Quotes from Thom S. Rainer

You have likely heard me describe the state of churches in North America. Nearly nine out of ten are either declining, or they are growing more slowly than the communities in which they are located. In simple terms, 90 percent of our churches are losing ground in their respective communities.

For many Christians, all other activities have become mandatory while the worship service has become an optional afterthought.

Praying Together as a Family for the Church One of the many lessons I learned from Bob was to bring my family together to pray for my church. Following Bob's leadership, I would learn to pray for the leadership of the church in a number of ways: For spiritual protection. For protection from moral failure. For the preaching of the Word. For their families. For encouragement. For physical strength. For courage. For discernment. For wisdom in their leadership.

few things can destroy the unity of a church like gossip. A unified church is powerful. Gossip tears apart that unity and renders a church powerless.

And, as a confessing introvert, I absolutely love shopping without people around.

Religious institutions have failed to be a force in the lives of the Millennials.

have seen too many so-called hopeless churches become turnaround churches.

I don't understand it," he said. "We would welcome them if they came. And they must know we are here. You can't miss the big white columns out front." "Perhaps," I said with trepidation, "your church might go into the community instead of expecting them to come to you." "Nah," he said with a hint of indignation. "They're not interested in us. If this church dies, it will be because of the community.

it all affects the whole. To have a simple church, leaders must ensure that everything their church does fits together to produce life change. They

Why would we attempt to build spiritual lives without a clear ministry blueprint? To build the lives of people effectively, you need a clear ministry process.

To be simple is to be great. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Churches with high expectations not only reach the unchurched but retain them as well.

Some churches are not clear on a ministry process because they do not have one. Others have one, but it is too complex. It is too complicated, too long, or too confusing. The process is ineffective because it cannot be understood. Without understanding, commitment wanes. Understanding always precedes commitment.

One of the principles of leadership in any organization, particularly a local church, is the law of unintended consequences. It points out that any significant change in an organization will have reactions that extend well beyond the change itself.

Leading a church would be a lot easier if we didn't have to deal with people.

I simply know that if something is important to the church, it really cannot be over-communicated.

Pastors and other church leaders make mistakes. Church members often exacerbate them.

Though I am not pleased with the responses regarding another factor in leadership development, integrity demands that I report it. Only three out of ten of those we interviewed indicated that college or seminary training positively impacted their leadership development. And four out of ten told us the influence was slight or not a factor at all.

Passion is hard to define, but I know it when I see it.

The denier is one of the most difficult to lead in change because he or she does not think anything needs changing. The church is just fine the way it is, and there is no motivation to do things differently. Denial is the fastest path to death.

The blamers resist change because they do not need to change, at least from their perspective. The problems all reside with other people and other situations. They don't see anything wrong with themselves. Blamers will blame. Blamers do not want to change.

Sometimes the confused includes those who want to hang on to some tradition for their own sense of security and comfort. They may sincerely believe the tradition to be vitally important. They don't see that there is no intrinsic or doctrinal value in these items.

He placed us in churches to serve, to care for others, to pray for leaders, to learn, to teach, to give, and, in some cases, to die for the sake of the gospel. Many churches are weak because we have members who have turned the meaning of membership upside down. It's time to get it right. It's time to become a church member as God intended. It's time to give instead of being entitled.

The possibility that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just. —Abraham Lincoln