19 Feb

The Sermonators Episode 0 - The “Who and Why” of The Sermonators

| Category: burnout, coaching, podcast, preaching

Download the mp3 or click the play button above to stream.

This is our pre-launch episode to introduce the format of The Sermonators Internet Radio Show (a.k.a. podcast) as well as introducing the hosts, Smith and Southerland, (a.k.a. Scott and Joel).  You can read about the guys on the Smith&Southerland page (a.k.a. the re-labeled "about us" page). 

Bottom line: Scott Newton Smith is the itinerant preacher; Joel Southerland is the pastor. 

Together we want to bring our unique and shared perspectives to the table in an effort to bring solid value to the lives and ministries of pastors everywhere.  We really believe the Lord put us together for this purpose:  to provide ongoing support to busy pastors in order to help them preach with ever-increasing effectiveness and live with ever-increasing balance and productivity.

After discussing who we are and how we met and how this whole "Sermonator thing" originated, we discuss the informal survey we conducted with 100 conservative evangelical pastors regarding their preaching training (lack of, or quality of).  Interesting stuff.

Along those lines, in this podcast we refer to the book that has become our "base method" for putting our sermons together.  The 12 Essential Skills for Great Preaching by Dr. Wayne McDill is, in our opinion, the most direct, practical, nuts-and-bolts, how-to-preach-expositionally book out there.

Also in this pre-launch episode, we state our reasons for tackling the time-management side of ministry.  The fallout rate of pastors is alarming… 1500 per month leave the ministry never to return.

Consider these alarming pastor stats: 

  • 80 percent of pastors say they have insufficient time with spouse and that ministry has a negative effect on their family.
  • 40 percent report a serious conflict with a parishioner once a month.
  • 33 percent say that being in ministry is an outright hazard to their family.
  • 75 percent report they’ve had a significant stress-related crisis at least once in their ministry.
  • 58 percent of pastors indicate that their spouse needs to work either part time or full time to supplement the family income.
  • 56 percent of pastors’ wives say they have no close friends.
  • 45 percent of pastors’ wives say the greatest danger to them and family is physical, emotional, mental and spiritual burnout.
  • 21 percent of pastors’ wives want more privacy.
  • Pastors who work fewer than 50 hours a week are 35 percent more likely to be terminated.
  • 40 percent of pastors considered leaving the pastorate in the past three months.

    Source: "Pastors At Greater Risk" by H.B London Jr. and Neil Wiseman, Regal Books, 2003

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    Let’s face it: it’s not lookin’ good for the home team.  We will use this podcast to teach some creative and practical ways that a pastor can leverage his time.  And remember, time is the stuff of life.  Get your time back, get your life back. 

    The goal here is not to get more done in less time so that you can take on more to do; rather, it’s to decrease the time it takes to do what your doing now — to work more productively and efficiently — so that you can get some time back into your own personal life.  Our message is that you can get your life back without quitting the ministry!

    What to expect:

    • A Sermonators podcast twice per month and under half an hour
    • Solid content relating to better preaching (prep and delivery) or principles for better time, ministry and life management
    • Encouragement
    • Fun

    How you can get on board:

    • Subscribe through RSS or iTunes so you don’t miss an episode! (How?)
    • Spread the word!  Send an email to your friends in the ministry encouraging them to visit this site.
    • Send in comments and questions.  This helps us create content around your needs… and you just might get a shout-out on the show!

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