Ministry Matters - It's all in the ordo | Dialogical preaching

Should our order of worship resemble a salad bowl? It's all in the ordo by William P. McDonald   Attend worship on Sunday, and chances are, it goes something like this: there’s a call to worship, then a hymn, everyone then seated for a prayer, then announcements, then another hymn, followed by a children’s sermon, then an affirmation of faith some Sundays—whoops, forgot to announce the men’s pancake breakfast, so we’ll wedge that in here—offertory, anthem, a scripture text of the preacher’s choosing, sermon, closing hymn and benediction. A pastoral colleague of mine aptly named this “salad shooter worship,” or an order of service that resembles the kitchen gadget that spits forth salad ingredients into a bowl, instantly tossing tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, and such. Read here

Should preachers spend less time writing sermons? Dialogical preaching: recovering the lost art of sermonic conversation by Michael Adam Beck   I was trained up under the adage, “sweat in the study, fire in the pulpit.” If a preacher didn’t spend 15-20 hours a week tightly refining a sermon manuscript, they were committing an injustice against God. But might the sun be setting on a time when preachers could read carefully prepared sermon manuscripts to the packed-full-pews of already-Christians? Has anybody noticed that no matter how compelling our monologues might be, most congregations are still shrinking? Read here

How should you lead in an emotionally fraught moment? What is the pastor's role in disaffiliation? by Ministry Matters   Maybe you are serving a church with a vocal caucus that wants outside pro-disaffiliation speakers allowed in to make the case so a vote can be taken. Maybe you’re also receiving increasingly anxious emails from individuals who want your church to take a stand for inclusivity and changes to our polity, but they’re only telling you that and not speaking up in mixed spaces. Maybe you are struggling with how to lead a discernment process when you have your only convictions, beliefs, and commitments that make it harder for you to be charitable to those who believe so differently from you. Read here

Preaching the end of lockdown this Sunday Preaching when you're cut to the heart this Sunday

Elements for worshipping together for the Second Sunday of Easter