Pastor, how often do you preach? Or maybe a better question is how often do you get a break from preaching? Is it possible you’re preaching too often and too much? If you pastor a small or rural church, there’s a good chance the answer to that question is, “YES!” In this podcast episode I make a case for why it’s a good thing for you to get regular breaks from your preaching and offer up some ideas for getting those breaks.
- If you’re preaching more than 42 weeks in a year, I would argue you’re preaching too much.
Before I tell you why I think you should preach less, first let me address those pastors who are already pushing back and resisting the concept.
What are some reasons pastors preach too much?
- Immaturity/inexperience in preaching (you don’t know what you don’t know)
- Pride/insecurity
- Messiah complex (my people need me)
- Lack of team to fill the pulpit (ultimately a leadership issue)
- Lack of resources to invest in good pulpit supply
- Here are some reasons I think it’s good for you to preach less often:
- Regular breaks keeps you rested and fresh
- Regular breaks allows you to have weeks where you can focus on other big ministry projects without having to write a sermon.
- It’s good for your church to hear from different perspectives on a regular basis
- It allows you time to focus on the bigger preaching calendar
- Ideas to help you catch regular breaks in your preaching:
- Video series
- Guest speaker (from inside or outside the church)
- Special events – do something fun and different on a Sunday morning that doesn’t include a sermon
