Sam Rainer

“My family was super religious, but I rejected it young.” That story gets told a lot—but it’s rare. Just 2% say they had a very religious childhood and left early. In reality, religion is usually passed down. Your parents' faith tends to become your own.

@EWErickson Keep digging. Lots more to this story.

I am today years old learning the cofounder of some supposedly Baptist group went into business with a Nazi-sympathizing pornographer. What. On. Earth. 🙄

@Brent_Hobbs The Atlantis exhibit is just remarkable.

@SamRainer That’s awesome. I was there at 9 years old for space camp. Would love to go back some time.

My favorite Florida attraction: The Kennedy Space Center. I love the history of the space race and the shuttle program. #DadLife

Florida Public Service Announcement: Driving on I-4 during spring break will test every bit of sanity you have.

One of the biggest mistakes church leaders can make is assuming abuse won’t happen in their churches. The belief that “it can’t happen here” is dangerously naïve. Any organization that works with children and other vulnerable individuals can be a target for predators. Satan specifically aims to attack churches. What makes your church a target? churchanswers.com/podcasts/raine…

About to speak at the Reach Gathering. Enjoying the time with some of the best recreation ministers in the world.

Congratulations to Venezuela. Incredible game.

What a game! Let's go Team USA!

We are praying for Alive Church in El Paso, Texas. churchanswers.com/pray/alive-chu…

We have a Sunday morning/Wednesday evening weekly rhythm that works quite well for us. We still hold a classic Wednesday prayer meeting for those who want it (about 50-65 attend). We sing hymns and pray (about 30 minutes), and then I teach for 45 minutes. For several, it's their favorite part of our church.

@SVG__Collection Local H

Name the musician or band.

@BaptistBlogger One of those cases where someone accurately predicted the future two decades in advance. A seminal work in so many ways.

@BaptistBlogger Totally agree. Most of these issues are best solved at the associational level.

Are aging churches a real problem? The US population has a median age of 39 years old. Most denominations have a median age of congregants close to 60 years old. Josh King and I discuss why churches are a generation older than their surrounding communities. What are the implications of the aging trend in churches? -An inherent generation gap exists between the church and the community. -Many churches may feel “outdated” due to this age disparity. -Older isn’t necessarily worse, and younger isn’t inherently better, but churches are more likely to grow through younger generations than older ones. -The older the church, the more challenging it becomes to connect with the next generation. -Hiring a younger pastor is not a silver bullet solution. churchanswers.com/podcasts/raine…

I walked into our kids hall and did not expect to see such a big thank you from Miller Elementary. For some time, we've been stocking their break room and helping teachers in any way we can. A few people from our church have made this their ministry. When churches work with local institutions and support them in helpful ways, great things happen. Thank you, West Bradenton, for serving our community!

My youngest daughter has discovered track and field as a seventh grader, and she is crushing the competition in the hurdles. I'm a proud dad.

God has a purpose for you: to love your neighbors and reflect Christ to them. Yes, even the odd ones. I’ll never forget the first time my wife and I spotted “bathrobe guy.” That’s what we called him, at least until we learned his real name. From the hill where our house sat, we had a perfect view into several nearby yards, including his. Nearly every day, we’d watch him in his backyard, robed and barefoot, gathering sticks from the neighborhood and performing what could only be described as a kind of interpretive dance around a small fire. My wife and I were fascinated. Then came the moment of conviction. “We should go meet him,” she said. “What? And lose our daily entertainment?” I protested half-jokingly, fully convicted. The next day, she baked cookies and walked over. I waited like a kid waiting for a report from a spy mission. “Well? What did he say?” “His name is Ernie,” she replied. “And he’s actually really nice.” “Did you ask about the robe… and the dancing?” “Nope. But I did invite him to church.” I’ll admit, part of me hoped he’d show up in the robe and start dancing during the worship songs. But that moment taught me something: you can’t mock your neighbors and love them like Jesus at the same time. A healthy spiritual life includes a heart for the people right outside your front door. If we don’t share Christ’s love out there, we won’t grow much in here. churchanswers.com/blog/gods-miss…

We are praying for First Baptist Church in Oakboro, North Carolina churchanswers.com/pray/first-bap…

All church health begins with evangelism. During the E3 Luncheon, @SamRainer reminded us that our communities are more receptive than we think, but if we stop proclaiming, everything downstream suffers. If we want thriving churches, growing disciples, and real revival, it starts with sharing the gospel and preparing our churches to receive who God wants to send.