The Sermon Sucking Black Hole

Very little communication takes place between most pastors/priests and their congregants regarding the weekly sermon/homily. This lack of constructive dialogue has resulted in Sunday messages that are not only out-of-touch with where parishioners are living, but for the most part what s said isn t remembered much beyond the church parking lot. Dr. Mains contends that people in the pew can best judge when a sermon is helpful to them and when it isn t. So why not include them in the process of both preparing and evaluating sermons? Not preaching the sermons. . . . .but again, preparing and evaluating them. He makes these changes sound so simple and practical that you can t help but wonder, Why weren t these ideas implemented years ago? Most people in the pew don t realize how integral they are to finding a solution to this problem. But the pulpit/pew combination can be an incredibly powerful team, so let s begin to work together to help solve this mystery of what s happening to sermons. This is not a negative book or one that only points out problems. Instead, it s a positive, practical and encouraging read that should fill you with hope for not only your local congregation, but churches everywhere."