Sermon is usually the most crucial part of Sunday services in Protestant churches, as it provides believers with spiritual nourishment. Therefore, delivering a well-prepared Sunday sermon is a key aspect of pastoral work.
However, a pastor from China's northeastern Jilin pointed out some issues he noticed in local churches: sermons are disorganized and lack a clear theme, while some churches don’t hold activities during the weekdays, only opening their doors on Sunday.
He also mentioned that some churches invite guest pastors to preach as they do not have a permanent pastor. They pay the guest pastor a fee of 500 yuan for each sermon, which adds up to around 2,000 per month. While this may save money on supporting a permanent pastor, it can lead to disjointed pastoral care for the congregation. Different guest pastors may approach topics differently, providing varied and sometimes conflicting answers to the same questions, which can confuse believers.
To address these issues, he suggested that churches have a resident pastor and invest in developing pastors. If there is no permanent pastor, the church should at least establish consistent themes for Sunday sermons. Churches need to set annual and monthly pastoral themes and structure their Sunday services around these themes. Even if different pastors are invited, the messages will be connected, which allows Christians to benefit from them.
Many vibrant churches emphasize planning preaching for their Sunday services. Some churches use the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL) to guide their worship services.
Mochou Lu Church in Nanjing, Jiangsu, has adopted the RCL since 2013, which follows a three-year cycle centered around the events of Christ's life, with verses from the Prophets, Psalms, New Testament Epistles, and the Gospels for each of the 52 Sundays in a year. The fourth segment always focuses on the Gospels, highlighting Christ's salvation through His birth, death, and resurrection. In the first half of the year, Jesus Christ is mainly exalted, while in the latter half of the year, their focus is on the Holy Spirit guiding the church and believers to know Jesus and accept the truth.
Over the three-year cycle, most aspects of biblical truth are covered, which provides comprehensive biblical study for the congregants.
A church in Beijing employs a verse-by-verse approach to guide its Sunday sermons. Since 2006, the church has focused on the New Testament for most Sundays, except during Easter and Christmas. In 2024, they plan to shift focus to the Old Testament. They also set annual pastoral themes, such as "God's Word: Study, Meditate, Proclaim" for 2023 and "God's Word: Consider, Trust, Obey" for 2024, which are announced during the New Year’s Eve prayer meeting.
A church in east China's Fujian also uses a verse-by-verse study approach. In October, they plan their sermon themes for each Sunday of the following year. The preachers prepare according to these set themes and scripture passages. But for holidays like Easter, Christmas, and Mother's Day, they can choose other themes.
Some churches make their annual preaching calendars according to the needs of their local believers. For instance, a church in Heilongjiang sets different monthly themes for the year, including evangelism in January, February, July, and August, the Holy Spirit in June, and harvest and gratitude in other months.
A church in Ningbo, Zhejiang, follows a monthly theme, focusing on a specific topic each month. For April, the theme is "giving." Pastors may address challenges in tithing, misconceptions about money, or the relationship between giving and blessings. The church holds staff meetings every Tuesday to review the Sunday sermons and offer feedback and suggestions.
"Regardless of how the Sunday sermon is delivered, people can worship God through listening to His words, which can also educate them from a social perspective." Just as Jilin pastor said, the church needs to ponder over how the ministry of the pulipit can become a blessing to both congregations and society on Sundays.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
主日礼拜中，讲道可谓是最重要的环节，因是信徒得到属灵供给的重要途径。
因此，做好主日讲台的宣讲，是教会牧养工作的重中之重。可是一位吉林牧者曾直言当地一些教会的主日讲台乱象：讲道很乱，没有主题；平时没活动，就主日开个门讲场道就散了。
他也提到，一些教会习惯邀请牧者来讲道，本堂没有固定牧者。他们邀请牧者讲一次给500，一个月也才花费2000。没有固定牧者，看似省了供养传道人的费用，但教会对于信徒的牧养就完全是散的。邀请来的牧者，每个人出发的角度不同，这个人这样讲，那个人那样讲，甚至对同一个问题给出完全相反的答案，“对不上，信徒都被整蒙了。”
对此，他建议教会一定要有坐堂的牧师，一定要花力气培养牧者。如果实在没有固定牧者，那就一定要有固定的主题。教会需要确定牧养工作的年主题和月主题，主日礼拜按照主题做。这样即便牧者是流动的，但是信息是有机组合的，信徒才能受益。
走访教会发现，很多有活力的教会都非常注重主日讲台有系统的宣讲。其中不少教会采用三代经课或逐卷查经的牧养方式。
南京莫愁路堂自2013年以来一直采用三代经课牧养信徒。三代经课即《通用经课集修订版》（Revised Common Lectionary），为教会的主日崇拜提供了以基督事件为中心、三年为一周期的读经系统：把每年五十二个主日要读的旧约、诗篇、新约、福音书这四处经文都编排好；其中的第四段一定是选取四本福音书，体现以耶稣基督为中心，默念感谢耶稣基督的降生（圣诞节）、十字架牺牲而复活等救恩信息。其中上半年主要是高举耶稣基督，下半年是圣灵引导教会和信徒认识耶稣、接受真道。
在三年的一周期里，几乎涵盖了基督信仰的圣经真理的主要层面，信徒可以全面学习圣经。
北京一教堂的主日讲台则采用逐卷查卷的形式牧养信徒。从2006年开始，除了复活节圣诞节等节日外，该教会主日讲台都围绕新约展开；2024年他们将开始围绕旧约进行。此外他们每年也会确定不同的牧养主题。2023年的牧养主题是“神的话——查考、默想、陈述”，2024年的牧养主题则是“神的话——揣摩、依靠、遵行”。该主题一般会在跨年祷告会的证道中正式公布。
福建一教会也采用逐卷查经的形式。他们每年10月份时会制定次年全年各个主日的证道主题。每个主日，传道人都会按照预设主题及经文进行预备。在复活节、平安夜、圣诞节、母亲节等相关节日，则让讲道人自行拟定主题。
有的教会则结合当地信徒的实际状况，确定每月的牧养主题，比如黑龙江一教会为一年的十二个月设定不同的主题。除了复活节和圣诞节节期外，他们一月二月、七月八月都是传福音的主题，6月的主题是圣灵，其他的月份还有秋收感恩等。
宁波一教堂每月则围绕一个主题展开，他们4月份的主题是奉献。有的牧者会分享“实际生活中十一奉献的难点”，有的侧重讲“错误的金钱观”，有的会分享“奉献与祝福”。教会每周二会举行同工会议，其中一个环节就是查看本周主日讲章，点评提建议。
“无论主日讲台怎么讲道，总结来说，就是从信仰角度要起到敬拜作用，从社会角度要起到教育作用。”正如吉林这位牧者所说，如何让主日讲台的宣讲成为信徒和社会的祝福，这是教会需要思考并重视的。
教会如何做好主日讲台的宣讲，为信徒提供灵命滋养？
Sermon is usually the most crucial part of Sunday services in Protestant churches, as it provides believers with spiritual nourishment. Therefore, delivering a well-prepared Sunday sermon is a key aspect of pastoral work.
However, a pastor from China's northeastern Jilin pointed out some issues he noticed in local churches: sermons are disorganized and lack a clear theme, while some churches don’t hold activities during the weekdays, only opening their doors on Sunday.
He also mentioned that some churches invite guest pastors to preach as they do not have a permanent pastor. They pay the guest pastor a fee of 500 yuan for each sermon, which adds up to around 2,000 per month. While this may save money on supporting a permanent pastor, it can lead to disjointed pastoral care for the congregation. Different guest pastors may approach topics differently, providing varied and sometimes conflicting answers to the same questions, which can confuse believers.
To address these issues, he suggested that churches have a resident pastor and invest in developing pastors. If there is no permanent pastor, the church should at least establish consistent themes for Sunday sermons. Churches need to set annual and monthly pastoral themes and structure their Sunday services around these themes. Even if different pastors are invited, the messages will be connected, which allows Christians to benefit from them.
Many vibrant churches emphasize planning preaching for their Sunday services. Some churches use the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL) to guide their worship services.
Mochou Lu Church in Nanjing, Jiangsu, has adopted the RCL since 2013, which follows a three-year cycle centered around the events of Christ's life, with verses from the Prophets, Psalms, New Testament Epistles, and the Gospels for each of the 52 Sundays in a year. The fourth segment always focuses on the Gospels, highlighting Christ's salvation through His birth, death, and resurrection. In the first half of the year, Jesus Christ is mainly exalted, while in the latter half of the year, their focus is on the Holy Spirit guiding the church and believers to know Jesus and accept the truth.
Over the three-year cycle, most aspects of biblical truth are covered, which provides comprehensive biblical study for the congregants.
A church in Beijing employs a verse-by-verse approach to guide its Sunday sermons. Since 2006, the church has focused on the New Testament for most Sundays, except during Easter and Christmas. In 2024, they plan to shift focus to the Old Testament. They also set annual pastoral themes, such as "God's Word: Study, Meditate, Proclaim" for 2023 and "God's Word: Consider, Trust, Obey" for 2024, which are announced during the New Year’s Eve prayer meeting.
A church in east China's Fujian also uses a verse-by-verse study approach. In October, they plan their sermon themes for each Sunday of the following year. The preachers prepare according to these set themes and scripture passages. But for holidays like Easter, Christmas, and Mother's Day, they can choose other themes.
Some churches make their annual preaching calendars according to the needs of their local believers. For instance, a church in Heilongjiang sets different monthly themes for the year, including evangelism in January, February, July, and August, the Holy Spirit in June, and harvest and gratitude in other months.
A church in Ningbo, Zhejiang, follows a monthly theme, focusing on a specific topic each month. For April, the theme is "giving." Pastors may address challenges in tithing, misconceptions about money, or the relationship between giving and blessings. The church holds staff meetings every Tuesday to review the Sunday sermons and offer feedback and suggestions.
"Regardless of how the Sunday sermon is delivered, people can worship God through listening to His words, which can also educate them from a social perspective." Just as Jilin pastor said, the church needs to ponder over how the ministry of the pulipit can become a blessing to both congregations and society on Sundays.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
Strategies for Preparing for Sunday Sermons to Nourish Congregants
