Thom S. Rainer

Latest

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  Apr 30, 2017

  5 Common but Unreasonable Requests Church Members Make of Pastors

  "I need you to do a funeral for my cat." Yes, that is a request made to a pastor by a church member. And here's the stranger reality. I have heard from dozens of pastors who have had this very request.

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  Apr 26, 2017

  10 Common Sentiments Pastors Wish They Could Express

  There are many things pastors would like to say, but they don't feel like they have the freedom to do so. I compiled ten of the more common unspoken comments pastors wish they could express.

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  Apr 22, 2017

  5 Ways Pastors Can Reverse Negativity in a Church

  "There is so much negativity in our church. What can we do?" What can a pastor or church leader do to help move the congregation more positively?

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  Apr 19, 2017

  25 Really Strange Things Church Members Said to Pastors

  If you serve as a pastor or church staff member, there is rarely a boring moment. A few years ago, I began polling pastors and church staff and collecting some really weird things church members said to them.

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  Apr 17, 2017

  7 Common Mistakes Churches Make When They Have an Interim Pastor

  The interim period between two pastors can be a time of great benefit for churches. It is for that reason I encourage churches not to make mistakes common during this interim time.

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  Apr 9, 2017

  7 Habits of Long-Tenured Pastors

  I have been following these long-tenured pastors for years. And I have seen consistently seven patterns, or habits, in their lives.

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  Apr 5, 2017

  7 Ways for Pastors to Deal With Church Gnats

  They won't ever go away. So you can either leave ministry because of them, or you can deal with them. Here are seven ways you can deal with gnats.

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  Apr 3, 2017

  8 Consequences of Building a Church Too Big

  The church built too big. And now comes the aftermath. I also call it "unintended consequences." Here are eight of them:

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  Mar 30, 2017

  9 Changes 'Urgent Churches' Must Make or Die

  Time is of the essence. If changes do not happen soon, very soon, these churches will die. The pace of congregational death is accelerating.

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  Mar 27, 2017

  5 Fascinating Lessons From a 'Secret' Guest in Church

  The guests showed up, but they never returned. Has that ever happened in your church? You try to be friendly to first-time guests. But you never see them again. At times you wonder why they never returned.