Thom S. Rainer

Latest

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  May 28, 2015

  14 Key Reasons for the Breakdown of Church Unity

  So what are some of the key reasons we are seeing the breakdown of unity in our churches? Though my list is not exhaustive, allow me to share fourteen of those reasons.

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  May 27, 2015

  8 Common Characteristics of Successful Church Revitalizations

  There is one type of church revitalization that is more successful than all others. The church closes its doors for a season, and then re-opens, usually with a new name and new leadership. I know this approach is not an option for most of you, so I gathered data from the "other" category. This category includes churches that kept the same name and, for the most part, the same leadership.

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  May 19, 2015

  9 Stupid Things I Did as a Pastor

  1. I neglected my prayer life and time in the Word too often. It sounds absolutely insane as I write it, but I got too busy for God. As a consequence, I operated out of my own insufficient power too many times.

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  May 16, 2015

  Fourteen Key Reasons for the Breakdown of Church Unity

  So what are some of the key reasons we are seeing the breakdown of unity in our churches? Though my list is not exhaustive, allow me to share fourteen of those reasons.

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  May 3, 2015

  7 Reasons Some Church Members Don't Want Their Churches to Grow

  It is highly unusual to hear church members say that they don't desire their churches to be obedient to the Great Commission. Indeed, it is common for the members of a pastor search committee to tell a prospective pastor that they are looking for a leader who will guide the church toward growth.

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  May 2, 2015

  8 Reasons People Are Leaving Denominational Churches for Non-denominational Churches

  While working on an unrelated research project, I recently came across some data published by the Hartford Institute of Religion Research. Though the information was five years old, it still seemed highly relevant today. In essence, the data showed that non-denominational churches are now the second largest Protestant group in America. Only the Southern Baptist Convention is larger.

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  May 1, 2015

  When Church Staff Turn Against Each Other

  While we can never eliminate all difficult issues between co-workers, we can seek to manage the relationships in the most healthy and godly manner. Unfortunately, in some churches, one or more staff members will turn against another in an unhealthy, unbiblical, and ungodly manner. Allow me to share eight thoughts about these bad situations.

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  Apr 30, 2015

  6 Ways Millennials Are Educating Their Churches Theologically

  In recent years, however, I have noticed a remarkable—and welcomed—return by younger leaders to the fundamentals of the faith, basic theological education, and the deepening of doctrinal roots.

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  Apr 28, 2015

  Five Ways Church Members Hold the Church as a Financial Hostage

  Do you know any church members who have made demands based upon their financial giving to the church? Okay, that's probably a rhetorical question because most of you readers certainly have experienced that discomfort. I asked a number of church leaders to share with me how this "hostage taking" usually takes place. Here are the five most common responses

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  Apr 11, 2015

  5 Organizational Reasons Many Churches Hit Attendance Plateaus

  As I have noted in other posts, the number one reason for declines and plateaus in churches is declining frequency of attendance of church members. Though there are many possible explanations for this reality, some of the reasons are in the category of organizational issues. Let me note five of them.