A Preach Well Church

Thirty-eight percent of pastors have given serious thought to leaving full-time ministry in the last year. Between the COVID-19 pandemic and the unpredictable, never-done work of the ministry, is it any wonder that many pastors have contemplated resigning? Add to this church members' unrealistic expectations and a knack for criticism, and we see the toll this has taken on pastors and in one area in particular: preaching. Empty preachers are filling pulpits. Is there anything church members can do to help their pastors with burnout and the essential stress of preaching week-in, week-out? After extensive research on the subject, ninety-seven pastors were asked: What can your church members do to help you preach well? Each chapter in this book is a commitment--a clear, concrete action--developed from the study that church members can take to help their pastors preach well. Each chapter also includes a section entitled "A Word to Pastors" that offers encouragement to those in ministry to help reduce their stress and become better preachers.

Thirty-eight percent of pastors have given serious thought to leaving full-time ministry in the last year. Between the COVID-19 pandemic and the unpredictable, never-done work of the ministry, is it any wonder that many pastors have contemplated resigning? Add to this church members’ unrealistic expectations and a knack for criticism, and we see the toll this has taken on pastors and in one area in particular: preaching. Empty preachers are filling pulpits. Is there anything church members can do to help their pastors with burnout and the essential stress of preaching week-in, week-out? After extensive research on the subject, ninety-seven pastors were asked: What can your church members do to help you preach well? Each chapter in this book is a commitment—a clear, concrete action—developed from the study that church members can take to help their pastors preach well. Each chapter also includes a section entitled “A Word to Pastors” that offers encouragement to those in ministry to help reduce their stress and become better preachers.

Preaching is central to the ministry of the church. And yet it’s easy to get distracted by other demands or discouraged because our sermons aren’t as good as we’d hoped. In Preach Well, Darryl Dash reminds us of some simple ways to make even average sermons better. God uses the faithful, consistent ministry of preachers like you to grow his church. Read this book to: - Increase your joy in preaching - Improve your sermon preparation process - Decrease stress in your preparation - Strengthen your confidence that you can preach effectively - Enhance your appreciation for the charge you’ve received to preach

Step into the pulpit in a small membership church, and you’ll sometimes find your fair share of challenges, but you’ll almost always find more than your share of blessings as well. Those blessings, and the chance for authentic, life-transforming preaching, are what preaching in the small membership church are all about. Lewis Parks knows those blessings well. For nearly 40 years he has preached in small membership churches and taught others who serve in them. In this book he lays out the distinct roles that preaching in the small membership church calls on us to fill, and offers down-to-earth, substantive guidance on how to be the best preacher you can be in these most numerous, and most important, outposts of Christ’s church.

This book by a well-respected teacher of preachers develops an integrated biblical and theological vision for preaching that addresses the essentials of this most important activity in the church. Drawing on influential voices from church history, Abraham Kuruvilla reclaims what has been lost through the centuries and offers fresh insights, showing preachers what they can aim for as an ideal in their preaching. He helps preachers have a better conception of what it means to preach, a fuller understanding of the divinely granted privilege of preaching, and a greater excitement for the preaching ministry. Concluding biblical reflections reinforce the teaching of each chapter.

Author gives special attention to theological subjects such as the nature of revelation, the role of persuasion, and the effectual work of God's Word.

There's a seemingly innocuous villain that is taking up residence in the pulpits of countless churches, disrupting the connection between the pastor and the people and keeping the proclamation of God's word from having its full effect. That villain is the preacher's notes. Preachers know this all too well. Many wish that they could "preach by heart" without the aid of notes, but are unsure how to do so--and are left feeling frustrated and discouraged by the presence of that disruptive interloper. Author Ryan Tinetti shares an unexpected solution in the form of an ancient and time-tested practice known as the method of loci, or Memory Palace. Surveying portions of classical rhetoric that are especially relevant for contemporary preachers and diving deep into the theory and practice of the Memory Palace, Preaching by Heart plunders these ancient treasures that have been so formative for preachers through the ages but too oft neglected in our own time. When pastors preach by heart, they find greater satisfaction in the homiletic task and their proclamation is even more effective. Preaching by Heart shows how to pitch the notes and reach that goal.

A compelling preacher shares her unique method for creating memorable sermons in this practical, down-to-earth manual that's chock-full of excellent ideas for homiletical preparation. It's an engaging look at what characterizes outstanding preaching as well as a humorous catalog of the hazards facing those who enter the pulpit. Schmitz relates numerous amusing and instructive anecdotes from her own preaching experience and offers valuable advice on how to write and deliver messages with maximum impact. For example, Schmitz notes that compelling stories which resonate with hearers are a crucial ingredient of great sermons -- and Preaching To Myself illustrates how to tap into this endlessly renewable resource. Simple, funny, field-tested in the trenches with real people -- if you want to enjoy a chuckle while learning what makes top-notch sermons that change lives, then this is the book for you. Schmitz has written an entertaining and engaging book full of helpful ideas and sermon examples that will challenge and inspire. This is a very good tool, especially for the newer preacher. Rev. Kevin E. Martin Canon for Congregational Development, Episcopal Diocese of Texas Preaching To Myself will be very useful, particularly for people who feel unorganized about the whole project of preaching. It's written with humor and lots of helpful hints about how to get and stay organized for this crucial ministry. Rt. Rev. Catherine M. Waynick Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis Barbara G. Schmitz is an Episcopal priest who loves to preach. She has served several Episcopal and Lutheran churches in Michigan, as well as at the diocesan and synodical level. She is currently the Assistant to the Bishop of the North/West Lower Michigan Synod (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America). A graduate of Houghton College and Cornell University, Schmitz is the author of The Life Of Christ And The Death Of A Loved One: Crafting The Funeral Homily (CSS).