Thom S. Rainer

Latest

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  Aug 23, 2013

  The Number One Reason for the Decline in Church Attendance and Five Ways to Address It

  Few people will argue that church attendance in many churches in America is declining. Our own research indicates that the majority of churches in our country are not growing.

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  Aug 21, 2013

  Confessions of a Broken Pastor's Wife

  Not too long ago, I wrote a post about pastors' wives, and what they wish they had known before they became a pastor's wife. The article struck a nerve. Much to my surprise, I discovered a depth and breadth of hurt of which I was unaware. I was ashamed I had been so oblivious to this pain.

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  Aug 10, 2013

  Ten Things Pastors Like Most about Their Jobs

  In today's post, I look at the positive side of being a pastor. Most of these leaders love their work and the churches they serve. So I took to the Twitterverse again with my poll question asking pastors what they like most about their work. Here are their top ten responses.

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  Aug 7, 2013

  Ten Things Pastors Like Least About Their Jobs

  Let me state the obvious: Pastors are humans. That means they have preferences, likes, and dislikes. So I did an unscientific Twitter poll to find out what pastors really don't like about their jobs. By the way, one pastor cautioned me about calling their ministries "jobs." I understand, but it's hard to fit "God-called vocation and ministry" into a 140-character Twitter question.

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  Aug 2, 2013

  Four Thoughts From Non-Christians About Christians

  For now, I have provided four examples of what non-Christians are asking of Christians. They were all comments at different points on my blog. Each section represents a different non-Christian.

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  Jul 26, 2013

  How Many Hours Must a Pastor Work to Satisfy the Congregation?

  In this post, I want to approach the issue from a slightly different perspective. I want to ask the question: How many hours must a pastor work each week to satisfy the congregation? Ultimately, I prefer to hear from pastors and church members and get their perspective.

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  Jul 20, 2013

  Ten Ways to Be a Better Pastor: Church Staff Perspective

  In my Monday post, I looked at the issue of pastor/staff relationships from the perspective of the lead pastor or senior pastor. In this article we hear from the staff perspective, those other than the senior pastor who serve on a church staff.

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  Jul 17, 2013

  Nine Steps for a Pastor's First 90 Days

  I remember well receiving a call from one of my sons. It was his first day on the job as a new pastor. It was also his first fulltime ministry position. His words were amusing: "Okay, Dad. I'm here. What do I do next?"

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  Jul 12, 2013

  How Many Hours Does a Pastor Work Each Week?

  It is one of the most unpredictable jobs one could have. There will be weeks when there won't be much taking place out of the ordinary, and the pastor will work a "mere" 40 to 45 hours. There will be other weeks filled with meetings, emergency hospital calls, a wedding, two funerals, and line of members waiting to see the pastor. That workweek could total 80 hours.

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  Jul 6, 2013

  Five Reasons 'Kicking the Can' Leadership Leads to Disaster

  Okay, I'm joining the crowd. The majority of Americans are tired and angry about political leaders who put off major decisions, often called "kicking the can." It's called breaking the law when I kick the can. It's called politics when they do it in Washington. And they kick the can with billions and billions of dollars at stake.