Outline for Weekly Sermon Available Beginning September 11

Wendy Carmack, Administrative Assistant at Brighton First, said, "I write sermon notes on my bulletin." Like many who attend Brighton First worship services, Wendy writes notes on the edge of her bulletin, including scripture references, major points and sermon challenges for the week ahead.

Bob Fuchs, Director of Discipleship and regular preacher at Brighton First, suggested that we provide a more "user-friendly" resource for our note takers. Beginning Sunday, September 11, a sermon outline sheet will be available for worshipers. It will contain the week's primary scripture reading with room to write other Bible references. In addition there will be space to write thoughts, the challenge for the week, and prayer items that are introduced or come to mind during worship.

We are offering this worship aid because we know that not everyone takes in information the same way. Auditory learners do not necessarily feel the need to write everything down. For those who are more likely to retain information through visual and kinesthetic interaction, the sermon outline sheet may be of assistance.

In examining the literature on note taking during sermons, I have found mixed opinions. Some clergy see preaching as a worship event that should be experienced, not outlined. They believe that taking notes places a sermon in the same category as a lecture. Note taking blocks the full "proclamation event" of the message and may inhibit the work of the Holy Spirit. They question whether or not parishioners are truly participating in the message if their heads are bowed over notes.

For other clergy and worship leaders, sermon notes can be helpful for remembering and inspiration through the week. Jesse Eubanks in the blog article "What Should I Do with Sermon Notes I Take Every Week?" suggests that we keep our notes in our Bibles and transfer notes about the scripture to our Bibles during the following week. He believes that this reinforces what inspired us in a sermon and brings us back to study the scripture again.

Sermon notes may not be for everyone, but for those whose spiritual journey is enhanced by a sermon guide, we are excited to offer this opportunity.