Thom S. Rainer

Latest

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  Mar 25, 2013

  Five Steps to Get Beyond Sacred Cows in the Church

  Many years ago I was serving as pastor of a church where I was an avid supporter of door-to-door outreach. But I struggled with leading people to be involved in the ministry. We kept decent records, so I got the old "outreach cards" for the previous year. My brief research shocked me.

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  Mar 20, 2013

  Top 10 Bible Translations in the United States

  The Christian Booksellers Association has published its list of bestselling Bible translations in 2012 for the United States.

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  Mar 19, 2013

  Eight Common Money Questions Asked by Pastors

  I have informally counseled hundreds of ministers about financial matters. My background lends itself to such interaction. I have a business degree with a double major in finance and economics. I served as a corporate banker before answering the call to vocational ministry. undreds of ministers have sought my advice. I am humbled and happy to share my knowledge with these servants of God.

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  Mar 11, 2013

  When We Lie about Praying for Others: Seven Thoughts

  Someone made a comment that, above all, he needed people praying for him. So I wrote in response, "I'm praying for you. I really mean it." Then I paused. Why did I write "I really mean it"? Wasn't my promise of prayer sufficient? Why did I have to add a child-like "cross my heart" promise?

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  Mar 9, 2013

  Ten Things Pastors Wish They Knew Before They Became Pastors

  In an informal survey of pastors, I asked a simple question: What do you wish you had been told before you became a pastor? Some of the responses were obvious. For me, a few were surprises. "I wish someone had taught me basic leadership skills." "I wish I had been given advice on how to deal with power groups and power people in the church."

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  Feb 23, 2013

  Four Thoughts on Unfriendly Church Starts

  This issue is not new, but it does seem to be one gaining more attention. A new church is started in a community with many members of an existing church. Unfortunately, the existing church has not blessed the new church start, nor has it been consulted about it.

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  Feb 7, 2013

  Nine Characteristics of Happy Churches

  "Happy" is a nebulous term. It is usually understood better than defined. So I know I am taking a risk when I used such a subjective word. Please allow me to explain. For almost twenty years, I served as a consultant to churches in the United States and Canada. After working with hundreds of churches, I saw several patterns develop.

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  Feb 5, 2013

  Last Chances for Churches to Reach 50 Million Americans

  My generation was the largest generation. And now we are the dying generation. But here is the harshest reality about my generation. We estimate that only about one-third of Baby Boomers are Christians.

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  Jan 26, 2013

  The Perfectly Unified Church

  But the lack of unity in many churches is a serious manner. Church splits, congregational infighting, and church divisiveness are more common than we often like to admit. Not too long ago, I heard my co-worker at LifeWay, Eric Geiger, make a presentation on church unity. Actually, he largely dealt with training and equipping the saints to do the work of ministry in his presentation, but he beautifully tied that issue with church unity.

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  Jan 18, 2013

  Ten Things Church Members Desire in a Pastor

  I recently asked a few hundred laypersons to write down what they desired of a pastor. Their responses were open-ended, and there was no limitation on the number of items they could list. Among the top 10 responses was "love of congregation."