by Sam Rainer | Apr 6, 2014 | Uncategorized
This column originally appeared in a local magazine in the region where I pastor. Last month I began writing a regular column for the magazine. At times, I’ll post them on this blog. I have vague memories of “stealing” from the church pantry as a child. My father... 
by Sam Rainer | Apr 3, 2014 | Uncategorized
Is your church healthy or not? It’s a difficult question to answer. When people ask, I often reply, “What is your definition of ‘healthy?’” There are many metrics that point to—or signal—the health of a congregation. If attendance has declined for 50 years and the... 
by Sam Rainer | Mar 30, 2014 | Uncategorized
Not every church leader will face a vision-crushing blow. But they exist. They hurt like a heavy-weight sucker punch. You didn’t see it coming, and it was hard like an Acme anvil. Church leaders (especially us pastors) can overreact. We can cry wolf when it’s just... 
by Sam Rainer | Mar 2, 2014 | Uncategorized
She was adamant about going through with the baptism. I tried to convince her to put it off a week. The heating element in the baptistery had gone out. It was January. The morning’s temperature was somewhere below zero. It wasn’t a crisis, but it felt like it. We... 
by Sam Rainer | Jan 26, 2014 | Uncategorized
Followers can bring distractions to leaders. A few years ago, I received a phone call I’ll never forget. It was someone telling me a prominent and faithful church member had died suddenly. He was a doctor, well-respected in the community. The town was already talking... 
by Sam Rainer | Jan 12, 2014 | Uncategorized
The best follower is not always compliant. It may seem counterintuitive, but no leader should want complete compliance all the time. Such a situation produces zero accountability. Orders are given. Orders are followed. No questions asked. That works so long as the...
