By Rodney Osborne Jr. … “Pastor, I wish that we could hear sermons from you more often,” says a church member.

While you appreciate the words of affirmation, you can also sense what is not being said: When you aren’t preaching, people are not receiving the same level of spiritual nourishment and encouragement.

You prepared that sermon after spending time at the feet of Jesus in prayer and Bible study. You know He gave you a clear word to preach. You stepped into the (physical or virtual) pulpit humbly, yet confidently, trusting God to bless. You delivered the sermon with conviction and power. The Spirit of God used your words to touch hearts, and their response was desire to commit to Jesus.

Then came that comment, on one hand, you do not want the church to become pastor-dependent and expect to hear a sermon from you every single Sabbath. On the other hand, you wish that there was a way for church members to hear a powerful, practical message each Sabbath, no matter who is preaching.

As a pastor serving in the second multi-church district of my ministry, I’ve experienced this struggle before. Perhaps you have too. I learned very quickly that it is extremely difficult (impossible!) to be in two different places at the same time. On any given Sabbath, local elders and lay leaders across our field are also tasked with the important assignment of faithfully preaching God’s Word.

I firmly believe the Holy Spirit gives spiritual gifts “to each one individually as He wills,” 1 Corinthians 12:11. I also believe that spiritual gifts, including teaching and preaching God’s Word, can and should be cultivated (see 2 Timothy 1:6). Below are a few practical suggestions to assist you in cultivating the spiritual gifts of elders and lay leaders in the area of preaching.

  1. Build personal relationships with elders and lay leaders.As a new pastor, I keenly remember conference leadership telling me, “Visit, visit, visit!” I took that counsel to heart, and do my best to get to know members, and more specifically, the elders and lay leaders, in the districts that I serve. As I do so, I am able to learn their strengths, passions, spiritual gifts, and even their struggles and weaknesses. Building such relationships is the foundation u to have spiritual conversations with elders and lay leaders, including (but not limited to) how they can grow in the area of preaching.
  2. Be compassionate toward elders and lay leaders.It might be tempting to be critical of, or frustrated with, elders and lay leaders who may not preach as effectively as you do. But take a step back and ask a few questions: Is there a deeper issue that needs to be addressed? Is it possible that no one has taken time to instruct them on how to prepare an effective sermon? If the latter is true, you could gently ask them if they would be interested in feedback, resources, or instruction in the area of sermon preparation.
  3. Seek to learn from elders and lay leaders. There is a saying that goes, “Even a broken clock is right twice a day.” No matter how ineffective you feel a sermon was, I can guarantee they did something right. If the sermon was recorded, listen to it and let them know how they did well, and how it blessed you. You might also ask elders and lay leaders for feedback on your sermons. This helps create a culture of accountability and constructive criticism. Taking these steps can help lead to deeper conversations where you are able to disciple (and learn from) them in this area of ministry.
  4. Hold training sessions to equip elders and lay leaders to preach effectively. In the previous district where I served, I held a preaching workshop for our local elders and anyone else interested in growing in their ability to preach. The workshop went through biblical principles of preaching, how to structure a sermon for success, using illustrations, and the appropriate use in the pulpit of Ellen White’s writings, among other principles. These instruction times can benefit elders and lay leaders as they minister to their audiences during the sermonic moment of the worship service.
  5. Share powerful, effective sermons with elders and lay leaders that have personally blessed you.It is said that “some things are caught, not taught.” In other words, we can sometimes learn more by watching a behavior in action, rather than simply being told how to do it. The same is true of preaching. There are many gifted, Spirit-filled preachers within our denomination. Some are older, familiar voices; others are younger, up-and-coming preachers. Expose elders and lay leaders to powerful preaching by periodically inviting guest speakers. Do your best also, by the grace of God, to model powerful, effective preaching in your own pulpit ministry.

It is true that preaching is not the only aspect of gospel ministry. However, God still uses preachers and teachers to communicate the message of the gospel and to help His people experience unity and spiritual maturity (see Ephesians 4:11-16). May God bless your efforts to empower elders and lay leaders to preach with clarity, conviction, and Christ-centeredness.

–Rodney Osborne, Jr. serves as the district pastor of the Ankeny and Nevada Churches in the Iowa-Missouri Conference. He is the author of Preaching Made Practical: A Step-by-Step Guide to Powerful Sermons, a resource geared toward equipping elders and lay leaders to preach effectively.  Photo supplied.

This article was originally published on the NAD Ministerial website.