In the early nineties working as a youth ministry intern, I found myself in the middle of a conversation between two “seasoned” leaders about the importance of having a platform. They went back and forth on the necessity of building a platform; I interjected with all the wisdom of a summer intern and said, “our platform is three feet high and has plenty of space for the band; I think a little elevation above the congregation helps with effective communication.” The two seasoned leaders looked at one another, smiled, and then explained a “platform” is not a stage but the audience you build for your speaking ministry. I probably acted like I was joking, even though I was not, and then stumbled off to find a game of chubby bunny with the other “unseasoned” summer interns. I was a quantum leap away from having a platform or getting invited onto a stage!
Much has been written about the failure of celebrity preachers and the potential pitfalls of building a platform. Katelyn Beaty’s newest book, Celebrities for Jesus, is a must-read if you want to parse the difference between fame and celebrity and dig deep into how the pastoral journey to celebrity is dangerous. You can hear Katelyn’s interview on the Theology on Mission podcast for a brief overview.
One of the driving values of the 412 project is hope for the future. Therefore, it is necessary to look into our past, even our most recent history, and ask what went wrong. The subject for this short 2-part article series is discerning a way forward with preaching that makes disciples and rejects celebrity platforms. Celebrity preaching is a cultural reality not bound to the audience or congregation size; it is a mindset pervasive throughout Christian culture. When we speak of celebrities, targeting people like the late Billy Graham or Joel Osteen with massive followings is easy. If we do so, we fail to realize the common, and much more problematic, a thread of choosing a church based on a preacher. Congregations of 100 can make a celebrity out of their pastor without an audience of millions. Yes, preachers seek platforms; but let’s recognize congregants who defer to preachers, even small congregation preachers, like celebrities. Congregants proclaim, “you have to hear our preacher,” or “I love being “under” their teaching.” In many cases, a congregation of 15 people will set up stages, amplification, and lights for the preacher when the most effective ministry set up for that size group is a circle of chairs.
A Way Forward
There are many practices central to the spiritual formation of a congregation; weekly liturgy, baptism, communion, child dedication, and fellowship meals. However, in most congregations, the most prominent practice is preaching, a practice with limited efficacy in making disciples. The sermon is the primary attractional offering to modern congregants and is the most commented-on aspect of Sunday Liturgy. Instead of canceling the sermon, consider implementing a one-voice, many-communicator strategy.
One Voice, Many Communicators Strategy
This strategy includes a team of preachers who write messages in concert with one another based on annual or bi-annual planning. In this strategy, a team of preachers retreats once or twice a year to discern the Holy Spirit’s direction for teaching in their congregation. These preachers should be player coaches committed to proclaiming the Word of God and living the way of Jesus in their neighborhoods. You are looking for practitioners, not theorists. It is wise to bring other leaders in on these planning retreats. Once the calendar is set, preaching assignments are discerned based on gifting and experience. (more on this in part 2). Weekly message outlines are submitted to the team, edited in the community, and then delivered on Sunday. In this strategy, the communicator of the week is only one contributor to the sermon they preach. This weekly process keeps communicators mutually submitted to one another and allows them to disciple one another as they seek to understand and apply the Bible in their context. Moreover, the more seasoned preachers can invest in the less seasoned preacher for coaching and advice. Finally, this weekly process allows a team to seek the collective will of God as they submit ideas to one another.
The 412 Project is available for one-on-one coaching on how to build a preaching team and facilitation for your next teaching team retreat. Contact us here!