Thom S. Rainer

Thom S. Rainer

Op-ed Contributor

Latest

  • 15 lessons I’ve learned from 40 years in ministry

    15 lessons I’ve learned from 40 years in ministry

    For sure, I’ve made many mistakes. I hope I’ve learned from these mistakes more than I have repeated them. In the discussion at Church Answers, I named eight of the lessons. For this article, I added a few more.

  • 7 changes pastors plan to make in 2022

    7 changes pastors plan to make in 2022

    We compiled seven critical changes pastors are planning from our ongoing conversations with pastors at Church Answers. The list is not comprehensive. It does represent, however, the most frequent changes pastors have told us they plan to make.

  • Decline of streaming worship services: 5 observations

    Decline of streaming worship services: 5 observations

    One of the reasons millions of church members attend in-person services is because it represents a healthy habit they have developed.

  • 5 things church leaders wish they'd done differently during COVID

    5 things church leaders wish they'd done differently during COVID

    As the church regathered, they were better prepared to reach and minister to the community where God has placed them.

  • 9 realities your church will face in 2022

    9 realities your church will face in 2022

    Presuming we get on the other side of COVID by the end of this year, the picture for churches in America is mostly clear. Of course, none of us can know the future with certainty, and another COVID spike could change the conversation dramatically.

  • Numbers do matter: 10 signs of a disturbing trend in churches

    Numbers do matter: 10 signs of a disturbing trend in churches

    We are in a historical cycle in the evangelical world where the mood is to disparage counting, attendance, and other numerical metrics. Consequently, we are in danger of losing accountability that is inherent with the following numbers.

  • 12 traits of churches doing well during the pandemic

    12 traits of churches doing well during the pandemic

    So, what are these churches doing? As I examined the data and traits of healthy churches, I saw twelve recurring themes. To be clear, many churches are doing some of these items, but the churches I examined are doing all twelve items.

  • 7 Questions we did not hear from pastors 5 years ago

    7 Questions we did not hear from pastors 5 years ago

    I looked over our community known as Church Answers Central and picked seven recent questions we likely did not hear five years ago. They are true indicators that the times are truly changing.

  • The 7 most common challenges for churches in the second wave of COVID

    The 7 most common challenges for churches in the second wave of COVID

    Hopelessness pervasive. The first major wave of COVID did not have the sense of hopelessness that is endemic with the second wave. You felt in the first round that it would be over and done, even if it took a year or so. The second wave has been a real challenge.

  • 6 ways social media toxicity is hurting pastors

    6 ways social media toxicity is hurting pastors

    What often bothers pastors even more is the unwillingness of church members to defend pastors who are unfairly attacked. Perhaps the best place to offer support and a defense of the pastor is not on social media but in person.