Thom S. Rainer
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The 7 most common challenges for churches in the second wave of COVID
Hopelessness pervasive. The first major wave of COVID did not have the sense of hopelessness that is endemic with the second wave. You felt in the first round that it would be over and done, even if it took a year or so. The second wave has been a real challenge.
6 ways social media toxicity is hurting pastors
What often bothers pastors even more is the unwillingness of church members to defend pastors who are unfairly attacked. Perhaps the best place to offer support and a defense of the pastor is not on social media but in person.
1 of the stupidest things I did in 44 years of marriage
What is that stupid thing I did in marriage? To be clear, I have not done this act of stupidity one time, but many times. Too many times.
5 reasons why the post-quarantine drop in worship attendance is good
Not all losses in attendance are bad. We have heard from church leaders several ways the decline can be healthy for the church. Here are the five most common reasons.
Should your church be revitalized or replanted? A post-COVID reality
In the post-COVID world we are entering, I see the need for many churches to replant instead of revitalizing. Let’s look at the difference between the two.
5 Ways designated giving can get your church in trouble
Designated giving can be an incredible blessing for your church. It allows, for example, church members to give to such areas of passion as missions or facilities. But far too many churches are handling designated giving in ways that can get them in trouble.
The once-a-month church goers are becoming more common
Our information at this point is both early and anecdotal, but we are hearing from numerous pastors that many church members who were frequent in their church attendance are now once-a-monthers. This observation lends itself to many questions. Is this trend temporary, one that will improve as COVID concerns wane?
What does the rapidly declining birthrate mean for churches?
New provisional data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed the U.S. birthrate dropping for a sixth consecutive year. But look at these additional eye-opening facts:
5 common themes in churches with high pastor turnover
More churches are losing pastors after only a brief tenure. Even more troubling, many of these same churches are seeing these patterns repeat themselves with each consecutive pastor.
Why consumer church members leave your church
“I’m not getting fed.” It’s one of the most common complaints of church members looking for excuses to leave a church.