Thom S. Rainer

Latest

• 
  May 21, 2014

  5 Implications for Churches as the Boomers Retire

  The implications for churches are staggering. This generation is not of the mindset of previous aging generations. According to a Pew Research study, the typical Boomer does not believe old age begins until age 72. And the typical Boomer feels nine years younger than his or her chronological age. So what are some of the implications for churches?

• 
  May 17, 2014

  Millennials and the Demise of Print: Five Implications for Churches

  "Media consumers in the 0s, 10s, 20s, and 30s have no such print alliances. To them, the idea of printing on a dead tree and then trucking it to houses and newsstands seems ludicrous, old-fashioned, inconvenient, and wasteful. To these folks, paper-based publications are a pain to carry and search, easy to misplace, and hard to share, and the information in them is outdated the moment it appears. For those who weren't raised on paper, digital is superior in almost every way."

• 
  May 2, 2014

  Sex, Millennials, and the Church: 5 Implications

  As a Boomer, I thought I was part of the generation that ushered in the sexual revolution. But I had no idea that views on sexuality would change so dramatically with the generation of my three sons. The implications for local congregations are staggering. Allow me at this juncture to offer five of those implications. I will expand on them later.

• 
  Apr 26, 2014

  A Letter I Gave to Couples Who Wanted Me to Perform Their Wedding Ceremony

  When I was a pastor, I had many couples asked me to perform their wedding ceremonies. In fact, one year I officiated at 40 weddings. In case you are wondering, I was really stupid to accept so many invitations. I am pretty conservative about doing weddings. I see the role of the Christian minister to be narrowly defined regarding when he says "yes" to such opportunities. As a result, I often found myself in some awkward positions when I had to decline to perform the ceremony.

• 
  Apr 21, 2014

  Six Reasons Pastors Should Not Quit Their Jobs on Monday

  I've heard it countless times from pastors: "I quit my job almost every Monday." Of course, it's typically a tongue-in-cheek statement regarding the letdown many pastors feel after Sunday. But most pastors say these words with a little bit of truth. They really do feel the struggles and challenges of being pastor more on Monday than most other days.

• 
  Apr 9, 2014

  The Narcissistic Christian Leader

  Narcissism should not be said in the same breath as Christian. The former is love of self; the latter is love of God in Jesus Christ. But the sad reality is that narcissism can and often does creep into the lives of many Christian leaders.

• 
  Apr 3, 2014

  What Worship Style Attracts the Millennials?

  Most Millennials don't think in the old worship war paradigm. In that regard, "style" of worship is not their primary focus. Instead they seek worship services and music that have three major elements.

• 
  Apr 2, 2014

  Twenty of the Most Influential Evangelicals in America

  I conducted an informal survey of over 30 persons, simply asking them to name the most influential evangelicals in America today. Though my choice of the respondents was subjective, I do have confidence that the men and women who gave me these names are very knowledgeable about the evangelical scene in the United States.

• 
  Mar 17, 2014

  Six Reasons Comparisons Hurt Churches

  Unhealthy churches have numbers of leaders and/or members who do not practice 1 Corinthians 13 in their local congregations. These persons tend to seek their picture of an ideal church rather than loving their current church, her leaders, and her members. They are thus constantly comparing some aspect of the church with some other church or members or leaders.

• 
  Mar 5, 2014

  Eight of the Most Significant Struggles Pastors Face

  Criticism and conflict is one. I do have a few observations about this number one issue. First, it seems to be growing, and pastors seem to be experiencing greater challenges. Second, most of the issues of conflict are not doctrinal issues.