Thom S. Rainer

Op-ed Contributor

Latest

Jul 16, 2019
Why smaller churches are making a comeback
Smaller churches are poised to make a comeback.
Jul 14, 2019
When should pastors interrupt vacations?
So, what should pastors do if the interruption takes place? Without giving specific details, let me share with you five considerations for pastors confronted with this reality.
Jul 12, 2019
10 things pastors should know about church shoppers
For those in church leadership, this pattern of members deciding to leave is far too common and almost always painful. Here are a few observations from both the Church Answers’ community and me.
Jul 9, 2019
Is the multisite church movement still growing?
Not everyone likes or embraces the multisite movement; but it is hard for anyone to deny its growth and paradigmatic impact. I will add to this conversation with six updates about the movement.
Jul 7, 2019
Healthy churches in 2029: 10 major changes in 10 years
In the blink of an eye, ten years will pass. The pace of change is staggering, and there is no reason to believe the pace will slow down.
Jul 5, 2019
6 things to know about church summer slumps
“I hate summer attendance!” That sentence came from a pastor whose church is consistently down in attendance in the summer.
Jul 2, 2019
10 common responses from fired pastors
In over 30 years of vocational ministry, I have had conversations with hundreds of fired pastors. I have listened to them. I have prayed with them. On occasion, I have wept with them.
Jun 9, 2019
Many churches on faster rate of decline toward death
Based upon an aggregate of several research projects, I made some notes of growth and decline rates of churches and summarized my estimates into five categories by worship attendance changes over the previous five-year period.
Jun 5, 2019
Should a church budget show pastor and staff salaries?
Can a church member (or, in some cases, guests) look at a church budget and know exactly what everyone on church staff earns?
May 26, 2019
10 common pastoral care challenges
I recently conducted a social media survey where I asked pastors to share their most common pastoral care challenges. The volume of responses was huge, a very impressive number. But even more impressive were the stories of love and concern these pastors have for their congregations.