Featured What is a sermon committee?

'9Mark Dever' describes how he invites over a small focus group on Saturday night to listen to him read his sermon. Then he makes adjustments for Sunday morning, according to their feedback :

Pastors Talk Leadership & Preaching | Baptist Press

"Dever added that on Saturday night before preaching on Sunday, a small group meets at his house. He reads his sermon manuscript to them, receives feedback and makes changes accordingly."

Preach: Theology Meets Practice by Mark Dever

"after I've written the sermon, I'll read it to a few friends in my study on Saturday night, and often there are women present who give me some of the best comments I receive."


Simon Murphy • Instagram

"Sitting with Mark Dever at 11pm on a Saturday night in his study"
"listening to him read his sermon and take comments"

 

Then why is he getting paid by his church. My pastor is in his office every day preparing his messages.

And it’s also shameful how quiet this board is on this whole issue. Do y’all use others work too?

 

Yeah a pastor friend of mine has been inviting members of his congregation over at his house for years... Its called Bible Study, but he uses this scripture and doesn't run it by a sermon committee... He is prepared to give a sermon and Lord knows the sermon the church needs... Brother Glen

2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

 

Perhaps it’s modeled after the prophecy committee.

“Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said.” –1 Cor 14:29

 

Baptist churches have committees for everything else, may as well have one for the sermon.

 

Thee best pastors are out doing the work of the Shepherd. The everyday Bible study that each and every believer should do is sufficient for weekly sermon prep.

 

Good point!... Bad idea!... Brother Glen

 

I agree. I was being sarcastic.

 

Jack Hyles: "A fellow told me about a church in Arkansas that had a sermon committee....'The preacher gets the sermon up all week, gives it to the sermon committee on Saturday. The sermon committee reads it and approves or rejects it, then gives it back to him.' He said, 'Boy, that's terrible, isn't it?'"

"I said, 'I have the same thing'....
He said, 'A sermon committee?...That tells you what to preach?'
I said, 'One that checks on my sermons.'
He said, 'How many are on it?'
I said, 'Three—GOD THE FATHER, GOD THE SON, AND GOD THE HOLY GHOST'."

 

I despise committees.

 

More detailed description from Dever of what he's been counseling 9Marksist pastors to do.
Aim is diversity/inclusion?

Mark Dever, The Compelling Community: Where God's Power Makes a Church Attractive (Crossway 2015)

"Involve Your Congregation in Writing Your Sermon....brainstorm....In exchange for a free lunch, invite a few members of your church to spend time thinking and praying through the passage ahead of time. Then once your sermon points take shape, work together over lunch to generate application ideas for each point. The benefit is a sermon that addresses perspectives beyond your own."

"Saturday Night Sermon Reading. Consider doing a 'dry run' through the sermon on Saturday evening. Invite a few folks from the church to listen. You'll work out some communication bugs before Sunday morning. Beyond that, it's a great opportunity for people to provide criticism before the sermon gets preached. And it's an opportunity to get feedback on areas you've not quite figured out—particularly regarding illustrations and the introduction."

 

it’s idiotic

 

Sermon committee?
He wasn't one of the knights of the round table, was he?

 

I once preached at a church near New Bern NC, and just down the road was a convenience store with "Sermons" as the family ownership name right on top of the store — really! .

You can make up your own jokes at that point.