Resources for Your First Appointment (Preachers)

Online Resources

Lectionary Planning Helps for Sundays

Exploring the Revised Common Lectionary Powerpoint Presentation: [English] [Spanish]

Basic Resources for Lectionary Preaching-- A list of print and online resources for lectionary preaching

What is the Center for Worship Resourcing and What Do We Do? -- a beginning point for exploring the Discipleship Ministries Worship web pages

United Methodist Book of Worship Scripture Readings Listed According to the Books of the Bible -- Excellent tools for locating resources online or in your library when you are not preaching from the Revised Common Lectionary

Discipleship Ministries Church & Civic Holidays Planning Calendar -- A new online tool with United Methodist Special Days and seasonal emphases

Planning for Passionate Worship: A Presentation to Accompany the 2009-2012 Worship Guidelines

Recommendations for your Preaching Library

Allen, Ronald J., Hearing the Sermon: Relationship, Content, Feeling
Ronald Allen has published the findings of his five-year listening study. This first volume deals with the three lenses through which most people listen to sermons: relationship, content and feeling or ethos, logos, and pathos. Also recommended are other volumes in the "Channels of Listening" series: Listening to Listeners, Believing in Preaching, and Make the Word Come Alive.

Callahan, Kennon L., Preaching Grace
This is a good basic preaching book for those who are just beginning to preach or for others who want to step back and take a fresh look at their preaching. Callahan spends time with the sermonic processes and with the motivations of the preacher.

Childers, Jana and Clayton Schmit, Performance in Preaching
This new multi-author volume is the culmination of two decades of work in the area of embodied preaching. It deals with the use of the voice and body in preaching and contains a DVD with video demonstrations and exercises.

Childers, Jana, ed., Purposes of Preaching
This multi-author volume explores the many reasons for preaching and the many functions of preaching in the life of the congregation.

Eslinger, Richard L., The Web of Preaching
If you have ever wondered which sermon structure is most effective, this is the volume for you. Eslinger describes several approaches to constructing sermons with an eye to helping the reader identify the approach that best fits the sermon and the preacher.

Hamilton, Adam, Unleashing the Word
Hamilton's best-seller discusses seldom-discussed issues such as the worship planning team, the use of video in preaching and worship, and preaching with purpose, passion, and relevance.

Hedahl, Susan K. Preaching the Wedding Sermon
This book contains a simple, concise exploration of the wedding sermon. Hedahl writes about the origins of the wedding sermon, reasons for a sermon at the service of marriage, and gives several examples of wedding sermons.

Jeter, Joseph R., Jr., and Ronald J. Allen, One Gospel, Many Ears
How many kinds of listeners are there in your congregation? The list might surprise you. Ronald Allen and Joseph Jeter have done an excellent job of helping preachers understand how to preach, being more mindful of the different ways that people hear sermons.

Long, Thomas G., The Witness of Preaching
This volume takes a textbook approach to preaching and discusses things such as beginnings, connections and endings, the use of images and experiences in the sermon, and the basic form of the sermon. This book is a must-have for any pastoral library.

Long, Thomas G., Accompany Them with Singing: The Christian Funeral
This is an essential guide for understanding, planning, and conducting meaningful Christian funerals. Long's book is theologically sound and profoundly relevant.

Lose, David, Confessing Jesus Christ: Preaching in a Postmodern World
David Lose has done a scholarly job of discussing the changing issues involved with preaching in a Postmodern world. The first chapter of the book, "The End of the World as We Know It?" helps the reader identify some of the discomfort that many veteran preachers are feeling in the pulpit with traditional ways of approaching sermons.

Lundblad, Barbara K., Transforming the Stone
Lundblad discusses ways that preaching can become a means that God uses to transform congregations, even in the midst of fear, anxiety, or resistance. Each chapter contains an issue of transformation and sermonic examples.

Troeger, Thomas and H. Edward Everding, Jr., So That All Might Know: Preaching That Engages the Whole Congregation
Troeger's most recent book on preaching is an excellent exploration of the relationship between preaching and multiple intelligence theory. The author stresses the importance of engaging the whole person with God. He also stresses that we look beyond our flattened conceptualizations of God to engagement with the God who exceeds human boundaries. There is an excellent chapter in this book on preaching and children's ways of knowing.

Troeger, Thomas and H. Edward Everding, Jr., Imagining a Sermon
This volume is a helpful tool for the preacher who wants to preach more imaginative sermons. Troeger provides both theory and sample sermons in each chapter to help preachers pay more attention to images, details, music and cadence in the affairs of everyday life. This volume is another must-have for the new pastor's library!