Thom Rainer

This article reflects on seven phases of the firing of a pastor. I have worked with countless pastors who shared their stories with me. These phases are common in many of them. Also, I will use a recent conversation to provide a real narrative of a real pastor in a real church. I made some slight adjustments to protect the identities of the pastor and the church. 

One of my research-based answers is that many church members are confused about the meaning of church-based evangelism. The confusion often lies in understanding what constitutes an evangelistic ministry in a church.

Several years ago, I decided to become a real church member. Let me explain. For over 30 years, I was the preacher each Sunday at whatever church I attended. I preached as the pastor, the interim pastor, or guest preacher. I never viewed the church on Sunday mornings from the pews or the chairs. I […]

Groups are vital to the health of a church. Church leaders must make key decisions about the purpose of groups as they plan for them.

This consultation was indeed a challenge. We told the church leaders that they should not look at our consultation team as a silver bullet for the woes of their church. They said they didn’t.  But they did.

I get it. Numbers are not everything. Indeed, numbers are not the most important thing. But a balanced use of numbers can be helpful.

It is strange to write about the death of the Baby Boomers because I am one of them. Indeed, this article was a reminder of my own mortality.

While we continue to see reports of denominational decline in America, we see fewer reports of the growth of non-denominational churches. It is actually an amazing story.

The two leading presidential candidates in the polls today are 81 years old and 77 years old. Bob Iger returned to Disney as CEO. He will be 73 years old in February. What about pastors? Are they retiring later in ministry?

For hundreds of thousands of churches, the tradition stood the test of time. The majority of churches passed the offering plate (or some type of receptacle) during a designated time of the worship service typically called “the offertory.”