Do you full timers follow a schedule for sermon prep? If so, would you mind sharing it? As a bivo I envision the full-time life as unending hours of prayer and preparation. I suspect I am idealizing.

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"Preparing a sermon is like cooking a meal. You need pots and pans and utensils, but you don't bring them out to the table where people are eating." Derek Thomas


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Ken,

There is no such thing as unending hours of prayer and preparation. I spent 4 hours today in meetings. They were not unimportant; all dealt with various aspects of ministry (VBS, Outreach, Worship).

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Fred Greco
Senior Pastor, Christ Church PCA (Katy, TX)
Christ Church Blog

"The heart is the main thing in true religion...It is the hinge and turning-point in the condition of man's soul. If the heart is alive to God and quickened by the Spirit, the man is a living Christian. If the heart is dead and has not the Spirit, the man is dead before God." (J.C. Ryle)

I have this vision in my mind of ex-lawyer Fred running a church meeting. Fred sits, elevated mind you, in the middle of two tables; steno clerk taking copious notes. When the person in charge of VBS has a question they have to ask, "Permission to approach the bench?" Fred's response? "Overruled!"

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Bill Brown
Elder
Reformed Baptist
Maryland

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I am currently bi-vocational, but I used to be full-time. I did my Bible study at home in the morning but I would pray at the church for an hour before I went into the office. I would usually be in the office from 8-12. Most of it was spent in reading (nothing to do with my sermon but pastoral study in Church History, Theology, or something else of interest theologically) and sermon preparation (which included reading commentaries and exposition). At twelve I took an hour lunch. I lived in the church parsonage which was down the street and less than a minute away. I would grab a quick bite, fix some coffee and read a sermon from Spurgeon's Metropolitan Tabernacle. I would spend the rest of the afternoon doing church work (Denominational matters, planning, scheduling, appointments) or visitation. Some of this was back at the church and some was not. All my church meetings were at night, and as a United Methodist pastor I had at least one or two comittee meetings every week, alongside a monthly church council meeting. You would think that I could have my Sunday morning sermon done early in the week, but I always found myself at the church on Saturday mornings finishing up my sermon. We had a mid-week service, which I prepared a sermon for earlier in the week. I miss those days and look forward to them again, that is being a full timer. However, I would make sure I was done with my Sunday morning sermon before Saturday and take a day off during the week.

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Rev. Andy Eppard
Associate Minister
First Cumberland Presbyterian Church
Springfield, MO

So, how many total hours per week do/did you dedicate solely to sermon prep/rehearsal?

No i do not have a regular schedule, other than starting the day with a portion of Scripture and prayer with my wife and Wednesday lunch with her. Of course, there are the regularly scheduled meetings. Othert than that, no two weeks are alike.

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Curt Lovelace
Pastor, Covenant Baptist Church (CBA)
Acton, Maine
Director, Lifework Forum
Sermons at SermonAudio.com/CBCActon
Blogging at Coffee with Curt

Ken, if I may speak for my fellow elder, who is fully supported, he has always taken Mondays off to be with his family. I believe that despite a heavy work load this has been a wise decision.

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Bob, elder, RBC Louisville. 1689 LBCF

"... Of such also, or of those who make a credible profession of being such, all those particular churches consist, which constitute our Lord's visible kingdom. ... Consequently, all the subjects of His government must have spiritual dispositions, , and yield spiritual obedience- obedience proceeding from an enlightened understanding, an awakened conscience, and a renewed heart."- Abraham Booth 1788

I don't have time for a schedule! I go, go, go all day, every day (no Sabbath rest for a ministery). I have no idea have everything gets done but it does.

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Rev. R. Kevin Carroll
Pastor Elect
Covenant Presbyterian Church (PCA)
Wheat Ridge, CO
Blog: Reformed and Loving It

Ken,

I believe that sermon prep included all my time in prayer, Bible study, reading, and putting together my sermon outlines. Even the things I read not directly related to the sermon may have application later in a future message. If I included all of this I spent at least forty hours a week. As far as studying for and working on my weekly sermons directly I would say about ten hours a week. This does not include prayer but includes reading commentaries on the sermon text, word studies, and preparing outlines for my two weekly messages.

I am not a pastor, but I've ALWAYS thought a Church should use it's Deacons and or Elders far more to allow the pastor more time for prayer and study.

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Adam - Pennsylvania - Baptist

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