Podcasts about church answers

In this episode, Josh and Sam explore what happens when a church becomes discouraged and how God restores hope in a congregation that feels stuck, tired, or overwhelmed. Discouragement drains energy, distorts reality, and slowly turns a church inward. Encouragement is both spiritual and strategic. It starts with leaders who refuse to catastrophize and instead cast vision. Pessimists predict failure. Realists describe what is. But optimistic, faith-filled leaders show what could be. The post The Best Ways to Encourage a Discouraged Church (Your Next Three Steps) appeared first on Church Answers.

Thom and Jess are joined by Todd Brown and Isaac Brown of Brown Church Development Group, who are “The Church Facility Experts.” In this two-part series, we discuss the five myths of church building and why they cost churches millions. The post The 5 Myths of Church Building (and Why They Cost Churches Millions) – Part 1 appeared first on Church Answers.

Thom and Jess are joined by Todd Brown and Isaac Brown of Brown Church Development Group, who are “The Church Facility Experts.” In this two-part series, we discuss the five myths of church building and why they cost churches millions. The post The 5 Myths of Church Building (and Why They Cost Churches Millions) – Part 2 appeared first on Church Answers.

In 2006, "Simple Church" encouraged churches to streamline programming, clarify discipleship pathways, and focus on moving people toward spiritual maturity rather than filling calendars with activities. The book had a significant impact, shaping how thousands of pastors thought about ministry systems and structure. Nearly two decades later, Thom and Sam take a fresh look: What principles stood the test of time? What challenges emerged in practice? And how should churches apply "Simple Church" today in a ministry landscape that's more complex, digital, and post-pandemic than ever? The post Revisiting Simple Church: What Worked, What Didn’t appeared first on Church Answers.

Letting a staff member go is one of the hardest leadership moments a pastor will ever face. Churches are relational environments, and employment decisions are deeply personal. But there are times when releasing someone is the most loving, wise, and responsible step—for the staff member, for the team, and for the health of the church. In this episode, Josh and Sam talk through how to navigate this complex process with clarity, compassion, and integrity. The post How Do You Fire a Church Employee? appeared first on Church Answers.

Thom and Jess interview Dr. Andy Miller, the president of Wesley Biblical Seminary, about seminary training for co-vocational church leaders. The post Finally! Seminary Training for Co-vocational Church Leaders: An Interview with Andy Miller appeared first on Church Answers.

Dr. Andy Miller joins Thom and Jess to share the story of Wesley Biblical Seminary. The post From Near Closure to Incredible Growth: The Story of Wesley Biblical Seminary – An Interview with Andy Miller appeared first on Church Answers.

In this episode, we look at Ryan Burge's latest analysis showing how the modern Democratic coalition is being pulled apart by widening religious divides. While Republicans continue to draw support from a largely Christian voter base, Democrats now include two groups with opposite religious profiles: highly secular white voters and deeply religious voters of color. This creates major messaging and policy tensions within the party, tensions that didn't exist at the same scale in earlier decades. The post The Burge Report: The Democrats Have a Religion Problem (Does It Matter?) appeared first on Church Answers.

As churches grow, leaders often reach a tipping point where the senior pastor can no longer carry the full weight of vision, preaching, pastoral care, administration, staff oversight, and organizational leadership. That's when the question arises: Is it time to hire an Executive Pastor? In this episode, Josh and Sam unpack what an Executive Pastor actually does, why this role has become more common across church sizes, and how to know whether your church is ready for one. The post When Should a Church Hire an Executive Pastor? appeared first on Church Answers.

What if a first-time guest experienced your church the way a customer experiences Amazon? No confusion. No friction. No wasted steps. Just clarity, care, and consistency. This episode is not about turning the church into a corporation. It's about learning from an organization that obsesses over people, removes barriers relentlessly, and improves every system on purpose. Today, Thom and Jess ask a simple but uncomfortable question: If Amazon ran your church for one year, what would actually change? The post If Amazon Ran Your Church: What Would Change in 12 Months? appeared first on Church Answers.

Thom and Jess welcome John Wentz, the president of Alpha USA, to The Church Answers Podcast. The post How Alpha Is Impacting Churches in the United States appeared first on Church Answers.

Many are tired of online worship. What happened? When the pandemic forced churches online, digital worship seemed like the future. Congregations grew virtually, and pastors reached audiences they never imagined. But five years later, that momentum has faded. The church is discovering what technology can—and cannot—do for worship. On this episode, Thom and Sam explore why online engagement has declined and how churches can find balance between digital convenience and in-person community. The post Digital Worship Fatigue: Why Online Church Can't Replace the In-Person Gathering appeared first on Church Answers.

Every pastor has seen it. Churches splitting hairs over things that don't matter. Beard length. Carpet color. Playground equipment. These disputes may sound absurd, but they reveal something much deeper. Small conflicts are rarely about what they seem. Beneath the surface, emotions, control, and trust are at play. In this episode, Josh and Sam explore why trivial fights erupt in churches, what they reveal about church health, and how leaders can keep the small stuff from becoming spiritual landmines. The post Church Conflict: Five Common Ways Small Fights Turn into Big Problems appeared first on Church Answers.

Jess and Thom share the top seven reasons pastors told us they felt led to leave a church. The post Top Seven Reasons a Pastor Chooses to Leave a Church appeared first on Church Answers.

Thom and Jess look at seven key traits of long-term pastors. The post Top Seven Traits of Pastors Who Stay at a Church for at Least 15 Years appeared first on Church Answers.

Church attendance is both a helpful tool and a potential trap. Numbers can reveal momentum, but they can also distort priorities if leaders focus on counting heads instead of making disciples. In this episode, Thom and Sam unpack the healthy and unhealthy ways to measure worship attendance, and how pastors can move from chasing growth to cultivating spiritual health. The post Does Counting Church Worship Attendance Still Make Sense? appeared first on Church Answers.

Most New Year's resolutions focus inward on personal growth, habits, and goals. On this episode, Josh and Sam challenge church leaders to flip the script on traditional resolutions by making them about the people you serve, not yourself. Instead of trying to become a better version of you, resolve to make those around you better. The post Five Pastoral New Year’s Resolutions that Aren’t About You appeared first on Church Answers.

The Enemy seeks to destroy. He loathes evangelism and will do anything he can to hinder church members from sharing the gospel. Jess and Thom share five of his most common tactics. The post How Satan Attempts to Hinder Churches from Being Evangelistic appeared first on Church Answers.

Jess and Thom share the top seven reasons pastors choose to go to a church. The post Top Seven Reasons a Pastor Chooses to Go to a Church appeared first on Church Answers.

Nearly five years after COVID-19 lockdowns, the research reveals surprising truths about how Americans engage with church online and what that means for pastors and ministry leaders. While 91% of churches now livestream services, only about 14% of Americans watch weekly. Most online viewers are also in-person attenders, meaning livestreams tend to serve already-committed believers rather than reaching the unchurched. The dream of a large “online-only” congregation just doesn't match the numbers. In this episode of the Burge Report, Ryan, Thom, and Sam give their key takeaways. The post The Burge Report: Who's Really Watching Online Church? appeared first on Church Answers.

The week after Christmas—those quiet days between December 26 and New Year's—is often the lightest week of the year for pastors. After weeks of preparing Advent services, coordinating Christmas Eve worship, managing volunteers, and caring for members in a season that's both joyful and emotionally draining, pastors finally exhale. This week isn't about laziness; it's about recovery. The adrenaline of December ministry fades, the calendar clears, and the phone stops ringing. Even the most active church members are traveling, resting, or spending time with family. For once, the pastor doesn't have to be “on.” Josh and Sam discuss why this week is so light and so important. The post After the Christmas Chaos: The Lightest Work Week of the Year for Pastors appeared first on Church Answers.

Thom and Jess continue to examine the largest unchurched group in America, the U3s. In this episode, the Rainers provide some highly practical ways to reach them. The post How Churches Can Reach the Largest Unchurched Group in the United States appeared first on Church Answers.

Thom knows this person well, because he is one. He and Jess dive into how church leaders can best understand and utilize introverts in the church. The post The Quiet Power of the Church Introvert: Why the Most Influential People in Your Church May Be the Least Noticeable appeared first on Church Answers.

Thom and Sam dive into Ryan Burge's latest analysis of the 2023–2024 Pew Religious Landscape Survey, which asked nearly 37,000 Americans a simple question: “How happy are you with your life these days?” The results reveal one of the clearest and most consistent findings in social science. Religious people report being happier than non-religious people. The post Religious People Are Happier (And the Data Proves It) appeared first on Church Answers.

Churches help prepare couples for marriage and rescue them when things fall apart, but what happens in between? That middle space—the “fine zone”—is where most couples slowly drift while everyone assumes they're okay. The truth is, fine isn't faithfulness. It's fatigue. And most churches don't have a plan for discipling marriages before they reach the breaking point. Sam interviews Brad Rhoads of Grace Marriage to find out more. Grace Marriage is helping churches change that by creating pathways for ongoing marriage discipleship, not just crisis care. The post Unbelievable: 72% of Churches Have No Marriage Ministry! appeared first on Church Answers.

The Rainer Scale helps churches understand how open an unchurched person is to the gospel, to spiritual conversation, and to attending church. It is not a judgment of spiritual worth, but a practical tool for identifying likely openness. The post The Rainer Scale of Unchurched Receptivity appeared first on Church Answers.

There are 30 to 35 million unchurched people in the United States, whom we call “the U3s.” Thom and Jess describe this unreached field and examine its key traits. The post The Largest Unchurched Group in the U.S. (and You’ve Never Heard of Them) appeared first on Church Answers.

For decades, seminaries have promoted the ideal—full-time, on-campus study in a traditional academic setting. But for most adults pursuing ministry training, that ideal simply isn't practical. New research reveals a clear tension between what people would love to do and what they can realistically manage. Theological education thrives when schools position themselves as a bridge between the ideal and the practical, maintaining depth and quality while removing unnecessary barriers. Sam interviews Dr. Andy Miller, from Wesley Biblical Seminary, about four key points shaping the future of seminary enrollment. The post NEW Research: What Really Matters in Theological Education? appeared first on Church Answers.

In this follow-up episode, we examine the other side of the conversation—the rise of big-box church architecture. Often found in converted retail spaces or new multipurpose campuses, these designs emphasize functionality, flexibility, and accessibility. They reflect a different theology of space, one that prioritizes mission, efficiency, and comfort over formality. Sam interviews Todd Brown and Isaac Brown of Brown Church Development Group. The post Non-Churchy Looking Churches: The Advantages of Big-Box Church Architecture appeared first on Church Answers.

Thom and Jess continue the “Future Church” series with an episode on how church staffing is changing in this new era of ministry. Churches are smaller, leaner, and more focused than ever. Budgets are tighter, but opportunities for mission are wider. The result is a new kind of church staff—leaders who serve both inside and outside the church, combining pastoral calling with marketplace skills. In this conversation, Thom and Jess introduce four co-vocational roles that are shaping the staff structure of the future church. The post Future Church Series – Episode 5: The Rise of Four New Co-Vocational Church Staff appeared first on Church Answers.

Thom and Jess conclude the “Future Church” series with an episode that puts church size into perspective. In an age when many pastors feel pressure to grow larger, the reality is that most congregations are small—and that's not a problem. This episode explores what the data actually reveals about church attendance, why most churches are smaller than we think, and how leaders can find encouragement no matter the numbers. The post Future Church Series – Episode 6: What Is the Size of the Typical Church in the Future? appeared first on Church Answers.

In this episode, we explore why traditional church architecture still resonates deeply with people, even those who rarely attend church. A recent research project found that 90% of Americans want church buildings to be "easily identifiable." Sam interviews Todd Brown and Isaac Brown of Brown Church Development Group to find out more. The post Should Churches Look Churchy? The Advantages of Traditional Architecture appeared first on Church Answers.

When a major donor or key financial supporter leaves a church, it can feel personal, unsettling, and even threatening to the ministry's stability. But pastoral leadership during this moment matters immensely. On this episode, Josh and Sam walk through the practical steps pastors should take when the church's largest giver steps away. The post How to Handle Losing Your Church’s Biggest Financial Supporter appeared first on Church Answers.

Thom and Jess continue the “Future Church” series with an episode focused on one of the most important—and most misunderstood—topics in today's congregations: evangelism. The way people come to faith is changing, and so are the methods churches use to share the gospel. Attendance patterns are different. Communities are more skeptical of institutions. And more often than not, the first place someone encounters the church is online, not in person. In this conversation, the Rainers look at how evangelism is evolving, why it still matters deeply, and four major trends shaping how local churches reach people today. The post Future Church Series – Episode 3: Trends in Evangelism in the Local Church appeared first on Church Answers.

The Rainers continue the 6-part series called “The Future Church.” Over the next episodes, we'll explore how the landscape of ministry is changing—and how leaders can prepare with wisdom, courage, and hope. Thom and Jess discuss how churches are making evangelism more than a slogan or a sermon topic—how to make it visible, tangible, and celebrated in the life of the congregation. Most believers genuinely want to share their faith, but they often need reminders, encouragement, and creative ways to stay focused on the mission. In this episode, Thom and Jess offer four practical ideas any church can implement to highlight the importance of evangelism every week. The post Future Church Series – Episode 4: Making Evangelism Visible appeared first on Church Answers.

God has done something remarkable at First Baptist Church in Caldwell, NJ. They have limited space and limited parking. However, through Upward Sports, the church has developed a large outreach ministry within the community. Hundreds of children participate, and the church is reaching people from diverse backgrounds. Sam interviews Pastor Travis Clark to reveal exactly what happened. The post Small-Church Breakout Growth: The Incredible Story of First Baptist Caldwell, NJ appeared first on Church Answers.

Most of the time, church hopping for convenience (better music, cooler programs, or a coffee bar) reveals more about our consumer culture than about spiritual growth. But Sam and Josh explain that there are also good, biblical, and even necessary reasons to leave one church for another. The post Why You Should Leave Your Church (A Pastor’s Perspective) appeared first on Church Answers.

Welcome back to The Church Answers Podcast and to our ongoing series called “The Future Church.” In each episode, Thom and Jess unpack the shifts shaping tomorrow's congregations—and how pastors and leaders can prepare today. In this episode, we're looking at a subject every church feels: money. The financial landscape of ministry is changing rapidly. Attendance patterns have shifted, giving habits have evolved, and the next generation is thinking about generosity in completely new ways. So, what will funding look like for the future church? Thom and Jess explore four emerging models that are helping churches stay healthy and mission-focused in a changing economy. The post Future Church Series – Episode 2: The Economics of the Future Church appeared first on Church Answers.

Welcome to a brand-new series on The Church Answers Podcast called “The Future Church.” Over the next six episodes, we'll explore how the landscape of ministry is changing—and how leaders can prepare with wisdom, courage, and hope. In this first episode, Thom and Jess begin by looking at one of the most intriguing movements shaping the future: the rise of the microchurch. This small, mission-driven model is gaining traction across the United States and around the world. What exactly is a microchurch, how is it structured, and why is it so different from other forms of church? Let's find out. The post Future Church Series – Episode 1: The Microchurch appeared first on Church Answers.

In this episode, Sam and Ryan Burge discuss how pastors become pastors. Using data from the National Survey of Religious Leaders, the cohosts reveal that clergy often come to ministry through winding, unconventional paths—many after careers in other fields. Far from being single-focused, pastors frequently juggle multiple responsibilities: leading congregations, working as chaplains, and even holding non-ministry jobs. The numbers reveal both the beauty and burden of this calling: most clergy work 50+ hours a week, with a quarter clocking over 60. Yet despite financial pressures and demanding schedules, these leaders remain deeply committed to serving their communities and churches. The post The Burge Report: How Do Pastors Actually End Up in Ministry? appeared first on Church Answers.

One of the more painful aspects of ministry is losing church members. Sometimes these departures are for good reasons, like moving to another town or planting a church. More often than not, pastors struggle with the reasons why people leave. Josh and Sam discuss why pastors experience pain with the loss of members, and they explore some ways to cope with the accompanying sadness. The post The Top Reasons Why It’s Painful for Pastors to Lose Church Members appeared first on Church Answers.

Jess interviews Thom in this fascinating behind-the-scenes look at Church Answers. How did Church Answers begin? What is its primary thrust? Who is a part of Church Answers? The post What in the World Does Church Answers Really Do? Part 1: The Consultation Foundation appeared first on Church Answers.

Jess interviews Thom in this fascinating behind-the-scenes look at Church Answers. They examine the evolution of resources from the company's inception to the present day. The post What in the World Does Church Answers Really Do? Part 2: The Local Church Partner Grows appeared first on Church Answers.

In this episode, Sam interviews Tim Byer, pastor of FAITH in Glen Burnie, MD, to hear how his congregation is making a real impact in their community. Pastor Tim shares the story of how his church began using VisitorReach, a tool designed to connect churches with first-time guests and neighbors. What started as a simple outreach effort has become a powerful way to build relationships, welcome new families, and share the hope of Christ in Baltimore. The post An Entrepreneurial-Minded Pastor in an Established Church: The Unique Story of a Baltimore Congregation appeared first on Church Answers.

In this episode, Sam interviews Michael Kelley of the Rooted Network. They discuss three essentials that every great small group leader should consistently practice. These simple but powerful habits can transform any group into a place of authentic community and spiritual growth. The post Three Things Every Church Small Group Leader Should Be Doing appeared first on Church Answers.

How can I lead my church toward greater generosity? We hear that question often. Thom and Jess interview Art Rainer, president of Christian Money Solutions, to get some highly practical advice. The post Jumpstart Your Stewardship: An Interview with Art Rainer appeared first on Church Answers.

It would not be a surprise if over one-half of your church members need personal financial counseling. Jess and Thom interview Art Rainer, president of Christian Money Solutions, to find out how you can help those church members. The post Financial Counseling for Your Church Members: An Interview with Art Rainer appeared first on Church Answers.

The reality is that growing generosity doesn't require a big program or complex strategy. It requires simplicity. Specifically, one simple principle: communicate, communicate, communicate, communicate. Mike Stadelmayer of Church Growth Services joins Sam on the show to discuss some simple ways you can grow generosity in your church. The post How to Grow Generosity in Your Church (Without Making It Complicated) appeared first on Church Answers.

Why don't unchurched people attend church? It's not because they're mad or too busy. The top reason is simple: they just don't see the point. Indifference is the enemy of engagement. In today's episode, Josh and Sam share why that's actually good news—and how the combination of spiritual conviction and a personal invitation can break through the apathy. The post The Unchurched Are Not Angry with You (But They Are Indifferent) appeared first on Church Answers.

Since 2000, one of the most reliable sources of data on congregations in America has been the Faith Communities Today study, often referred to as FACT. It's been conducted every five years, with the most recent survey in 2023 representing tens of thousands of congregations across every major faith tradition. The FACT research gives us a clear picture of what the ‘typical' church looks like over time. And here's one of the most striking trends: in 2000, the median church in America had 137 people in attendance at weekly worship services. By 2023, that number had dropped to just 60. Today, Sam and Thom will talk about what that shift means for pastors, leaders, and the future of congregations. The post The Church Number: From 137 to 60 The Shrinking Median Church in America (2000–2023) appeared first on Church Answers.