Sam Rainer's Blog

If you pastor a church of any size, you must manage the organization, which involves a combination of technical and cultural issues. Technical matters—such as facilities management, curriculum selection, and program coordination—require specific expertise, but can often be handled by a single leader or a committee. Cultural issues, on the other hand, are pervasive to the organization and cannot be solved by technical expertise. Instead, these issues involve general acceptance by everyone.

There’...

Planning for Easter Sunday raises a strategic question: should this service look and feel bigger and more energetic, or should it resemble the regular rhythm of worship? Both approaches have advantages and downsides. Because Easter is often the highest-attended Sunday of the year, how leaders answer this question shapes not only the experience of that day, but also what first-time and returning guests assume about the life of the church.

The Special Production Strategy

A “special” Easter service...

God has a purpose for you: to love your neighbors and reflect Christ to them. Yes, even the odd ones. I’ll never forget the first time my wife and I spotted “bathrobe guy.” That’s what we called him, at least until we learned his real name. From the hill where our house sat, we had a perfect view into several nearby yards, including his. Nearly every day, we’d watch him in his backyard, robed and barefoot, gathering sticks from the neighborhood and performing what could only be described as a ki...

I remember the sinking feeling several years ago as I flipped through the mail. A letter from the IRS was in the mix, something I was not expecting. With a degree in finance and years of corporate financial experience, I figured doing my own taxes as a pastor would be something I could handle. Nope. I made a $4,000 mistake. I called an accountant that day and have not done my own taxes since. 

Most pastors never receive formal training in clergy tax law. Seminaries focus on biblical languages, t...

When a Bible becomes too worn to use or damaged in some way, many people feel uneasy about simply tossing it in the trash. That instinct is understandable. I’ve got a shelf full of old Bibles that I can’t seem to discard. They’re too tattered to give away but too meaningful to throw away. We know the proper etiquette of disposing of an American flag. But how should Christians discard old Bibles when it’s time? While no official rules exist, there are several respectful options.

Reverent Burial

O...

When optimism and creativity come together, a pathway opens to a brighter future. Optimism is the belief in God’s promise of greater things. Creativity is the process of putting the belief into action. Blazing a new pathway is exciting. But what is the most realistic next step?

A helpful tool is a strategy called the MHAG. It is one of the best ways to determine your realistic next step in revitalization.

Creating an MHAG

MHAG stands for middle holy audacious goal, a concept derived from the BHA...

Student ministry is often where rules about minors break down in the church. Student ministries don’t need fewer rules than children’s ministries. They need different rules. Though rebellion seems to be a rite of passage for many teenagers, they are far more receptive to guidance than you might think. Young people need leaders to shoot straight with them. About life. With biblical depth. We don’t need to wade in the shallows and soft peddle the Christian faith. Instead, we must shepherd our yout...

Changing the worship ministry in a church can be one of the most emotionally charged initiatives leaders undertake. Music touches deeply held personal preferences. Yet the worship ministry of many churches needs intentional change, not because of stylistic trends, but because of how people engage and grow. Healthy churches are navigating significant shifts that affect how they worship together.

At its core, the success of worship ministry should not be measured by how people feel, but by how wel...

Let’s assume the best. Someone is deciding on a new church for all the right reasons. Maybe it’s you. Finding a new church can be both exciting and intimidating. Whether you’re moving to a new area or starting a new season of life, it’s wise to ask good questions before committing to a local congregation. The goal isn’t to “shop” for a perfect church (because none exists), but to discern where you can worship, grow, and serve faithfully. These questions aren’t about consumer preferences. They’re...

Every leader has a handful of books that change how they see the world. For me, one of those books is Reframing Organizations by Lee Bolman and Terrence Deal. I first read it years ago as an academic text, but it has stayed with me far longer than most books from graduate school. The reason is simple: it taught me how to see my church differently.

“Reframing” is the ability to look at the same situation from multiple perspectives. Most leaders, pastors included, tend to lead through one dominant...