A Sermon Series to Launch a Church

In the process to plant a church, lead church planters have numerous choices to make.  One of the biggest initial choices is what sermon series they will use to launch their church. This might sound like a minor issue, but it is quite important.

I won’t get into the importance of preaching in a series, I’ll assume you’re already on that page.  With a church’s ‘Grand Opening Series’ they establish their first impression to the community. It’s not just another portion of the service, it is the very message your church proclaims and the first one at that.  So here are a few thoughts for you if you’re in the midst of creating your ‘Grand Opening Series’:

• It may seem appropriate to launch your church by preaching on your church’s values or mission, but this is usually only appealing to ‘churched people’.  Rather then doing that, establish your mission in the community by showing them, not telling them.
• Use your ‘Grand Opening Series’ to set the tone for your church:  go after the issues in your community.  Preach a series that is relevant to the needs of those that live in your area (i.e. relational strife, economic struggles, fear of the future).
• Rather then asking: ‘What do I want people to hear about my church?’, ask ‘What are the needs my Jesus wants to meet in my community?
• This may seem obvious, but just wanted to state it:  Bring every message back to Christ. Cast the net of salvation…do it every week.  If you’re not good at it, learn and keep doing it.
• Finally, don’t make the series too serious. When addressing genuine needs, a message and series can take on a very serious tone.  Keep things upbeat and positive.   No one wants to come to a new church that is already depressing and lifeless.

If you’ve planted a church before, anything you would add?