Long range sermon planning
Long Range Sermon Planning
To help relieve the stress in your life you need to plan. I try to plan as much as possible. I plan the calendar of events a year in advance, each quarter the plans are reviewed and updated, monthly plans are updated, weekly goals are set, and I make a daily plan. I believe in planning everything. Arguably one of the easiest things to plan are your sermons for a year. Here is how I do it, please join me.
Weather you plan a year in advance or two days in advance the first step is the same: Pray! God can move your heart to what He wants His flock to be fed for the entire year not just the next sermon or series. The Proverbs tell us,
The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps. Proverbs 16:9
Step 1: Look at the entire year.
Mark the special days such as Christmas and Easter or any others that your congregation observes or celebrates. Write down the dates on a piece of paper, this is the beginning of your sermon calendar worksheet. No ideas yet just the dates.
In the first quarter of the year preach on stewardship. People are thinking about finances more in that first quarter than any other time because of taxes, giving statements and business meetings. Ask your self how many sermons you need to preach to adequately prepare your congregation to be good stewards. Choose dates and record them on your paper.
When are you going to take a vacation? Put that on your worksheet. Who is going to fill in for you? Why not ask that person as soon as you know when you will be vacationing? They will appreciate it and it will destress you.
Are you planning any special speakers? Missionaries, evangelists, staff members and fellow ministers are always looking for pulpit time. Put them on your worksheet and contact them as soon as you are sure of the dates.
Step 2: Consider sermon series for all your special days.
Why not preach 2 to 4 weeks themed around your special days. Here are some suggestions around typical holidays:
Christmas series
1. Advent calendar
2. Chronological from Zacharias in the Temple to the Dedication of Jesus in the Temple
3. Mary, Joseph, the Christ child
4. Character groups
5. Christmas in the Old Testament
Easter series
1. From the Garden of Gethsemane to the open tomb
2. The trials of Jesus
3. The stages of the cross
4. The last saying of Christ from the cross
5. The resurrection according to Isaiah, the Gospels and Paul
6. From the resurrection to the day of Pentecost
Think about it if you preached two series around these two sacred days it would account for eight Sundays worth of messages. Almost 10% of your calendar is set and your congregation becomes more knowledgeable about the birth and death of our Savior. An added bonus is that you don’t have to try to fit in as much in one sermon as often we are tempted to do to try to snag our Christmas and Easter crowds.
Step 3: Non-series special days
I usually do not preach about Mother’s or Father’s Day. Just a personal preference nothing super spiritual. But if you do, put these on your worksheet. Also add any other special Sundays that you normally highlight such as Veterans’ Day, Memorial Day, Thanksgiving, Back-to-School or any other special emphasis day.
Step 4: Choose a book of the Bible
I preach nearly exclusively with sermon series from a book of the Bible. This may not be your cup of tea, but it is something that I highly recommend. Plan a series based on this a book of the Bible. Consider how many weeks it will take you to cover this book in an adequate way. 10 to 12 weeks, a chapter a week or a topic a week. Use resource such as The Outline Bible or Nelson’s Teaching Outline of the Entire Bible. I am sure there are many such resources online as well. Record how long this and each subsequent Bible book series you decide to plan.
Step 5: Chose topics
What topics would you like to preach about for the year? Parenting, Marriage, Family are some popular topics. How long would you like to preach on each one of these? I would suggest a minimum of three weeks. This is a good time to ask your congregation what topics most interest them. If several different people suggest similar topics, then this is probably a good indicator. Decide how long you want to preach on these topics and put them on your worksheet.
Step 6: What sermon(s) would you really like to preach?
Think of a sermon that you think would be just what your congregation needs. Write down all that you can think up. Assign who long each should be in terms of weeks. Remember not everything needs to be a series. Place these on your worksheet.
Guess what? I’ll bet that you have an entire year planned out.
To help relieve the stress in your life you need to plan. I try to plan as much as possible. I plan the calendar of events a year in advance, each quarter the plans are reviewed and updated, monthly plans are updated, weekly goals are set, and I make a daily plan. I believe in planning everything. Arguably one of the easiest things to plan are your sermons for a year. Here is how I do it, please join me.
Weather you plan a year in advance or two days in advance the first step is the same: Pray! God can move your heart to what He wants His flock to be fed for the entire year not just the next sermon or series. The Proverbs tell us,
The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps. Proverbs 16:9
Step 1: Look at the entire year.
Mark the special days such as Christmas and Easter or any others that your congregation observes or celebrates. Write down the dates on a piece of paper, this is the beginning of your sermon calendar worksheet. No ideas yet just the dates.
In the first quarter of the year preach on stewardship. People are thinking about finances more in that first quarter than any other time because of taxes, giving statements and business meetings. Ask your self how many sermons you need to preach to adequately prepare your congregation to be good stewards. Choose dates and record them on your paper.
When are you going to take a vacation? Put that on your worksheet. Who is going to fill in for you? Why not ask that person as soon as you know when you will be vacationing? They will appreciate it and it will destress you.
Are you planning any special speakers? Missionaries, evangelists, staff members and fellow ministers are always looking for pulpit time. Put them on your worksheet and contact them as soon as you are sure of the dates.
Step 2: Consider sermon series for all your special days.
Why not preach 2 to 4 weeks themed around your special days. Here are some suggestions around typical holidays:
Christmas series
1. Advent calendar
2. Chronological from Zacharias in the Temple to the Dedication of Jesus in the Temple
3. Mary, Joseph, the Christ child
4. Character groups
5. Christmas in the Old Testament
Easter series
1. From the Garden of Gethsemane to the open tomb
2. The trials of Jesus
3. The stages of the cross
4. The last saying of Christ from the cross
5. The resurrection according to Isaiah, the Gospels and Paul
6. From the resurrection to the day of Pentecost
Think about it if you preached two series around these two sacred days it would account for eight Sundays worth of messages. Almost 10% of your calendar is set and your congregation becomes more knowledgeable about the birth and death of our Savior. An added bonus is that you don’t have to try to fit in as much in one sermon as often we are tempted to do to try to snag our Christmas and Easter crowds.
Step 3: Non-series special days
I usually do not preach about Mother’s or Father’s Day. Just a personal preference nothing super spiritual. But if you do, put these on your worksheet. Also add any other special Sundays that you normally highlight such as Veterans’ Day, Memorial Day, Thanksgiving, Back-to-School or any other special emphasis day.
Step 4: Choose a book of the Bible
I preach nearly exclusively with sermon series from a book of the Bible. This may not be your cup of tea, but it is something that I highly recommend. Plan a series based on this a book of the Bible. Consider how many weeks it will take you to cover this book in an adequate way. 10 to 12 weeks, a chapter a week or a topic a week. Use resource such as The Outline Bible or Nelson’s Teaching Outline of the Entire Bible. I am sure there are many such resources online as well. Record how long this and each subsequent Bible book series you decide to plan.
Step 5: Chose topics
What topics would you like to preach about for the year? Parenting, Marriage, Family are some popular topics. How long would you like to preach on each one of these? I would suggest a minimum of three weeks. This is a good time to ask your congregation what topics most interest them. If several different people suggest similar topics, then this is probably a good indicator. Decide how long you want to preach on these topics and put them on your worksheet.
Step 6: What sermon(s) would you really like to preach?
Think of a sermon that you think would be just what your congregation needs. Write down all that you can think up. Assign who long each should be in terms of weeks. Remember not everything needs to be a series. Place these on your worksheet.
Guess what? I’ll bet that you have an entire year planned out.
Comments
Post a Comment