In May/June I block some time to schedule my sermon series for the following school year (September-August). John Piper says something like this: “The fruit of spontaneity is grown in the garden of discipline.” I would add to the word discipline the word preparation. It’s been my experience that the hard work of advanced preparation actually enhances spontaneity and doesn’t detract from it (as some would contest.)
In our student ministries we have six core values. These are sort of an offshoot of the six foundations of a healthy youth ministry from Sonlife. They are broken into two categories (love God/love others) and they are as follows:
LOVE GOD
worship/pray authentically…live generously…gospel centrality
LOVE OTHERS
love intentionally…healthy diversity…share consistently
The nice thing with having six core values is that with twelve months in a year it’s very easy to use our core values to set up the sermon series. I speak in monthly series; four to five messages on one topic. Every month one of my staffers will speak once. The repetition and different angles week to week on the same basic topic have proven to be valuable. The multiple messages bring a healthy and fuller perspective to the Biblical truth we’re looking at. Also our group is so fluid that many of our students only make it once a month so this way they get to hear about that topic at least once.
So what I do is I assign two sermon series to each core value and then I strategically spread them throughout the year.
For example:
September – This is a month where we try to get back to something basic and foundational to our faith. Very often this is a month heavily focused on the Gospel.
December – We try to choose a topic that will allow us to step into the story of the birth of Jesus with ease.
January – In a month where people are thinking of new things and making resolutions we tend to focus in that direction. This past year I did a series called Second Chances and in 2007 I did a series called All Things New. This year we’ll be speaking on generosity as we’ll be setting missions giving goals as a group and individuals.
February – Relationships. Mainly cause this is the month with Valentine’s Day.
March – I usually do a series here on sin or something along those lines. It’s sorta thematic with the season and sets up our series in April…(this past year: Sin is Serious)
April – Easter normally falls in April and so we do something on forgiveness or grace or salvation here. An important follow-up to the March series. (this past year: Forgiveness that Defines)
August – We usually do a series in August that focuses on mission and serving. This is to launch our fall focus on campus missions. In a couple weeks we begin a series called Bigger than You where we’ll look at how God’s call to us to serve and live with mission is Bigger than You(r) pain, position or prize.
I’ve found that this advanced prep is helpful for my staff because they are responsible to produce mixers and music and media that matches the monthly themes when possible. So my music guy already knows the themes for next year and is putting together some theme song ideas for me to choose from. My staffers who speak once a month will know their topic well in advance and there’s just a general sense of clarity and direction for the team.
They also can see that the core values are not just something we give lip service to but they also drive the way I communicate. I also use a team approach to prepping monthly series by asking them to bring to our staff meeting text ideas, media ideas, response ideas, etc… This gives them a sense of ownership over the weekly messages. An invested staff is an energized staff.
Parents also love knowing this stuff in advance. Based on the monthly series they may even make more of an effort than normal to get their teenager to youth. It helps them to know how to follow up with their students at home too.
So for 2009-2010 here is my sermon series:
(you’ll see the month and then the series title…in parentheses is the topic and after that is the corresponding core value…finally you’ll see the Scripture passages we’ll be using)
SEPTEMBER
The Giving Tree (the cross) Gospel Centrality – we’ll use Isaiah 53 mostly for this month
OCTOBER
Sent (missional living) Share Consistently – we’ll use John 17 (Jesus’ prayer) mostly for this month
NOVEMBER
More than a Song (worship) Worship/Pray Authentically – we’ll use Paul’s words on worship mostly for this month
DECEMBER
When you’re in love… (loving others) Love Intentionally – we’ll use Jesus’ parables mostly for this month
JANUARY
Radical Generosity (giving) Live Generously – we’ll use 2 Corinthians 8 and 9 mostly for this month
FEBRUARY
Uncensored (sex) Healthy Diversity – we’ll be using a variety of Scripture and resources for this month
MARCH (5)
Dead Man Walking (dying to self) Live Generously – we’ll be using mostly Romans for this month
APRIL
Grace that Amazes (the gospel) Gospel Centrality – we’ll be using the Gospels for this month
MAY
Drenched (water baptism) Healthy Diversity – we’ll be using mostly Colossians for this month
JUNE
Breathing on purpose (intentional living) Love Intentionally – we’ll be using mostly the story of Joseph for this month
JULY
More than Words (prayer) Worship/Pray Authentically – we’ll be using the Lord’s prayer for this month
AUGUST
Story (three story evangelism) Share Consistently – we’ll be using Jesus’ encounters with the lost for this month
(keep in mind that this requires flexibility on your part to adjust when necessary – nothing is written in stone so to speak)
I’ve also charted out every week’s sermon title at this point but I’ve probably bored you enough as is.
My whole point is that I believe being intentional in communicating and putting emphasis on what you’re speaking about and how you’re preparing. I think in a day when relational youth ministry and emerging youth ministry and family youth ministry and all that sort of stuff is very popular we can’t forget the importance of preaching the Word and doing it with excellence and purpose.
[Photo by: **Mary**]
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David is a proud new dad and a veteran youth pastor (Inside Out Youth Ministry) of 10 years at Trinity Assembly of God in Clay, NY
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
How am I supposed to steal all of your ideas if you don't give me sermon titles? Hmmmmmm, David? HOW!!!!!!!
ha
here are my sermon titles for the September series, THE GIVING TREE
1 – trees clap their hands – WHY CAN'T YOU?!?!
2 – know when it's time to make like a tree and leave
3 – get off your big fat stump
4 – when life hands you a tree, make paper
man… you sure are "rooted" in Scripture! Man… jokes sure are punny!