Thom S. Rainer

Latest

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  Feb 2, 2019

  Megachurches and the growing crisis of finding successors

  You could see it unfolding. Boomer megachurch pastors are retiring. The number grows every month. And, as we thought might take place, the churches are having difficulty finding their successors.

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  Jan 31, 2019

  Many churches are dying due to too many meetings

  So, what can we do in our churches to reduce the time in meetings? What can we do to get more time in ministry from our members? Here are five considerations.

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  Jan 29, 2019

  5 reasons 'we pay the bills at this church' is so toxic

  One of the most toxic statements a church member or group of church members can make is, “We pay the bills at this church.”

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  Jan 20, 2019

  6 reasons some church members resist growth

  The confrontation was probably one of my more sobering moments as a pastor. The woman, a long-term church member, used the classic moment right before I preached to tell me God had spoken to her. He told her under no uncertain terms I was supposed to leave the church.

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  Jan 7, 2019

  6 reasons your new member class is not effective

  I am a big proponent of new member classes. But not all new member classes are created equally. Some are effective; some are not. If you think your church’s new member class is not as effective as it could be, there are possibly some quick and helpful solutions.

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  Jan 1, 2019

  10 reasons I'm optimistic about churches in 2019

  Despite the tough reality many congregations face today, I remain an obnoxious optimist as we move into 2019.

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  Dec 30, 2018

  When a pastor's friend leaves the church

  I’ve asked the question dozens of times. In one way or another, I simply ask pastors: “What has been one of your most painful moments in ministry?”

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  Dec 28, 2018

  20 really weird criticisms pastors receive

  Back by popular demand, here are the latest really weird criticisms pastors have received, with special thanks to the responses at Church Answers and on social media.

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  Dec 27, 2018

  5 most common ways churches guide new believers

  It’s one of the most common questions we get at Church Answers. What resources or approaches do you use for new believers?

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  Dec 21, 2018

  American churches are at a tipping point

  If current trajectories continue, American churches will pass a tipping point. Our congregations will begin a likely unstoppable path toward decline that will rival many European churches of the past century. If there is not a significant movement of revitalization, there will be an accelerated rate of decline and death.