Through the years I have admired pastors who can preach without notes. I have marveled at their ability to deliver powerful, heartfelt, life-changing messages without having to be propped up by a stack of papers. Given my personal wiring, I sadly concluded that paperless preaching was forever beyond my reach.

 

Then one Friday afternoon as I reviewed my sermon notes, I suddenly realized that the message was so well written that I could remember it all - the sequence of introduction, points, stories, and applications. The next day when I stepped out of my pulpit and simply shared the message from my heart, something powerful happened - The freedom, the connection with my congregation, the interactivity, and the authenticity of the witness shared absolutely hooked me.

 

Let me share with you 10 points for paperless preaching that have worked well for me since that memorable Sabbath four years ago:

 

Start Early - When you have a guest speaker coming on Sabbath, or when you recycle a sermon in your second church, use that week to begin work on a new sermon. Study your passage, organize your research, and process your thoughts. Then on the Monday morning before preaching that new sermon, start writing. Try to complete the manuscript by Tuesday or Wednesday. Thursday and Friday can then be devoted to internalizing your message so that you are free to preach without notes on Sabbath.  

 

Begin With the End in Mind- The decision to preach a sermon without notes needs to be made before the sermon is written, not after. This simple, but important step will enable you to think and write in a way that is memorable, both for you and the congregation. Read More.

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The Gift Card

[I remove from my wallet a gift card for one of my favorite restaurants and hold it up for the congregation to see.]   

I received this gift card to Olive Garden as a birthday gift from a good friend. I didn't do anything to earn or deserve this gift; my friend gave it to me out of the goodness of his heart and because he is a really generous and thoughtful person.

Is this gift card mine? Of course it is. I carry it around with me in my wallet. Is it of any value to me? Of course. But am I receiving any benefit from this gift card? No. What do I need to do to experience the full benefits of this gift card? I need to go to the Olive Garden and use it to enjoy a meal.

In a similar fashion, salvation in Jesus is a gift. You and I can do absolutely nothing to earn or deserve it. It is purely a gift of grace out of God's love and goodness towards us. When we accept this gift by faith, it is ours. But are we experiencing the full benefits of salvation by simply possessing this gift? I would suggest not. How can we receive the benefits of salvation?

We experience the benefits of salvation when we receive by faith the transforming power of the Holy Spirit which Jesus is wanting to impart to us. As Seventh-day Adventists, we believe that since October 22, 1844, Jesus has been ministering in the Most Holy Place of the heavenly sanctuary. What exactly is Jesus doing there? We commonly say that Jesus is interceding on our behalf before the Father. I would like to suggest that His Most Holy Place ministry can be compared to my using my gift card at the Olive Garden. Jesus is helping me to experience the full benefits of the salvation He has given to me as a gift. He is helping me to receive the grace and power of His Holy Spirit so that my life will be transformed and begin to reflect His character of love more and more. In other words, Jesus is helping us to experience sanctification. Let's make full use of His gift to us.

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Lyle Arakaki is the pastor of the Forest Park Church in Everett, Washington  

   

I have been at my current church for 14 years now. When I came I took the title of "Senior Pastor." Now my card and our bulletins list me as "Lead Pastor." What's the difference? Why did I change?  

I have come to the time in my life when I carry the title of 'Senior' in other ways. I have a "Senior Pass" to all of the National Parks. I get "Senior Discounts" at many stores and for entrance to many events. Some of my "loving" members suggested that the title of "Senior Pastor" simply indicated the proper age declaration of the staff!

Perhaps we're just dealing with semantics here. Technically it doesn't really matter too much what I call myself. What really matters is how I function. However, how I see myself does matter both to me and to my members...and maybe it will matter even more to my prospective members.

The title of "Senior Pastor" speaks to me of the one who is in charge. The buck stops here. You may be on the team, but I am the Senior and that can only mean that you are the Junior! Again, it's only a word and how I carry out my ministry will speak the loudest, but let's get off to the best start.

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 Marvin Wray is lead pastor for the Napa Community Seventh-day Adventist Church

   

Clint Jenkin, PhD, Vice President for Research for the Barna Group, offered findings from a recent research project involving Seventh-day Adventist Millennials [ages 18-29 years old]. Year-end meeting delegates listened intently as Jenkin shared the attitudes of young adults towards church doctrines, lifestyles and practices. Dr. Clint also shared stories of several young Adventists, and how intergenerational relationships in the church had affected them in both positive and negative ways. He concluded by reminding the attendees that intergenerational relationships, especially mentoring-type relationships between older members and young adults, are crucial in the spiritual development of Adventist Millennials, and ultimately in their decision to stay or walk away from faith community. Read More.

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Listening to Christian leadership podcasts is a great way to kick your ministry up a notch. These free podcast are available from iTunes:

Ministry in Motion

Rainer on Leadership

The Sermonators

Andy Stanley Leadership Podcast

Rick Warren's Ministry Podcast

Tell us which apps you find most useful to your ministry. Be sure to include your name and where you minister.

Contact us at danmartella.nadbestpractices@gmail.com