On today’s Vanderbloemen Leadership Podcast, William Vanderbloemen talks with Thom Rainer, president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources in Nashville, TN.
William talks with Thom about his new book, Becoming a Welcoming Church, and tips for helping churches connect with guests in a more effective and wholesome way.
Thom S. Rainer is the president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources. Prior to LifeWay, he served at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary for twelve years where he was the founding dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions and Evangelism. He is a 1977 graduate of the University of Alabama and earned his Master of Divinity and Ph.D. degrees from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
In addition to speaking in hundreds of venues over the past 20 years, Rainer led Rainer Group, a church and denominational consulting firm, from 1990 to 2005. The firm provided church health insights to over 500 churches and other organizations over that period.
Rainer and his wife, Nellie Jo, have three grown sons: Sam, Art and Jess, who are married to Erin, Sarah and Rachel respectively. The Rainers have ten grandchildren: Canon, Maggie, Nathaniel, Will (with the Lord), Harper, Bren, Joshua, Collins, Joel, and James.
He is the author of more than two dozen books, including I Am a Church Member, Breakout Churches, Autopsy of a Deceased Church, Simple Life, Simple Church, Raising Dad, The Millennials, Essential Church, and Who Moved My Pulpit?
[Company] LifeWay
[Book] Becoming a Welcoming Church by Thom Rainer
[Book] We Want You Here by Thom Rainer
[Resource] We Want You Here Welcome Kit at lifeway.com
“Churches are friendly - to each other.”
“At what point in your visit did you feel the least amount of welcoming? After we sat down in the worship center.”
“First impressions are important, but guess what, last impressions are important too.”
The Vanderbloemen Leadership Podcast brings you interviews from leaders across the theological spectrum of the global Church. Our goal is to bring you thought-provoking interviews that encourage you, challenge you, and help you build, run, and keep great teams.