Self Evaluation Tool Lcms Churches
With the beginning of a new year, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod’s Office of National Mission (ONM) is launching a new initiative to increase church planting and revitalization within the Synod.
The Rev. Bart Day, ONM executive director and the Synod’s interim chief mission officer, has appointed two men to lead this work mandated by the 2013 Synod convention in Res. 1-04A and 3-08A, respectively.
The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod Inc., including Mission Central (in Mapleton, Iowa), is an IRS registered 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charity. A contribution designated (restricted) for a specific purpose when accepted, will be used only to fund expenses related to that purpose.
The Rev. Steven Schave, director of LCMS Urban & Inner-City Mission (UICM), also will take on the role of director of Church Planting under the new initiative. To this position, Schave brings experience as a pastor for revitalization in Cincinnati and as a church planter in Perry, Ga.
“Going through a seminary mission-formation program and co-leading our student mission society helped to prepare me for planting a church in an area where there was no Lutheranism, and this also helped me to see the need for us to be looking at missions in the United States,” Schave said, noting the overlap between UICM and the need for new congregations in underserved areas.
“Most of our congregations are in rural areas, and yet we see this vast population move back into the city limits. Urban and inner-city areas are a good place — but not the only place — to focus some attention on as we help sustain, restart or plant new ministries where there is nothing.”
Schave’s plan is to help districts, mission societies and congregations plant distinctly Lutheran churches. He is working to place fully-funded missionaries on the domestic mission field and will soon begin working with the two LCMS seminaries to create ways to train the next generation of church planters.
“I hope to draw from some of my own experiences and use Witness, Mercy, Life Together as a framework to do church planting in places around the country where it’s most needed,” he said.
In addition, the Rev. Mark Wood, director of LCMS Witness & Outreach Ministry, also will take on the new role of director of Revitalization.
“To me, the essence of revitalization is taking what is vital — Word and Sacrament — and increasing it through existing and new ministries,” he said.
In Wood’s view, revitalization is a “tremendous need,” and he points to statistics that reveal that 80 to 85 percent of LCMS congregations have reached a state of plateau or are in decline.
“That’s almost 5,000 congregations that need help with revitalization,” he said. “How do we meet this large-scale need with a large-scale solution?”
Answering this question is at the heart of his plans for his new work under the initiative. His first order of business is to create an objective self-assessment tool that congregations can use to measure how they are doing. He envisions a self-assessment tool and accompanying training modules that congregations can use without outside assistance. This will increase the capacity of the materials and allow them to be used on a larger scale than previous programs.
Eventually, Wood and Day plan to expand this revitalization work to impact all of the ministries of the LCMS.
“The Synod understands how critical the work of multiplication and revitalization are for the future of the church,” Day said.
“These brothers are uniquely equipped. They have done the work of planting and revitalization in their own congregations. They are both completing doctorate work in the areas of planting and revitalization. They bring a passion to reach the lost in the world and to strengthen our existing ministries to be better equipped to share the Gospel in their communities. These men will be a tremendous blessing to the church as ONM strengthens its collaboration with districts.”
Posted Jan. 23, 2015
Asking someone who’s opinion you value to complete a sermon evaluation form is a great way to figure out your blindspots and identify areas you can improve.
There is always space for us to grow as preachers, even the most experienced of us.
The best preachers are those who are hungry to get better.
Asking people for honest feedback can make us more self-aware and give us improvement points for the next sermon.
How do you evaluate your sermons?
If you’re like most preachers, the only feedback you’ll get is the casual:
“I really enjoyed your sermon today!”
from some well-meaning church member as you’re waving people off.
Self Evaluation Tool Lcms Churches In California
A sermon evaluation form provides you with an intentional and structured process of getting feedback, a way of evaluating both your sermon content and delivery.
Pick wisely and stay humble
Find people you trust and ask them to evaluate your sermons for you.
It could be your spouse or someone in your church leadership team. Better still, gather together a group of staff and volunteers and church members you trust.
They could fill out the sermon evaluation form as you’re at the pulpit or, if you record your sermons, they can watch your sermon and give their feedback then.
The purpose of getting feedback is so that you can improve your preaching.
Keep this in mind as you read the filled out evaluations.
Stay humble and don’t let yourself get defensive – the evaluation form is going to help you and your team are on your side.
I hope that by listening to the feedback given and that by taking action and working on the areas highlighted for improvement that you become the best preacher you can be.
The time invested in evaluating your sermons is time well spent.
Sermon Evaluation Form
Feel free to use the sample of the sermon evaluation form I’ve included below. You can also download and print the free Sermon Evaluation Form here.
SERMON EVALUATION FORM
Preacher: _____________________________ Date: __________
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Evaluator: ____________________________
Grade each section. A = Great; B = Good; C = Needs Work.
CONTENT
1. Introduction: Was it engaging? Did it make you want to hear more? Did it introduce a problem we need a solution for?
A B C
Comments:
2. Bible: Was scripture used and interpreted well as the foundation of the message?
A B C
Comments:
3. Bottom Line: Can you summarize the main point of the sermon in a sentence?
A B C
Comments:
4. Gospel: Was the good news of Jesus central to the message?
A B C
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Comments:
5. Clarity: Was anything said that was confusing, distracting, or too difficult to understand? Was there any Christian or insider language that was not explained for newcomers?
A B C
Comments:
6. Application: Was there a clear call to action to apply the message to your life?
A B C
Comments:
7. Illustrations: Were they used well? Did they connect with the audience? Did they help the main point of message?
A B C
Comments:
8. Length: Was the sermon delivered within the given time? Were any parts too long or short?
A B C
Comments:
9. Conclusion: Was the conclusion compelling? Did it summarize and drive the main point home? Did it end too fast or take too long?
A B C
Comments:
10. Memorability: Were there any memorable phrases, illustrations, or application points that will help the message stick with people?
A B C
Comments:
11. Objections: Did the preacher address any potential objections? Are there any objections that should have been addressed?
A B C
Comments:
12. Unbelievers: Did the preacher speak to the people in the room who do not yet believe in Jesus?
A B C
Comments:
DELIVERY
1. Gestures: Were gestures used appropriately to help communicate the message? Were any movements distracting (hands in pockets, fidgeting, playing with fingers, pacing)?
A B C
Comments:
2. Pace: Did the preacher speak at an appropriate and varied pace? Was it too fast or slow? Were pauses used effectively?
A B C
Comments:
3. Filler words: Did the preacher use any filler words repetitively (umm, like, ok, so, you know).
A B C
Comments:
4. Authenticity: Did the preacher seem confident with the material? Were they too tied to their notes? Were they passionate? Did they appear to truly believe what they said?
A B C
Comments:
5. Engagement: Did the sermon keep your interest? Were any parts boring or irrelevant? Did the audience respond (laugh, cry, clap, raise hands, “Amen,” cheer).
A B C
Comments:
6. Tech: Were there any problems with the microphone, sound, lighting, videos, or slides used?
A B C
Comments:
7. Dress: Was there anything distracting or sloppy about the speaker’s dress or appearance?
A B C
Comments:
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