How do you make sure you continue to improve as a preacher? You’ve learned the basics about big ideas and supporting ideas and introductions and applications and full notes versus bullet points and eye contact and hand gestures and preaching pyramids and illustrations and why it is better or worse to preach longer than twenty-five minutes. You are able to consistently research, compose and deliver a solid sermon every week without having a meltdown. But how do you keep improving?
Perhaps you have taken on a new ministry role where preaching is a larger part of the job description. Perhaps your church is growing such that you recognise that the quality of preaching has a new level of importance. Or perhaps at your last annual review you expressed a resolve to work on your preaching. Where should you start?
Preachers’ Fellowships
In my opinion, the single best thing you can do to improve your preaching is to join (or start) a preachers’ fellowship. The regular pattern of critiquing other people’s sermons and having your own sermons critiqued is, I believe, the best way to continue improving as a preacher.
There are various forms this can take: you can take turns preaching live to one another, or discuss recordings of sermons you preached at church. Sometimes church staff or elderships do this together—although this can create some strange dynamics in a local ministry team, that may not always be ideal, it’s important to be honest about that. I understand that the Moore College preaching conference includes this in its annual program.
Preach and Listen to Preaching
The second best method for improving your preaching is to preach regularly, listen to good preachers regularly and think carefully as you do both of these things. Assess your own sermons as you write them, reflect on your own sermons as you deliver them. I am in the minority of those who aren’t too bothered by listening to recordings of their own voice. I would encourage other preachers to try to overcome the cringe and get used to listening to their own sermon recordings after some time has elapsed. It is a great way to reflect on your own preaching.
Take the time to listen to other good preachers. If this is not something you are blessed with as a part of regular church life, make the effort, whether through visiting churches, attending conferences or listening to podcasts. And when you listen, reflect on what works and why it works, what doesn’t work and why it doesn’t work, what you would do differently.
Books, Conferences and Courses
My personal advice it to focus your energy on the first two methods, rather than spending lots of time reading and listening to advice on how to write sermons and how to preach. But these resources are also helpful. They give you the categories in your head for the different elements of effective preaching and the different steps of thorough preparation.
Which approaches to ‘professional development’ have you found most beneficial? Which preaching fellowships, workshops and clinics would you like to recommend? Which preaching podcasts or YouTubes are worth listening to and learning from? Which conferences, books and courses are worth buying or registering for? Why not leave a comment on our Facebook or Twitter to benefit other readers?
