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Ten things you should never say to a guest in a worship service

on May 11, 2015

By Thom S. Rainer

If you want to make certain guests never return to your church, say one of these sentences to them when they visit.

Indeed, these unfortunate and ill-timed comments almost always guarantee that you will offend guests and make them very uncomfortable. Most of the time guests are already ill at ease since they are in a new place and a new environment. By the way, each of these quotes was actually communicated to a guest in a worship service. My guess is that all ten of them have been said many times . . . too many times.

“You are sitting in my pew/seat.” This sentence was actually said to me when I was a visiting preacher in a church. The entitled church member did not realize I was preaching that day. I had the carnal joy of watching her turn red when I was introduced. And, yes, I did move. She scared me.
“Is your husband/wife with you?” This question is rightly perceived as, “We really don’t want single adults in our church.” Members see their church as family friendly as long as “family” meets their definition.
“Are those your children?” This question is becoming more common with the growth in the adoption of children who are not the same race or ethnicity as their parents. One parent with an adopted child was asked if he got to choose how dark his child would be. I’m serious.
“The service has already begun.” This sentence is rightly understood to mean, “You are late, and you will be disrupting the service.” I saw that happen recently. The family left. I was late too, but I stayed since I was preaching.
“There is not enough room for your family to sit together.” I was visiting a church a few weeks ago that did just the opposite. When larger families came in the service, members actually gave up their seats to accommodate them. Now that’s true servanthood! I bragged on the members when I spoke that morning.
“You will need to step over these people to get to your seat.” No! Please request those seated to move to the center. It’s a church worship service, not a movie theater.
“That’s not the way we do it here.” Of course, you can’t have a worship service where any behavior is acceptable. Most of the time, however, the varieties of worship expressions are absolutely fine. I heard from a lay leader recently who witnessed that sentence spoken to a guest who raised her hand during the worship music. She never returned. What a surprise.
“You don’t look like you are a member here.” Perhaps when this sentence was spoken, the church member meant to convey, “Are you visiting us?” But to the guest it sounded like, “You don’t belong at this place.”
“Have you considered attending the church down the street?” I’m not kidding. Someone shared that comment with me on social media. She was new in town and was visiting churches. She had no idea why the man in the church said that to her, but she never returned to the church.
“The nursery is real full.” To the young parent, this sentence is interpreted one of two ways: “There is not enough room for your child” or “Your child probably won’t get good care.”

I would love to hear some similar comments you have heard. And if you’re wondering how to help your members not say such unwise things, share this blog post with them. They may simply need to learn some basics of guest friendliness.

This article was originally posted on ThomRainer.com.
Thom S. Rainer is the president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources.

In categories Editorial, Thom S. Rainer

The Gospel is not ‘You do,’ it is ‘Jesus did’

By Jon Olsen

on May 7, 2015

How does the raising of Lazarus affect the way we share the gospel?

by Ed Stetzer

Just as the Father spoke life into the void through his Word in creation, so he speaks new life into his people through the Word-made-flesh, Jesus Christ. That’s key to the evangelistic endeavor.

The gospel is not about making good people religious. It’s about making dead people live.

The Resurrection of Lazarus

In chapter 11 of his gospel, John records the death and resurrection of Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha.

Following Lazarus’s death, Jesus arrives—“too late” in the eyes of Lazarus’ sisters. Martha told Jesus, “Lord if you had been here, my brother would not have died” (John 11:21).

After hearing from Mary, Jesus wept with her and the people there. Then, following his time of genuine sorrow, he acted.

John records the events in verses 38 through 44 of chapter 11:

Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

The Dead Can’t Do Anything

When it comes to sharing the gospel, I like the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from death to life because it shows our utter sinful desperation before our holy God. Spiritually speaking, we are dead (Eph. 2:5).

Dead people can’t do anything. They can’t walk. They can’t talk. They can’t breathe. They can’t feel. They can’t do anything. In the same way, we’re spiritually dead, and we can do nothing spiritually that is right or pleasing in God’s eyes.

This is helpful, I think, when sharing the gospel with people. It makes it clear we’re all on equal ground. A lot of non-Christians feel like Christians believe they’re better than everyone else. Sharing the gospel through a story like the resurrection of Lazarus emphasizes the fact that we’re all dead and hopeless without God.

We all start at the same place, spiritual death, and by God’s grace, we’re raised to life. When sharing the gospel using the resurrection of Lazarus, Christians can say, “It’s nothing I’ve done. Just as Lazarus did nothing to save himself, so there is nothing you or I can do to save ourselves.” It is by faith in the work of Jesus alone that we are raised to spiritual life.

We must never forget that the gospel is not ‘you do.’ The gospel is ‘Jesus did.’

So, don’t be slow to share the new life Christ gives to all who repent and believe. But if you were sharing with people how to be more religious, then be slow about that. (Actually, just stop doing that!)

We must never forget that the gospel is not “you do.” The gospel is “Jesus did.” Your only job is to tell it—proclaim and announce it.

That’s what makes evangelism so different from recruiting someone to a religion. You are really sharing what makes the dead alive.

That’s why it’s such great news. And that news is worth sharing.

What are some passages you like to use when sharing the gospel with people?

Ed Stetzer is the Executive Director of LifeWay Research Division.

This post originally appeared at EvangelVision.

Chris Martin contributed to this post.

In categories Editorial, Evangelism, Thom S. Rainer

Download free church facility audit

By Jon Olsen

on April 22, 2015

Thom S. Rainer, president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources has just released a free church facility audit. This audit is specially designed to help churches improve the overall guest friendliness on their website and facilities.

Go to ThomRainer.com/subscribe to sign up for updates from ThomRainer.com and download the church facility audit.

In categories Church Strengthening, Pastor Resources, Thom S. Rainer

Five organizational reasons many churches hit attendance plateaus

By Jon Olsen

on April 14, 2015

By Thom S. Rainer

In a recent post, I noted that 90 percent of churches in America will not go beyond the 350 attendance barrier. I also said that one key reason is organizational challenges. A lively discussion ensued in the comments of that post.

For many years, leaders have moved away from the discussion of numbers and organizational issues. To many, such issues seem unspiritual or secular. Indeed, if the numbers become an end in themselves, such arguments have merit. I fear, however, we are throwing out the baby with the bath water. In our zeal not to seem numbers-focused, we are often failing to be good stewards of our God-given resources.

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.

The church does not keep good records of attendance of worship services and small groups.Do not neglect this stewardship. You will not begin to know the nature of the problem until you have this data on an ongoing basis.
The church’s small groups are not an organizational priority. Those in small groups are five times more likely to be active in the church than those who attend worship services alone. Leadership in the church must give fastidious attention to small groups and Sunday school classes.
The church does not organizationally have some method of action reminders. For example, I know of one church that contacts anyone who has been absent from a small group for two consecutive weeks. The leaders shared with me that it has given them great insights into pastoral needs and hurts before the members drop out of church life.
The church is not organizationally a high expectation church. I have written and spoken on this issue many times. The best way to address member expectations is through a required new members’ class.
The church does not have organizational accountability. For example, a small group leader should be accountable to someone to make sure anyone in his or her group is contacted if they miss consecutive weeks.

At the risk of redundancy, let me again emphasize: The number one reason churches are declining or hitting plateaus is the declining frequency of attendance of church members. I have noted five organizational issues in this post. There are many more we will discuss later. In the meantime, let me hear from you.

This article was originally posted on ThomRainer.com.
Thom S. Rainer is the president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources.

In categories Church Strengthening, Editorial, Thom S. Rainer

Ten thoughts on renewing church membership annually

By Jon Olsen

on April 6, 2015

By Thom S. Rainer

There are some pretty strong opinions on church membership. I have heard some say that church membership should come with extremely high expectations. I have heard some indicate that membership should have little or no expectations. And I have even heard some state that membership in an institutional church has no biblical basis.

Not too long ago, I wrote a little book on church membership called I Am a Church Member. I have been blown away with the response to it, over 700,000 books sold to date. There is obviously a strong interest in this topic.

I am also seeing an early trend in one of the highest forms of expectations in the church: annual church membership renewal. Stated simply, the membership rolls are cleared every year. Everyone who desires membership for the next year typically agrees to a covenant of expectations.

I will continue to watch this emerging trend carefully. For now, let me share ten early thoughts on this church practice.

The early signs are that this practice can be a healthy move for a church. Though the numbers of churches practicing annual membership renewal are few, there is indeed greater assimilation and more effective discipleship taking place in those churches.
Proceed with great caution. Most churches are not ready for annual membership renewal. If you are a pastor and push it, you may find your job is not renewed instead.
Incrementalism is necessary in most churches. You could simply begin by presenting a covenant each year for affirmation without making that a requirement for renewed membership.
Membership classes are key. This process needs to be explained carefully to those applying for membership for the first time.
Do not proceed with this process until you have seen it in other churches. Try to find churches that have moved to annual membership renewal. Learn from them. Revitalized Churches, a ministry out of Crestview, Florida, recently released a three-part video series by Ryan Whitley on the topic of annual church membership renewal. It’s an excellent resource for those who want to hear first hand from a church who made this change.
Communication is vital. Of course, communication is vital in any situation. But an annual church membership renewal is a paradigm shift for most churches. The process may be painstakingly slow, with a lot of open communication needing to taking place.
Younger churches tend to handle this change better than older churches. They do not have established traditions that offer resistance to annual membership renewal. In fact, it may work best in new church starts.
Longer-tenured pastors are typically more able to lead this change. There has to be a high level of trust among church members for them to accept such a dramatic shift in church practice. Longer-term pastors have had better opportunities to earn such trust.
Expect opposition. Annual membership presents significant change in most churches. Some members will not understand it nor support it.
Follow-up is crucial. It is imperative that churches have a well-thought out follow-up process for annual membership renewal. For example, what are the plans to get with current members who have yet to elect to renew membership?

Meaningful church membership is critically important for church health. A few churches are addressing this trend by requiring members to renew their membership annually. It’s an early trend that bears watching. Let me hear your thoughts about it.

Click here to check out Thom Rainer’s podcast about church membership renewal.

This article was originally posted on ThomRainer.com.
Thom S. Rainer is the president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources.

In categories Church Strengthening, Discipleship, Editorial, Pastor Resources, Thom S. Rainer

The three most important questions to ask when starting new groups

By Jon Olsen

on March 19, 2015

By Thom S. Rainer

As I’ve written in the past, the best way to grow your small groups (or Sunday School) ministry is the start new classes. That in itself requires a great amount of leadership, communication, and vision. You have to recruit volunteers, train leaders, establish on-ramps, and move new people into new groups for a new season of discipleship ministry.

But even once the new groups are started, you’re still not done. Anyone who has launched new groups knows the questions don’t end when the meetings begin.

Do they meet weekly or bi-weekly?
Are they open or closed groups?
Will the groups be kid-friendly or kid-free?
Will you serve coffee or casseroles?

These may sound like simple questions, but whether you have to make decisions for a network or even a single group, it can feel infinite and overwhelming. And as important as those may seem, don’t let them cause you to miss the three questions that matter most. If you can answer these essential questions correctly, success will not be thwarted by crying kids or burnt casseroles.

Question 1 – How are we going to make disciples?

The main purpose of meeting in small groups is to encourage each other to grow in knowledge of and obedience to Christ. Disciple making is the irrefutable responsibility of followers of Jesus. If your small group isn’t actually making disciples, you might as well not meet. Therefore, it is imperative that you plan what you are going to study, how you are going to apply it, and how you will hold each other accountable to doing so. Choose trustworthy content and structure your discussion and relational engagement to maximize the transformative power of God’s Word. Plan to do more than just meet. Prepare to make disciples.

Question 2 – How are we going to build community?

Sitting around in the same room for an hour or so each week does not really qualify as being in community. You have to be intentional about unity and intimacy. If you are not purposeful about creating community, a group or class will not survive. You should plan how you are going to pray for each other. You should enact a strategy of caring for each other in crisis. Don’t wait for hanging out to happen. Make it happen. As you commit to making disciples, commit to fostering consistent, caring relationships.

Question 3 – How are we going to shape culture?

Just as it does with churches, an inward focus will kill a small group of Sunday School class. An outward focus, however, can lead to transformation that works itself out in public ways to shape homes, churches, and communities. You should help your group members choose a mission to share or a cause to champion. Get involved in your community. Let the passions of your group reflect the passions of the community. Lead your group to set goals for serving and spending time with people in the community that don’t know Jesus. Remember that as Christ is shaping the group, He wants to shape the world through the group also. Answer the question of how you want to see that take place in the group.

These are important questions to answer, because every group may have a unique path to discipleship, community, and cultural impact. A simple tool that can help you move in that direction is the customizable group content at smallgroup.com. There you can easily tailor Bible studies that fit your answers to these questions. You can build studies that support your disciple making plan, fit your relational dynamics, and drive toward your culture shaping goals.

So, plan around these three questions and avoid starting study meetings, snack clubs, or play dates. Instead, launch groups that passionately and intentionally make disciples, build community, and shape culture. Casseroles, while sometimes delicious, are optional.

This article was originally posted on ThomRainer.com.
Thom S. Rainer is the president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources.

In categories Church Strengthening, Thom S. Rainer

Fifteen Reasons Our Churches Are Less Evangelistic Today

By Jon Olsen

on March 5, 2015

By Thom S. Rainer

By almost any metric, the churches in our nation are much less evangelistic today than they were in the recent past. In my own denomination, we are reaching non-Christians only half as effectively as we were 50 years ago (we measure membership to annual baptisms). The trend is disturbing.

We certainly see the pattern in the early church where “every day the Lord added to them those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47). In too many of our churches today, the congregations are reaching no one for Christ in the course of an entire year.

The Poll

I conducted an unscientific Twitter poll recently to see what church leaders and church members thought of this trend, My specific question was: “Why do you think many churches aren’t as evangelistic as they once were?”

The responses arrived quickly and in great numbers, both in public tweets and in direct messages to me. Indeed, I was still receiving responses four days after I sent my Twitter question.

The Results

The response was highly informative for me. Here are the top fifteen responses listed in order of frequency:

Christians have no sense of urgency to reach lost people.
Many Christians and church members do not befriend and spend time with lost persons.
Many Christians and church members are lazy and apathetic.
We are more known for what we are against than what we are for.
Our churches have an ineffective evangelistic strategy of “you come” rather than “we go.”
Many church members think that evangelism is the role of the pastor and paid staff.
Church membership today is more about getting my needs met rather than reaching the lost.
Church members are in a retreat mode as culture becomes more worldly and unbiblical.
Many church members don’t really believe that Christ is the only way of salvation.
Our churches are no longer houses of prayer equipped to reach the lost.
Churches have lost their focus on making disciples who will thus be equipped and motivated to reach the lost.
Christians do not want to share the truth of the gospel for fear they will offend others. Political correctness is too commonplace even among Christians.
Most churches have unregenerate members who have not received Christ themselves.
Some churches have theological systems that do not encourage evangelism.
Our churches have too many activities; they are too busy to do the things that really matter.

So What Is the Solution?

I received hundreds of responses to this poll. There is obviously widespread concern about the lack of evangelism in our churches and among Christians.

First, let me hear what you think of these responses. Second, and more importantly, offer some solutions to the challenges. Make certain those solutions include what you can do as much as what they should do. I look forward to hearing from you.

This article was originally posted on ThomRainer.com.
Thom S. Rainer is the president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources.

In categories Editorial, Thom S. Rainer

Making sure children actually hear the gospel and not just a bunch of bible stories

By Jon Olsen

on February 26, 2015

By Ed Stetzer

We must not only teach children the stories of Scripture. We must teach them the Story of Scripture.

Children have a faith that is ready to go. Let’s not waste that opportunity by delivering a humanistic Gospel.

We talk a lot about contextualization Gospel communication. How do we share the eternal truth of God in specific locations for specific people who have a specific shared experience?

The Gospel does not change. So the message should remain the same, even as the methods are adjusted for effectiveness.

But how well do we proclaim the Gospel to children? I’m not asking how well we teach children Bible stories, or how well we have taught the moral truths of Scripture.

Are we contextualizing our Gospel communication for children as well as we are for the hipsters in Brooklyn or the tribes in Tanzania?

The Bible as a Collection of Good Stories

Too often we teach the Bible as a series of isolated morality tales, like Aesop’s Fables. We want our children to learn how to live well, so we draw from the Bible stories of people who did the right thing and those who did the wrong thing.

We hope they are getting the idea that good is of God, leading to success, and bad is of Satan, leading to failure. If the kiddos can then live out and retell the story with the right names and main points, we feel like they have a grasp on the Gospel.

Churches have told children tons of good stories, but have we told them the Story?

It is easy to tell the stories within the story, but there is a big picture here. We miss some important points when we offer a slice of the Gospel as if it is the whole pie.

I think about it this way.

There’s this huge story with basically four major acts. Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Restoration. I teach these at my church. You might as well. But how do you teach this to children?

I’m a father of three daughters. The reality is I just don’t want them to know one part of God’s big story. He’s given us His Word that tells the story of His grand and awesome plan, from the first verse to the last. I want them to know the Truth, not just a truth or two.

The Gospel is About What God is Doing

We miss the flow of God if we just take the Bible in isolated parts. And the flow is important to understanding that the Gospel is not just a group of ideas, but rather a plan that has been designed and implemented by a loving God for the saving of humans.

Ideas aren’t as personal as a plan. The plan runs the length of Scripture. So for example, we hear Jesus say in 1 Corinthians 11, “This cup is the New Covenant in My blood. Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of Me.”

But we don’t remember that Moses said, “This blood is a symbol of the covenant” in the Old Testament. We don’t understand why Abraham would be called to sacrifice Isaac if we don’t understand what would happen as God the Son is sent by God the Father to be the perfect sacrifice for our sins. This interconnectedness happens all through Scripture.

When we take the Bible as a series of isolated morality tales, we think about 66 books with hundreds, if not thousands, of stories contained within them. In actuality, there are not thousands of stories. There are not 66 stories. There aren’t even two stories with the Old and New Testament. There is one story and that is the story of what God is doing—redemptive history.

We want to teach morals to kids, but we don’t want them to become moralists.

The Gospel is Not a Self-help Program

Part of the challenge is in the midst of sharing the Gospel. We want to teach morals to kids, but we don’t want them to become moralists. Yet that is a facet of the predominant religion of our culture today—moralistic therapeutic deism.

Christian Smith coined this phrase.

Moralism is the idea that whatever God is out there wants you to be a good person. It’s also therapeutic. It makes you a better person. It’s actually good for you to have some spirituality in your life. And deism is merely the belief in some God doing something up/out there.

While many people would not self-identify as moralistic therapeutic deists, that is exactly what they are, practically speaking.

They often draw their theology from various sources, including the Bible. But they cherry pick Bible stories that work well with their worldview and adopt the morality found in the story. This will make them feel better and pleasing to God. Mission accomplished.

But that isn’t our mission. That’s not our desire.

The Gospel is that sinners have been saved and are part of a family of believers who edify and equip one another to go out to other sinners and tell them about the Savior. Scripture tells us how God has been searching for and saving people from the first Garden to the Eternal City. We have the privilege of telling that to others, including kids.

Contextualization for Children is Essential

I’m not a children’s pastor and do not have a Ph.D. in educational pedagogy.

Yet, I can tell that that we should not let the fact that children are still learning how to learn keep us from sharing the whole counsel of God with them. When Jesus taught about our acceptance of the Gospel, He said that we must become as children.

Children were designed to hear about the things of God and have faith in them with few hurdles. So let’s be honest with them about the Gospel. It will make more sense if it is delivered holistically, and it will have a greater effect in their lives.

Definitely contextualize, as you would anywhere to anyone else. But do not strip the Gospel of its power in your delivery. God has a Story, and they are in it.

How can we more effectively teach stories without extracting them from the Story? What have you found as you teach children about the bigger story? What part of the Gospel is the most difficult to contextualize for children?

Some Resources

Thankfully, many gifted people see the need to teach the whole Story of Scripture to children. There are dozens, if not hundreds, of great resources available to the Church today to teach children about Jesus, the Gospel, and God’s Word. There are some links to some below. Feel free to suggest your tools in the comments below as well.

The Gospel Project for Kids—Download a full month preview of The Gospel Project for Kids and see how we’ve designed this Bible study material to not only teach kids the stories of the Bible, but the Story of the Bible—the Story of redemption through Jesus Christ.
The Big Picture Interactive Bible Storybook
The Jesus Storybook Bible
The Big Picture Story Bible

Ed Stetzer is the Executive Director of LifeWay Research Division.
Originally posted at christianitytoday.com/edstetzer.

In categories Children's Ministry, Editorial, Thom S. Rainer

10 Tips for pastoral care visits

By Jon Olsen

on February 26, 2015

By Thom S. Rainer

Pastoral care visits are a lost art for many pastors and church leaders. While not limited to pastors making them, these visits are often expected—or even required—for church staff. So today, we cover how to make these visits and proper hospital visitation etiquette. I also tell the story of first funeral I ever conducted, which might have been my most embarrassing moment ever in ministry.

Some highlights from today’s episode include:

Hospital visits or visiting others in the midst of tragedy shouldn’t be limited to just church staff.
The larger the church is or becomes, the more impossible it becomes for one person to take care of all pastoral visits.
In many churches, the pastor is still expected to make all pastoral care visits.
It is more common today to have an appointment before making any in-home visits for the church.
Don’t wear out your welcome when making pastoral care visits. Brevity is generally best.
Pastors can often receive unfair criticism if someone other that the pastor makes pastoral care visits.

The 10 tips for successful pastoral care visits are:

There are many types of pastoral visits: hospital; homebound; nursing home; tragedy; prospective member; funeral home; member visits; and others.
After a church passes 100 in attendance, it becomes physically impossible for one person to take care of all pastoral visits.
Learn where appointments are preferred.
Brevity is generally better.
Balance unreasonable expectations with a pastoral heart.
Learn the community context.
Know the proper etiquette for a hospital visit: knock; ask permission; don’t sit on the bed; respect doctors and nurses; brevity is better; ask how to pray.
Learn as much as you can about pastoral visit expectations before you go to a church.
Equip others: staff, elders, deacons, other laity.
Handle awkward moments with grace.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 24:02 — 22.0MB)

This article was originally posted on ThomRainer.com.
Thom S. Rainer is the president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources.

In categories Editorial, Pastor Resources, Thom S. Rainer

Is It Time to Rethink Church Business Meetings?

By Jon Olsen

on February 26, 2015

By Thom S. Rainer

It is unwise to assume all churches do things the same way. I certainly know that the readership of this blog includes leaders from tens of thousands of different churches. Even within the same denomination, there are countless different approaches to church practices.

Such is certainly the case with church business meetings. You may be in a congregation that does not have any business meetings. But if you are in a church with these meetings, please stay with me through the remainder of this post.

The Questions

I have been observing churches for decades. And I have been observing how many congregations conduct and utilize church business meetings. This process has led me to ask a few questions. Are we utilizing these meetings effectively? Should they be dramatically changed? Should they be eliminated altogether?

While I certainly don’t have the answers to these questions, I am seeing lower participation and greater dissatisfaction with business meetings in many churches. That is the reason I am asking these questions.

The Observations

While recognizing the diversity of churches represented by the readers of this blog, allow me still to make some observations about business meetings in many congregations. I make them in no particular order of priority.

There are still many churches today where the business meeting is primarily a gathering of critics and malcontents. The happy church member tends to avoid the meetings for obvious reasons.
There is a clear trend toward less frequent business meetings. Quarterly meetings are becoming common, and many churches have moved to annual meetings only.
Though I have not actually done a precise statistical study, I am confident in saying that there is a high correlation between the size of the church and the way a congregation does business meetings. Larger churches tend to have less frequent meetings. And smaller churches are more likely to require votes on more issues than larger churches.
Most pastors and staffs dislike, even dread, church business meetings.
The most common item covered in church business meetings is the finances of the church. For those congregations with annual meetings only, the church budget is the primary item brought as business.
Relatively few churches discuss ministry in these meetings.

Is There a Better Way?

I love local churches. I desire to see God’s glory manifest in these congregations. And I desire to see these churches be the best possible stewards of the resources God has given them.

With that in mind, I am asking the simple question: Is there a better way to conduct the business of the church? Some congregations have already responded by having less frequent meetings, and by empowering staff and lay leaders to make most decisions.

Should we totally rethink the way we conduct the business of our churches? Are there practices that would better protect the unity of the church while making certain accountability and decision-making are working well?

This article was originally posted on ThomRainer.com.
Thom S. Rainer is the president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources.

In categories Editorial, Pastor Resources, Thom S. Rainer

Iowa Baptist NewsFollow

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April 17

Luke 11:43 (CSB): “Woe to you Pharisees! You love the front seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.” This is a wonderful article on the allure of the inner circle by C.S. Lewis. https://t.co/6ewoZ33avx

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April 16

Help defend ministerial housing allowance, connect with Alliance Defending Freedom: https://t.co/p4AcZbN7LB

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April 11

Luke’s question to all of us! Luke 9:20 (CSB): “But you,” he asked them, “who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “God’s Messiah.”

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April 9

Sometimes the best place to “go” is to people closest to you, “Go back to your home, and tell all that God has done for you”. Luke 8:39