Posts by toddhiestand
Preaching on the Run: Preparing Sermons as a Bi-Vocational Pastor
I was told in seminary that I should spend 1 hour of sermon prep for every minute I will be preaching. For many of us that means we should spend 20-30 hours preparing sermons? This approach poses some serious problems for me. First of all, I have other pastoral responsibilities. Second, I am bi-vocational so…
Read MoreJesus Wept. A Funeral Sermon.
Tonight I stood in front of 300 people, about 290 of whom I had never met before, and did my best to deal with the reality that their 26-year-old brother, son, nephew, a friend had taken his own life. This was perhaps one of the most overwhelming experiences of my entire life. It’s a pretty…
Read MoreThe Missional Church in Suburbia
Below is a paper I wrote in an effort to give an introduction to Mission in a Suburban Context. I presented this paper at the Eastern Region Evangelical Theological Society meeting on March 23, 2007. There is much more that needs to be written, but hopefully, this serves as a helpful introduction. Feel free to…
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