Empowering Preaching Through Collaborative Teamwork
Summary
In our final session on preaching in the contemporary world, we explored the concept of preaching in community and the transformative power of a sermon preparation team. This approach is not about doing everything alone but about embracing the collective wisdom and diverse perspectives of a team. About a decade ago, I discovered the immense value of having a sermon preparation team, and it has since become a cornerstone of my preaching ministry. This team, composed of individuals from various backgrounds and life experiences, brings a richness and depth to sermon preparation that I could never achieve on my own.
The team typically includes four people: myself, our youth pastor, our worship leader, and a physical therapist who is deeply knowledgeable about Scripture. These individuals, with their unique insights and experiences, help shape sermons that resonate with a broader audience. The key is to include people who love God and are committed to the church, regardless of their professional background. This diversity ensures that sermons are not only biblically sound but also relatable and impactful.
We meet weekly, ten days before the sermon is delivered, allowing ample time for creative ideas to be implemented. This timeline is crucial for incorporating elements that require preparation, such as props or visual aids. During our meetings, I present a rough draft of the sermon, and the team provides feedback on what resonates, what confuses, and what could be improved. This collaborative process not only enhances the quality of the sermon but also reduces my stress as a preacher.
The benefits of a sermon preparation team are manifold. It reduces the preacher's stress by providing an artificial deadline, making the sermon more effective through diverse input, and training other communicators within the church. This approach fosters a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement, ensuring that the message delivered is both powerful and transformative.
Key Takeaways:
1. Embrace Diversity in Preparation: A sermon preparation team should include individuals from various backgrounds and life stages. This diversity enriches the sermon with different perspectives, making it more relatable and impactful for a wider audience. [09:07]
2. Value of Early Feedback: Receiving input before delivering a sermon allows for significant improvements and clarity. This proactive approach ensures that the message is well-crafted and resonates with the congregation. [13:47]
3. Reduce Stress with Structure: Establishing a structured timeline for sermon preparation, such as meeting ten days in advance, reduces stress and allows for thorough meditation and prayer over the message. This leads to a more thoughtful and impactful delivery. [13:47]
4. Train Future Communicators: Involving others in the sermon preparation process not only enhances the current message but also trains future communicators. This investment in others ensures the continued growth and effectiveness of the church's ministry. [13:47]
5. Collaboration as Wisdom, Not Cheating: Utilizing a sermon preparation team is not about taking shortcuts but about embracing wisdom. It acknowledges that God can use the collective insights of a team to bring clarity and depth to the message. [09:07]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:30] - Introduction to Preaching in Community
- [01:45] - The Value of a Sermon Preparation Team
- [03:10] - Who Should Be on the Team?
- [05:00] - Meeting Logistics and Timing
- [06:30] - The Role of the Team in Sermon Development
- [08:15] - Gathering and Utilizing Feedback
- [09:07] - The Wisdom of Collaboration
- [10:45] - Reducing Stress Through Structure
- [12:00] - Enhancing Sermon Effectiveness
- [13:47] - Training Future Communicators
- [15:30] - Encouragement and Prayer
- [16:45] - Closing Remarks
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
1. Proverbs 15:22 - "Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed."
2. 1 Corinthians 12:12-14 - "Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many."
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Observation Questions:
1. What are the roles of the individuals typically included in the sermon preparation team, and how do their diverse backgrounds contribute to the process? [03:10]
2. How does the timeline of meeting ten days before the sermon delivery benefit the preparation process? [06:30]
3. What is the significance of receiving feedback before delivering a sermon, according to the pastor's experience? [08:15]
4. How does the pastor describe the impact of a sermon preparation team on his stress levels and sermon effectiveness? [13:47]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the concept of a sermon preparation team reflect the biblical principle of seeking counsel from many advisers, as seen in Proverbs 15:22?
2. In what ways does the diversity within a sermon preparation team mirror the unity and diversity described in 1 Corinthians 12:12-14?
3. Why might early feedback be crucial for crafting a sermon that resonates with a congregation, and how does this align with the idea of collaboration as wisdom rather than cheating? [09:07]
4. How does involving others in sermon preparation train future communicators and contribute to the growth of the church's ministry? [13:47]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you worked on a project alone. How might involving others have changed the outcome? What steps can you take to embrace collaboration in your current responsibilities? [09:07]
2. Consider the diversity within your own community or church. How can you intentionally include diverse perspectives in your decision-making processes or projects? [03:10]
3. Think about a recent situation where you received feedback. How did you respond, and what can you learn from that experience to improve your openness to constructive criticism? [08:15]
4. Identify a specific area in your life where you feel stressed. How can creating a structured timeline or plan help reduce that stress and improve your effectiveness? [13:47]
5. Who in your life could benefit from being mentored or trained in a skill you possess? How can you take a step this week to invest in their growth and development? [13:47]
6. Reflect on your current approach to preparing for tasks or responsibilities. How can you incorporate prayer and meditation to enhance your preparation process? [13:47]
7. How can you apply the principle of collaboration as wisdom in your personal or professional life, ensuring that you are open to the insights and contributions of others? [09:07]
Devotional
Day 1: Embrace Diversity in Community
In the journey of sermon preparation, embracing diversity within a team can lead to a richer and more impactful message. When individuals from various backgrounds and life stages come together, they bring unique perspectives that can resonate with a broader audience. This diversity ensures that the message is not only biblically sound but also relatable and meaningful to different people. By valuing the insights of others, the message becomes a tapestry woven with threads of different experiences and wisdom, making it more powerful and transformative. [09:07]
"For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ." (1 Corinthians 12:12, ESV)
Reflection: Who in your community can you invite into your spiritual journey to gain new perspectives and insights?
Day 2: The Power of Early Feedback
Receiving feedback early in the sermon preparation process allows for significant improvements and clarity. This proactive approach ensures that the message is well-crafted and resonates with the congregation. By seeking input from others, one can identify areas that may be confusing or need further development. This collaborative effort not only enhances the quality of the message but also fosters a sense of community and shared purpose. The feedback process is a gift that refines and sharpens the message, making it more effective and impactful. [13:47]
"Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed." (Proverbs 15:22, ESV)
Reflection: Who can you seek feedback from today to improve an area of your life or work?
Day 3: Structure Reduces Stress
Establishing a structured timeline for sermon preparation can significantly reduce stress and allow for thorough meditation and prayer over the message. By setting an artificial deadline, such as meeting ten days in advance, one can approach the task with a clear mind and heart. This structure provides the space needed for creativity and reflection, leading to a more thoughtful and impactful delivery. Embracing structure is not about restriction but about creating a rhythm that supports spiritual growth and clarity. [13:47]
"Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established." (Proverbs 16:3, ESV)
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you can introduce more structure to reduce stress and enhance your spiritual growth?
Day 4: Training Future Communicators
Involving others in the sermon preparation process not only enhances the current message but also trains future communicators. This investment in others ensures the continued growth and effectiveness of the church's ministry. By mentoring and equipping others, one can create a legacy of strong communicators who are passionate about sharing God's word. This approach fosters a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement, where everyone is encouraged to grow and contribute to the mission of the church. [13:47]
"And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also." (2 Timothy 2:2, ESV)
Reflection: Who can you mentor or invest in today to help them grow in their ability to communicate and share their faith?
Day 5: Collaboration as Wisdom
Utilizing a sermon preparation team is not about taking shortcuts but about embracing wisdom. It acknowledges that God can use the collective insights of a team to bring clarity and depth to the message. Collaboration is a powerful tool that allows for the sharing of ideas and the refining of thoughts. By working together, the team can create a message that is both profound and accessible, reaching the hearts of many. Embracing collaboration is an act of humility and wisdom, recognizing that together, we can achieve more than we could alone. [09:07]
"Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil." (Ecclesiastes 4:9, ESV)
Reflection: How can you embrace collaboration in your spiritual journey to gain wisdom and achieve greater impact?
Quotes
Welcome to our fourth and final session of preaching in the contemporary world. Today we're going to be talking about preaching in community. You don't have to do this all on your own. You don't have to do the preparation all on your own. And we're going to be revealing the secret sauce for communicating life change here at Journey Church in Fremont. About 10 years ago, a mentor turned me on to the value of putting together a sermon preparation team. In a moment, I'm going to unpack that. We'll talk through all the details of that. But I want you to know that this team has become one of the greatest gifts to me as a preacher. [00:00:00] (41 seconds)
Your team will get better over time. Your team learns to trust you just like you need to learn to trust them. They need to be able to learn to trust you. They need to be able to learn that they can say something to you and that you're not going to blow your stack. They need to know that you're going to respect their opinions. And so sometimes they're going to be a little tentative at first with the opinions that they offer. Maybe the first couple meetings you'd be like, man, they're not really even giving me anything helpful. If you will listen to them and try to adapt as much as what you hear them saying and not get defensive and praise them and thank them for the input that they're giving, man, it'll be so powerful. [00:06:58] (34 seconds)
What was the main idea? And if they can't tell me what the main idea was, I know I haven't communicated it well. What other point or points do you remember? How would you apply this message? What do you put in a different order? What might you add? What stories are missing? The team can also help you with participant notes or memory cards or an object lesson that is on the stage. Our team helps me so much with this. I'm just not creative. But regularly, they're helping me to, hey, you need to go up on the platform with this and put this on a table and then reference it three-fourths through your sermon. [00:07:40] (37 seconds)
For 15 years, I used to prepare sermons totally alone, all by myself, in my office, with the door closed. And I would ask for feedback, but I would ask for it after I had presented a sermon. By then, it was too late. Many of us have role models who did this. The people who we looked up to when we were coming up through the ranks who were preachers. This was the way it was done. You go into your office, you close the door, and you come out with a sermon. The preachers we served under would do exactly that. For 15 years, I never even considered that there was another way. [00:08:45] (35 seconds)
I do believe that there is a significant part of the sermon preparation process where you do need to work alone. You should hear from God as you prepare. You should personally wrestle with the text. You should come to the team with something that is already prepared, a rough draft, the passage, the main idea, structure to the sermon. But when I do bring this to this team, I hold it loosely and realize that God will often use the other team members to bring incredible clarity that actually changes the direction of the sermon. [00:09:38] (41 seconds)
More than likely, you will often begin to go to the same types of illustrations. If you played football in high school, I bet a lot of your illustrations have to do with football or maybe golf or maybe running or maybe you're a gardener and you talk about your gardening a lot. My team helps me to know, hey, Ken, you use this type of illustration. How about an illustration that would help a single mom with toddlers? How about an illustration that's going to help the retired people in the room? How about an illustration that's going to help these high school kids? [00:10:24] (33 seconds)
We've been talking a lot about preaching and I want you to realize you don't have to do this alone. God has a gift to you as a communicator and to your church through the lives of other people. And I want you to seriously pray about who you could invite onto this team. It doesn't have to meet on Wednesday mornings. Maybe it meets on Wednesday evenings at the same time as other groups in your church are meeting. And you do this in your office at the church or maybe it's in somebody's home. [00:14:44] (28 seconds)
My prayer is that God is going to use you to effectively communicate his word to people that he so dearly loves. He loves you, and he loves those that you're communicating to, and I appreciate the time that you've put into these videos. Can I pray one last time for you? Father, I thank you for those who are watching. Oh God, you love them. You see them. You know them, and I pray in the strong and mighty name of Jesus that you would encourage them today. [00:16:57] (34 seconds)
I pray, Father, that you would put into their minds and hearts those who could come alongside them and help them to be even better stewards of communicating your word. Father, I long for, and I know they long for that day, that we're going to stand before you, and God, I pray that we would all hear those words, well done, good and faithful servant. God, we want to be great stewards of this gift of communicating your word, and God, we want to see lives changed. We desperately want transformation in the lives of the people in our church. [00:18:15] (35 seconds)
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