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The Church Answers Podcast

The Church Answers Podcast
Wesley Biblical Seminary
Evangelism
Community Engagement
Church Leadership
Upward Sports
Church Attendance
Church Revitalization
Church Growth
Community Outreach
Gen Z
Social Media
Thomas Edison
Church Facilities
Leadership
Gen Alpha
Median Worship Attendance
Pastoral Leadership
Church Answers
Discipleship
Anxiety

The Church Answers Podcast with Thom Rainer is fast-paced, to the point, and sometimes witty. It addresses one question about church life and leadership in just ten minutes. Buckle your seatbelt and take a ride into the world of congregational health in a fun and fascinating way.

PublishesDailyEpisodes243Founded9 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
ChristianityReligion & Spirituality

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Artwork for The Church Answers Podcast

Latest Episodes

Thom reviews the history of a tool that received widespread use for three decades. He looks at the reasons why it has almost faded away.

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• Skepticism about their precision

• Discover through serving

• The fading of the infrastructure

• Uninte... more

YouTube

Josh Jordan, Family Life Pastor, from First Baptist Church Covington, LA joins Jess and Thom on the show to discuss how his church has used Upward Sports to engage families in their community.

Resources:

• Wesley Biblical Seminary, Master of Minist... more

YouTube

Jess and Thom discuss why this reality has reached a crisis stage in many churches.

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• Churches are competing with increasingly crowded schedules.

• Many churches still recruit volunteers with guilt rather than purpose.

• The same dependable pe... more

YouTube

Jess and Thom spend a good bit of this podcast discussing this issue.

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• They never make a meaningful relational connection.

• The church experience is confusing for someone who doesn’t know the culture.

• Children’s check-in or security proces... more

YouTube

Key Facts

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Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Josh Jordan
Family Life Pastor, First Baptist Church Covington, Louisiana
First Baptist Covington, Louisiana
Episode: Fostering Connections in the Community and Church Through Sports
Ryan Blackwell
President & CEO of Lifeway
Lifeway
Episode: The Incredible Story of First Baptist Church of San Francisco: An Interview with Dr. Ryan Blackwell
Eric Geiger
Senior pastor of Mariners Church in Irvine, California; author of The Rooted Leader
Mariners Church; The Rooted Network
Episode: The Rooted Leader: An Interview with Eric Geiger
Matt Steen
Co-founder of Chemistry Staffing
Chemistry Staffing
Episode: What You Need to Know about Staffing Your Church
Chris Lohrstorfer
Academic Vice President; Professor of Wesleyan Theology
Wesley Biblical Seminary
Episode: Why Too Many Pastors Are Not Fully Relying on the Holy Spirit
Sam Rainer
Pastor and co-host coming on the podcast for this episode
Church Answers / West Bradenton
Episode: A Church Facilities Wish List
Dr. Danny Akin
President of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
Episode: Vibrant Church: Becoming a Healthy Church in the 21st Century – An Interview with Dr. Danny Akin
Todd Brown
A planner from Brown Church Development Group
Brown Church Development Group
Episode: The 5 Myths of Church Building (and Why They Cost Churches Millions) – Part 1
Isaac Brown
A planner from Brown Church Development Group
Brown Church Development Group
Episode: The 5 Myths of Church Building (and Why They Cost Churches Millions) – Part 1

Hosts

Jess Rainer
Co-host of The Church Answers Podcast
Thom Rainer
Host of The Church Answers Podcast

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 306 ratings
  • Experienced and Practical

    Thom has become one of my all-time favorite people to listen to talk about ministry and the local church — hope to meet him one day. This podcast is awesome!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Mfrank2025
    United States3 months ago
  • Great church leadership resource

    Biblical, practical, and very useful information regarding church leadership.

    The podcast also offer a fresh perspective on topics and questions that I had not considered before, but that will be a blessing to our church.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Steve W Lou Ky
    United States3 months ago
  • Rainer money-grab

    Thom, go away. You've stacked plenty in cash and prizes. Now, take the deeds to your multiple homes and go read some classic literature. May I suggest John Bunyan? Seriously, it's time to stop taking a salary in the name of Jesus. I hope the institutional church is listening: WE WILL NO LONGER ALLOW THE PERVERSION OF THE GOSPEL. TIME IS UP.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    bgyvju7osdn5cqz1wp4k6xt80f3i2a
    United Statesa year ago
  • “Good Gravy”

    “Most pastors are not smart enough…”

    You really said that on a podcast for ministry leaders. “Good gravy,” Thom.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    j48howard
    United States2 years ago
  • Thankful

    Excellent.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    jersarver
    United States2 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Experienced and Practical: loyal, actionable ministry advice with practical impact
Great resource for church leadership with biblically grounded guidance
Many find it encouraging and deeply helpful for revitalization work
A few listeners feel it's promotional around sponsors or products
Overall positive sentiment about wisdom and practical strategies for pastors and leaders

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Fostering Connections in the Community and Church Through Sports
Q: What advice would you give to a church leader thinking about starting a sports ministry?
Start with what you have, build a leadership team, cast a clear vision, and use Upward's resources to get going, then recruit coaches and promote a season to begin touching lives.
Fostering Connections in the Community and Church Through Sports
Q: Josh, give us a little backstory on y'all partnered with Upward Sports, y'all do a sports ministry to reach the community. When did you decide to do sports ministry in general?
We started working with Upward Sports in 2012, growing from a small start to a robust ministry that uses sports as a bridge for evangelism and relationship-building, with multiple seasons and volunteer leadership driving the effort.
The Incredible Story of First Baptist Church of San Francisco: An Interview with Dr. Ryan Blackwell
Q: Ryan, I want you to tell the story, and I want to do mostly listening. Could you give us a taste of it?
Ryan shares the long arc of First Baptist Church of San Francisco—from its 19th-century roots, through a difficult mid-20th century, to a vibrant revitalization in the 2010s that brought together diverse communities and a renewed mission.
What You Need to Know about Staffing Your Church
Q: What are the two main audiences for Chemistry Staffing?
The two main audiences are churches seeking staff and individuals seeking new positions within churches.
The Five Reasons Church Building Projects Fail – How to Lead Yours to the Finish Line
Q: What role does teamwork play in project success?
A coordinated team with church-building experience prevents costly mistakes, ensures proper design alignment, and accelerates decision-making.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About The Church Answers Podcast

What is The Church Answers Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show centers on church health, leadership, and outreach with brisk, practical guidance tailored to pastors, staff, and volunteers. Episodes frequently tackle staffing, volunteer management, outreach strategies, and organizational health, often underscoring action steps, real-world examples, and partnerships with seminary programs. A standout theme is turning churches toward outward-focused renewal through clear pipelines, intentional leadership development, and biblically grounded approaches. The format is concise and actionable, with sponsor mentions and resource recommendations that align with church leadership needs and practical ministry growth.

Overall, it's likely to attract leaders and lay volunteers seeking practical, gospel-c... more

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Which podcasts are similar to The Church Answers Podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Church Answers Podcast:

1. Rainer on Leadership
2. Pastor Well with Hershael York
3. Pastors Talk - A podcast by 9Marks
4. The Unstuck Church Podcast
5. The Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast

How many episodes of The Church Answers Podcast are there?

The Church Answers Podcast launched 9 years ago and published 243 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on The Church Answers Podcast?

Recent guests on The Church Answers Podcast include:

1. Josh Jordan
2. Ryan Blackwell
3. Eric Geiger
4. Matt Steen
5. Chris Lohrstorfer
6. Sam Rainer
7. Dr. Danny Akin
8. Todd Brown

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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