how local churches gather. Some highlights from today's episode include: * Churches will continue to close as the Builder Generation continues to die. * Millennial...

Podcast Episode #218 A recap about a recent post on the outreach methods churches used to promote their Easter services. While we cover what worked, we also take a look at what didn't work and why some of these ideas seemed to fall short. Some highlights from today's episode include: * Personal invites are still the best way to get people to come to your church. * Don't start anything in your chur...

Podcast Episode #217 Discussion about why we are optimistic about the state of the church in North America. The sky is not falling, and here are seven particular reasons why that is the case. And we even snuck an Al Gore reference into today's episode. Some highlights from today's episode include: * The influx of church planters has been a good thing for the state of the church in North America. *...

Podcast Episode #216 We lament the decline of evangelism in many local churches and discuss ways to assess whether or not your church is effective when it comes to evangelism. Also, I highlight a humiliating defeat in sports to my grandson. Some highlights from today's episode include: * I would rather a church have a programmatic evangelism emphasis than none at all. * Pastors, keep track of the...

Podcast Episode #215 Mike Harland joins us to discuss four main reasons that congregational singing is waining as well as three ways you can reverse this trend in your church. Some highlights from today's episode include: * In many churches, the hymnal is no longer the primary source of songs for the church. * We often move on from one song to the next before the congregation really knows a song w...

Podcast Episode #214 Discussion about a recent post on pastors and social media. Too often, unnecessary problems are caused because of what's posted to social media. These 10 commandments won't fully eliminate those problems, but they will reduce them greatly. Some highlights from today's episode include: * You represent Christ in all you do. Do you represent him well or poorly? * Regardless of an...

Podcast Episode #213 We discuss a recent project by Rich Birch. He donated $10 online to 10 different churches to see what the results of giving online would be from some of the leading churches in the US. He published his results in a free PDF that's available to download. So today we welcome Rich to the podcast to discuss those results and other aspects of online giving including how smaller chu...

Podcast Episode #212 We discuss a post from Chuck Lawless on gossip in the church and four ways to combat it in the church. Some highlights from today's episode include: * Gossip is a sly and sneaky sin that can destroy the unity of a church. * Gossip points to self importance; ministry and service point to the importance of others. * There is never a time when gossip helps or builds up. * Once go...

Podcast Episode #211 We discuss a topic we get questions on quite often: time management. The biggest key to time management is having a calendar and sticking with it, but in ministry, that can be difficult. So we highlight that and how to handle your time when ministry gets off schedule. Some highlights from today's episode include: * It's easy to get busy in ministry and not do the right things....

Podcast Episode #210 We discuss a recent post on guest follow-up and offer some tips on how to improve it in your church. Some highlights from today's episode include: * One of the questions I get all the time is "How do we get guests to return to our church?" * Door-to-door visitation still works in some churches and communities, but not many. * Most churches put a lot more effort into events at...

Podcast Episode #209 Discuss a recent post on the four highest worship attendance days of the year. We also discuss the best ways to use these to your advantage as a church with intentional follow-up and strategic planning. Some highlights from today's episode include: * A Christmas Eve service is the number one time to reach those who are unchurched. * Those who are unchurched and lost don’t real...

Podcast Episode #208 We cover a pair of recent posts on how your church can effectively use Facebook and Twitter. Some highlights from today's episode include: * Many times pastors do not realize how critical daily Bible reading is to the overall discipleship of the church. * The ministry benefits of blogging as a church staff member far outweigh the time and effort it takes to blog. * The more yo...

Podcast Episode #207 Discussion about the issues surrounding a church feeling too empty or too full and how to combat those issues. Some highlights from today's episode include: * Your church worship facility will feel full to attendees when it’s above 80% capacity. * From a conceptual point of view, it’s easier to deal with the "too full" problem than the "too empty" problem. * Churches that are...

Podcast Episode #206 We discuss a recent post on pastor and staff benefits. These points come from Richard Hammar's 2016-2017 Compensation Handbook for Church Staff. Some highlights from today's episode include: * Too many pastors are retiring and have little to no retirement savings. * I'm very concerned about many of our pastors who are in poverty when they retire. * If you have an automobile al...

Podcast Episode #205 A look at how churches can better steward their facilities and how to deal with opposition to facility usage. Some highlights from today's episode include: * College football stadiums are possibly the only large facilities used less often than most church worship centers. * Ministry is about using resources to reach people for Christ. It's not about hoarding resources. * If yo...

Podcast Episode #204 We discuss a recent post on frustrations that pastors often face and how to overcome many of them. Some highlights from today's episode include: * These are the types of things that happen to pastors every week. * God has put us in local churches to be actively involved. * Too many church members want to "keep the pastor humble" by paying them little. * There are relatively fe...

Podcast Episode #203 We are taking questions from listeners on a wide range of topics from communicating in conflict and staff reviews, to spiritual gifts and missionary support. Thanks again to all who submit questions. If you have a question you would like answered on the show, fill out the form on the podcast page here on Church Answers. Some highlights from today's episode include: * When it c...