As someone starting out in preaching, it’s important that I have a system so I don’t forget any important steps or process. In an earlier post, I showed how I create a board in Notion to track upcoming sermons. Today I wanted to show how I prepare a sermon using Notion and showcase a template I have created.
Why Prepare a Sermon using Notion?
Notion’s templates can help speed up sermon preparation and ensure you don’t miss an important step. With a single click, they fill a page with an outline which you can then fill in. This saves you from thinking about what parts you need to include, and allows you to focus on completing each step.
When preparing a sermon, using Notion to create your outline means I don’t have to strain to remember every important step (and whether I have done them) but instead just fill in the outline. It’s basically the checklist manifesto approach.
Admittedly, other note taking apps like Evernote also have template and you can even use a tool like TextExpander to fill in a template in any note tool. So this approach is applicable even if you use a different tool to Notion.
What Is In My Notion Sermon Preparation Template?
There are four sections to my Notion preparation template.
- A process list
- Guiding questions
- A sermon outline
- Notes and resources
1. The Process list
In this section I have a to-do list which includes steps to complete while preparing for the sermon. These include making sure I pray, consulting commentaries, discussing potential issues with the pastor and so on. This helps keep track within the sermon preparation.
2. Guiding questions
After the process, I have a series of guiding questions who’s job is to focus my attention on what the passage is saying and how that applies to the church. These are questions I should reflect on as I read the passage and then use as a guideline and measure for the sermon.
After all, if the passage’s main theme is one thing but the sermon focuses more on something else, perhaps something went wrong.
3. A Sermon outline
I use a bulleted list with subheadings to outline my sermon. Thanks to Notion’s template, I have some standard points prepared (like introduction, concluding prayer, etc). Notion also makes it easy to move items up and down and rearrange points as I prepare so I can insert new items or adapt as I go.
4. Notes and resources
The final section are my notes and resources. I actually fill this section before the outline but I want the outline above as it is more important. With Notion, I can place pages with content, links to other resources and ideas, notes or some embedded content.
Do you see a missing step?
As I stated at the start, I’m still just beginning and updating my templates as I learn and grow. You might have noticed something that is missing and so I’d love your insights so I can continue to grow.
Speak your mind...