Thom S. Rainer

Op-ed Contributor

Latest

Jul 28, 2016
5 Things I Pray I Will Not Do as a Senior Adult in the Church
I need to write these words quickly lest I become too comfortable or too complacent.
Jul 26, 2016
7 Things Church Guests Are Telling Us
Would you like every guest who attends your church to become an active and fruitful member?
Jul 24, 2016
10 Traits of the Healthiest Churches 10 Years From Now
So, what if we could look into the future ten years from now, and see the characteristics of the healthiest churches in America? Would you be willing to make changes now? Take a look.
Jul 11, 2016
7 Reasons Church Secretaries Are Disappearing
I'm in trouble. I just read the title of this post, and I know I'm asking for trouble. I might have offended some people already.
Jul 6, 2016
8 Steps for Pastors to Recover 10 Hours From Their Week
What if I told you I could help you get 10 or more hours of your week back? That's like having an extra three weeks a year.
Jul 3, 2016
Pastor Search Committees: Don't Be Awful, Be Aware of These 5 Headaches
There it was: another email. This one had a clear and poignant subject: "Pastor Search Committee Nightmare."
Jun 26, 2016
5 Reasons It's Painful for Pastors to Lose a Member
"I don't want you take this personally, pastor, but we are leaving the church."
Jun 22, 2016
8 Indicators That Pastors Are Expected to Do Most of the Ministry
Okay, I admit it. I can't stand the terms. When you even speak of clergy and laity, you are implying that Christianity has a social caste system. There are the professional Christians and the ordinary Christians. Ugh.
Jun 14, 2016
5 Church Types That Must Change or Die
Change or die. You read that correctly. In fact, if your churches don't make substantive changes in the next few years, your church will die.
Jun 11, 2016
9 Distractions That Shouldn't Happen Right Before a Sermon
In a previous post, I noted several things you should not say to the pastor right before the sermon. I was amazed at the number of responses I received.