Rainer on Leadership
Your online home for leadership lessons for both the church and the workplace.
10
The Church Number: 60% The Power of a Personal Invitation
A surprisingly high number of churchgoers attend because someone simply invited them. In this episode, Sam and Thom unpack why 60% might be the most overlooked and powerful number in church outreach today.
The Best Ways to Encourage a Discouraged Church (Your Next Three Steps)
In this episode, Josh and Sam explore what happens when a church becomes discouraged and how God restores hope in a congregation that feels stuck, tired, or overwhelmed. Discouragement drains energy, distorts reality, and slowly turns a church inward. Encouragement is both spiritual and strategic. It starts with leaders who refuse to catastrophize and instead cast vision. Pessimists predict failure. Realists describe what is. But optimistic, faith-filled leaders show what could be.
Revisiting Simple Church: What Worked, What Didn't
In 2006, Simple Church encouraged churches to streamline programming, clarify discipleship pathways, and focus on moving people toward spiritual maturity rather than filling calendars with activities. The book had a significant impact, shaping how thousands of pastors thought about ministry systems and structure. Nearly two decades later, Thom and Sam take a fresh look: What principles stood the test of time? What challenges emerged in practice? And how should churches apply Simple Church today in a ministry landscape that’s more complex, digital, and post-pandemic than ever?
How Do You Fire a Church Employee?
Letting a staff member go is one of the hardest leadership moments a pastor will ever face. Churches are relational environments, and employment decisions are deeply personal. But there are times when releasing someone is the most loving, wise, and responsible step—for the staff member, for the team, and for the health of the church. In this episode, Josh and Sam talk through how to navigate this complex process with clarity, compassion, and integrity.
The Burge Report: The Democrats Have a Religion Problem (Does It Matter?)
In this episode, we look at Ryan Burge’s latest analysis showing how the modern Democratic coalition is being pulled apart by widening religious divides. While Republicans continue to draw support from a largely Christian voter base, Democrats now include two groups with opposite religious profiles: highly secular white voters and deeply religious voters of color. This creates major messaging and policy tensions within the party, tensions that didn’t exist at the same scale in earlier decades.
When Should a Church Hire an Executive Pastor?
As churches grow, leaders often reach a tipping point where the senior pastor can no longer carry the full weight of vision, preaching, pastoral care, administration, staff oversight, and organizational leadership. That’s when the question arises: Is it time to hire an Executive Pastor? In this episode, Josh and Sam unpack what an Executive Pastor actually does, why this role has become more common across church sizes, and how to know whether your church is ready for one.
Digital Worship Fatigue: Why Online Church Can’t Replace the In-Person Gathering
Many are tired of online worship. What happened? When the pandemic forced churches online, digital worship seemed like the future. Congregations grew virtually, and pastors reached audiences they never imagined. But five years later, that momentum has faded. The church is discovering what technology can—and cannot—do for worship. On this episode, Thom and Sam explore why online engagement has declined and how churches can find balance between digital convenience and in-person community.
Church Conflict: Five Common Ways Small Fights Turn into Big Problems
Every pastor has seen it. Churches splitting hairs over things that don’t matter. Beard length. Carpet color. Playground equipment. These disputes may sound absurd, but they reveal something much deeper. Small conflicts are rarely about what they seem. Beneath the surface, emotions, control, and trust are at play. In this episode, Josh and Sam explore why trivial fights erupt in churches, what they reveal about church health, and how leaders can keep the small stuff from becoming spiritual landmines.
Does Counting Church Worship Attendance Still Make Sense?
Church attendance is both a helpful tool and a potential trap. Numbers can reveal momentum, but they can also distort priorities if leaders focus on counting heads instead of making disciples. In this episode, Thom and Sam unpack the healthy and unhealthy ways to measure worship attendance, and how pastors can move from chasing growth to cultivating spiritual health.
Five Pastoral New Year's Resolutions that Aren't About You
Most New Year’s resolutions focus inward on personal growth, habits, and goals. On this episode, Josh and Sam challenge church leaders to flip the script on traditional resolutions by making them about the people you serve, not yourself. Instead of trying to become a better version of you, resolve to make those around you better.
