Plead with your pastor to write one sermon ahead of time to be used at an unspecified date in the future. Once that backup sermon is in place, create media to match it. When your pastor arrives one Sunday morning, beg to use the backup sermon instead of what was delivered the previous night. If God spoke to him or her on Saturday as He usually does, there is sure to be a sermon ready for that day. Shelf it for one week and use that time to brainstorm and develop media around it for the following Sunday. When God speaks to your pastor on the following Saturday night, ask him or her to write it all down as if they were going to deliver it the next morning. Return to the sermon that was written for the previous Sunday, and shelf the second Saturday night vision for the following Sunday. A few weeks of this and the vicious cycle will be broken.
Of course persuading a strong-minded pastor to actually do this method might be difficult, but such a discussion might lead to other ways that media can be integrated into the sermon.
6. Request a few talking points, main ideas, or lines of manuscript ahead of time.
If it’s just not possible to get the pastor to write the whole sermon a week to a few days out, try to get the main ideas ahead of time. The purpose of these clues is to design a central metaphor for worship.
This is not the best-case scenario, as a few things scribbled on paper don’t have the ability to interact and become fleshed out during brainstorming, but it is a place to start. As we often say, “Pieces of paper don’t talk.” But you and other team members may attempt to develop a visual thread that goes from the beginning of the service all the way through the sermon by using whatever scribbles you can get from the preacher.
The potential disaster with this method of change comes when the preacher shifts directions without telling the team, or informs them too late for things to be changed. The result is a disjointed service, where visuals don’t tie in.
But if you are desperate for something to work with, a few lines of text may be better than nothing.
7. Design the rest of the worship experience according to a visual metaphor apart from the sermon.
If none of the above suggestions equate to any development or growth for your situation, a last-ditch effort to incorporate visuals into worship may involve ignoring the preacher and focusing on the other elements of worship.
In this case, everyone involved with producing worship, including musicians, media people and artists, liturgists, and so on, but not including the pastor, brainstorm a theme together at least a week prior to the service. The theme that develops is woven together through the variety of worship elements, so that the entire event, minus the sermon, communicates a common idea. The potential consequence is that the sermon would appear ill fitting by comparison.
This of course carries potential dangers, as it may come across like a worship mutiny. But it may also form a sort of de facto demonstration of the potential of visual metaphors to communicate the Gospel in worship.
If you resort to this method, we take no responsibility for your actions?Äîbut we’d love to know the outcome! Mail us at mail@midnightoilproductions.net with your tragedy and we’ll pass it along to others.
Most pastors feel a strong calling to reach the lost and will do whatever it takes to get there. The idea of planning ahead or designing worship (in particular sermon material) as a team is relatively new. A lot of pastors that are perceived to be “anti-team” have either never been asked, have never explored what that means, or have had a bad experience in the past. As media ministers, we can help pastors do what they do in even more powerful ways through creativity and visual communication.
Any process of change starts with prayer, vision casting, communication, patience, and continued commitment to one another. Take a moment to explore what your pastor’s thoughts are on pre-planning. Chances are, once you show the benefits, he or she will be on board at some level.
The MO Guys said,
Wrote on March 28, 2006 @ 3:51 pm
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Jean said,
Wrote on May 13, 2006 @ 9:21 am
I have been challenged by planning ahead on many fronts. However, I think that my point is starting to get across. Let me elaborate. Our Pastor recently preached one Sunday on your christian identity. Basically until you come into your identity, the enemy has his cross hairs trained on you. In the lobby between services, the Pastor mentioned that this would end up being a series. I asked him what he wanted to call it, he said you know “your born identity” or better yet “Re-Born Identity”. That got me thinking about the movie “Bourne Identity”. Immediately I went home that afternoon and started pulling up the movie posters, calling our communications director and new theme backgrounds were created in about 2 days. That theme background will also be used for CD and Tape covers, you name it. It’s been a little slow to catch on, this thought of pre-planning, but its in times like the above, that it begins to pay-off. This is just the beginning, but I rejoice! Slow and steady wins the race!
Deborah said,
Wrote on May 3, 2007 @ 4:24 pm
I have a problem with your #5. My dad was a missionary/preacher so I grew up with church — way back when computers were huge and expensive! I have now found myself in the media room almost every Sunday. There have been many times when my Pastor comes up and asks if I mind that he is changing the sermon for the day. I feel that only God knows who will be showing up that morning, one person may need the “improvised” sermon and that one person may never be back in our congregation! Who are we to question when the Lord puts a different sermon on right before the service starts? At that point, I realize that I, too, can sit back and just listen to what the Bible says – not worrying about when to click on the next slide. Thank you, Lord, for a Pastor that listens to YOU not to me!!!
The MO Guys said,
Wrote on May 3, 2007 @ 9:57 pm
Hi Deborah,
Thanks for your comment. Keep in mind that this article is addressing pastors who rarely or never plan ahead. #5 on the list is a bit tongue-in-cheek, but is really for the people who always come in on Sunday morning with something unexpected.
We agree wholeheartedly that God may lead a pastor to an improvised sermon and that may be just what was needed for the people showing up that morning. This is usually the exception, not the rule. God knows who is coming just as you say, but he has always known from the beginning of time. The Holy Spirit has shown up early in the week or even weeks ahead of time for us knowing before we did who would be there to hear/see/experience the message. Sometimes the Spirit is there ready to give us what we need ahead of time, but we’re too busy, or lazy, or tired, or maybe we’re just not listening. Other times we’re just not ready to hear what we need to hear until the last minute.
If the Spirit arrives with a new direction on Saturday night or Sunday morning there’s no doubt that “the plan” should be abandoned-something better may be in store. With that said, it’s still a good idea to have a plan ahead of time because the same Holy Spirit can be present in the creative “plan ahead” process.
Media Guidelines - The Church Media Community said,
Wrote on July 26, 2007 @ 10:35 am
[...] Check out this article: “Help! My Pastor Won’t Plan Ahead!” Joel Osborn __________ If life gives you gators, make gatorade. [...]
FUMC Media and Technology » 19 Ways to use Media in Worship: #4 said,
Wrote on August 6, 2007 @ 11:40 pm
[...] Illustrations are a great way to make a point, drive the message home or just get a good laugh. We like to create at least two or three image-based illustrations for every sermon. It helps keep the pace going and breaks up oral monotony. This requires some degree of planning with the preacher, usually in going over sermon notes together during the week (Or at least before Sunday morning. If this is a problem then read this.) [...]
Jim Pena said,
Wrote on November 11, 2007 @ 11:09 pm
Thanks for your article. Full of good info that will help as I prepare to put together a worship planning team very soon.
Louella Hext said,
Wrote on November 28, 2007 @ 12:54 pm
Isn’t it possible that the Lord can speak to the pastor early in the week, giving the pastor the words for the message on Sunday – because the Lord already knows who will be in church on Sunday and what that person needs to hear. Stop giving the pastors their excuse for not planning and working ahead.
Last Minute? | Church Creativity Worship Media Design Art Team Training | Midnight Oil Productions said,
Wrote on April 11, 2009 @ 9:06 pm
[...] “Help! My Pastor Won’t Plan Ahead” [...]