Thom Rainer With Mark Clifton Podcasts

We are fascinated to learn what God is doing in churches that are reaching people for Christ. In our research, we found that two factors were common in many churches before the church’s evangelistic growth began. Resources: Belay’s FREE resource, “25 Tasks a Pastor Can Delegate to an Assistant” The Hope Initiative Get your FREE tool! Attendance Gro…

Thom welcomes Tricia Sciortino, CEO of Belay and host of the One Next Step podcast. Tricia shares her leadership journey and offers tips to pastors and church leaders on how to lead well. As Belay’s first employee and virtual assistant, what roles have you served in prior to your position as the CEO? How did you get to this point in your career? Ca…

Thom welcomes Tricia Sciortino, CEO of Belay and host of the One Next Step podcast. They discuss how pastors can get their time back to focus on their ministry. What is your client’s biggest problem and how does Belay tackle it? How do you get the best out of different personality types (especially with virtual employees and contractors)? What tren…

It’s a true story. Thom shares how this one person tried to hijack a church. It’s ironically both funny and sad. Resources: Belay’s FREE resource, “25 Tasks a Pastor Can Delegate to an Assistant” The Hope Initiative Get your FREE tool! Attendance Growth Projector Church Answers Membership Check out the Church Answers Christian bookstore! Shop curat…

Our team at Church Answers has heard countless times from church leaders that their churches are “discipleship churches.” Thom looks at the fallacy of this identification. Resources: Belay’s FREE resource, “25 Tasks a Pastor Can Delegate to an Assistant” The Hope Initiative Get your FREE tool! Attendance Growth Projector Church Answers Membership C…

Would a pastor really show up in his underwear for a Zoom meeting tied to a church consultation? Yes, he would. Thom looks at three of the funniest things he has seen in 25 years of church consultations. Resources: Belay’s FREE resource, “25 Tasks a Pastor Can Delegate to an Assistant” Church Consultation University The Hope Initiative Get your FRE…

This new initiative by Church Answers is getting more attention than anything we have done. Thom gives a concise overview of The Hope Initiative. Resources: Belay’s FREE resource, “25 Tasks a Pastor Can Delegate to an Assistant” The Hope Initiative Get your FREE tool! Attendance Growth Projector Church Answers Membership Check out the Church Answer…

Church Answers has been able to identify one commonality in churches where the attendance is growing at least 10% per year. As Thom explains, any church is able to embrace and act upon this commonality. Resources: Belay’s FREE resource, “25 Tasks a Pastor Can Delegate to an Assistant” Invite Your One The Hope Initiative Get your FREE tool! Attendan…

Almost all church leaders acknowledge they should be leading their churches in evangelism. But very few of those leaders actually do that. Why? Thom examines the one key reason. Resources: Belay’s FREE resource, “25 Tasks a Pastor Can Delegate to an Assistant” The Hope Initiative Get your FREE tool! Attendance Growth Projector Church Answers Member…

In two previous podcasts, Thom looked at the potential intersecting points of AI in the church. He then looked at the positives church leaders and members may enjoy from AI. In this podcast, he provides some cautions and warnings about the use of artificial intelligence in the church. Resources: Belay’s FREE resource, “25 Tasks a Pastor Can Delegat…

There are definitely concerns about AI, particularly as it might apply to churches. In this podcast, though, Thom looks at the potential contributions AI could make in churches. Resources: Belay’s FREE resource, “25 Tasks a Pastor Can Delegate to an Assistant” Nine Microstresses of a Pastor by Thom S. Rainer The Hope Initiative Get your FREE tool! …

As AI becomes more pervasive in society and business, Thom looks at the different places it will likely intersect with church practices today and in the future. Resources: Belay’s FREE resource, “25 Tasks a Pastor Can Delegate to an Assistant” The Hope Initiative Get your FREE tool! Attendance Growth Projector Church Answers Membership Check out th…

Search committees take too long to find a pastor or staff, and they often don’t get it right. Why? Resources: Belay’s FREE eBook, Delegate to Elevate The Hope Initiative Get your FREE tool! Attendance Growth Projector Church Answers Membership Check out the Church Answers Christian bookstore! Shop curated, trusted resources for Christian life and m…

This question has been asked often, but it is now asked with greater frequency and greater urgency. Resources: Belay’s FREE eBook, Delegate to Elevate The Hope Initiative Get your FREE tool! Attendance Growth Projector Church Answers Membership Check out the Church Answers Christian bookstore! Shop curated, trusted resources for Christian life and …

This question has no precise answer, but we can let you know what is typical and what is not. Resources: Belay’s FREE eBook, Delegate to Elevate Church Answers Know Your Church Report “Effective Evangelistic Churches” by Thom S. Rainer The Hope Initiative Get your FREE tool! Attendance Growth Projector Church Answers Membership Check out the Church…

This question is asked with increasing frequency at Church Answers. Listen to what some effective church leaders are telling us. Resources: Belay’s FREE eBook, Delegate to Elevate Get your FREE tool! Attendance Growth Projector Church Answers Membership Check out the Church Answers Christian bookstore! Shop curated, trusted resources for Christian …

This conversation generated some great discussion at Church Answers. Get ready to hear some great thoughts from leaders. Resources: Belay’s FREE eBook, Delegate to Elevate “I Am a Christian: Discovering What It Means to Follow Jesus Together with Fellow Believers” by Thom S. Rainer “I Am a Church Member: Discovering the Attitude that Makes the Diff…

We all make mistakes. We all need to apologize at times. But how we apologize is almost as important as the act of apology. Resources: Belay’s FREE eBook, Delegate to Elevate Get your FREE tool! Attendance Growth Projector Church Answers Membership Check out the Church Answers Christian bookstore! Shop curated, trusted resources for Christian life …

Digital attendance was supposed to be the next growth path for churches. It hasn’t happened. Why? Resources: Belay’s FREE eBook, Delegate to Elevate Get your FREE tool! Attendance Growth Projector Church Answers Membership Check out the Church Answers Christian bookstore! Shop curated, trusted resources for Christian life and ministry Episode Spons…

Hiring bi-vocational staff is one of the fastest-growing trends in churches today. Learn why this movement is growing. Resources: Belay’s FREE eBook, Delegate to Elevate Church Answers Bi-vocational Co-vocational Certification Get your FREE tool! Attendance Growth Projector Church Answers University Church Answers Membership Check out the Church An…

Should you move from full-time compensation to co-vocational? There are some compelling reasons to make the move. Resources: Belay’s FREE eBook, Delegate to Elevate Church Answers Bi-vocational Co-vocational Certification Get your FREE tool! Attendance Growth Projector Church Answers Membership Check out the Church Answers Christian bookstore! Shop…

Why many churches are doing them. Why more churches aren’t. Resources: Belay’s FREE eBook, Delegate to Elevate Church Answers Membership Check out the Church Answers Christian bookstore! Shop curated, trusted resources for Christian life and ministry Episode Sponsor: For so many leaders, there’s a moment in your personal and professional life where…

It can be one of your biggest blessings or biggest mistakes. Resources: Belay’s FREE eBook, Delegate to Elevate Church Answers Membership Check out the Church Answers Christian bookstore! Shop curated, trusted resources for Christian life and ministry Episode Sponsor: For so many leaders, there’s a moment in your personal and professional life wher…

The late Donald McGavran is either not known or is misunderstood by most church leaders today. That needs to change. Resources: Belay’s FREE eBook, Delegate to Elevate “Bridges of God: A Study in the Strategy of Missions” by Donald A. McGavran Church Answers Membership Check out the Church Answers Christian bookstore! Shop curated, trusted resource…

It wasn’t a small split; it was a 6-inch split in the rear seam of Thom’s pants. Resources: Belay’s FREE eBook, Delegate to Elevate Church Answers Membership Check out the Church Answers Christian bookstore! Shop curated, trusted resources for Christian life and ministry Episode Sponsor: For so many leaders, there’s a moment in your personal and pr…