Thom S. Rainer
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7 trends for churches in 2020
As we head into 2020, I see seven major trends developing. They are likely to change the landscape of churches in the next few years.
Six reasons the multi-venue church model will experience rapid growth
The multi-venue model is not new, but it is gaining momentum.
5 reasons rural and small town churches are making a comeback
The obituaries of rural and small-town churches are premature.
4 unique approaches to church outreach
Though the ways to reach a community are seemingly unending, allow me to share four that seem to be growing in use and effectiveness.
The big surprise of 'Simple Church'
It has been 15 years since a young doctoral student named Eric Geiger came into my office to share with me his research on churches that had clearly defined processes of discipleship. I saw his genius in those early years and was eager to put my name on a book reflecting his insights.
5 reasons your church's giving may have dropped significantly this year
What are some possible reasons church giving can take a seemingly dramatic turn downward? As we work with churches, we often see these five reasons.
3 sentences pastors hate to hear
The most common place pastors hear one of these three sentences is right before they preach or right after they preach.
6 lessons from retiring pastors
Rarely a week goes by that I don’t hear from Boomer pastors who just retired, are considering retirement, or wish they could retire. I am listening carefully. And I am learning a lot as I listen. Most of it is not very encouraging.
Is your church driving away guests?
We want people to visit our churches. We want them to return so they can have multiple opportunities to hear the Gospel and connect with believers. But many do not return.
The biggest demographic churches are missing
While I would not advocate abandoning Sunday worship, I wonder why so few churches offer a non-Sunday alternative. There is a huge demographic we are missing: those working on the weekends.