Thom S. Rainer

Op-ed Contributor

Latest

Feb 25, 2023
7 things we didn’t see coming in churches at this point after the pandemic
As we look back over this regathering phase, we admit that several developments caught us by surprise. Some are good. Some are not.
Jan 30, 2023
Why your church has to replace 32% of its attendance every year
Where have all the church attendees gone? Let’s look at four important components.
Jan 2, 2023
5 major developments for churches with an attendance under 250
Churches with fewer than 250 in average worship attendance account for 92% of all churches in the United States. It is incumbent upon us, therefore, to discern what important trends and developments are taking place that have direct bearing on standard churches.
Dec 28, 2022
10 major trends for local churches in America in 2023
An adopted church is a congregation that comes into the family, care, and authority of another, usually healthier, church.
Dec 14, 2022
5 ways I am eliminating perfunctory prayer in my life
Yes, I still have a long way to go. Still, these five changes give me hope that my prayer life will be more meaningful and less perfunctory.
Nov 22, 2022
Understanding the differences between mission, vision, strategy and tactics
As we anticipate releasing our new evangelism and outreach ministry in 2023 called The Hope Initiative, we have used these definitions to help churches reach beyond their walls.
Nov 13, 2022
The canary in the churches’ coal mines: Financial warnings to heed
As we continue to pursue an understanding of declining church finances, we are becoming more confident that inflation is the primary challenge. Church members have fewer discretionary dollars because their normal expenses are increasing, sometimes dramatically.
Nov 6, 2022
Church leaders’ frustration with Sunday sports: 5 considerations
It’s analogous to a wedding ceremony where the groom tells the bride that he loves her, but that he does not plan to spend much time with her.
Oct 20, 2022
10 reasons pastor search committees are struggling more than ever
The process to find a leading candidate can take six months or more. If that candidate does not work out, the process starts over. It’s painstaking. It’s slow. It’s frustrating.
Sep 22, 2022
The confusion about boundaries between men and women in churches
While these 6 guidelines do not answer the specificity of all situations, they can provide the guardrails we so desperately need.