Majority Preacher – Part 2 | Biblical Preaching

Continuing Stephen Gaukroger’s helpful list of necessary considerations for those who want to sustain a long-term preaching ministry in the same setting where they are the main or only speaker:

5. Know thyself – It is important to know your own strengths and weaknesses. If you’re invited to a big event, then let your prejudices hang out, that’s probably why they invited you. But in your own church be committed to long-term exposition. Letting prejudices hang out too much will eventually annoy and cause problems.

6. Develop critical friends (not fans or foes) – Real and constructive feedback from real people will really help.

7. Have regular intentional review of your content and style – Be sure to compare what you have preached on with other lists, the lectionary, theology textbooks, other preachers and other churches. This will help you spot holes in your own preaching diet.

If you’re preaching almost every week in your church, what would you add to this list? I’d add something along the lines of “make sure you get breaks, sabbaticals, study breaks, etc. in order to renew your passion and vision.”

One thought on “Majority Preacher – Part 2”

I think I would also add the importance of mentoring – as a preacher I find that equipping others in a multiplication approach is worth so much. They say it’s easy to over-estimate what can be achieved in one sermon, and under-estimate what can be achieved in five years of sermons. Nevertheless, there are times in preaching where you will wonder what the point of it is . . . too many empty comments at the door, too many disappointing situations where lives don’t seem to be changing and you will be struggling. This can be deceptive, but there is tremendous strength to be found in knowing that as well as helping people through your preaching, you are also multiplying the ministry by mentoring others for preaching, for leadership, etc.

Peter Mead

May 1, 2010 at 12:35 pm

I think I would also add the importance of mentoring – as a preacher I find that equipping others in a multiplication approach is worth so much. They say it’s easy to over-estimate what can be achieved in one sermon, and under-estimate what can be achieved in five years of sermons. Nevertheless, there are times in preaching where you will wonder what the point of it is . . . too many empty comments at the door, too many disappointing situations where lives don’t seem to be changing and you will be struggling. This can be deceptive, but there is tremendous strength to be found in knowing that as well as helping people through your preaching, you are also multiplying the ministry by mentoring others for preaching, for leadership, etc.