Rainer on Leadership

Podcast Episode #177 We love hearing from listeners and readers here at ThomRainer.com. Recently, we asked for your church guest experiences and the feedback was overwhelming. I wrote a post with the best and worst experiences and today we discuss that post as well as how my dog, Marley, likes his hamburgers dressed at Sonic. Some highlights from today's episode include: * If church members or sta...

Podcast Episode #176 Today we answer a few listener questions. As always, you can submit your questions on the podcast page. Some highlights from today's episode include: * Pastors who lead after a church splits need a long-term view. * Discipleship is the act of becoming more like Christ. * The gospel is all about reconciliation. * When pastoring after a split, be prepared to give a great deal of...

Podcast Episode #175 In a recent post, I discussed one of the more difficult aspects of church leadership—having to fire a staff member. Some readers took issue with the post, especially point #2. So today we discuss that post and further explain the why and the how of having to let a staff member go. Some highlights from today's episode include: * If there is a staff member out of alignment with...

Podcast Episode #174 We discuss a recent post by Chuck Lawless on Christian leadership. Dr. Lawless provided nine introspective questions to determine if one is truly a Christian leader. Some highlights from today's episode include: * Does who you are in private match who you are in public? * We are often uncomfortable changing the status quo because sometimes the status quo provides our paycheck....

Podcast Episode #173 One of the most popular posts every year at ThomRainer.com is the annual listing of the largest churches in the Southern Baptist Convention. While we don't typically talk about specific denominations here on the blog or podcast, today Micah Fries joins us to discuss the SBC 500—a new list of the largest 500 churches in the SBC—and what we can learn from them. For the complete...

Podcast Episode #172 We discuss a recent post on the non-negative reasons pastors give for leaving a church. Some highlights from today's episode include: * Not everyone can lead a church of a certain size well. * The enemy likes nothing more than to get us involved in the Great Distraction. * Pastors, do you give so much attention to the negatives that you're neglecting the positives of pastoring...

Podcast Episode #171 While church planting is garnering much attention (deservedly so), church revitalization is becoming more and more important throughout North America. In today's episode, we discuss this topic and why pastors sometimes feel unqualified or even fearful to lead a revitalization effort. We also talk about barbecue...because...well...Jonathan likes food. Some highlights from today...

Podcast Episode #170 Discussion about a recent post on churches who are stuck in the 80's. We also chased a rabbit and ended up discussing a few sitcoms. Some highlights from today's episode include: * Culture change scares people to death, especially when it moves away from their moral values. * Church programs are not the easy answer anymore. * You can't plug and play the Holy Spirit. * Programs...

Podcast Episode #169 Volunteers are crucial to many ministries in the church. Without volunteers, many ministries would simply not function. So what do you do to get more volunteers in the church? We cover that and more in this episode. Some highlights from today's episode include: * Spontaneous, informal recognition often means more to volunteers than planned, formal recognition. * One of the tou...

Podcast Episode #168 We discuss a recent post on senior adult churches who are wanting to reach a younger generation and the consequences of not being willing to change to do so. Some highlights from today's episode include: * True power in a church comes from God through the prayers of His people. * Any successful ministry in a church begins with the power of prayer. * Two areas in which churches...

Podcast Episode #167 Discussion about nine practical and easy ways churches can use the internet and online communities to share the gospel and reach out to those far from God. Some highlights from today's episode include: * The #1 time unchurched people are open to accepting an invite to church is Christmas Eve. * If churches don't have an email list, they need to start building one to communicat...

Podcast Episode #166 We talk church pastoral leadership and missions with David Platt. David was in town a few weeks back for LifeWay Chapel and a few other events and was kind enough to join us to discuss the IMB, how pastors can lead their churches on mission, and the struggles he faced as a pastor. Some highlights from today's episode include: * There is a very real sense in which the Word does...

Podcast Episode #165 We discuss a recent post on 10 more barriers to church guests. As we mention in the podcast, the first barrier is not an easy one to overcome, but the other nine are low-hanging fruit for churches. Some highlights from today's episode include: * Some guest barriers are so natural to a church's environment that they go unnoticed. * For parents of children, checking the kids in...

Podcast Episode #164 Lets talk church bulletin requirements. Not only should you have a bulletin, but it should have these nine things as well. Some highlights from today's episode include: * At sporting events or concerts, you typically have an informative program available to you. Why should churches be any different? * Church bulletins should be geared more toward guests than members. * I know...

Podcast Episode #163 On Friday's podcast episode, we discussed signs that you are leading or pastoring in maintenance mode. Today, we give seven ways to overcome and to break out of maintenance mode. Finally, don't miss the discussion about the 180 Test. Some highlights from today's episode include: * There are a lot of pastors and staff who are in maintenance mode and want to break out. * The mos...

Podcast Episode #162 A recent post on signs that you are leading or pastoring in maintenance mode. In our next episode we will discuss ways to overcome this. Some highlights from today's episode include: * The church is not only built for those who are there but for those who are not there as well. * One of the primary roles of a pastor is to equip the saints for the work of ministry. * Mentoring...

Podcast Episode #161 We hear from churches all over the country about how God is working in their churches and how they are seeing people come to new life in Christ. So on today's episode, we discuss nine relational evangelism ideas that are working in churches. Some highlights from today's episode include: * The easiest way to connect with a non-Christian is over a meal. * I do not understand why...

Podcast Episode #160 Brad Lomenick joins us to discuss his new book, H3 Leadership, and one of the most popular features on his blog—the young influencers list. Some highlights from today's episode include: * The "what's next?" for us is often the "what's now?" * If you don't understand your true identity in Christ as a leader, you're never going to be effective and have impact. * Don't let what y...

Podcast Episode #159 We discuss a blog post from the early days of ThomRainer.com on change leadership. Some highlights from today's episode include: * Every organization is changing constantly. Good leaders recognize this and lead in the change. * Our methods may change, but the Word of God never does. * One of the best ways to be aware of the change in your church is to be on the lookout for it...

Podcast Episode #158 We discuss a recent post on what churches look for—and avoid—when hiring a new pastor. Please note that when we reference age discrimination, we are referring to more of a preference for and a discounting of candidates of certain ages, not the classic legal definition of the term. Some highlights from today's episode include: * Not all intentional age discrimination in a churc...

Podcast Episode #157 Discussion about guest communication cards and so much more—including my allergies. Some highlights from today's episode include: * Drop-in visits to church guests have become exceptions rather than the rule. * Some guest cards look more like a census survey than an info card. * The bare minimum for guest info cards: first name, email address, and prayer requests. * The lower...

Podcast Episode #156 We discuss a recent post on church committees and why they often impede progress in many churches. We also provide alternate methods to a committee structure and ideas on how to best communicate a change to the committees in your church. Some highlights from today's episode include: * Not all church committees are bad. Not all church committees lack purpose. * You will likely...

Podcast Episode #155 Discuss the process of interviewing from the pastor's perspective, but we also discuss topics related to those searching for a pastor. We also discuss an all-too-common faux pas pastors make when interviewing as well as a mistake I made when I took my third pastorate. Some highlights from today's episode include: * Search committees often don't give a full representation of th...

Podcast Episode #154 We welcome Stephen and Alex Kendrick to the podcast. Their new movie, War Room, opens today in theatres nationwide. I encourage you and your family or small group to see the movie this weekend, because it will absolutely rekindle a hunger for prayer in your life. Some highlights from today's episode include: * "Our culture has put man on the throne and we are in a mess because...

Podcast Episode #153 What pastors need to know about business and answer a few questions from the listeners of Rainer on Leadership. As always, you can ask your questions on the podcast page. Some highlights from today's episode include: * Most churches have as much as half of their membership who are not very active. * Casual dress means service and giving will be casual about as much as high chu...