Sermon Series Planning Questions

You know the drill: your lead pastor has a great idea for a sermon series, but it hits your desk 3 weeks before the series is supposed to start. You throw something together, come up with the creative direction, and rush to get graphics done. It works, but you have the sinking feeling that it just doesn’t serve the message as well as it could. You’re not lacking passion or faith, just a planning rhythm that fits your church and meets your team where you’re at. We’ve seen success with our Squad churches that plan sermon series quarterly, mapping out at least 90 days in advance in one focused meeting. This gives your team space to think strategically and allows room for creativity instead of constantly reacting.

That’s where these planning questions come in.

The Questions that Guide Life-changing Sermon Series

We’re not lost on the weight that your sermon series carries. When someone walks in the room on Sunday, you have the chance to share the hope of Jesus in a way that can shape eternity. No pressure, right? We’ve been there too, and we found that a few simple questions can guide the conversation to make sure your message is perfectly teed up for those you’re called to reach.

What does our church need to hear right now? What is God asking us to press into?

Before you think about titles, graphics, or anything else, you need to discern what God is saying to your church in this season. Are people wrestling with doubt? Do they need encouragement? Is there a cultural moment you need to address with biblical truth? Is God calling your church to step into something new?

What’s the tone of the series? Pick a few keywords to describe it.

Tone matters. A series on hope during hardship feels different than a series on bold faith. A series on relationships feels different than a series on spiritual disciplines.

Pick 3-5 words that capture the tone you’re going for. Examples:

• Hopeful, gentle, reflective
• Bold, challenging, urgent
• Warm, inviting, curious
• Raw, honest, comforting

These keywords will guide everything, from the creative direction to the way your pastor delivers the message.

What scripture will guide this series?

Is there a specific book of the Bible you’re walking through? A theme that pulls from multiple passages? One anchor verse that defines the whole series? Identifying the scripture foundation early helps your teaching team prepare well and gives your creative team context for visuals.

What visuals will best communicate the heart behind the series?

This is where your creative team gets involved. Once you know the tone and the scripture, you can start thinking about what the series should look like. Does it feel organic and earthy? Bold and graphic? Soft and contemplative? Energetic and colorful? Answering these will guide how people experience and remember the message.

At the end of the series, how do we hope people have changed?

This question shifts your focus from content to transformation. It’s not just “what are we teaching?” but “what do we want people to do with what they’ve learned?”

Examples:

• “We hope people leave with a renewed sense of God’s presence in their daily lives.”
• “We want people to take one concrete step toward reconciliation in a broken relationship.”
• “We hope people feel equipped to share their faith with a friend.”

When you know the desired outcome, you can shape the series to move people toward it.

How can we extend this beyond Sunday? What tools can we use to make an impact all week?

A great sermon series doesn’t end when people leave the building. How can you help people engage with the message throughout the week?

Ideas:

• Daily devotional prompts sent via email or app
• Small group discussion guides
• Social media quote graphics with reflection questions
• A challenge or practice tied to each week’s message
• A playlist, book recommendation, or resource list

The more you extend the message beyond Sunday, the deeper it goes.

How Church Media Squad Fits Into Your Planning Process

Once you’ve worked through these planning questions and mapped out your sermon series for the quarter, you need a team that can bring your vision to life, without you having to manage every detail.

That’s what our All-In Plan does.

Here’s how it works:

Your quarterly planning meeting happens. You work through these questions, identify your series, and clarify the tone and direction.

Your Account Manager joins the process. We don’t just wait for you to submit requests. We proactively review your church calendar, ask strategic questions, and help you think through what creative needs are coming.

Our Creative Director translates your vision. You tell us the heart behind the series, the tone, the scripture, and the desired outcome. Our Creative Director takes that and shapes a visual direction that communicates it.

Our design and video teams bring it to life. Sermon graphics, social content, announcement videos, website banners. We handle all of it, custom to your church, aligned with your vision.

You stay focused on teaching and leading. Instead of managing five different vendors or doing late-night design work yourself, you get to do what you’re called to do: shepherd your people and deliver the message well.

Building a Repeatable Sermon Series System

Ever feel like you're scrambling to pull together your church's sermon series at the last minute? You're not alone. Many pastors and church leaders find themselves in this boat, but it doesn't have to be this way. Let's dive into how you can create a robust sermon series system that will save you time, reduce stress, and ultimately lead to more impactful teaching.

Start with a Sermon Series Map

The foundation of any great sermon series system is a well-thought-out Sermon Series Map. This document serves as your roadmap, ensuring everyone involved in the series - from pastors to media teams - is on the same page. Here's what to include:

• Series Title and Tagline
• Launch and End Dates
• Total Number of Weeks
• Series Outline (brief overview of each week's message)

Clarify Your Big Idea

Every powerful sermon series revolves around a central theme or "Big Idea." This is the core message you want your congregation to grasp. For example, "Find what God is doing and join Him." Keep it simple and memorable.

Define Your Objectives

Break your objectives into two categories:

• Primary Objective: What's the main goal you want to achieve through this series? Maybe it's to inspire a hunger for God's presence or to encourage practical application of biblical principles.
• Communication Objective: What's the key idea you want to convey? This might be slightly different from your Big Idea, focusing more on how you'll communicate your message.

Identify Key Scriptures

List out the primary Bible passages you'll be drawing from throughout the series. This helps maintain biblical grounding and gives your team a clear understanding of the scriptural focus.

Plan Your "Wants"

This is where you brainstorm all the elements you'd like to incorporate into your series. Think creatively! This might include:

• Special elements like water baptism orientations
• Story videos or promotional materials
• Physical invite cards or other tangible resources

Break Down Each Week

For each week of your series, create a mini-plan that includes:

• Message Title
• Key Scripture
• Communication Objective (specific to that week's message)
• "Wants" for that particular week

This level of detail helps ensure continuity throughout the series while allowing each message to stand on its own.

Collaborate with Your Team

Your sermon series system shouldn't exist in a vacuum. Involve your media team, worship leaders, and other key staff members in the planning process. Their input can lead to more creative and cohesive series execution.

Create a Content Calendar

Based on your Sermon Series Map, develop a content calendar that outlines when various elements need to be created. This might include:

• Graphics for social media
• Video promos
• Worship song selections
• Small group discussion guides

Build in Review Time

Schedule regular check-ins throughout the series to assess what's working well and what might need adjusting. This allows you to fine-tune your approach as you go.

Document and Iterate

After each series, take time to document what worked well and what could be improved. Use these insights to refine your system for future series.

By developing a comprehensive sermon series system, you're setting yourself and your church up for success. This approach allows for deeper, more intentional teaching while reducing the last-minute stress that often comes with sermon preparation.

Remember, the goal isn't perfection, but progress. Start implementing these steps, and you'll likely find that your sermon series become more impactful and easier to manage over time.

Ready to take your sermon series to the next level? Give this system a try for your next series. Your future self (and your church) will thank you!