Rainer on Leadership
141 episodes — Page 1 of 3
The Burge Report: Why Immigration Won’t Reverse America’s Secular Drift
The Top Preaching Distractions (What Stops Pastors Mid-Sentence in the Pulpit)
Why the Pastorate Is One of the Highest Security Jobs in an AI World
What Should a Pastor Do When One or Two Key Donors Keep the Church Doors Open
The Four Domains of Successful Outreach to Families with Children
Why We Still Believe in Short-Term Mission Trips for Churches
Unique Church Leadership Lessons from the Book of Ezra You Haven’t Heard
The Back-to-School Checklist for Pastors (Prepping Your Church for Ministry to Parents and School-Age Children)
The Burge Report: Why the 1990s Were the Most Consequential in Modern U.S. Religious History
What Successful Evangelistic Churches Actually Do for Outreach
Dodging Detours: Five Ways a Feasibility Study Protects Your Campaign from Pitfalls
Should Pastors Engage in Online Fights?
The Future of Church Hiring When Pastors Are in Short Supply
Amiable Autocrats: Why Some of the Nicest Pastors Make the Worst Bosses
Why Churches Are Struggling More and More to Find Staff
Why Can’t Pastors Talk About Politics?
The Burge Report: Are Non-Denominational Churches Just Southern Baptists in Disguise?
The Ongoing Shortage of Student Pastors (Where Did They Go?)
The Church Summer Slump: What Every Pastor Should Know
The Top Ten Most Common Low Attendance Days in Churches
A Behind-the-Scenes Look at a Bible Translation Committee (What Really Happens)
The Reality of Church Hoppers: A Pastor’s Honest Perspective
Why Members Leave Their Church and Never Come Back
Why Some Pastors Stay for Decades (and Thrive in Their Churches)
The Hyper-Traditionalist Movement in Church Architecture (Is Anyone Really Building Churches This Way?)
The Church “Fault Lines” That Could Become Ministry Tsunamis
The Burge Report: Boomers Can’t Save Us Forever: The Hard Truth About Church Demographics
What Churches Should Do About Inactive Members
Are Sunday Morning Service Times Changing? What the Data Says About the Future of Church Worship Schedules
What to Say (and Not Say) Immediately After a Church Crisis
Crucial Commitments: 5 Simple Decisions That Members of Healthy and Growing Churches Make
How to Become Your Pastor’s Favorite Church Member
The Best Board and Trustee Structure for Churches
Seven Things Pastors Do You Probably Don’t Know About
The Burge Report: Gen Z and the Church: Lonely, Cautious, Skeptical, But… Open
How to Discard a Worn-Out Bible Properly
Should Full-Time Pastors Have a Side Hustle?
The Critical Functions of a Pastor Rarely Found in a Church Job Description
After 25 Years of Consistent Recreation Ministry, This Church Discovered Something…
What We’re Doing as Pastors to Keep Our Marriages Healthy
Six Reasons Pastors Must Be More Courageous Today
The Top Ways to Annoy Your Pastor
In this tongue-in-cheek episode, Josh and Sam discuss their top annoyances as pastors. Everyone has their pet peeves, and the co-hosts share theirs. The post The Top Ways to Annoy Your Pastor appeared first on Church Answers.
The Burge Report: The Latest Data on Transgender Young Adults and the Church
In this episode, Ryan Burge and Sam examine newly released national survey data that reveal a significant shift in how young adults understand and report gender identity. Drawing on high-quality data from the Cooperative Election Study, the research shows a clear and statistically meaningful decline in the share of 18–22-year-olds identifying as transgender since 2020, with similar downward trends appearing across older age cohorts as well. The post The Burge Report: The Latest Data on Transgender Young Adults and the Church appeared first on Church Answers.
Tithing Or Not: Should Lead Pastors Know What Church Staff Give?
Lead pastors often provide management oversight of staff. But should they know what church staff give to the church? Josh and Sam break down the arguments on both sides, examine potential safeguards, and discuss how church culture and pastoral character shape the best approach. The post Tithing Or Not: Should Lead Pastors Know What Church Staff Give? appeared first on Church Answers.
What Growing Churches Actually Do to Reach and Keep People
How does a church grow without relying on people transferring from other congregations? Thom and Sam take a dive into this topic. The post What Growing Churches Actually Do to Reach and Keep People appeared first on Church Answers.
Churches Are Targets for Predators (Here’s Why)
One of the biggest mistakes church leaders can make is assuming that abuse won’t happen in their churches. The belief that “it can’t happen here” is dangerously naïve. Any organization that works with children and other vulnerable individuals can be a target for predators. Satan specifically aims to attack churches and seeks to harm children and vulnerable people. Josh and Sam discuss this very important topic of safety. The post Churches Are Targets for Predators (Here’s Why) appeared first on Church Answers.
Marriage Discipleship Is the Missing Piece in Family Ministry
If your church cares about reaching the next generation, there’s an upstream strategy that strengthens every part of ministry: investing in marriages. Children’s and youth ministries matter deeply, but without discipling the parents who shape the spiritual culture of the home, churches often work harder than they need to. When marriages grow in grace, stability fills the home, volunteers serve with joy, teens show up more open, and the entire church experiences deeper unity. Brad Rhoads of Grace Marriage joins Sam on this episode. They explore why marriage discipleship isn’t just another ministry. It’s the source that feeds every other stream of church life, creating a generational ripple effect of gospel impact. The post Marriage Discipleship Is the Missing Piece in Family Ministry appeared first on Church Answers.
Why Churches Are MUCH Older Now…
Are aging churches a real problem? The US population has a median age of 39 years old. Most denominations have a median age of congregants close to 60 years old. Josh and Sam discuss why churches are a generation older than their surrounding communities. What are the implications of the aging trend in churches? The post Why Churches Are MUCH Older Now… appeared first on Church Answers.
Why Guests Don’t Come Back to Church After a Big Ministry Event
Big events can be a way for churches to reach people, but they often fail to draw people back once the event is done. Thom and Sam unpack what it actually takes to turn community events into gospel opportunities. The post Why Guests Don’t Come Back to Church After a Big Ministry Event appeared first on Church Answers.
America’s Gambling Problem and the Church
Josh and Sam talk about the rising tide of gambling addiction in the U.S., fueled by the explosion of online betting and sports wagering. With millions of adults and youth affected, and billions lost in social and personal costs, the issue is quickly becoming a pastoral and congregational challenge. This episode highlights the scope of the crisis, why it’s escalating, and how the church can respond with clarity, compassion, and practical care. The post America’s Gambling Problem and the Church appeared first on Church Answers.