It’s almost Sunday again. There was all week to prepare for that sermon, Sunday School lesson, Children’s Church lesson or some other ministry responsibility this Sunday, but once again the week piled up with meetings, events and other responsibilities. Now it is a race against the clock to finish preparing for Sunday morning. If you are currently or have ever been in a church leadership position, most likely you have faced this challenge before. Some people thrive under the pressure of the clock, while others absolutely despise being put into this position. Regardless, we all have responsibilities in the church which require preparation and when this involves “rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim 2:15), we recognize both the seriousness of the task and the necessity of good preparation. Yet, like everyone else, our time is limited, especially for those who are lay leaders not in full time ministry.
Charles Spurgeon, one of the greatest preachers of the past two centuries, had the practice of writing out his sermons on Saturday evening. His short outlines with only a few bullet points of notes were handwritten and placed inside the cover of his Bible the night before preaching. At first glance, most of us might consider this an ill-advised approach to preparation, until we realize Spurgeon was “filling himself up” all week through reading, studying and meditating on Scripture. His preparation was not defined by a few hours sitting at the dining room table, but an entire week of engaging with Scripture, either directly or through commentaries and other writings. What we learn from Spurgeon is that preparation as a church leader is not merely an event, it is a lifetime devoted to reading, studying and praying through God’s Word. It is the active engagement of Scripture throughout all of life which prepares us to serve God’s people.
As we once again enter a new year, here are a few ways to regularly preparing yourself for ministry.
As we once again enter a new year, here are a few ways to regularly preparing yourself for ministry.
Read & Study the Bible Daily
In order to be a leader in the church, we must lead with God’s Word as the unmovable foundation. This requires not merely having it as a reference guide on the bookshelf when needed, but knowing it, studying it, memorizing it. Pilots don’t merely know where to look in their checklist in the event of an emergency, they have the critical steps memorized because they recognize emergencies are time critical, life-threatening events. Our Bible is not simply for reference and if we expect to grow spiritually there can be no neglect in reading and studying God’s Word. Even reading for only fifteen minutes each day can make a significant difference in our spiritual life.
A good method for staying on track is through the use of a Bible reading plan, such as this one from Ligonier Ministries. One of the most vivid memories I have of visiting my grandparents during the summer was my grandfather siting at the dining room table every morning, working his way though the entire Bible in a year, reading only a few chapters each day. A small bit of reading each day goes a long way over the course of 52 weeks in the year. If you miss a day, don’t worry about catching up, just pick up from where you left off.
Also consider spending time each day reading the Scripture passage for the sermon of the week. Ask your pastor to provide a copy of his preaching schedule so you can follow the passages each week. No pastor has time to preach on every detail found during his study of the passage and by doing this you might find a more enriching experience during the sermon as certain points stand out as a result of your own personal study throughout the week.
Pray Daily
We all know prayer is important, but sometimes it can be the most neglected area of our spiritual walk. Consider this, if you decided to spend only a few minutes a week with your wife, how strong would your relationship be after a year? If we expect to engage in a closer walk with God, prayer is not only essential, it is required. Commit yourself to start with at least five minutes in prayer each day, then expand it throughout the year. When you engage in conversations with people at church, end the conversation by asking how you can specifically be praying for them. As you commit to pray for people as a part of your daily routine you will be amazed how enjoyable and extended the time will become as more people come to mind during your prayers. If you are not convinced of the power in prayer, read “George Muller: Delighted in God” and you will never think the same about prayer again.
Engage in Conversation Weekly
Christianity is not simply about you and God. The head of the church is Christ and His design for the local church is one which is unites fellow believers in community where the spiritual gifts of each individual are employed for the benefit of the entire body. As leaders we should seek out opportunities where these gifts can be used to benefit one another. Imagine a football team where each member never converses with one another. A place where each person on the team is uniquely gifted in a particular way and studies the playbook individually, but never discuss it together as a team.
Be intentional about scheduling time to meet with other people in your church, either individually or as a group, to discuss a theological topic or a specific text. If you are a Sunday School teacher, consider meeting with a pastor, elder or other teacher to discuss your lesson and solicit feedback. The church where I serve as an elder has a weekly sermon scrum where the pastor meets with a handful of other preachers and leaders to discuss the Scripture passage for that week’s sermon. The conversations are not only beneficial in preparing for a sermon or lesson, but will help you grow spiritually as we each are going about having our minds renewed to the image of Christ (Rom 12:2).
It’s almost Sunday again, how are you preparing?
