Experience after 2 double services

[Hans Deventer]

Today and two weeks ago I preached in our church in Amersfoort. They have a service at 9:15 and at 11:30 on Sunday morning. Two weeks ago I preached mostly without any paper, today I followed an outline that I had projected as well. I noticed that this Sunday, it was easier to preach the 2nd sermon of the day, because I had something to hang on to. It seems harder to concentrate twice on a given morning if you preach without paper.

Any of you preachers out there share this experience?

[Mike Schutz]

Hans, that has also been my experience. When I am preaching the same sermon twice in the same day, I need at least an outline - so that I am not questioning myself. "Didn't I already say this?"

[Shea Zellweger]

I've only done a double service once, but I really prefer preaching from a Manuscript- it decreases the likelihood that I'll say something that doesn't make sense, or worse, is bad theology. Every once in a while I will do an outline, but I don't think I've ever gotten in the pulpit with no notes whatsoever.

[Greg Farra]

Preaching without notes is gaining some popularity, but I need some notes. I've never preached twice in a day, so I can't speak to the experience. That is a good problem to have.

[G R 'Scott' Cundiff]

Even when I'm not preaching I sometimes repeat myself. In fact, I sometime repeat myself.

[Rich Schmidt]

I preach two services every Sunday (9:00 & 10:30), and the only notes I use are the half-sheet that's included in everyone's bulletin. And usually that's just the Scripture passages we're looking at that morning. Occasionally I'll include some "outline-y" stuff on it, too.

Sometimes the first service goes better. Sometimes the second one does. Occasionally, my second time through the message will suffer because of those "did I say this already?" moments, or because I try to incorporate something that developed naturally during the first message but ends up feeling forced in the second one. But sometimes the second time through benefits from what I learned in the first service and ends up being the stronger of the two.

I love doing two services every Sunday. When we went back to one service for a period (May 2008 - Sept 2009), I hated it. Well, I got used to it after a while... but I was glad to go back to two.

[David Graham]

I regularly preach twice on a sunday and sometimes even three times. i.e. 8 AM, 9.30 AM and 3.30 PM (In my next Parish there will often be three services at which I will need to preach on a Sunday morning: 8 AM, 9.30 AM, and 11.30 AM; oh and once a month at 3.00 PM on a Sunday as well)

These days I preach with minimal notes, and I have found that my second sermon for that reason is usually "better" i.e. more fluent (as well as "ineffective digressions or subpoints eliminated)

But because I preach with minimal notes, I try and get regular feedback from members of the congregations because I am fearful of becoming too shallow, or repetitious, or filling my sermon with glib cliches etc. So far its working well and the people prefer these sermons to my preaching from full manuscripts as I have done in the past.

Blessings,
Dave

[Paul DeBaufer]

I preached two services for the first time two weeks ago then again last week (don't know how long out two service experiment will last, but I don't preach again until July). I was nervous going into it as my preaching experience is limited. But I actually liked it. Our first service is more traditional in the style of music and attendees, who are more politically right wing. While our second service is non-traditional (whatever that means besides rock-n-roll type worship music) and attendees - don't care about politics an' such many of whom came from more Pentecostal backgrounds. I found that naturally my style shifted between the services. I would start at the same place, use the same scriptures, and end in the same place. However, the routes were different. The illustrations I used were different (I guess in my mind more tailored to to those listening).

The very first of two I used a manuscript, then the second service I used an out line. The second day I just used the outline. My problem with MS is that I start to read it and when I digress I lose my place and get lost and flustered. The outline keeps my scripture in order and since I don't have the Bible memorized has them readily available. But I prefer not looking at notes.

I have enjoyed the experience and like Rich hope we don't go back to one.