5 KEYS to creating an attractional sermon series
Crafting a sermon series that captivates your congregation and draws in new attendees can be a transformative experience for your church. Here are five essential steps to create an attractional sermon series that resonates deeply with your audience and aligns with your ministry’s vision.
Understand Your Audience.
The foundation of an attractional sermon series starts with understanding your audience. Who are they? What are their struggles, hopes, and dreams? What are the generational and ethnic demographics you’ll be communicating to? You absolutely must be fluent in the cultural languages and if that feels out of reach for you. Surround yourself with a culture team full of representatives from each who can contribute to naming the series or coming up with creative language that will really stick in the minds of those you’re communicating to. Take time to engage with your congregation, listen to their stories, and identify common themes. Use surveys, small group discussions, or social media polls to gather insights. This will help you address relevant topics that meet them where they are.
Define a Clear Theme.
A well-defined theme provides cohesion and focus to your sermon series. It should be broad enough to cover multiple aspects of a topic but specific enough to maintain a central message. Consider themes that are biblically rich and practically applicable.
Create Engaging Content.
Content is king, but engagement is queen. Your sermons should be biblically grounded, thought-provoking, and actionable. Incorporate stories, analogies, and multimedia elements to bring your messages to life. Encourage interaction through social media, Q&A sessions, or small group discussions. Use personal stories, by all means. Your congregation and community will engage with you and trust you more when they feel this sense of authenticity. One word of caution, don’t overdo it. There are plenty of ways to get compelling stories that drive home the point. It doesn’t always have to be you.
Example: Use video testimonies from congregation members who have experienced joy through their faith to complement your sermon on joy.
Promote Your Series Effectively
An attractional sermon series requires effective promotion. Utilize all available channels to spread the word. Create eye-catching graphics, teaser videos, and shareable social media posts. Consider a dedicated landing page on your church’s website where people can find all the information they need about the series.
Example: Launch a countdown campaign on social media, featuring snippets from upcoming sermons to build anticipation.
If you don’t have the personnel or abilities to make this happen, partner with Kindred or a company that you can trust will have your best interest at heart to come alongside you to make this happen. If you don’t have the budget, start talking to your board now about the importance of this investment. You carry the most vital message in the history of mankind, let’s not settle for packaging it like a note you’d pass in school.Evaluate and Iterate
After the series concludes, take time to evaluate its impact. Gather feedback from your congregation through surveys or focus groups. Analyze attendance patterns, engagement metrics, and personal testimonies. Use this data to refine your approach for future sermon series.
Example: If feedback indicates that people loved the interactive elements, consider incorporating more of them in your next series.
Creating an attractional sermon series is more than just delivering a set of messages. It’s about connecting deeply with your congregation, addressing their needs, and inviting them on a transformative journey. By understanding your audience, defining a clear theme, creating engaging content, promoting effectively, and evaluating your efforts, you can craft a sermon series that not only attracts but also deeply impacts those who hear it.
Remember, the goal is not just to fill seats but to give opportunities within easy reach for your community to start making life changing choices. Happy sermon planning!
