It takes hours to prepare a sermon—then it’s preached in less than one. And in a few days, even the most intent listeners won’t remember what they learned. How can you help make sure your sermons have a chance at being remembered and, more importantly, acted on?
Make good use of sermons well after they’re preached.
Here are five of the simplest ways to reuse your sermons and keep biblical truth top of mind during the week.
1. Sermon podcast
Podcasting may not have all the flash and sizzle of viral videos—but it has arguably more impact. Once someone finds a podcast they like, they’ll probably listen more than once and could even share it with others. Podcasts have steadily gained in popularity, with over half of Americans saying they’ve listened to a podcast.1
It’s so easy to tune into a podcast while doing everyday tasks like cooking, cleaning, or commuting. So when your church turns sermons into a podcast, you’re providing another way for people to redeem their time.
And not only that—you’re creating another opportunity to share your church with the world. Some people who wouldn’t come to your church or aren’t even ready to sit and watch a live streamed service will be willing to press play on your podcast.
If starting a sermon podcast sounds intimidating, don’t worry. It’s not as difficult as it may seem (and it’s especially simple if you use Logos’s church presentation software, Proclaim—here’s how to do it). Once you get your podcast started, it doesn’t take more than a minute or two to keep it going week to week.
2. Sermon audio on your church website
Let your sermon audio do double duty! Some people may prefer to listen to your sermons during the week, but they don’t have a smartphone, don’t know what podcasts are, or just would rather head to your church’s website to listen.
Like with sermon podcasting, you only need to include the sermon here—not the entire service.
3. Church blog
Did you know 77% of internet users read blog posts?2 Even if you don’t have the time or the volunteers to flesh out a church blog strategy and churn out original content, you can start and maintain a church blog with just your sermons.
Yes, you could post sermon transcripts to your website and leave it at that. But formatting your sermon into a blog post makes it much more user-friendly, and you’ll be free to add in new, original-content blog posts as you have the opportunity.
4. Images for social media/your church online community
Powerful quotes have a way of sticking with you, don’t they? And photos are 40 times more likely to be shared on social media than text.3
So combine those two to make them work for you—create attractive images with a quote or verse from your sermon, then share on your church’s social media.
For more on social media, take a look at 10 Quick Social Media Wins for Your Church.
5. Weekday devotionals
Quickly go through your sermon transcript and highlight a few sections that stand out—perhaps they contain key verses, memorable illustrations, or questions that challenge people to think about whether they’re living according to Scripture.
Then decide how often you want to provide a devotional thought on your church’s social media, in your online community, or through email. For instance, some pastors do it every weekday. Others include a thought in their weekly online newsletter.
Once you’ve done that, you can share the text, go the extra mile by filming short, informal videos containing the content, or do a combination of both depending on how full your week is. Either way, you’re not only reminding people of truth throughout the week but also giving them another opportunity to engage with you.
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Which method will you start with?
Related articles
- Sermon Podcasting Made Easy (Really)
- Start Transcribing Your Sermons This Sunday
- Starting a Church Blog Is So Much Easier Than You Think—Here’s Why
- https://www.statista.com/chart/10713/podcast-listeners-in-the-united-states/, accessed September 28, 2021.
- https://optinmonster.com/blogging-statistics/, accessed September 28, 2021.
- https://buffer.com/resources/infographics-visual-content-marketing/, accessed September 28, 2021.