Background
Rainer, Thomas Spratling was born on July 16, 1955 in Union Springs, Alabama, United States. Son of Samuel Solomon Senior and Amelia Nan (Keller) Rainer.
(Bite-sized steps to achieve long-term growth in your chur...)
Bite-sized steps to achieve long-term growth in your church. Effective techniques for creating sensitive change at a comfortable pace, especially for pastors of "traditional" churches.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/080546140X/?tag=2022091-20
(How Does an Established Church Grow? Many church leader...)
How Does an Established Church Grow? Many church leaders have attempted the "latest" approach to growing a church, only to find the methodology is ineffective and the church members are divided. Sometimes the methodology is wrong. Sometimes the methodology is right but the pace and the timing are wrong. Internationally-recognized authorities Thom Rainer and Chuck Lawless have written Eating the Elephant to show that a church can change and grow if you move at a pace that fits the church's situation, if you eat the elephant one bite at a time. "Unfortunately," the authors write, "many 'traditional' churches have been divided and demoralized by attempts to move the church too quickly toward relevancy. Is there a way to implement change without destroying the church in the process? We believe there is." For most of America's church leaders, that's an invitation to tie on your napkin and pull up a chair.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/097423060X/?tag=2022091-20
( The Church Growth Movement has divided devout Christian...)
The Church Growth Movement has divided devout Christians. Even though Rainer is an advocate, his aim here is to present an objective view of the movement--its history, the theology associated with it, and the principles which seem to separate churches that grow from those that don't.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0805418725/?tag=2022091-20
( Breakout Churches¬ … what does it take for your church ...)
Breakout Churches¬ … what does it take for your church to break out of mediocrity? In search of answers, Thom Rainer and his research team conducted a landmark study on the church. Unfolding the findings of that study, Breakout Churches furnishes both principles and examples to show how you as a pastor or church leader can help your church break out of the status quo into unprecedented fruitfulness. Of the thousands of churches examined in the study, thirteen met the criteria for a “breakout church.” All of them experienced both a period of struggle and a time of sustained breakout growth under the same pastor’s leadership. Transitioning from mediocrity to excellence over several years, they grew to have an impact on the entire community. Breakout Churches tells the story of these churches and their pastors. And, using a statistical approach, it identifies key patterns and characteristics common to churches that experienced turnarounds.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0310293472/?tag=2022091-20
Rainer, Thomas Spratling was born on July 16, 1955 in Union Springs, Alabama, United States. Son of Samuel Solomon Senior and Amelia Nan (Keller) Rainer.
Bachelor of Science summa cum laude, University Alabama, Tuscaloosa, 1977. Master of Divinity, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1985. Doctor of Philosophy, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1988.
Pastor, Hopewell Baptist Church, Madison, Indiana, 1984-1986;
pastor, Hopewell Baptist Church, Louisville, 1986-1988;
senior pastor, Azalea Baptist Church, St. Petersburg, Florida, 1988-1990;
senior pastor, Green Valley Baptist Church, Birmingham, Alabama, 1990-1994;
dean Billy Graham School Missions, Evangelism and Church Growth, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, since 1994. Trustee Bay Area Pregnancy Center, Clearwater, Florida, 1988-1990. Member board overseers Criswell College, Dallas, since 1991.
Adjunct Professor Beeson Division School, Samford U., Birmingham, 1991-1994.
(How Does an Established Church Grow? Many church leader...)
( Breakout Churches¬ … what does it take for your church ...)
(Bite-sized steps to achieve long-term growth in your chur...)
( The Church Growth Movement has divided devout Christian...)
Member Academy for Evangelism in Theological Education, Beta Gamma Sigma, Omicron Delta Epsilon.
Married Nellie Jo King, December 17, 1977. Children: Samuel III, Arthur, Jess.