Thom S. Rainer

Op-ed Contributor

Latest

Nov 14, 2014
6 Reasons Your Church Might Not Be As Friendly As You Think It Is
I have heard that statement thousands of times. I promise. In over 500 church consultations and thousands of church member interviews, I heard it. Most church members really do think their church is very friendly. But, more times than not, they are wrong. Guests who visit the churches usually have a much different perspective. Here are six things to consider if you really think your church is friendly.
Nov 12, 2014
Should Your Church Stop Having a Stand and Greet Time?
The surprise factor was the number one issue. Many first-time guests really don't like the time of stand and greet one another that some churches have. According to the Twitter responses and comments on the post, many guests really don't like it, so much so that they will not return.
Nov 11, 2014
Top 10 Ways Churches Drive Away First-time Guests
If you attend a church regularly, you've probably noticed the phenomenon. A guest shows up for a worship service, but he or she never returns. It is, unfortunately, a common issue in many churches.
Oct 31, 2014
10 Reasons Why I'm Not Giving Up on Local Churches: A Plea for Revitalization
The naysayers are at full throttle. "Local churches are dying!" "Churches are no longer relevant." "The church is full of hypocrites." "I don't need the institutional church." The naysayer nabobs of negativity are in full force. It's easy to give up. It sadly can be easy to believe God has given up on our churches. But He has not. I am convinced He has not.
Oct 27, 2014
7 Things I've Learned from Joyous Pastors' Wives
For certain, I have learned from other spouses of ministers as well. But the most frequent comments have come from pastors' wives. In this article, I share with you the lessons I've learned from pastors' wives who tell me they have found great joy and meaning in their lives. Here are seven of those lessons:
Oct 22, 2014
8 Causes of Pastoral Ministry Slump
The "slump" metaphor is used often in sports. The baseball hitter is in a slump because he has not gotten a hit in 15 at bats. The football quarterback is in a slump because he has only completed eight passes in the past two games.
Oct 20, 2014
Seven Good Things About the Houston Subpoena Controversy
I share the outrage of millions who were stunned when the city of Houston issued subpoenas to five area pastors. I am stunned and angered by this massive encroachment upon local churches by a governmental body. But there is an additional perspective to this horrendous act.
Oct 13, 2014
Seven Things I've Learned From Joyous Pastors' Wives
In this article, I share with you the lessons I've learned from pastors' wives who tell me they have found great joy and meaning in their lives. One, they understand and accept that criticisms and unreasonable expectations are a part of church life and leadership.
Oct 7, 2014
Eight Ways for Pastors to Affair-Proof Their Marriages
Too many families of pastors are torn apart because of affairs. And too many churches are left reeling with the consequences in their own congregations. What can a pastor do to affair-proof his marriage?
Oct 2, 2014
Fourteen Symptoms of Toxic Church Leaders
A toxic church leader, one that is figuratively poisonous to the organization, is rare. But it is that church leader who brings great harm to churches and other Christian organizations. And it is that leader that hurts the entire cause of Christ when word travels about such toxicity.