Interesting question; one I've enjoyed discussing with colleagues in a different setting. I dislike naming sermons. Many times I've been tempted to take a trick from painters and label a sermon "Untitled #4." A colleague refined that by suggesting, "Untitled #7 - from the author's 'blue period'."
However, I know that others appreciate having sermon titles. And I don't just mean the bulletin editor at noon on Fridays! Those who help select songs and those who give the children's message, REALLY like a good sermon title. It gives them some sense of where I'm planning to go with the sermon. Sometimes, as Randy wrote, the Word or Spirit leads the sermon in a different direction than I originally thought. I'm not going to sweat that.
Every once in a while, I hit on a great sermon title. Like any time you find an apt word or phrase, that's a delight.
We've been using Google Docs for almost 3 years. It works well to allow the minister and music coordinator plan services online, although usually a phone call occurs while both are logged on to the order of worship in question. The music coordinator colour codes the labels for the musicians so they can each see and rehearse the music they're responsible for in the service. Then on Thursdays, the bulletin clerk can log-on and cut and paste the order of worship into the bulletin and the audio/video coordinator can view the service and prepare the slides that are needed for songs and responsive readings.
Being in the cloud allows everyone to have the up-to-date document. The only hiccups occur when someone prints a copy before it's been finalized online or when the initial document owner forgets to extend permission for one or more person to access the document.
Posted in: What's in a [Sermon] Name?
Interesting question; one I've enjoyed discussing with colleagues in a different setting. I dislike naming sermons. Many times I've been tempted to take a trick from painters and label a sermon "Untitled #4." A colleague refined that by suggesting, "Untitled #7 - from the author's 'blue period'."
However, I know that others appreciate having sermon titles. And I don't just mean the bulletin editor at noon on Fridays! Those who help select songs and those who give the children's message, REALLY like a good sermon title. It gives them some sense of where I'm planning to go with the sermon. Sometimes, as Randy wrote, the Word or Spirit leads the sermon in a different direction than I originally thought. I'm not going to sweat that.
Every once in a while, I hit on a great sermon title. Like any time you find an apt word or phrase, that's a delight.
Posted in: Worship Planning on a Cloud
We've been using Google Docs for almost 3 years. It works well to allow the minister and music coordinator plan services online, although usually a phone call occurs while both are logged on to the order of worship in question. The music coordinator colour codes the labels for the musicians so they can each see and rehearse the music they're responsible for in the service. Then on Thursdays, the bulletin clerk can log-on and cut and paste the order of worship into the bulletin and the audio/video coordinator can view the service and prepare the slides that are needed for songs and responsive readings.
Being in the cloud allows everyone to have the up-to-date document. The only hiccups occur when someone prints a copy before it's been finalized online or when the initial document owner forgets to extend permission for one or more person to access the document.