Rainer on Leadership

What sins, if any, permanently disqualify a pastor? Josh and Sam discuss their perspectives on this sensitive topic. While one would hope this issue wouldn't be a problem, the reality is reports of church scandals are on the rise. The co-hosts focus on the lead pastor position and give their take. The post The Sins That Permanently Disqualify a Pastor appeared first on Church Answers.

Most pastors never receive formal training in clergy tax law. Seminaries focus on biblical languages, theology, and preaching but rarely on housing allowances, self-employment tax, or payroll classification. The result is that well-meaning ministers stumble into mistakes that can trigger audits, penalties, and years of back taxes. Thom and Sam discuss the common mistakes you can avoid. The post Pastors, Don’t Make These Tax Mistakes! appeared first on Church Answers.

You can do your job well without loving it. However, for pastors, the calling often goes beyond mere duty. It encompasses a passion for serving and guiding their flocks. What distinguishes pastors who love their jobs from those who do their jobs? Josh and Sam discuss on today's episode. The post Eight Essential Qualities of Pastors Who Love Their Jobs appeared first on Church Answers.

America’s largest churches are becoming significantly larger. A decade of Outreach 100 data shows that megachurch growth is increasingly concentrated among a relatively small group of established, evangelical, multisite congregations. Yet the picture is more complex than explosive growth alone: many longtime megachurches have grown only incrementally, many have declined, and the pandemic reshaped attendance in uneven and lasting ways. The post The Burge Report: America’s Largest Churches: What’s Happened the Last Decade? appeared first on Church Answers.

Halloween often creates unnecessary tension among Christians. Some avoid it because of its association with spiritual darkness and the occult, while others view it as a harmless cultural tradition centered on costumes, candy, and neighborhood fun. Josh and Sam discuss how churches do not need to retreat from their communities during Halloween. The post An Honest Perspective on Celebrating Halloween as Christians appeared first on Church Answers.

Sam welcomes Susan K. Pitts and Becky Thompson to the Rainer on Leadership podcast. They are a mother-daughter team who have built their lives around encouraging moms right in the middle of everyday life. Susan has spent over forty years in ministry, walking alongside women and families with wisdom and compassion. She is the prayer director for the Midnight Mom Devotional and co-author of the Midnight Mom Devotional books. Becky has spent the last decade creating resources to equip and encourage the heart of the momma. They are both bestselling authors and Becky is a national speaker who speaks honestly about faith and family. They are the authors of two devotional books, "Tonight We Pray for the Momma" and "Midnight Mom Devotional" and are the content writers for the devotional content in the "Midnight Mom Devotional Bible." In addition, they have a vibrant social media community on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok where they lead over 2 million mommas in nightly prayer. The post How Churches Can Better Support Moms in the Unseen Midnight Moments of Motherhood appeared first on Church Answers.

Sam interviews David Graham of Five Loaves Marketing, and they talk about the best ways for churches to utilize marketing resources. The post Hitting Home Runs with Church Marketing appeared first on Church Answers.

A new Hartford Institute report shows median in-person worship attendance increasing from 65 to 70 since just before the pandemic. That five-person gain may sound small, but it represents a 7.7% increase and moves the median congregation above its pre-pandemic level. Still, the story requires careful interpretation. This is not a return to the church landscape of 2000, when the median congregation had 137 in worship. It is better understood as a modest but meaningful inflection point—encouraging enough to notice, but not strong enough yet to call a trend. The post Church Worship Attendance Is… Up! (For the First Time in Years) appeared first on Church Answers.

Josh and Sam discuss how to avoid the “always available” trap of shepherding a congregation. Unfortunately, many pastors, if not most, are never truly “off.” The post The Pastoral Burden of Never Having “Off Hours” appeared first on Church Answers.

Sam welcomes Dr. Nijay Gupta back to the Rainer on Leadership podcast. Nijay is a senior translator for the New Living Translation, a Professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary, and the author of several books, including A Beginner's Guide to New Testament Studies and Tell Her Story. Today they discuss why preachers should commit to one primary translation in the pulpit, and why the New Living Translation is the best choice. The post Why Preachers Should Pick One Translation (And Which One Is Best) appeared first on Church Answers.

Historically, Christians have favored burial. That practice was not accidental. Burial reflects the biblical pattern of honoring the body, treating death with gravity, and looking forward to the resurrection. In Scripture, the body is not treated as disposable. At the same time, the Bible does not give a direct command that Christians must be buried or that cremation is sinful. Josh and Sam discuss this question on today's episode. The post Should Pastors Encourage Burial Over Cremation? appeared first on Church Answers.

Americans are moving far less than they did in previous generations, and Gen Z may become the least mobile generation in American history. In the 1950s, about 20% of Americans moved each year. By 2019, that number had fallen to roughly 11%. Even more surprising, younger adults are more likely than older generations to say they have lived in the same local community their entire lives. Nearly half of those born in the early 2000s report never having moved from their local community. Ryan and Sam discuss how this trend also has implications for churches. People who stay rooted in one place appear somewhat more likely to remain connected to religious life than those who move away. Moving disrupts habits, relationships, and rhythms—including church attendance. For many dechurched people, the issue may not be a conscious rejection of faith, but the loss of a weekly rhythm after relocating. The post The Burge Report: Why Gen Z Might Be the Least Mobile Generation in American History appeared first on Church Answers.

Many churches are beginning to recognize that their discipleship systems are no longer working as well as they once did. The problem is not necessarily neglect. In many cases, the problem is that the model was built for a different era—one marked by more frequent church attendance, earlier marriage, more stable family rhythms, and Baby Boomers providing much of the volunteers. That world is fading. Josh and Sam discuss how churches that adjust their discipleship strategies now will be better positioned to disciple effectively ten and twenty years from today. The post How to Prevent Your Discipleship Model from Aging Out with the Older Generations appeared first on Church Answers.

Sam and Thom welcome Dr. Ryan Blackwell to Rainer on Leadership to share his hope for Lifeway as the 11th President and CEO. The post My Hope for Lifeway: An Interview with Dr. Ryan Blackwell, President and CEO of Lifeway appeared first on Church Answers.

Preaching has not changed in its core calling: proclaiming God’s Word faithfully to God’s people. But the context around preaching has changed dramatically. Josh and Sam discuss the major changes in preaching over the last two decades. Pastors today must still preach the text, but they also have to work harder to explain context, build trust, apply Scripture clearly, and communicate in a world conditioned by short-form content. The post What Has Changed the Most in Preaching the Last 20 Years? appeared first on Church Answers.

Many churches say they value older adults, but their staffing decisions often tell a different story. Thom and Sam discuss how ageism is a real and often overlooked problem in church personnel decisions, especially for staff members approaching retirement. Churches may seek “younger energy,” cut older staff under the banner of stewardship, or assume older workers cannot adapt. But a healthy, multigenerational church should value a multigenerational staff and help older leaders finish well. The post The Problem of Ageism and Church Staff Near Retirement appeared first on Church Answers.

The question of whether a church should have an armed security team is both practical and pastoral. Churches want to be welcoming places of worship, but they also have a responsibility to protect the people gathered on campus. An armed security team may be appropriate in some contexts, but it should never be treated casually. The decision requires clear policies, legal guidance, extensive training, insurance awareness, pastoral wisdom, and a churchwide commitment to safety that goes far beyond firearms. The post Armed Church Security Teams: Good Idea or Bad Idea? appeared first on Church Answers.

Some denominations and networks seem to have a controversy du jour. Many of them have deep theological implications. Others are distractions to the primary mission of churches. Sam and Thom review five controversies that were once heated but have now faded significantly. The post Five Relatively Recent Theological Controversies That Have Faded appeared first on Church Answers.

Josh and Sam discuss why many churches have moved away from old-school hymns, not always because they reject them, but because worship culture has changed. Modern worship music is often easier to lead with a band, more familiar to younger generations, and shaped by digital platforms, conferences, and major worship publishers. But the disappearance of hymns can also come at a cost. Hymns often carry theological depth, congregational memory, and a sense of continuity with the broader church. In this episode, we discuss why hymns have faded in many churches and how leaders can reintroduce them wisely without turning worship into a generational battle. The post Why Don’t Churches Sing Old-School Hymns Anymore? appeared first on Church Answers.

Thom and Sam welcome Chris Brauns, Lead Pastor at The Red Brick Church in Stillman Valley, IL, to discuss his book, "The Way of Repentance." The post An Interview with Chris Brauns on “The Way of Repentance” appeared first on Church Answers.