153. Leadership in a Time of Declining Church Attendance, with Thom Rainer, author of I Believe

Spiritual Life and Leadership

Thom Rainer is the CEO of Church Answers and the author of many books, including I Believe: A Concise Guide to the Essentials of the Christian Faith.
In this episode, Thom Rainer discusses an article he wrote in which he said we need to rethink how we categorize churches, now that the median church size is 65—meaning 50% of churches in the U.S. have fewer than 65 people in church every Sunday!

What does this decline mean and how should we lead in this strange new world?
THIS EPISODE'S HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:

• Thom Rainer is the CEO of Church Answers and the author of many books, including I Believe: A Concise Guide to the Essentials of the Christian Faith.
• Thom Rainer wrote an article titled “The New Very Large Church.”
• Tod Bolsinger and Markus Watson discuss this article in Episode 150: The New Normal of Church Attendance.
• Thom Rainer’s article says that since the pandemic, here is how churches ought to be categorized:
  • Under 50 in attendance: smaller churches
  • 51-99: mid-size churches
  • 100-249: large churches
  • 250 and above: larger churches
• 92% of church in the U.S. today have less than 250 people in attendance each week.
• According to Thom Rainer, the pandemic gave “cultural Christians” permission to stop attending church or attend church less frequently.
• Commitment to church attendance has declined even among those who previously had been very committed to their church.
• The church is called to be not only the church gathered, but also the church going.
• Thom Rainer notes that receptivity to Christianity and to simple invitations to church seem to be higher than ever.
• Thom Rainer discusses the skills a pastor needs as the church’s attendance declines.
• The number of megachurches in America has not increased for the past 15 years.

RELEVANT RESOURCES AND LINKS:

• Book mentioned:
  • I Believe: A Concise Guide to the Essentials of the Christian Faith, by Thom Rainer
• Article:
  • “The New Very Large Church,” by Thom Rainer
• Church Answers
• Know Your Community demographic report
• Related episodes:
  • Episode 150: The New Normal of Church Attendance, a Quick Conversation with Tod Bolsinger and Markus Watson

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