Thom S. Rainer

Latest

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  Aug 24, 2014

  7 Traits of Pastors Who Lead Breakout Churches

  Most of you have heard the dire information and statistics about congregations in North America. Indeed, I have been among the purveyors of the negative news. For sure, the overall picture is gloomy. There is no hiding from that reality. But I remain an obnoxious optimist about churches across our nation. And one of the primary reasons I do so is some ongoing research and observations about churches that have truly been revitalized.

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  Aug 10, 2014

  7 Ways to Lead 'Unleadable' People in a Church

  The email came to me just as I quoted. Though I didn't think "unleadable" was a word, I knew exactly what the pastor meant. He was in an established church. He had been there for less than four years. And he was frustrated. Very frustrated.

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  Jul 30, 2014

  3 Views on How Long a Sermon Should Be

  The reality is there are two major trends taking place related to sermon length. I have been following these trends through anecdotal information and social media polls for three years. There are growing numbers of respondents who believe sermons should be longer. There are also growing numbers of respondents who believe sermons should be shorter. And there aren't many people in the middle of those two divergent views.

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  Jul 19, 2014

  When Is It Time for a Pastor to Leave a Church? 7 Scenarios

  I am reticent to write this article. I do not want to encourage pastors to leave churches too early. Frankly, many pastors have shared with me that, in the aftermath of their departures, they realized they had made a mistake. They left too soon.

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  Jul 13, 2014

  9 Questions You Should Ask Before Leading a Church Revitalization

  With that in mind I offer a checklist to consider. Here are nine questions you should ask before leading a church revitalization.

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  Jul 11, 2014

  4 Growing Types of Church Revitalizations

  One of the greatest signs of hope is the growing interest in the revitalization of churches. While I am encouraged to see the continued interest in church planting, I am also heartened to learn of an apparent upsurge in interest—even passion—for revitalizing churches.

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  Jul 7, 2014

  6 Symptoms of a Dysfunctional Church

  Unfortunately, I did not have to look far to find over 20 current examples of dysfunctional churches. In my quest, I found six recurring themes. In every one of the congregations, the church manifested at least three of these symptoms.

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  Jul 2, 2014

  7 Factors Hindering Evangelism in Churches

  With that in mind, in this article I try to help church leaders look in the mirror if their churches are not evangelistic. And here are seven factors that leaders may see when they get that honest perspective.

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  Jun 29, 2014

  7 Reasons the Pastor's Salary Can Be a Source of Tension

  If you want a lively discussion, then the topic of the pastor's salary can usually meet that need. I have discussed this issue in the past on both my blog and my podcast. In both cases, the conversation was, well, interesting.

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  Jun 28, 2014

  6 Surprising Traits of Effective Pastors

  A couple of caveats are in order. First, the idea of "surprising" can vary from person to person. I think you might be surprised at some of these traits, but you might not be. Second, the term "effective" is nebulous. I am not speaking of size of church or level of fame. I have subjectively noted several dozen pastors whose ministries have been consistent and whose impact in their churches and communities has been positive.