I learn by coaching
I love to preach, but sermon preparation has never come easily to me. Worse, outside of the occasional comments from my congregation—”Good sermon, Pastor!” or “I really liked that story about … “—there was no one who could offer constructive feedback. Consequently, Mondays were usually filled with nagging feelings of inadequacy. I learned to deal with this over the years through experience and prayer. But many younger pastors struggle with “I wonder how I’m doing” week after week.
Some time ago, I was talking on the phone with Jeff, a longtime friend and a young pastor fresh out of seminary. I heard echoes of my early struggles in his questions: “When do you block out study time?” “How do you move from text to sermon?” “Where do you find good illustrations?”
Suddenly, I had one of those “Aha!” moments. The familiar passage in 2 Timothy came to mind: “And the things that you have heard from me … commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2:2, NKJV). This was not simply an exhortation to be involved in discipling others. Paul, a preacher, was charging two other preachers, Timothy and Titus, with the responsibility of preparing others to preach. In a sense, they were to be “preacher coaches.”
I asked Jeff if he’d be open to a “sermon coaching” relationship. He could send sermon tapes and manuscripts for me to evaluate, and then we could discuss them and address any questions that might arise.
Jeff was eager to start. It has been about a year since we began, and our experiment has been a boon for both of us.
I’ve since developed mentoring relationships with two other pastors besides Jeff. They each say it’s helpful and encouraging to have a seasoned pastor, who’s still preaching, offer them counsel. And it has helped me to keep thinking and working on the fundamentals.
The questions I ask as a coach often come back to haunt (and help) me as I prepare my upcoming messages. As a coach, you have to “think on your feet,” which brings what you know to the surface and then redeposits it deeper inside of you.
I am now a firm believer in sermon coaching. Every veteran pastor would do well to find a younger preacher who’s eager for direction, and offer him ongoing encouragement and advice. Then see how both of you grow.
—Charles F. Boyd Southside Baptist Church Greenville, South Carolina Charles.Boyd@ssm.org
My group study retreat
Most senior pastors know that it sometimes feels like you’re all alone. The lack of encouragement and feedback can deprive you of the “life support” needed to keep your preaching effective.
I used to agonize over this tension, until in 1994 five of my Denver Seminary classmates and I decided to take a five-day “spring break” retreat to exhaustively study one book or topic from the Bible. We’ve done it every year since.
Our first year, we had the use of a vacation home in Estes Park, Colorado, where we studied Malachi. In following years, it was Galatians in Durango, Romans in Frisco, 1 Timothy in Lake Walloon, Michigan, and the Sermon on the Mount in Lake Tahoe.
Our primary objective is to establish a serious study from which we can develop a sermon series. Armed with lexicons, dictionaries, commentaries, and various other resources, we begin by breaking down the topic into three or four study segments, which then become the major preaching units. We supplement our findings with illustrations and support points.
It has become much more than just a study. Every year we leave with a greater sense of blessing from God, and from one another.
During my first 10 years as a senior pastor, I often found myself asking: “Who pastors the pastor?” “With whom can I share my hurts and frustrations?” “Who will listen to me, accept me, and love me when the pressures of ministry weigh me down?”
For me the answer is our retreat group, where we’ve prayed together, studied together, and literally washed one another’s feet for the sake of Christ.
—Bob Blahnik Suburban Bible Church Highland, Indiana bobblahnik@hotmail.com
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