Ao dizer que os membros da igreja precisam parar de agir como "consumidores" e começar a agir como "discípulos", Thom coloca o alvo no lugar correto: em nossa disposição (ou na ausência dela) de seguir a Jesus. Este livro traz uma mensagem oportuna, profunda e desafiadora para os cristãos em geral: igrejas não são clubes de campo. Deus nos colocou nelas para servir, cuidar dos outros, orar, aprender, ensinar, e, até mesmo, morrer pelo Evangelho.

Este livro serve como um consultor pessoal útil para ajudar pastores e líderes a prepararem as igrejas para o mundo pós-quarentena, além de identificarem oportunidades-chave para suas congregações, tais como: • Maneiras novas e melhores de liderar a igreja reunida; • Uma porta totalmente aberta para o crescimento da igreja digital; • Um momento para repensar as instalações; • Novas estratégias para o crescimento da igreja… e muito mais!

What was once a small, southern, predominantly white denomination has become America's largest evangelical denomination. Yet with the Southern Baptist Convention's growth have come the challenges of increasing fragmentation, theological controversy, and sweeping cultural change. These challenges have caused leaders and members to ask: What does it mean to be a Southern Baptist in the twenty-first century? How can a fresh consensus be established from within? What are the core biblical conv...

A new generation is going to church. But is the church ready?Church consultant and researcher, Thom Rainer, believes God is at work in this generation, and he believes that this moment in time has created unique opportunities for churches to grow, thrive, and revive.The culture is at inflection point. Nearly two-thirds of Gen Zers reported experiencing at least one mental health problem in the past two years. This statistic was lower for al...

Most church members don't see their churches clearly.In almost all of Thom S. Rainer's consultations, church members perceive their church to be friendly. But as he surveyed guests, he found that the guests typically saw church members as unfriendly. The perception chasm existed because the members were indeed friendly . . . to one another.The guests felt like they crashed a private party.Bestselling author Thom Rainer (I Am a Church Member, Au...

Who is God? Why am I here? How should I live?These are a few of the crucial questions about life that must be answered. What's exciting is that God has provided those answers in Scripture. In I Believe, Thom Rainer outlines the essentials of the Christian faith in a clear and succinct way. You'll learn about:The importance of the church for spiritual growthHow to prayCommon misunderstandings about angels...

You Are Created for More.Our hearts are filled with all types of longings—yearnings for contentment, satisfaction, and happiness. We all want to be part of something greater than ourselves. Yet our biggest temptation is to try to satisfy those longings by seeking after more money and more stuff. That is junk food for our souls, full of quickly fading pleasure that leaves us unhealthier than we were before.We deeply desire God and the good gifts that come fr...

No one wants to see a church die. And yet, far too many churches are dying. For more than twenty-five years, Dr. Thom Rainer has helped churches grow, reverse the trends of decline, and has autopsied those that have died. From this experience, he has discovered twelve consistent themes among those churches that have died. Yet, it’s not gloom and doom because from those twelve themes, lessons on how to keep your church alive have emerged.Whether your church is vibrant or dying, whet...

The message is basic but profound. We want guests to know they are welcome to the church. This book is a gift to guests to communicate that very message.Bestselling author Thom S. Rainer (I Am a Church Member, Autopsy of a Deceased Church) has created a tool for churches to become more hospitable through a brief, welcoming book that introduces the ministry of the local church to guests. We Want You Here is a clear and instructive message to be given to church guests. Rainer facilit...

Can you identify the key qualities of a committed, passionate, and healthy disciple of Jesus? Chuck Lawless, a respected professor, pastor, and church consultant, discovered that many pastors haven't thought deeply about that question. He wrote this book to provide answers and transform churches for the better.Many church leaders know their communities well and who they are aiming to make disciples of Christ. But too often they haven't thoroughly articulated their ...

What can transform our church in these challenging times? What radical commitments do our church members need to make to be open to the amazing things that God wants to do through us? Is it really possible to lead a change-resistant church to healthy and substantive transformation?Considered the leading expert on local congregations today, Thom Rainer has been studying for decades what healthy churches do that unhealthy churches neglect. In this book, he uncovers n...

Best-selling author and ministry leader Thom S. Rainer drew an exceptional response when he posted a 500-word declaration about church membership to his daily blog. "I Am a Church Member" started a conversation about the attitudes and responsibilities of church members -- rather than the functional and theological issues -- that previous new member primers all but ignored.Thoughtfully expanded to book form, I Am a Church Member begins to remedy the outbreak of inactive or ...