The Church Answers Podcast with Thom Rainer is fast-paced, to the point, and sometimes witty. It addresses one question about church life and leadership in just ten minutes. Buckle your seatbelt and take a ride into the world of congregational health in a fun and fascinating way.
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Ten Ways a Pastor’s Ministry Has Changed Dramatically in 25 Years
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Thom and Jess examine the incredible ways pastoring has changed in the past 25 years. Jess offers the current perspective, and Thom looks at the old man’s view. You might be surprised at the magnitude of the changes. Resources: Chaney & Associates “The Anxious Generation Goes To Church” by Thom S. Rainer – Coming in 2025! “Make My Church Safe: A Gu…
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11 Surprising Lessons from a Church Consultant
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Thom has done a few thousand consultations since 1988, with over 600 done on the church site. Jess asks Thom to share some of the most surprising lessons he has learned about churches seeking consultations. Resources: Chaney & Associates The Unstuck Group Church Consultation University (CCU) Know Your Beliefs “Who Moved My Pulpit?: Leading Change i…
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An Actual Autopsy of a Real (But Now Closed) Church
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Jess interviews Thom about a church that recently died. All of the facts really took place. It is a fascinating study of how many churches die. Any church leader or church member would benefit greatly from this episode. Resources: Chaney & Associates “Autopsy of a Deceased Church: 12 Ways to Keep Yours Alive” by Thom S. Rainer (affiliate link) “I A…
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Why Are the Pianist and Organist Paid Positions in Many Churches?
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Our team at Church Answers frequently examines church budgets. It is common for the pianist to be paid, while other music positions are not. Thom and Jess examine the history and cultural relevance of this reality today. Resources: Chaney & Associates FREE Research Report: New Surprising Insights The Everything Church Resource Directory The Hope In…
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Different Pastors Are Wired Differently (Part 2)
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Pastors are not clones of one another. On the contrary, their personalities and preferences can be dramatically different. Jess and Thom examine eight different personality styles of pastors and how they affect their ministries. In this episode, they discuss the second four of eight typologies of pastors. Resources: Chaney & Associates “Eight Typol…
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Different Pastors Are Wired Differently (Part 1)
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Pastors are not clones of one another. On the contrary, their personalities and preferences can be dramatically different. In this first episode, Jess and Thom examine eight different personality styles of pastors and how they affect their ministries. They discuss the first four of eight typologies of pastors. Resources: Chaney & Associates “Eight …
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Can We Predict Future Church Attendance by Race, Age, Gender, Education, and Income?
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While Americans’ demographics can’t always predict future church commitment, a couple of areas are beginning to show some correlation. Jess and Thom examine these two areas. Resources: Chaney & Associates Know Your Community “Why Were People Attending Church More (or Less) in 2022 vs 2020?” by Ryan Burge FREE Research Report: New Surprising Insight…
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Church Members Who Do This One Thing Will Be Your Most Committed Members
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Thom and Jess examine factors that predict church member commitment. You might be surprised that one factor predicts commitment more than others. Resources: Chaney & Associates “Why Were People Attending Church More (or Less) in 2022 vs 2020?” by Ryan Burge Craft Book Publishing FREE Research Report: New Surprising Insights The Everything Church Re…
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Do Conservative Christians REALLY Attend Church More Frequently?
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Since 1970, when Dean Kelley wrote “Why Conservative Churches Are Growing,” many people have assumed that conservative Christians attend church more frequently over 50 years later. Thom and Jess provide the facts about this assumption. Resources: Chaney & Associates “Why Conservative Churches Are Growing” by Dean Kelley (affiliate link) Know Your B…
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Why “The Anxious Generation” May Be One of the Most Important Ministry Books Written – Part 3: Do Churches Stand a Chance of Reaching Gen Z?
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“The Anxious Generation” is written by an atheistic Jew, but it has a powerful message for ministering to Gen Z and Gen Alpha. In this last of three parts, Thom examines how few young people attend church and why Matthew 9 must be our direct response. Resources: Chaney & Associates “The Anxious Generation” by Jonathan Haidt (affiliate link) FREE Re…
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Why “The Anxious Generation” May Be One of the Most Important Ministry Books Written – Part 2: The Smartphone is the New Cigarette
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“The Anxious Generation” is written by an atheistic Jew, but it has a powerful message for ministering to Gen Z and Gen Alpha. In this second of three parts, Thom looks at the addictive powers of the smartphone and how churches must respond. Resources: Chaney & Associates “The Anxious Generation” by Jonathan Haidt (affiliate link) The Everything Ch…
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Why “The Anxious Generation” May Be One of the Most Important Ministry Books Written – Part 1: The Agonizing Pain of a Generation
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“The Anxious Generation” is written by an atheistic Jew, but it has a powerful message for ministering to Gen Z and Gen Alpha. In this first of three parts, Thom reviews the pain this generation currently experiences. Resources: Chaney & Associates “The Anxious Generation” by Jonathan Haidt (affiliate link) The Everything Church Resource Directory …
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Lessons from Church Autopsies, Part 3: Refusal to Accept Responsibility
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Between 8,000 and 12,000 churches close annually in the United States. Thom examines some of the common excuses we’ve heard that lead to church death. “The community knows where we are.” “It’s the other church’s fault.” “We won’t budge from the truth.” “It’s the denomination’s fault.” Resources: Chaney & Associates “Autopsy of a Deceased Church: 12…
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Lessons from Church Autopsies, Part 2: The Failure to Deal with Toxins
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Between 8,000 and 12,000 churches close annually in the United States. Thom examines one of the factors in the death of churches: toxic church members. Toxins are not the same as critics. Church leaders should form a guiding coalition. Prayer is still powerful. Kicking the can never works. Resources: Chaney & Associates “Autopsy of a Deceased Churc…
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Lessons from Church Autopsies, Part 1: Dealing with Denial
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Between 8,000 and 12,000 churches close annually in the United States. Thom examines one of the leading factors in the death of churches: denial. Here are three of the main issues he will cover: Matters related to faith are challenging to release. Incremental decline can be the most challenging decline. Inward movement is natural; outward focus is …
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Seven Powerful Guidelines for Pastors Who Have to Let a Staff Member Go
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It is one of the most painful situations in ministry. A pastor must let a staff member go. Thom and Jess share seven guidelines to walk through this challenging reality. Resources: Chaney & Associates Church Answers Research – Coming soon! The Everything Church Resource Directory The Hope Initiative Church Answers Central Membership Episode Sponsor…
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How Pastors Deal with Burnout When Their Churches Are Not Supportive
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Burnout is always painful. But it is especially hurtful when you don’t have a church that supports you. Thom and Jess discuss the painful realities of these situations. Resources: Chaney & Associates Church Answers Research – Coming soon! The Everything Church Resource Directory The Hope Initiative Church Answers Central Membership Episode Sponsor:…
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Changing a Sermon at the Last Minute
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Every pastor faces the need to change a sermon at some point, even if they have completed it. Thom and Jess share when and why these changes are necessary and how to make them. Resources: Chaney & Associates “I Am a Church Member: Discovering the Attitude that Makes the Difference” by Thom S. Rainer (affiliate link) Church Answers Research – Coming…
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Gen Z could represent the first generation to return to church after decades of declining attendance. Thom and Jess look at four areas where local churches can connect with Gen Z in positive ways: Understand how different they are from previous generations. Focus on those ministries that help Gen Z form in-person community. Don’t compromise on bibl…
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Why Gen Z Is Called “The Anxious Generation”
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Mental health statistics point to the severe emotional and mental challenges of Gen Z. Church leaders should be aware of the significant reasons why this challenge is taking place. Thom and Jess look at three key reasons: Smartphones Social media The COVID pandemic Resources: Chaney & Associates “The Anxious Generation” by Jonathan Haidt (affiliate…
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Understanding Gen Z Compared to Other Generations
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It is essential for church leaders to understand Gen Z in relation to previous generations. Thom and Jess, a Boomer and Millennial, compare Gen Z to four other generations. Here are the four generations they will discuss: 1946-1964 (Baby Boom Generation): Approximately 76 million live births occurred during this period. This period is known for the…
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Three Significant Challenges Pastors Experience Every Week, Part 3: The Challenge of Dealing with Regular Interruptions
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The role of a pastor carries significant challenges. In a three-part series, Thom and Jess look at those challenges pastors have almost every week. In part three, they consider how pastors deal with interruptions that are normative for church life: members in crisis, those seeking counsel and advice, requests from the community, and others. Resourc…
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Three Significant Challenges Pastors Experience Every Week, Part 2: The Challenge of Leading Volunteers
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The role of a pastor carries significant challenges. In a three-part series, Thom and Jess look at those challenges pastors have almost every week. In part two, they consider how pastors deal with leading a mostly all-volunteer organization. Resources: Chaney & Associates The Everything Church Resource Directory The Hope Initiative Church Answers C…
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Three Significant Challenges Pastors Experience Every Week, Part 1: The Challenge of Regular Sermon Preparation
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The role of a pastor carries significant challenges. In a three-part series, Thom and Jess look at those challenges pastors have almost every week. In part one, they consider how pastors deal with the ongoing demand of sermon preparation. Resources: Chaney & Associates “When the People Pray” by Thom S. Rainer (affiliate link) The Everything Church …
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“The Day the Church Died” The Pains and Pleasures of Writing a Fictional Book – An Interview with Kevin Mills
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Thom and Jess welcome Kevin Mills, author of “The Day the Church Died.” In this episode, they discuss the differences in writing a fiction book versus a nonfiction book. Resources: Chaney & Associates “The Day the Church Died” by Kevin Mills (affiliate link) Craft Book Publishing “Where Have All the Church Members Gone?” by Thom S. Rainer “How to L…
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