The Power of Four Page Sermons in Uganda
0 comments
694 views
When I went to seminary, I was taught how to preach using the four page structure as outlined by Paul Scott Wilson in his book, The Four Pages of the Sermon: A Guide to Biblical Preaching. Although a total newbie in preaching, I remember being quite outspoken in preaching classes about problems and limitations I saw with the four pages. I imagine I frustrated my teachers who were incredibly patient and listened to all my criticisms.
After I became a pastor myself, I learned to appreciate the four page structure as it helped me immensely in figuring out how to create new sermons week in and week out. I ended up using this structure at least 50% of the time. But it wasn’t until I moved to Uganda that I really saw just how powerful and helpful this structure is.
For those who are unaware of the four page technique, I can summarize it in this way. The four page sermon has four main sections or movements. Page one looks at the trouble or conflict in the biblical text. Page two looks at a similar trouble that we have in our church or world today. Page three looks at God’s action and grace in the text. And page four looks at God’s action and grace at work in our lives and world today.
In my work with Resonate Global Mission in Uganda, I spend my time teaching and training pastors, most of whom have had no formal theological training and very little informal training. While these pastors have an incredible passion and love for God, and we can learn so much from their lives and faith and practice, unfortunately some of their sermons are difficult to listen to and can be biblically unsound.
I have spent a lot of time training various groups of pastors in Uganda using a curriculum called Timothy Leadership Training. A few years ago, TLTI (Timothy Leadership Training Institute) integrated the four pages into its manual on preaching. The Ugandan pastors I taught took great joy in learning this four page structure, and I’ve seen it dramatically change their understanding of the Bible and their preaching after only four days of training. And what’s most telling is that their church members testify of the changes and comment about how much the preaching of their pastors has improved.
Tom Engolu, an elder in PAG (Pentecostal Assemblies of God) who preaches said, "Four page preaching has helped me to hear clearly what God is speaking in the text and in the present day. The four page technique encourages you to read a whole passage and not only a verse. People in the church and even pastors who hear me preach now think I've been to theological school even though I have no formal theological training. Thank you TLT.”
Here are some of the reasons that the four pages are so powerful, especially for pastors who have not had much biblical or theological training:
The only problem I’ve seen in Uganda with the four pages is that the pastors get so tremendously excited with the ease of finding their sermon points that they can rush to make a sermon after simply reading a passage, without taking the time to study it carefully first. But in the TLT preaching manual, the four pages are integrated into a whole set of helpful steps to study Bible passages carefully. As I heartily recommend the four page preaching technique, I also recommend TLT as a powerful tool to train pastors.
In conclusion, I repent of my somewhat bad attitude in my preaching classes and now believe that preaching sermons with the four page structure is dramatically helpful to new pastors who are yet to be theologically trained. And even for those of us with more experience, the four page structure keeps us focused on God’s actions and the good news of the Gospel.
General Planning Resources, Pastors
General Planning Resources, Pastors
General Worship, Pastors
Connect to The Network and add your own question, blog, resource, or job.
Add Your Post
Let's Discuss
We love your comments! Thank you for helping us uphold the Community Guidelines to make this an encouraging and respectful community for everyone.