When NewSpring Church began, I realized that I have between 35-40 minutes (okay, maybe 55 or even 60) to speak to the people who attend one of our services every week and to say something that is given to me by God that will impact their lives. I also realized that part of my job as a communicator was to make the message as engaging and memorable as possible. So I have a seven-step philosophy on message preparation that I feel has served our church and our staff well.
1. Get a word from the Word.
I have an intense conviction when it comes to preaching: A preacher has got to speak from the overflow of what God is doing inside him. This means we must have consistent time with God when we are on our faces seeking Him for what he wants to say to us, because it is out of our victories and our pain that we communicate the most passionately—and therefore connect intimately—with the people that God has called us to lead.
The overwhelming majority of the series ideas that I have preached at NewSpring Church come out of my personal time with God. Now, let me be very clear: I do not use my quiet time for message preparation. The purpose of my personal time with God is for me to connect with Him, not to prepare a message. However, I always have a pen and a paper nearby, so I can jot down a note and come back to it later.
The best thing we can do as communicators is communicate what God is setting our hearts on fire with—then we don’t have to produce the passion. God produces the passion inside us.
2. Listen to other communicators.
From time to time, people will ask me, “Hey, Perry, do you ever use other people’s stuff?” I answer, “YES!”
However, give me a second to unpack this…first of all, I will not preach another person’s message word-for-word. However, if I’m listening to a communicator, and they say something to their church that resonates in my heart and my spirit, then I will not hesitate to use that same phrase, that same quote to the people I am preaching to.
I believe it is arrogant for a pastor or a church leader to hear something meaningful or impactful said by another church leader but still come to the conclusion, “I can’t say that to my church, because it is not an original thought birthed inside of me.” One of the greatest mistakes that a leader can make in speaking to his church is to actually think that he has to be original in everything that he preaches and teaches. God has given us the gift of other leaders and communicators who say some incredible things, and we should listen and be unafraid to share what God uses in their voices to impact our hearts and our congregations.
And by the way ... the person who claims to be completely original in their communication and vision has a problem with lying!
3. Find your best time and place to prepare.
All communicators are completely unique in their preparation process. We have to find what works for us. When I attended college many moons ago, it became evident to me that I did very well in early morning classes; however, after 12:00 p.m. my ADD and my desire to take naps often got the best of me! I am most likely to be “on my game” when it comes to preparation between 7:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m.; after that, I am useless most of the time!
Thus, these days my preparation takes place in the morning, and I guard that time like a pit bull. I do not allow meetings to take place in the mornings. I very seldom do breakfasts for anyone, because the morning-time is when I am the freshest and able to think most clearly in regard to what God wants me to say.
I mentioned time—let me also mention place. When we study, we’ve got to separate ourselves from distraction. Give your cell phone to your assistant, put it on silent, and do not Twitter. From time to time, we need to get in a different environment—go to a coffee shop, sit at a picnic table in a park, do whatever it takes to find our best time and place to prepare. Do not schedule meetings during this time, and do not apologize. You’ve got a job to communicate to the people God has placed in front of you, and we’ve got to find our best time and place to prepare.
