Thom S. Rainer

Latest

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  Jul 26, 2012

  Leadership Lessons From Penn State

  I must force myself to learn something if I am ever to be the kind of leader to make certain this tragedy does not place where I serve. If nothing else, I must learn leadership lessons for the sake of these children and future children. In doing so, I noted seven leadership lessons from Penn State.

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  Jul 19, 2012

  10 Reasons We Have Not Reached the Unchurched

  Let us look with stark honesty and candor at the ineffectiveness of most American believers when it comes to sharing their faith. One of the main reasons many Christians do not share their faith is simply explained by the word disobedience.

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  Jul 14, 2012

  Seven Questions to Help Leaders Avoid Committing Sins of Omission

  It's easy sometimes not to make a decision, to let the perceived status quo become our daily agenda. Instead of becoming a leader who is a change agent, we become managers who carry out routine tasks. How can we leaders make certain we are not seeking the comfort of sameness and committing sins of omission?

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  Jul 6, 2012

  12 Lessons of Fatherhood

  I am not a perfect father. Not close. And I am not a perfect husband. Far from it. But do you know what Art, Sam, and Jess know? Despite my imperfections as a husband, despite my stupid anger, despite my self-centeredness, I love their mother.

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  Jul 3, 2012

  The Death of Elitist Leadership

  It is indeed an understatement, but it's true. Leadership is changing. The overall thrust of the changes is that elitist leadership is dead; at the very least it is dying. The demand for greater transparency, honesty, and just plain decent behavior has never been higher.

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  Jul 1, 2012

  What They See When They Come to Your Church

  In the context of serious theological discussions, it may seem trivial to write about first impressions of guests when they visit your church. But, if we could understand that a returning guest has more opportunities to hear the gospel and experience Christian love and fellowship, we might take the issue a bit more seriously.

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  Jun 8, 2012

  The Five Myths About Small Groups

  Discipleship is a hot topic within the local church right now. Discipleship manifests itself in the local church most often through small groups. But they often struggle to be successful and transformational because of wrong expectations, beliefs, or myths about how they work best.

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  Jun 4, 2012

  Five Secrets Pastors Refuse to Tell

  By their very nature, pastors are a confidential lot. But most people don't realize pastors have their own secrets. These spiritual leaders refuse to share their thoughts or pains for fear that their own ministries will be damaged. So they keep the secrets.

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  May 27, 2012

  Seven Keys to Preventing Pastoral Burnout

  I have the incredible opportunity to interact with pastors regularly. In recent conversations, I asked two questions. First, have you ever experienced burnout in your ministry? Second, what do you do to prevent pastoral burnout?

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  May 14, 2012

  Seven Things in the Church That Will Not Change

  The Bible is still the Word of God. God is still in control. Sometimes the pace of change confuses and disorients us.