10 Ways to Improve Your Sermon Series Planning

1. Leverage the seasons. Consider when the most people will likely attend services. Seasons are cyclical and often depend on where you’re located—Christmas and Easter will be “busier” times everywhere.

2. Find the right balance. Use services to attract a crowd and help people take the next steps in their spiritual journey.

3. Vary the approach. For example, teach on a topic for one series, and then teach through a book of the Bible in another series.

4. Address questions being asked. Consider routinely reviewing the headlines of men’s and women’s magazines for hot topics being discussed in today’s culture.

5. Deliver biblical truth and life application. Make it a goal in every message to clearly identify one next step for people to apply what they’ve learned.

6. Shoot for eight to 10 series a year. An average series should be four to six weeks. Every time you start a series, it creates an opportunity for people to invite their friends.

7. Plan ahead. Try to outline your topics a couple of months in advance. This frees up your creative people to plan series packaging, service elements and communications to enhance your teaching, and provides time for appropriate promotion.

8. Plan with a team. One team may drive the topics. Another team may drive the series packaging, including identifying titles and visual images. Another team may develop the services elements and execution.

9. Use your people to promote. The No. 1 way new people will attend your services is through an invitation from someone who already attends your church. Make it easier for people to invite their friends.

10. Teach, and let artists be creative. The biggest impact—both numerically and in life change—will likely be experienced when artists let you drive the teaching and you let the artists drive the creative elements.

Tony Morgan
Tony Morganhttp://TheUnstuckGroup.com

Tony Morgan is the founder and lead strategist of The Unstuck Group. Started in 2009, The Unstuck Group has served over 500 churches throughout the United States and several countries around the world. Morgan has five published books including The Unstuck Church and, with Amy Anderson, hosts the The Unstuck Church Podcast with thousands of listeners each month.

Keep Calm and Minister

Can you pass the "Timothy Test?"

4 Ways God’s Spirit Leads His People

We don't always have the full picture, but discerning how God is leading you is not unclear.

Fit for the Kingdom

The Lord prompted Reardon to think about combining Christian fellowship with fitness in order to create a new small group for men.