If you don’t have your series and sermons planned out for 2013…you’re not alone! Many pastors and communicators wait until the last-minute to plan things out.
Let me share with you what we’re doing and I hope it can help you to not be a “crunch time” planner.
1) Preach through the Bible every year
– We read through the Bible as a church every year (We use Mariners Church condensed reading plan)
– It gives you the opportunity to tell the entire God-Story every year
– The first two quarters (Jan-Jun) go through the Old Testament
– The last two quarters (Jul-Dec) go through the New Testament
2) Use a spreadsheet to date all the Sundays
– Plan in advance for Sunday’s off
– Understand the importance of special days, i.e., MLK, Mothers day, etc.
3) Plan for series to run 4-6 weeks
– Start a new series the Sunday after Easter
– Start another new series the Sunday after Labor Day
4) Answer these questions about each sermon
– What is the main Scripture
– What story will captivate and tie to the Scripture
– What is the main idea to be conveyed
– What is the “One Point” that will be memorable
These have been a tremendous help to us in planning our sermons series, especially preaching through the Bible every year. It has helped our church to stay on the “same page” every year.
