This probably won’t be the last time (and definitely isn’t the first time) that I say what a big fan I am of the idea of grouping weekly messages (or homilies, or small group teachings/talks, even your religious ed. classes if you’re using a lectionary-based curriculum like this one) into a series (see here and here for previous mentions in the blog). It’s something that can be done while still using the lectionary as your foundation, and is another way to help the Scriptures come alive for anyone for whom the Sunday readings have grown stale.
While I’m navigating the waters as a SAHM, I’ve found that listening to podcasts like this one put out by Church of the Nativity (i.e., ones that specifically deal with running programs and other administrative/organizational topics) have helped me stay on top of what’s happening in the ministry world and keep me thinking ahead to what I might pursue if/when I get back into ministry.
That being said, I’ve rounded up some podcasts that I found particular enlightening when it comes to planning a message series. I’d definitely be interested in seeing how this might be adapted for a youth or young adult ministry. In past experiences, when the leadership team was largely volunteer-driven, I found that it was difficult for us to consistently come up with a curriculum/plan even six months in advance. Aside from the small group materials that were provided for Advent and Lent, we would try to have the weeks in between revolve around a theme like “New Beginnings” in January or “Relationships” in February, but we were never quite able to stick with it. Maybe if we had Scripture passages to base our themes off of, it would be easier for us to come up with material related to the theme.
So without further ado, here are the podcasts:
- Rebuilt Podcast 7: The Message Matters
- Rebuilt Podcast 10: Message Series Start to Finish
- Rebuilt Podcast 38: Developing a Message Series
- Rebuilt Podcast 40: Going Deeper Into the Message
- Rebuilt Podcast 47: Message Development
- Rebuilt Podcast 54: Developing a Message Series Calendar
To see examples of what kinds of series other Christian churches are developing, take a look at:
And for those of who have been on the edge of your seat waiting for me to update the Lectionary-Based Series Ideas for 2015 (ha!), click on over to take a look at the rest of themes I’ve listed, all the way through Christ the King. Enjoy!
Leaven in the World 