Rainer on Leadership

It's an exciting thought to have a friend serve alongside you. Ministry is challenging, but it also can be fun, especially if we enjoy the people with whom we work. But hiring a friend does not often end well. In fact, we hear from pastors regularly about the downside of hiring a friend. In this episode, Thom and Sam look at the causes of this failure.

Churches are not typically early adopters of technology. Boyd Pelley from Church Teams joins Josh and Sam to discuss why churches should embrace new technology sooner. The co-hosts talk about how pastors can become more proficient in the technology space.

Does your church have clear expectations of church leaders? What positions are considered leadership positions in the church? What areas are your leaders held accountable? Thom and Sam discuss this important but often neglected issue in churches.

Josh and Sam must deal with the reality of being both pastors and dads. We've all heard horror stories about pastors' kids. Are they true? Are pastors' kids different now than in the past? The co-hosts give their take on the current environment of raising children while also leading a church.

Typically, the first step in making necessary changes is acceptance of the current reality. A church cannot change unless its members and leaders know that the status quo will lead to death. Sam and Thom review five situations where dying churches get stuck and, as a consequence, continue on the path toward death.

Serving a church is not a 9-to-5 kind of job. Ministry comes with odd hours. Josh and Sam discuss their typical workweek and how they keep a rhythm going. Very few pastors work less than 40 hours per week, but how do they allocate those hours?

Are we entering a new era in American religion? Current data shows we are at an inflection point. Over the last 30 to 40 years, the share of Americans who had no religious affiliation has dramatically increased. That period is over, and something new is on the horizon. Ryan Burge joins the show to discuss what this new era in American religion may look like in the next ten years.

Abuse originates in how victimizers view others. At some level, they believe that other people exist to fulfill their desires. Pastors who take advantage of others place themselves at the center and try to control the orbits of vulnerable people around them. Victimizers are not necessarily brash or overpowering. They may be sensitive, subdued, and even charming. Many abusive pastors have likable p...

Though COVID is still mentioned frequently, many of the detailed memories have disappeared. Thom and Sam recall six very specific developments in churches during COVID based upon hundreds of stories from members of Church Answers. They share what we can learn from them today.

In about 30 years, Millennials will become the dominant older generation in most churches. What will they refuse to give up? Josh and Sam talk about their generation and what might become the sacred cows as they become elderly.

It can be particularly challenging for a pastor to lead change in an older church when the primary decision makers (or most of the members) have been in the church for several years, sometimes a few decades. Thom and Sam look at four developments that often take place when leading change is successful. They reviewed over 20 successful churches.

In your 30s and 40s, you start to learn what you don't know. The older you get, you either become more self-aware or stop caring. Josh and Sam talk about what they still haven't figured out after twenty years of ministry in the church.

This time of year, many commentators and researchers prognosticate about the future of the church. Thom and Sam take a different approach in this episode. While many of their predictions from previous decades have turned out to be correct, not all of them did. They look back and evaluate a few predictions they got wrong from years ago.

Art Rainer joins Thom to unpack some amazing research that can help you know how to lead your church members to higher levels of giving. You will be amazed how a few simple things can move your church toward greater stewardship.

The holiday season can be stressful for pastors. The sprint to year-end can exhaust even the most seasoned church staff. Thom and Sam discuss ways to enjoy this busy time of year.

How can you lead (and love) a church that is dying? Thom and Sam discuss this listener-submitted question. No church should die, but some will. Some pastors must shepherd congregations on what amounts to spiritual hospice care. It's a difficult calling, but there are some ways to glorify God, even as a church goes through the process of closing.

The prevailing wisdom for pastors is longer tenure is better. This principle is generally true. A string of shorter tenures is usually not healthy for churches. But it is possible to stay too long. What are some of the warning signs?

It’s understandable why people would think, “This place is full of Christians. It must be one of the safest places in my community.” But churches are not inherently safe. Quite the opposite. Churches have a target on them! You are a spiritual target for the powers of darkness. Sam Rainer and Matt McCraw discuss some key issues involving church safety.

Money is a sensitive subject but ignore financial best practices at your peril. Many churches publish two sets of numbers weekly: worship attendance and giving. There it is, front and center—how many attended and the collective amount they gave. Despite the visibility, churches can struggle with the right amount of financial oversight.

Thom Rainer is joined by Todd Brown and Isaac Brown of Brown Church Development Group, who are “The Church Facility Experts.” In this third episode, we discuss what a church should consider when moving to a new piece of property or completely starting over.

Thom Rainer is joined by Todd Brown and Isaac Brown of Brown Church Development Group, who are “The Church Facility Experts.” In this second episode, we discuss what a church should consider before relocating to another building.

Thom Rainer is joined by Todd Brown and Isaac Brown of Brown Church Development Group, who are “The Church Facility Experts.” In this first episode, we discuss what qualifies a church for relocation and why you need to prove with data that you can’t stay on the site.

Church greeter ministries are among the most undervalued ministries in churches today, even though churches of all sizes can have this ministry. Sam and Thom examine six reasons the ministries struggle or fail.

More and more churches have a digital ministry, but who is really tuning in? Thom and Sam interview Ryan Burge to get to the facts of digital church services. The results will likely surprise you and run contrary to popular belief.

The times right before and right after worship services are probably more important than you realize. Pastors have a unique opportunity to interact with the entire church. As a church leader, your persona on Sunday morning is not the whole of who you are, but it’s often the primary way church members form perceptions about you. Thom and Sam talk about the six best practices for pastors before and...