5 Principles For Preaching When You Do Not Preach Every Week

Many here preach every week or almost every week. Some of us though do not preach every week. Maybe that is you. Maybe you preach 2, 4, or 8 times or less than half of the year.

If this is you then most likely you have another job, maybe you are a youth pastor or the connections pastor, or you hold another job completely outside of the church setting, or you are a seminary student.

Whatever the reason is if you do not preach routinely and week in and week out there are some principles to consider when you do get in the pulpit.

Check these out:

Do Not Preach Everything Welling Up Inside You At Once

This was the worst mistake I would make when I was going to Bible College and was gifted the opportunity to preach three or four times a year. I would cram the message full of everything I was learning and everything I wanted to share.

This led to cluttered, unorganized, and chaotic sermons which were not very good. The one main idea message is going to be your best bet no matter how much you feel like you need to say.

Do Not Try To Be Someone You Are Not

Many times when we do not preach every week we can become a little insecure and try to be someone we are not. You should not try to be your senior pastor, or the person you are filling in for, or you favorite megachurch preacher. Just be you.

Do Prepare Well in Advance

If you are not preaching every week that most likely means that you have another role, job, or daily work outside of preaching ministry. Since this is the case you need to plan as far ahead as possible. If you try to cram all your prep into one week you will be overwhelmed because of the added responsibility and work.

Do Plug Into The Current Series

If at all possible try to plug into the current message series so the congregation can maintain as much continuity as possible. This will also help you avoid the first warning we talked about which is cramming too many topics, subjects, or verses into the sermon. This will help you focus and curate your content.

Do Bring In Your Personality and Context

Remember to be yourself when you are preaching even if it is a one-off or a sporadic opportunity. Pray and listen to the Holy Spirit on how to best unleash your context and personality for Jesus in the pulpit.

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