Normally I plan in 6 month chunks when it comes to preaching. The main reason for this is that it takes a lot of time to work through that process. I have done something different this year and I would like to share a quick glimpse into the process.
My goal was to plan the next year of Sundays. That includes but is not limited to preaching. I cleared my schedule for one week so that I could focus on this objective. I’ve mentioned prayer a few times here but you must understand that was a process of constant prayer. Here is a quick glimpse:
Brainstorm. With a blank peace of paper (or two) I began brainstorming goals and observations. We journeyed through the book of Romans in about 2 years (with a few breaks here and there), and during that time I observed many things.
Clarify. I took all of the observations and ideas, with unceasing prayer, and clarified them into some actionable ideas.
Specify. Another step deeper was to actually transform the ideas into teaching goals which represented exactly what would be taught over the year.
Calendar. This step was the one which least represented my personality and gifts, but was satisfying all the same. I constructed a spreadsheet which included all of the teaching dates for the next 13 months. I married those dates with the school calendar to find the appropriate holidays (Christmas, Easter, etc…).
Rhythm. This was a motivation for doing the 12 month plan. Simply stated, preaching and teaching is my primary gift and calling and where my greatest joys are found in ministry. However, a marathoner who loves to run still gets tired. My growth as a pastor has taught me that I need to establish a better rhythm of preaching. This step was working through the rhythm of when I would be preaching and when others would be preaching. Another quick point here, I find GREAT joy in seeing others use and grow in their gift of teaching. I want to continue to play a role in that as God allows.
Construct. I began plugging the specific items on the calendar. This was a bit more tedious and complicated. It felt like I was sitting down in front of a 1000 piece puzzle in which the end result was a forest, making all the little pieces look the same.
Additions. I then added other Sunday elements which included everything from communion to new member classes and church family meetings.
Tweaking. Having the draft has led to some tweaking and the tweaking has been continuous.
What a journey it was… I am humbled to be used by Him and THRILLED to participate in this journey with our church family.
For You: God has been doing amazing things in the life of Crossings Community. We are experiencing growth in depths as well as breadth. His church at Crossings Community desperately needs people committed to prayer. Would you commit to praying for His church, the families, the leaders, the days ahead, and for gospel transformation amidst our Katy community?
Matt Powell serves as teaching pastor at Crossings Community Church, a body of believers whose mission is to engage, equip, and empower homes for gospel transformation in Katy, TX.