Thom S. Rainer Articles
Five Reasons It Is So Painful for a Pastor to Lose a Church Member
“I don’t want you take this personally, pastor, but we are leaving the church.” Yeah. Right. The church member might as well have stabbed the pastor with a knife while noting it was not personal. One of the most painful and personal aspects of a pastor’s ministry is the departure of church members. ... 
Five Kinds of Churches That Must Change or Die
Change or die. Imagine hearing those words from your physician. I hope you would be motivated to change. Eat well. Exercise. Stop smoking. You get the picture. 
Five Reasons Why the Large Single Site Church Is Declining
One of the largely unspoken phenomenon of the past decade has been the decline in large churches located at only one site. Most of the large church growth today is taking place at multisite churches. 
Seven Ways Church Members Should Prepare for a Sermon
What if church members began their own form of sermon preparation? For countless decades, we have heard about the role of pastors in sermon preparation. The number of hours they need to prepare. The priority of preparation. The role of prayer in sermon preparation. 
Three Reasons Why Big Events Are Ineffective in Most Churches
Tens of thousands of churches will have events to celebrate the Christmas season. The events will range from simple Christmas Eve candlelight services to major musical productions. And most of them will fail their intended purpose. 
Fourteen Sentences That Brought Joy to Pastors
I just received a letter from a delightful lady. She was a member of a church where I was ordained in the ministry. What I remember most about her was the way she offered encouragement to the pastors of that church. 
5 Reasons Millennial Pastors Are Not Moving to Larger Churches
Thom Rainer, CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources, shares five reasons he believes pastors of the millennial generation choose not to move to larger congregations.
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Declining adherence to core beliefs of Christian faith among Preteens in record numbers, study finds
Christians in Iran faced intensified persecution in 2023
Americans experience record-low 'very satisfied' levels since 2011 while church attendees remain the happiest demographic
American College of Pediatricians says gender surgery adversely affects adolescent mental health outcomes
Pastor Jack Hibbs declares 2024 a year of spiritual warfare in sermon series; outlines 5 key battlegrounds
Abortion takes top spot as leading cause of death for fifth year
More than half of Evangelical Pastors oppose sports betting, considering it as ‘morally wrong’
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What rights do students have on ‘Bring Your Bible To School Day’?
American Evangelical leader Johnnie Moore urges EU to bolster support for Israel following recent assaults
Supreme Court’s Judgement to Transfer Control of Jacobite Syrian Churches to Orthodox Faction Executed By Authorities Amidst Fierce Protests
Survey reports that the majority of adolescents struggle to embrace the seven cornerstones of a biblical worldview
Embracing imperfection: Pastor Michael Todd encourages transparency and healing within the church
11 Christians killed in Nigeria's Plateau state, sources say
Supreme Court refuses pro-life activists' appeals in Planned Parenthood Case