Preaching or Visiting: Which is More Important?
As a pastor, as well as when I served in other ministry positions, I heard a couple of admonitions from other pastors quite frequently. One was, 'People will forgive a poorly-prepared sermon if they know you're visiting'. Another was, 'People will forgive you not visiting as long as your sermons are well-prepared'.
These contradictory statements cannot both be true maxims. Pastors who were more gifted at visiting than sermon-prep and preaching tended to be the ones who made the first comment. Those whose gifts weighed more heavily on the prep-n-preaching side of the scale tended to say the second.
I grew up a pastor's son, have been involved in ministry for nearly 30 years, and have lots of family members and friends who fall into one or both of those categories. From my experience, I would have to disagree with both of the above admonitions.
1. People will not automatically disregard your poorly written sermon materials, that then typically become a poorly delivered sermon, simply because you shared coffee and cookies with them at their house the previous week. The majority will still feel you should have spent more time on your message. You are claiming to be sharing God's Word, after all - a heavy and wonderful responsibility that identifies you as the mouthpiece of the Creator God - at least during the sermon.
Some may even be upset that you didn't visit them, their friends, and every person on the church's prayer list during the previous week. Visited with Sam a week ago yesterday? That's all well and good, but what about during the last calendar week? What about his sick neighbor he mentioned during that visit so long ago? A proper understanding and ownership of every Christian's call to go to their neighbors is sadly missing in the average believer's life. So you preach on that subject next week, fully prepared and scripturally supported, and Sam asks you on his way out after the service if you ever visited his neighbor.
2. People will not automatically dismiss your failure to visit just because you hit it out of the park with this week's sermon. Just think about Sam.
Jesus said we should visit the sick and those in prison. Neglecting this is serious business. A well-timed visit can make all the difference in someone's life.
As a pastor, I kept lists of people who were sick, going thru difficult times, new visitors, etc. Each week, I'd try to determine how many hours I could set aside specifically for visiting. Then, I'd go through my lists to see which needs were more pressing.
Tom is sick in the hospital in another city, and will be there at least a week. Jill is having surgery in that city tomorrow. A call to Tom today is good, followed by visits to both tomorrow.
Karen is elderly and infirm, unable to get around on her own. Though usually at church Sunday mornings, she was out this past Sunday. A visit to her, combined with visits to the Joneses (new visitors) and Mr. Mason (recently widowed) who live close by, is due.
But don't neglect preparation for your sermon.
These contradictory statements cannot both be true maxims. Pastors who were more gifted at visiting than sermon-prep and preaching tended to be the ones who made the first comment. Those whose gifts weighed more heavily on the prep-n-preaching side of the scale tended to say the second.
I grew up a pastor's son, have been involved in ministry for nearly 30 years, and have lots of family members and friends who fall into one or both of those categories. From my experience, I would have to disagree with both of the above admonitions.
1. People will not automatically disregard your poorly written sermon materials, that then typically become a poorly delivered sermon, simply because you shared coffee and cookies with them at their house the previous week. The majority will still feel you should have spent more time on your message. You are claiming to be sharing God's Word, after all - a heavy and wonderful responsibility that identifies you as the mouthpiece of the Creator God - at least during the sermon.
Some may even be upset that you didn't visit them, their friends, and every person on the church's prayer list during the previous week. Visited with Sam a week ago yesterday? That's all well and good, but what about during the last calendar week? What about his sick neighbor he mentioned during that visit so long ago? A proper understanding and ownership of every Christian's call to go to their neighbors is sadly missing in the average believer's life. So you preach on that subject next week, fully prepared and scripturally supported, and Sam asks you on his way out after the service if you ever visited his neighbor.
2. People will not automatically dismiss your failure to visit just because you hit it out of the park with this week's sermon. Just think about Sam.
Jesus said we should visit the sick and those in prison. Neglecting this is serious business. A well-timed visit can make all the difference in someone's life.
As a pastor, I kept lists of people who were sick, going thru difficult times, new visitors, etc. Each week, I'd try to determine how many hours I could set aside specifically for visiting. Then, I'd go through my lists to see which needs were more pressing.
Tom is sick in the hospital in another city, and will be there at least a week. Jill is having surgery in that city tomorrow. A call to Tom today is good, followed by visits to both tomorrow.
Karen is elderly and infirm, unable to get around on her own. Though usually at church Sunday mornings, she was out this past Sunday. A visit to her, combined with visits to the Joneses (new visitors) and Mr. Mason (recently widowed) who live close by, is due.
But don't neglect preparation for your sermon.
I come from the school of thought that says sermons shouldn't be - and never really are - just a six-day creation. You preach first from however the Holy Spirit leads you. You speak to the needs of your congregation, with God's Word always at the forefront, never just tacked on to what you may want to say.
About the Spirit's guidance: Yes, He can speak through you at the moment you stand to deliver a sermon, and things you never wrote or studied or thought of come from your mouth, and He has done this to/in/through me on occasion. I opened my mouth to preach what I felt led to prepare, and the Spirit spoke instead. A holy and humbling experience. But His ability to do this doesn't negate the commands to study to show ourselves approved, and to meditate on the Word constantly, always teaching and speaking the Truth.
If the Holy Spirit can tell me what to preach next week, He can also do it six months ahead of time.
If I am always preparing to preach, always open to God's voice, then I usually have time to visit those who really need it.
Don't neglect one for the other.
Don't preach certain things because someone's upset (this includes you), and don't visit for the same reasons. Let God guide you. Don't excuse laziness or busyness, just let God be and do in and through you.
About the Spirit's guidance: Yes, He can speak through you at the moment you stand to deliver a sermon, and things you never wrote or studied or thought of come from your mouth, and He has done this to/in/through me on occasion. I opened my mouth to preach what I felt led to prepare, and the Spirit spoke instead. A holy and humbling experience. But His ability to do this doesn't negate the commands to study to show ourselves approved, and to meditate on the Word constantly, always teaching and speaking the Truth.
If the Holy Spirit can tell me what to preach next week, He can also do it six months ahead of time.
If I am always preparing to preach, always open to God's voice, then I usually have time to visit those who really need it.
Don't neglect one for the other.
Don't preach certain things because someone's upset (this includes you), and don't visit for the same reasons. Let God guide you. Don't excuse laziness or busyness, just let God be and do in and through you.
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