Senior pastors invest varying amounts of time in sermon preparation. I have friends who spend 25 hours a week on a sermon and friends who spend 8-10 hours a week on sermons. The amount of time in sermon prep can vary based on the experience of the pastor (those with more experience have reservoirs of…
Preaching
6 Groups of People Pastors Will Be Preaching to This Christmas
You likely noticed that people started decorating earlier for Christmas this year. Earlier than they decorated in previous years. Many of my friends have commented on this reality. If you were already in the “before Thanksgiving” decorating camp, you may have started even earlier in 2020. If you were in the “wait until the day…
5 Things I Am Preaching to Myself While Preaching to a Camera
Last week I shared six things I am greatly missing from teaching in old-school physical gatherings among people I love who are singing to God and ready to hear a message from His Word. When preaching to a camera, it can easily feel like I am preaching to God’s people without being among God’s people….
6 Things I Am Deeply Missing While Preaching to a Camera Each Week
A few weeks into this madness, the global pandemic that has resulted in the unprecedented move to not provide physical worship gatherings at our church, Kenton Beshore called to check on me. Kenton is my predecessor, our pastor emeritus, and he still serves as teaching pastor for us. “How in the world are you not…
5 Reasons “Church at Home” Worship Service Times are Shorter
Last week I posted a poll on Twitter asking pastors to respond about the length of the weekend worship services at their churches during this season – the season when we are not gathering physically but are relying solely on online worship services. It is one thing to stream your physical worship services and quite…
Pastors: Shepherd and Lead “the Teacher in You”
Kenton Beshore (my predecessor and pastor emeritus at our church) and I meet every other week for lunch, and I always learn something. Recently Kenton shared some helpful insight about managing the multiple responsibilities of a senior pastor. They would likely apply to other roles too. I am paraphrasing, but he essentially said: “You are…
3 Warning Signs You Could Love Your Title More Than Your Task
In his famous work, City of God, Augustine penned this challenge: No one can be a good bishop if he loves his title and not his task. It is entirely possible for a ministry leader to love title more than task. Because we can make idols of anything, we can certainly make our titles the…
4 Practical Ways to Have Fewer Announcements in Your Worship Services
Earlier this week I lamented the existence of lots of “announcement time” in church services because of the ineffectiveness of the announcements and the disruption the announcements bring to the arc or flow of the service. I acknowledge that the desire to give announcements comes from a good place – a place of wanting to…
4 Advantages of Advanced Planning for Sermons/Teaching Series
When I served as an executive and teaching pastor in Miami, I learned the benefit of planning sermons and teaching series months ahead. I don’t mean the entire sermon completely prepared, but a specific direction for a teaching series and a general direction for each sermon within the series. The advanced planning was not only…
3 Things Pastors Must Learn from Teachers
Today is officially “teacher appreciation day,” and while it is right and good to be thankful for our teachers every day, I am glad there is a designated day that reminds us to be grateful. I am so thankful for the teachers in my life. Those teachers who have invested in me have made a…