Thom Rainer พอดคาสต์

Some churches have moved out of their worship centers to another space such as a fellowship hall or a gym. Mark and Thom provide guidance on what to do with the sanctuary space you are no longer using. Take the opportunity to do a thorough evaluation of the physical condition of the sanctuary building. Welcome another church to use the space. Turn …

Many churches going through a revitalization have limited resources. Digital tools may seem to be a luxury they neither need nor can afford. But Kevin and Thom discuss five digital tools that are important without breaking the bank. 1. The church website can be simple and affordable. 2. Forget the complexity of social media. Choose one platform and…

Many churches have matriarchs or patriarchs, women or men with a great deal of influence and authority in the church. Mark and Thom suggest five key ways to engage these influencers for the good of the church. 1. Do not assume their motives are always bad for the church. 2. Get their opinions and buy-in on decisions and changes in the church. 3. Ex…

Some groundbreaking studies on effective discipleship show that daily Bible reading might be the most important discipline for your church members. It affects their prayer life, their giving, and their evangelistic hearts. Kevin and Thom look at five ways to encourage Bible reading among your church members. 1. The pastor’s Bible translation used i…

It is not unusual to think of longer-term members as adversarial during a revitalization. After all, they have been part of the church for the duration of the decline. But they can become important allies in a revitalization. Mark and Thom suggest that pastors and staff can engage these members in conversation in a positive way. Here are five quest…

The common metrics of worship attendance, conversions, and financial giving have not gone away. But there are other ways to look at church health. In this episode, Kevin and Thom look at five of those ways. 1. Church unity – tough to measure, but usually evident. 2. The number of guests – effectiveness of inviting people. 3. Resources allocated to …

For several decades, the larger church and the megachurch have received a lot of attention. We are now seeing a renewed focus on healthy smaller churches. Mark and Thom look at the reasons why this phenomenon is taking place. 1. COVID exacerbated the importance of the community and the neighborhood. 2. With digital and video tools available, many p…

One of the toughest parts of a pastor’s ministry is dealing with criticism. It is especially difficult when the critic hides behind the cowardly veil of “People are saying.” Kevin and Thom not only address the likely motive of the critic, but they also suggest ways to respond to the person. Understand that the person saying those words is a coward.…

It is cliche to say the world is changing. And it is cliche that churches are changing. But churches are indeed changing. Some of the changes were predictable, but some were not. Thom looks at three of the major changes most people did not see coming. In this third of three episodes, he looks at the dramatic decline of conversion growth in American…

It is cliche to say the world is changing. And it is cliche that churches are changing. But churches are indeed changing. Some of the changes were predictable, but some were not. Thom looks at three of the major changes most people did not see coming. In this second of three episodes, he looks at the rapid growth in the number of teaching pastors. …

It is cliche to say the world is changing. And it is cliche that churches are changing. But churches are indeed changing. Some of the changes were predictable, but some were not. Thom looks at three of the major changes most people did not see coming. In this first of three episodes, he looks at the surprising changes in church facilities. The mass…

In this episode, Thom and Kevin explore the issue every pastor and staff member will face at some point: leaving your church. This episode focuses largely on the steps and processes you need to take. Your type of departure determines how you should depart: retirement; resignation to go to another church; resignation but not going to another church,…

Kevin and Thom look five years into the future to project what good church leaders will look like then. They provide insights about some steps you can take now to be that great church leader. In part three, they remind church leaders that evangelism has waned in most churches, and it must return. Let the church know you personally prioritize evange…

Kevin and Thom look five years into the future to project what good church leaders will look like then. They provide insights about some steps you can take now to be that great church leader. In part two, they review the basics that have not changed, and why they must be the leader’s focus. Acts 6:4 is still the priority. Learn to lead your church …

Kevin and Thom look five years into the future to project what good church leaders will look like then. They provide insights about some steps you can take now to be that great church leader. In part one, they share what you need to know about this new culture to lead in it. It’s a post-cultural-Christian world. Your community or neighborhood must …

We often hear from church leaders who desire to know exactly what success looks like in a church revitalization. The word “success” is loaded and tends to evoke a lot of emotions. In this three-part series, Mark and Thom provide clarity and guidance about this term. In the third episode, they look at revitalization successes that cannot be precisel…

We often hear from church leaders who desire to know exactly what success looks like in a church revitalization. The word “success” is loaded and tends to evoke a lot of emotions. In this three-part series, Mark and Thom provide clarity and guidance about this term. In the second episode, they look at why numerical growth is not always a measure of…

We often hear from church leaders who desire to know exactly what success looks like in a church revitalization. The word “success” is loaded and tends to evoke a lot of emotions. In this three-part series, Mark and Thom provide clarity and guidance about this term. In the first episode, they look at myths of church revitalization success. 1. It’s …

In this three-part series, Kevin and Thom look at the new research from Church Answers detailing how churches are growing since the pandemic. In this third part, they provide an overview of five of the key actions churches are taking to grow in a post-COVID world. 1. Leading key church members to face reality 2. Developing a rhythm of conversion ou…

In this three-part series, Kevin and Thom look at new research from Church Answers detailing how churches are growing since the pandemic. In this second part, they provide insights into the attitudes of leaders among the growing churches. 1. The acceptance of reality 2. The focus on conversion growth 3. A renewed focus on the community 4. Walking a…

In this three-part series, Kevin and Thom look at new research from Church Answers detailing how churches are growing since the pandemic. In this first part, they provide an overview of the research and the primary characteristics of the “other” churches — churches that are declining. 1. The nature of the research. 2. A review of issues of accelera…

In this three-part series, Mark and Thom look at nine of the greatest fears of those leading church revitalization. These issues apply to those already leading revitalization and those considering revitalization. They will do a deep dive on three issues in this special series. Overcoming the Fears of Impatience, Finance, and Burnout 1. Overcoming t…

In this three-part series, Mark and Thom look at nine of the greatest fears of those leading church revitalization. These issues apply to those already leading revitalization and those considering revitalization. They will do a deep dive on three issues in this special series. Overcoming the Fears of Inadequacy, Conflict, and Misalignment 1. Overco…

In this three-part series, Mark and Thom look at nine of the greatest fears of those leading church revitalization. These issues apply to those already leading revitalization and those considering revitalization. They will do a deep dive on three issues in each of the next three episodes. Overcoming the Fears of Failure, Comparisons, and Loneliness…

One of the most common questions we get in church revitalization is: “How can we get extra funding to help our church? In this three-part series, Kevin and Thom look at three ways to get extra income that are not often utilized by churches. In part 3, they examine the idea of the church having a massive garage sale. 1. Usually one and done (but it …