Actually, at Circle Church, the planning for any service began almost six months before it occurred, when we designate specific preaching assignments in advance. Broad general themes are chosen after regular evaluations by the staff as to the direction in which the church is headed. These emphases are checked against yearly criteria which require that the pulpit ministry relate continually to the Old Testament, the Gospels, and the Epistles.
If our study of the church calendar indicated that one of these areas had been neglected, we were careful to emphasize it in the proper course of time. Specific preaching themes arose from staff discussion which investigated current church needs. We tried to build around a given theme for a number of months until we felt that the congregation had been saturated with it. Then we moved on.
We found that it was good to maintain one sustaining voice that interwove itself through the fabric of the year. Consequently, I normally preached three Sundays out of five with the other staff sharing the rest.
Not only would the congregation have been overexposed to me if I preached every Sunday, but I insisted, and continue to insist, that the traditional role of the pastor which demands that he speak three times a week is ridiculous. If we were forced to watch the same TV program three times a week, week after week, year after year, its content consisting of nothing but lecture, our interest would soon pale.
The same principle applies to the pulpit. In addition, I am skeptical as to whether any man has enough time in one week to prepare adequately three sermons, each of which is pertinent or inspirational. We have one preaching service a week, and it is not unusual for a Circle Church minister to spend twenty hours of the preceding week in sermon preparation.
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Pastor, when “sermon prep day” rolls around each week, do you face the task of preparing another sermon with a frown on your face? If so, you’re not alone. Many pastors literally dread preparing their Sunday sermon. There just doesn’t seem to be an easy solution. The good news: David Mains and Mainstay Ministries can help. We offer a wide variety of Sermon Starters and Full Sermons that will give you Sermon Ideas to help you prepare for regular Sunday sermons, Mid-week Bible Sermons, and Sermons for special occasions. We also offer assistance as you create Topical Sermons, Sermons Series, and sermons for special times of the year. We have resources available to help you with Advent Celebrations, Advent Sermons, Christmas Sermons, Easter Sunday Sermons, Patriotic Sermons, and more.
For more information on how to create better Bible Sermons and how to turn Sermon Ideas into Sermon Outlines, and then into effective, meaningful Sunday Sermons, please click here to visit David Mains’ website.
You will also find a variety of resources for pastors and congregations at the Mainstay Ministries website. Just click here.
