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.
Find Freedom from Last Minute media
If you're tired of reactive planning and last-minute creative chaos, schedule a call, and let's talk about what it would look like to move from reactive scrambling to proactive partnership.
