By Jonathan Howe
As we celebrate this day of Thanksgiving, we want to say thanks to you, our readers and listeners. ThomRainer.com and the Rainer on Leadership podcast have experienced unprecedented growth over the past few years—and it is all because of you, the readers and listeners of the blog and podcast.
While the blog itself has continued to gain readers each year, the podcast has really taken off in the past 24 months. You, our listeners, recently pushed the total downloads of the podcast past 2,000,000, and we expect 2017 to be the biggest year yet for the podcast. We have some amazing guests scheduled for future episodes and are so thankful to have Vanderbloemen Search Group and Midwestern Seminary back as sponsors for 2017.
Today, however, we’d like to share with you some of our favorite podcast episodes from the past. Many of you may be new to Rainer on Leadership, so here is a list of some of the top episodes you may have missed:
- Why Congregational Singing Is Waning – Rainer on Leadership #215
- Why Pastors Often Leave Their Church in the Third Year – Rainer on Leadership #117
- Six Church Practices That Are Fading – Rainer on Leadership #222
- Change or Die…The Five Types of Dying Churches – Rainer on Leadership #239
- How to Grow Discipleship in Your Church, featuring Robby Gallaty – Rainer on Leadership #190
- The Disappearance of Choirs – Rainer on Leadership #226
- How Churches Can Pray More Effectively – Rainer on Leadership #191
- 10 Keys to Developing a Healthy Church Staff – Rainer on Leadership #119
- What Does a Healthy Church Budget Look Like? – Rainer on Leadership #115
- How to Make Announcements in Worship Services – Rainer on Leadership #098
Feel free to binge on these today and over the weekend. We’ll be back with a brand new episode tomorrow in which Mike Harland joins us to discuss The Four Qualities of an Effective Worship Leader. You won’t want to miss it.
Love the site, hate the annoying popup. The subscription boxes dispersed throughout the page are enough. Don’t need the annoying popup on every page!
While David chose the negative path this Thanksgiving, I want Thom and Jonathan to know how much this blog and podcast means to me and others. In the spirit of the blog, here are my top ten reasons:
Ten Reasons I Love ThomRainer.com Blog and Rainer on Leadership Podcast
1. The content is the best anywhere on the church, ministry, and leadership. Period.
2. The content is consistent. You can count on great material seven days a week.
3. Thom’s love for the local church and those who serve the church comes through every day.
4. These resources are provided to us at no cost. They are labors of love.
5. Thom is the most knowledgeable person on churches I know. But he writes from a posture of humility rather than arrogance.
6. The team of Thom and Jonathan on the podcast is incredible. It’s great chemistry.
7. I know the entire Rainer team works hard to make this content a reality every day. Thank you Amy and Amy.
8. Lives are being changed for the better by this material. I recently had a conversation at a ministerial meeting. Five pastors said the blog and the podcast saved their ministries.
9. Some of the interviews on the podcast have been out of the park.
10. Thom gives us practical tools and advice that I get nowhere else, even seminary.
I have so much to be thankful for. With the incredible aroma of turkey, dressing, and other favorites in the air at my home, I must return to family activities. Thank you, Thom. Thank you, Jonathan. Thank you, Amy and Amy (I wish I could remember the last initial you go by). You are all impacting the churches and the Kingdom like few others.
I had not planned to get online today, but I took a quick glance at my favorite site and saw David’s comment. I want to thank Thom for this ministry and for how much he cares for us pastors. I nearly quit my church until someone told me about the blog and podcast. Thank you for a great ministry, pop-ups and all!
I am thankful to all you who are a part on the ThomRainer.com and Rainer on Leadership community. You give us much for which to be thankful. Thank you for the top ten, John. I am humbled by your words. Thank you as well, Michael. May God continue to use you in a great way at your church.
To all you readers and listeners: Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I consider it a high honor to serve you and the churches you serve.
And the two Amys are Amy J(ordan) and Amy T(hompson). They are incredible members of the team!
Just read your small book “Autopsy of a Deceased Church” Now I wonder, do you ever address the importance of theology being able to relate to the age of technology for young people that do not see a connection between Biblical material that seems to not square with science and technology?
Please advise me at tryontechnology@icloud.oom if further dialogue might be useful?
Just read your small book “Autopsy of a Deceased Church” Now I wonder, do you ever address the importance of theology being able to relate to the age of technology for young people that do not see a connection between Biblical material that seems to not square with science and technology?
Please advise me at tryontechnology@icloud.oom if further dialogue might be useful?