Hey Friend -

October is always a special month for me. It's when deer season kicks off, and I'm hoping for cooler weather (below 90 degrees, please!), not to mention high school football starting up.

But October is more than just that for me. It's the perfect time to start getting ready for the year ahead.

One of my favorite parts of this prep work is diving into what the next year of preaching might look like.

Keeping a preaching calendar is hands down one of the most effective tools for ministry productivity that I know. It allows ideas to simmer and evolve in our minds, often going further than we initially expected, and it gives us a whole lot of breathing room each week.

So, do you currently have a preaching calendar?

This month, I want to focus on a deep dive into creating one and then preaching from it in the coming year. I'm not just talking about the basics of building it; I want to explore how this approach to a preaching calendar can give us back valuable time in our week and sharpen our focus when we step up to the pulpit on Sundays. It's amazing how much of a difference it can make.

Let's talk about three ways having a preaching calendar can give you more margin:

1. Margin of Head Space: Let's be honest; this one doesn't get talked about enough. When we're holding all our sermon ideas in our heads, we're taking up precious mental real estate. If we're only thinking a couple of weeks ahead or if we're relying solely on the lectionary and diving into the text fresh just days before we preach, we're asking our brains to do a whole lot. And it's not just about space; it's also about processing power. Just having a rough idea of your preaching topics frees up your mind to make connections and spark ideas from seemingly unrelated sources. You never know when you'll stumble upon something gold that fits a sermon months down the road. Having the ability to jot it down and preserve a few initial thoughts is priceless.
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2. Margin of Time: This one is closely tied to the first. What if sitting down to work on your sermon doesn't mean staring at a blank page but instead sifting through months of ideas and quick notes? For me, it means the "discovery phase" of sermon prep gets to stretch out, and when it's time to really dig into crafting the message, I'm in editing mode rather than creation mode. I don't always use everything I've saved, and sometimes I realize that a brilliant idea doesn't quite fit the message. The earlier we clarify the message's structure, the better we can think about it and work through it. Having a text, a title, and a basic plan from the get-go means we've got a solid understanding of the message's foundation. So when we sit down to work on that sermon, we've already done several days' worth of prep. That leaves us more time to refine the message and craft its delivery. It's about spending more time on the art of communication rather than just the content.
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3. Margin of Vision: Keeping a preaching calendar helps us see the bigger picture of the role of sermons in our context. We can consider the larger challenges our church and community face, time our messages strategically, and think about how the sermon can complement other forms of discipleship. It's not about reacting to immediate needs; it's about gradually building a deeper well of Christian experience. I remember when I discovered that Bridgetown Church in Portland, under John Mark Comer, took years to preach through their approach to discipleship. That kind of long-term planning and intentionality is made possible through a preaching calendar, giving things the time they need.

Next week, let's dive into the nuts and bolts of how I create and maintain my preaching calendar. Until then, I encourage you to take a moment to pray and reflect on what your preaching journey might look like in the coming year.

Catch you later,

Chad

PS. Last week, Productive Pastor drilled down on how to attack something you've been putting off. I am rarely a master of productivity and a frequent master of procrastination.