The Executive Pastor: Five Trends
by: Thom Rainer
In recent years five clear trends related to the role of the executive pastor have emerged.
ABOUT THOM RAINER
Thom S. Rainer is the founder and CEO of Church Answers, an online community and resource for church leaders. Prior to founding Church Answers, Rainer served as president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources. Before coming to LifeWay, he served at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary for twelve years where he was the founding dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions and Evangelism. He is a 1977 graduate of the University of Alabama and earned his Master of Divinity and Ph.D. degrees from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Aligning New Ministries Within Established Churches
by: Thom Rainer
The most challenging aspect of alignment is pulling existing ministries and existing staff in the same direction, especially if they have been moving in opposite directions.
The Death of the Mall and the Future of Church Buildings
by: Thom Rainer
Is it fair to suggest any relationship between the decline of the malls and the future of the church buildings?
Thirteen Issues for Churches in 2013, Part Two
by: Thom Rainer
I foresee that tens of thousands of American congregations will be impacted by each of these issue in the coming year.
Thirteen Issues for Churches in 2013, Part One
by: Thom Rainer
I foresee that tens of thousands of American congregations will be impacted by each of these issue in the coming year.
7 Characteristics of an Effective Critic
by: Thom Rainer
You can’t be a leader without being criticized. While dealing with critics is not the most pleasant part of leadership, it is a necessary part.
Three New Trends in an Outward-Focused Church
by: Thom Rainer
Here are three outwardly focused ministries that have filled the void left by the abandonment of more traditional approaches.
4 Mindset Shifts to Transformational Leadership
by: Thom Rainer
Leadership might be the most confused term that we use in the body of Christ. We all assume a picture of leadership when we hear the word.
Understanding the Change Process in Your Church
by: Thom Rainer
Volumes have been written on change, the pace of change, and the consequences of change. In simplest terms, leaders move at a perfect pace, too slowly, or too rapidly. In this brief article, I address what fast-paced leaders should consider.
Organizations Lose $1.3 Trillion by Not Engaging in Social Media
by: Thom Rainer
Attention, Awareness, Communication, Social Media, Thom Rainer
I was shocked. Two presidents of organizations began using Twitter in the past two months. These are presidents I know well, leaders who for years saw no value in Twitter or other social media. As one told me, he had moved over to the dark side.
These leaders are not alone. Only 20 of the CEOs of Fortune 500 companies engage in Twitter. But my guess is that many of them will be moving to “the dark side” as well. The evidence is building rapidly. Your organization is at a distinct disadvantage if it does not embrace social media with enthusiasm.
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Thank you for this information. I'm going to use this article to improve my work with the Lord.
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Thank you Ed for sharing your insights into the Church Growth Movement. I have my reservations with Church Growth models because it has done more damage than good in the Body of Christ. Over the years, western churches are more focused on results, formulas and processes with little or no emphasis on membership and church discipline. Pastors and vocational leaders are burnt out because they're overworked.
I do believe that the Church Growth model is a catalyst to two destructive groups: The New Apostolic Reformation and the Emerging Church. Both groups overlap and have a very loose definition. They're both focus on contemporary worship, expansion of church brand (franchising), and mobilizing volunteering members as 'leaders' to grow their ministry. Little focus on biblical study, apologetics and genuine missional work with no agenda besides preaching of the gospel.
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Thank you for sharing such a good article. It is a great lesson I learned from this article. I am one of the leaders in Emmanuel united church of Ethiopia (A denomination with more-than 780 local churches through out the country). I am preparing a presentation on succession planning for local church leaders. It will help me for preparation If you send me more resources and recommend me books to read on the topic. I hope we may collaborate in advancing leadership capacity of our church. God Bless You and Your Ministry.
Clarity Process
Three effective ways to start moving toward clarity right now.
