Sunday Morning Planning Part 3

Last week I started a small series here about Sunday Morning Planning. Today, I will start with planning a one year calendar.

I said there are basically two fields of thoughts. One, plan out all your details. Two, allow God to have control of the service.

The real reality is that most people really do meet somewhere in the middle. Some just stray closer to one side or the other from someones else's perspective. I honestly don't know anyone that does not do some planning. Even if it is 1 hour before start time. My only difference is I start sometimes a year or more out.

I thought I would go over how I have prepared and feel is a balanced approach for me as well as something you could use as a leader or pastor in your church or department.

I, personally, am a big proponent of planning. So much so that most people label me as someone that doesn't allow God to flow.

I have to admit that this is truly funny. Why??? Probably because I trust God through every point of my process. In fact, there is not a single element in planning that I am not trusting God and allowing Him to work through me.

My planning for each experience really starts in the previous year. Throughout the year I am constantly praying, mediating and looking for ideas for series that can be preached. When I get one I will write it down in one of my notebooks. I also have some times where I will sit for an hour or two and just brainstorm out some possible series.

In September (and this may become part of our process at Journey Church) I will pray and detail out the next years preaching calendar. This is just a rough calendar that includes which series we will do each month. I personal like to do a series per month as I typically don't like to go over 5 weeks as you seem to lose momentum.

Again this is a totally faith process. It takes a whole lot of faith to sit down and believe God for what He wants you to speak in November of next year.

This is something I have been doing for about 7 or 8 years and really helps me target in my study time throughout the year as I go into each series.

Of course there is always room for flexibility and change and you need to be open to that but it is great to have a target to shoot at.

The great thing about leadership is being able to look and think ahead. It is being in communion with God for what He does want you to speak.

Tomorrow, I will continue to share the next step of this process.