Thom S. Rainer

Latest

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  Feb 13, 2016

  7 Church Signs That Give a Positive Impression

  I was recently in a church that had several signs posted about not bringing food or drinks in the worship center. I asked a guest what he thought of the signs. His response was telling.

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  Feb 9, 2016

  6 Ways Ministry Spouses Get Hurt

  "Hey, I'm not on the church payroll. Go complain to someone else!" The moment the words left his mouth, he knew he blew it.

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  Feb 7, 2016

  5 Causes of Church Member Burnout

  Her departure stunned the members and leadership. She was the one member you could count on. She was there "every time the doors were open." And then she never showed up again.

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  Feb 2, 2016

  7 Ways NOT to Follow Up With Church Guests

  Do not ask to rub the eyebrows of a guest who visits your church.

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  Jan 25, 2016

  The One Common Factor of Effective Church Leaders

  Is it possible to find one common factor in the lives and ministries of the most effective church leaders?

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  Jan 23, 2016

  8 Characteristics of Bivocational 'Marketplace Pastors'

  They are appearing on the scene quietly. Not many pundits are noticing the emerging trend. They are a different kind of bivocational pastor.

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  Jan 20, 2016

  6 Things You Need to Know About Pastors Who Leave

  LifeWay Research recently released a study about pastors who left the pastorate before they were retirement age.

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  Jan 17, 2016

  5 Favorite, 5 Least Favorite Instruments Used in Worship

  I wanted to hear from churchgoers what their favorite and least favorite instruments are. Some of the responses were anticipated. Many were not.

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  Jan 13, 2016

  6 Early Warning Signs of Church Dropouts

  If everyone who had dropped out of our congregations in the past decade returned, the typical church would triple in worship attendance.

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  Jan 6, 2016

  7 Traits of Churches With Increasing Per Member Giving

  One of the key metrics of financial giving in a church is per member giving: What is the average giving per member or per attendee? Per member giving is often masked by fluctuations in attendance and membership. The most effective measure is to calculate the average giving per member.