High Expectations: The Remarkable Secret for Keeping People in Your Church [Paperback]

Thom S. Rainer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 15, 1999

For over a quarter of a century the problem of losing church members has progressively increased. Today the situation is so bad that less than one-third of the members in some churches attend worship services. Church leaders are crying for help. In an effort to help church leaders, the Billy Graham School of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary conducted a massive research project involving nearly 287 churches. The most revealing aspect of the study was that the higher expectations placed on members, the greater the likelihood that the members would stay and be involved with the church. Using the data gathered from this project, Thom Rainer presents the first-ever comprehensive study about 'closing the back door.' Rainer looks at why people are leaving the church and how church leaders can keep the members.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: B&H Books (February 15, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805412662
• ISBN-13: 978-0805412666
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #498,408 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Thom S. Rainer (PhD, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources in Nashville, Tennessee. He was founding dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism and Church Growth at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. His many books include Transformational Church, Essential Church, and Simple Church.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A good survey of a survey of Southern Baptist churches, August 6, 2001

By 

Marc Axelrod (Potter, Wi USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: High Expectations: The Remarkable Secret for Keeping People in Your Church (Paperback)

This book is basically an explanation of a survey done on 287 southern Baptist churches. The main secret to keeping people in your church is to assimilate them into the Sunday School program. The author spares no words to describe the importance of having an evangelistic Sunday School program. He points out that churches have often seen Sunday school as a discipleship or educational program, but that we need to learn from these SBC churches that long term health and growth are best secured by giving the Sunday school department a revamped, evangelistic thrust. The survey results also suggest that if you communicate that Sunday school attendance is expected of all new members, then you will have a greater chance of keeping them active once they are assimilated into a class.

But it should be kept in mind that every church culture is different. Pastoring a church where Sunday school is an available option is nice. But to make it an expectation of all members can risk the ire of some of the long standing members of the congregation. In short, some of the suggestions the author makes will be easier to assimilate into your church than others. You have to know your people and have a sense of what the Holy Spirit is saying, and a sense of what will and will not fly in your parish.

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Effective churches reach and keep new members., July 12, 1999

By 

R. A. Harrison "Theology Prof" (Kansas City, MO) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: High Expectations: The Remarkable Secret for Keeping People in Your Church (Paperback)

High Expectations is a great resource for those seeking to understand the dynamics of evangelistic growth and effective discipleship. The many graphs and charts provide a visual checklist of the characteristics of high assimilation congregations. The book is more of a companion to "Effective Evangelistic Churches" rather than a stand-alone resource. At times Rainer jumps to conclusions that are out of character, such as "Mission Statements are more important than vision statements"... which is based upon research showing high assimilation churches tend to have mission statements (64.3%) rather than vision statements (42.9%).

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Increasing Retention by Raising the Bar, July 22, 2005

By 

David R. Bess (Charleston, WV) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: High Expectations: The Remarkable Secret for Keeping People in Your Church (Paperback)

Rainer here addresses the problem all too often found in American churches: losses through the "back door." Many books can be found on how to attract newcomers to a congregation, but what is the key to keeping them? The author answers this question with solid research and Biblical values. In a nutshell, Rainer's research reveals that the secret to keeping members is expecting more of them. Other insights from his research are presented here as well, but the focus of the book is powerful effect of "raising the bar." This title is a keeper for my pastoral library.