"Really—How Hard Can Preaching Be?"
Why do so many parishioners find themselves in pews, week after week, listening to sermons that are vague, confusing, boring, discouraging—or that simply don’t connect? And what can preachers do to change the dynamic?
How Our Failure to Preach on the "M" Word Damages More than Parish Budgets
The “M” word consistently makes preachers squirm, perhaps because it’s so wrapped up in our livelihood and the sustainability of the church. But money impacts so much more than our salaries and budgets. It’s a critical influence in nearly every aspect of a parishioner’s life. So our silence on matters of finance may be hurting the very ones we wish not to discomfort.
9 Ways to Ensure Your Last Sermon of the Weekend is as Strong as Your First
When you preach the same sermon across multiple services, there can be a drop in energy, enthusiasm, or presence as the morning wears on. How do you maintain focus and attention so that each event receives the fullness of your abilities?
How Kurt Vonnegut's Failed Thesis Can Make You a Better Storyteller
Why do we care about a story’s shape? If Christ has redeemed all, ensuring every story ends above baseline, what is the purpose of exploring what comes before? We ask different questions—and discover different answers—when we're honestly following the story's shape into every moment.
"You Have Heard it Said...": The Power of Identifying and Breaking Patterns
Jesus was a pattern-breaker. A disrupter of norms. He recalled the familiar in order to subvert or transform standard ways of thinking. How can preachers use this same approach to craft sermons that usher in God’s kingdom on earth as it is in heaven?
Pick 1: Try Shifting Something Small for Big Change (a Roundup of Our Most Useful Posts)
This holiday week, we've rounded up some of our most popular and useful blog posts to help you find the encouragement and strategies you may need to try something new. Pick one thing to shift this week and see what happens.
Eight Tips to Preach Across the Divide
If your experience is like mine, you’ve never preached in a political and cultural climate as volatile and unpredictable as the one we face in the U.S. right now. How do we preach the unifying love of Christ when many are divided? How do we preach peace in the face of vitriol? How do we preach dignity when displays of disrespect are paraded as badges of honor?
I Do Not Think "Amen" Means What You Think it Means: 5 Ways to Better End Your Sermon
Ending a sermon with “Amen” is both redundant and ill-fitting with the purpose of a sermon. In truth, though, most preachers aren’t worried about these technicalities when they finish with “Amen.” They simply don’t know how else to conclude. Consider these five types of conclusions for a more effective close instead.
Was Your Easter Sermon Effective? 6 Elements to Help You Evaluate and Know
Now that the the candy's eaten, the dishes are washed, and the schedule has settled back into something resembling normalcy, take a few minutes to reflect on your Easter sermon. Was it effective? How would you know? Using BsP's 6-elements of an effective sermon, see where you excelled and where you can grow for your next sermon.
How to Reach Hearts on Both Sides of an Issue
Not since the Civil Rights era have preachers been so called upon to discern and proclaim what it means to follow Jesus Christ and love one’s neighbor as oneself.
With so many competing viewpoints, so many people unwilling to dialogue, and so much fear driving people apart, how can preachers proclaim the dignity of every human being in a way it can be heard by people on both sides of the divide?
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Get an early start on your sermon prep by joining us live on Facebook (Mondays at noon Central) as we prayerfully discuss the coming week's gospel passage (RCL & NL).
I participated in the Lectio study today with a complicated and double-speak Gospel (John 17:6-19) and WOW! I received so much great insight and am headed in a direction I feel really good about. Thank you to all my colleagues! If you are wondering if this is worth it, wonder no more. It is.
—Donna G.
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The Gospel People Don't Want to Hear: Preaching Challenging Messages was written to aid preacher’s in understanding what’s at stake for their listeners so they can craft sermons their audience can receive, even if they challenge cherished beliefs.
I just have to say WOW. I'm so grateful that I made the investment and joined The Collective. These Thursday [workshops] are a game-changer for me.
—Andrea M.