As you know, everything is changing, and that includes preaching.
Many Western nations have become post-Christian over the last century: Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand just to name a few.
America has been a holdout—until recently.
While the subject deserves a separate post, you can make a strong argument that America accelerated its journey to becoming a thoroughly post-Christian culture over the course of the pandemic. So much has changed since 2020, and by all accounts, about 30-50% of former regular church attenders simply decided to not come back.
Over the last few years, there’s been a fresh exodus of people giving up on the American church, and my guess is that the landscape has permanently changed.
Churches that are growing again and growing from new growth, rather than seeing wave after wave of former attenders return.
This means that America has in all likelihood entered its post-Christian era.
That changes so much. And one of the most important things it changes is how to preach effectively.
The authentic Gospel message isn’t at stake. That will never change. But the methods and approaches have to if you’re going to connect with post-modern, post-Christian people.
Here are 7 skills you’ll need to preach effectively in a post-Christian era. America has in all likelihood entered its post-Christian era. That changes so much. And one of the most important things it changes is how to preach effectively.CLICK TO TWEET
Skill 1: The ability to speak to truly unchurched people
One of the secrets of the US church over the last few decades—even large, growing churches—is that many new church attendees weren’t really unchurched people.
One of the secrets of the US church over the last few decades—even large, growing churches—is that many new church attendees weren’t really unchurched people.
Instead, what happened was that larger churches and growing churches grew as a result of “consolidation” rather than truly reaching a lot of unchurched people.
The consolidation trend has meant the churches that are growing and picking up people from churches that aren’t growing. Sure, they’re reaching some unchurched people. But a lot of growth has been transfer growth. One of the secrets of the US church over the last few decades—even large, growing churches—is that many new church attendees weren’t really unchurched people.CLICK TO TWEET
What’s the implication for preaching you ask?
Well, many pastors haven’t truly learned to preach to unchurched people yet. It’s a skill many of us have yet to develop.
In this interview, New York Times best-selling author Adam Grant and I discuss how to reinvent preaching to engage a truly unchurched audience using the principles he’s developed on how to encourage people to be open to new ideas (and belief systems).
One of the key skills is to deliver what people need to know in the context of what people want to know.
There’s what people want to know. That can easily drive a topical series on issues like suffering, relationships and even creating a better life.
But then there’s what people need to know, like specific teachings, doctrines, and even sections of Scripture. That’s where the angle becomes everything.
For example, when I read through Psalm 101, I knew I wanted to preach it. But how do you angle a Psalm?
The psalm is all about how David crafted a life of integrity and how he deleted certain influences from his life while saving others.
I called the series Save and Delete. And, in it, I dangled this question in front of people: Can you delete certain people from your life?
Discerning what people want to know and using that to connect with what people need to know will become an essential skill for preachers who reach the next generation. Preachers, deliver what people need to know in the context of what people want to know.CLICK TO TWEET
Skill 2: Doing deeper research to prepare for skeptics
A few decades ago, the preacher was typically one of the most highly educated members of a congregation, and certainly the most highly educated in theology.
The internet has changed so much.
While preachers might still have the advantage of a four-year deep dive into everything from biblical exegesis to systematic theology, the ability of a congregation to challenge a preacher’s ideas has soared thanks to technology. While preachers might still have the advantage of a four-year deep dive into everything from Biblical exegesis to systematic theology, the ability of a congregation to challenge a preacher’s ideas has soared thanks to technology.CLICK TO TWEET
Any time you seek to ‘pronounce’ on a subject, you now face an audience of skeptics and fact-checkers who will quickly Google anything you say, from observations on theology to anything you comment on in the culture.
The challenge, of course, is that technology gives people access to information but not access to wisdom or discernment. But it doesn’t stop them from either challenging you or dismissing you.
Think about this: Sometimes you hear about their disagreement. But sometimes you don’t. They slip out the back door without saying a word or turn off the live stream never to return. And you never hear a thing about it.
The point?
Writing a message of half-digested thoughts on a Saturday to deliver it on a Sunday has never been a great idea. But today it’s preaching suicide. It’s only a matter of time until you say something that blows up in your face.
Doing better research for your messages is more important than ever. Writing a message of half-digested thoughts on a Saturday to deliver it on a Sunday has never been a great idea. But today it’s preaching suicide. It’s only a matter of time until you say something that blows up in your face.
Your audience has done their homework. You’ll need to as well.
A few things can help with this.
First, consider preaching fewer weekends a year so you can better prepare for when you do preaching.
Second, make study a life habit rather than simply something you do to prepare for Sunday. The best preachers I know read voraciously, listen to numerous podcasts, and are always processing biblical and cultural ideas with friends and colleagues.
The future probably belongs to those who are willing to do the same. Writing a message of half-digested thoughts on a Saturday to deliver it on a Sunday has never been a great idea. But today it’s preaching suicide. It’s only a matter of time until you say something that blows up in your face.CLICK TO TWEET
