Pirates in the Pulpit

Dear Ask a Seasoned Pastor: Some of my members have discovered the fact that most of the time I re-preach the sermons of other great preachers. I find that most of the congregation is being fed by these outstanding sermons. However they think that the sermons I preach should be my own creation. What do you think?

 

 

Borrow, Don't Steal

Preparing sermons for years on end can sometimes be challenging and we all can use a little "help" every now and then. Sometimes the revelations shared in a sermon from another pastor can be an exciting diving board for me to plunge in and research for deeper content. In that regard, pastors can share and help each other. However, I would be concerned about simply repeating someone else's content - word by word, line by line. Why? That could be an indication of laziness - taking the easy route rather than taking the time to seek "fresh manna" for myself. Sermonic regurgitation also blocks the Holy Spirit's intentional message directed towards the specific needs of the congregation. The doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction that is needed in one congregation may not be what's needed by another. One size sermons don't necessarily fit all! Let's embrace the creativity of the Spirit and take the time to listen to His unique messages for His unique churches.

 

Brenda Billingy is senior pastor of the Metropolitan Church in Hyattsville, Maryland and an associate director of NAD Ministerial  

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Taming E-Mail

By John Beckett

A while ago I decided that it was time to re-think the way I handle e-mail. I reply to e-mail and usually keep up, but I'd was frustrated that I couldn't always remember e-mails I'd read on my phone but wanted to take some time responding to from my computer. My inbox was pretty big and it was annoying to scroll through it. The good news is that there are ways to deal with e-mail overload.     Read More   

Reviving Communion: Think Outside the Bowl

By Jason Decena

I love Communion. The ritual that Jesus passed down to us is pregnant with symbolism, and immerses us in an encounter that engages us through every sense: sight, sound, taste, touch and smell. This event has the potential to really take us deeper in our personal encounter with Jesus as well as bind a community together. There is a perennial problem in most churches regarding communion, though - most of our church members avoid it if they can help it.  Read More 

Stories We Tell: Love Must Be Demonstrated

By Don Schneider  
A couple was sitting on the porch swing. It was quiet. No one was saying    anything. The man felt this was just the right time, so he took a deep breath, stretched, put his arm around her, and said, "Can I kiss you?"

 

She didn't say anything. He was devastated. He was sweating. He wasn't sure about what to do next. After what seemed almost like an eternity, he thought of what might have gone wrong.  Read More 

CALLED NAD Pastors and Family Convention 

Bertil Wiklander Endorsement 

 
 Bertil Wiklander, Retired President, T.E.D., encourages NAD Pastors to attend the upcoming CALLED NAD Pastors and Family Convention to be held June 28 - July 1, 2015 in Austin, TX.

 

Pastors may register at nadpastorsconvention.com/registration/ 
Let's Talk About Creative Baptismal Celebrations

In a future issue of Best Practices we would like to feature your best ideas for creative baptismal celebrations. Send us your best idea for making baptismal celebrations special in 100 - 300 words, and with your submission send us your picture and title. Deadline: October 30.
Ideas, Events, Resources, Announcements

Online Sermons: Church Internet Outreach? - Livestreaming and podcasting your worship services provides a much appreciated opportunity for our homebound, sick, traveling, and military members who are not able to be with us on Sabbath morning. In this article Dave Hakes outlines some simple strategies to make our livestreamed and podcasted services more likely to serve your church's internet outreach ministry.

 

6 Insights From the #IceBucketChallenge for Church Communications - Every once in a while, a craze hits social media that transcends the boundaries of the Internet and really does go culturally viral. The #ALSIceBucketChallenge is an example of that. There are a handful of lessons we should draw from this for our work in church communications.

 

The MA in Pastoral Ministry is a collaborative arrangement between the NAD Union Conferences and the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary at Andrews University. This 48-credit master's degree is delivered in each union via six-day field-based intensives. It is specifically designed for mature persons in ministry (employed or lay) who hold a bachelor's degree and have served in a ministry role for at least five years. This degree provides ministerial education for Adventist pastors employed by NAD conferences who otherwise could not attend traditional on-campus learning. The tuition is subsidized by the unions and the seminary.  

 

Download the 2014 Fall Flyer, which lets you know which classes are coming to your union this fall. These classes are available to those in the MAPMin program AND those who want to take it for continuing education.

   

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Best Practices for Adventist Ministry is published by NAD Ministerial. Opinions expressed belong to the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of NAD Ministerial. Publisher: Ivan Williams;  Managing Editor: Dan Martella. Copyright 2014 North American Division Corporation of Seventh-day Adventists. 
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