Rainer On Leadership

The annual cost of family health insurance coverage at work is now around $24,000, up about 7% this year. While there are some ways to mitigate these expenses, healthcare costs are up much relative to other goods and services. Since 2000, the cost of medical care has surged by 119%. In comparison, the prices for all consumer goods and services have increased by 85% over the same timeframe. How should churches support pastors with healthcare costs? The post Rising Healthcare Costs and How Churches Can Support Pastors appeared first on Church Answers.

Motivation is what prompts someone to act or behave in a certain way. A church must have the right motivation to do outreach. On this week's episode, Thom and Sam talk about the outreach motivators that have staying power in churches. The post What Really Motivates a Church to Do More Outreach appeared first on Church Answers.

Don't finish summer without a plan to engage your church and community with a big fall programming launch. Thom and Sam discuss some ways to lift fall attendance in your church through simple communication channels. Any size church can have a great start to the fall season! The post Give Your Fall Programming Launch Extra Boost! appeared first on Church Answers.

A time existed when both Thom and Sam wondered if the mid-size church would dwindle as people transferred into megachurches and planted new churches. Today, mid-size churches have distinct advantages. The co-hosts cover several reasons why mid-size churches have new opportunities to thrive. The post Why Mid-Size Churches Have a Growing Advantage in Reaching People appeared first on Church Answers.

Thom and Sam welcome Marc Estes, co-founder of VisitorReach. Marc has a passion for equipping leaders, strengthening churches, and empowering outreach through kingdom innovation. They talk about new trends and opportunities to get people to visit churches in a post-pandemic world. The post A Gamechanger to Get Visitors to Your Churches: An Interview with Marc Estes appeared first on Church Answers.

Presidential election years can be especially contentious, and this year will be no exception. Thom and Sam discuss how church leaders can manage the tension in ways that are helpful to the church body. The post How to Guide Your Church through the Coming Election Season without Losing Your Mind appeared first on Church Answers.

More churches are stunned when confronted with a major facility cost. They did not take care of the need, and they set aside funds for the need. Thom discusses this issue with Todd Brown and Isaac Brown of Brown Church Development Group. They are “The Church Facility Experts.” The post The Big Things That Can Go Wrong with Your Church Facilities With Todd Brown and Isaac Brown of Brown Church Development Group appeared first on Church Answers.

Many church leaders do not think much about the safety of their church facilities. Safety issues are essential to protecting those who come to our churches. Thom discusses this issue with Todd Brown and Isaac Brown of Brown Church Development Group, who are “The Church Facility Experts.” The post Is Your Church Facility Really Safe? With Todd Brown and Isaac Brown of Brown Church Development Group appeared first on Church Answers.

Hundreds, if not thousands, of cars pass your church every day. What is their first impression of your facilities when they see them only from the outside? Thom discusses this issue with Todd Brown and Isaac Brown of Brown Church Development Group, who are “The Church Facility Experts.” The post Why the Exterior of Your Church Facility Is Important for Growth With Todd Brown and Isaac Brown of Brown Church Development Group appeared first on Church Answers.

In this week's episode, Sam asks Thom about some of the biggest shifts in the American church in the last thirty years. They discuss what has changed and why the shifts occurred. Some things changed for the better, and others changed for the worse. The post A Thirty-Year Look-Back at the Biggest Changes in the American Church appeared first on Church Answers.

How many people are really leaving their childhood faith? Ryan Burge joins Thom and Sam on this special episode to unpack important data for churches. Retention rates are a good indicator of how well a church disciples people. Keeping people is a major part of church health. The hosts discuss the data concerning national trends with church retention. The post The Burge Report: Retention Rates in Churches Are Not What They Used to Be (Here’s Why) appeared first on Church Answers.

Even with the best of motives, we all make decisions we later realize are not God's will. What should a pastor do when facing this dilemma? Thom and Sam discuss some strategies for unwinding bad decisions. They offer some helpful tips on the best approaches to guide a church back to the starting line. The post Walking Back a Decision After You Realize It’s Not God’s Will appeared first on Church Answers.

Long tenure is usually better for churches and their pastors. But there are occasions when you know it's time to make a transition. For example, many pastors are ready for something new when the nest is empty. Thom and Sam discuss what you can do when you are certain about a transition. The post Finding Another Church to Pastor (When You Know It’s Time) appeared first on Church Answers.

The fastest-growing churches are often located in prime areas for growth. In a recent Church Answers Research article, Ryan Burge took a deep dive into how churches located in growing communities generally find it easier to add new members. Thom and Sam discuss the implications of these findings. The post Why Location Matters for the Fastest-Growing Churches appeared first on Church Answers.

Based on a recent article Thom wrote, Sam and Thom dig deeper into the issue of church members' ages. Their thoughts might surprise you. The post Are Our Church Members Too Old? appeared first on Church Answers.

Church Answers does two major types of evaluation of music in church worship services. The first approach uses a secret guest to get their first impressions. In the second approach, Church Answers uses a trained and highly competent church musician to evaluate the music from both a philosophical and technical aspect. Sam and Thom look at five common issues in these technical evaluations. The post Five Reasons Your Worship Music May Not Be Clicking appeared first on Church Answers.

There are between 350,000 and 400,000 churches in the United States. Is there really a church on every street corner? Ryan Burge joins Thom and Sam on this special episode to discuss the optimal number of churches in a community. The answer will likely surprise you. The post The Burge Report: Are There Too Many Churches in the United States? appeared first on Church Answers.

Proverbs 22:1 makes clear, "Choose a good reputation over great riches; being held in high esteem is better than silver or gold." (NLT) How can a church recover after a scandal? What are some ways a congregation can begin to rebuild a reputation? Thom and Sam discuss some steps forward for these churches. The post Rebuilding Your Reputation after a Church Scandal appeared first on Church Answers.

There are good examples of growing churches reaching young families. What are they doing differently than others? Thom and Sam answer this question. There is more to this issue than being a large church in a growing suburb. Churches reaching young families come in a variety of sizes and locations. The post How Do Growing Churches Reach Young Families? appeared first on Church Answers.

One of the signs of a healthy church is people asking tough questions. These questions may be theological, or they may involve life issues. When people are comfortable asking about difficult subjects, it shows trust in leadership. Thom and Sam discuss the importance of having a church culture that encourages asking hard questions. The post Why People Don’t Ask Tough Questions in Church appeared first on Church Answers.