Preaching is an activity involving the whole mind, body, and soul. Consequently, preaching is often both exhilarating and exhausting. But after the sermon is over, the preacher’s ministry continues. He interacts with others immediately after the service–and his behavior during these moments will either help or harm his ministry. Here are a few actions to consider when those moments arrive:
- Be available to worshippers. Caring preachers make themselves available to others. Greeting people after worship honors them and strengthens the bond between pastor and congregation. While church tradition or building size may dictate where pastors stand, a spacious lobby or location outside (weather permitting!) provides areas better suited for meaningful interaction than crowded “greeting lines” that bottleneck at the exit.
- Give people your undivided attention. When people take time to speak to us, we value them by listening carefully and maintaining eye contact. We must resist the temptation to look around or otherwise give the impression we are too busy. To be sure, this practice can prove challenging, at times. While talking with one person, we may feel another tapping on our shoulder. Or peripherally we see someone else waving at us. In any case, we should always endeavor to give our attention to those standing before us.
- Be careful making commitments during those moments. It’s surprisingly easy to forget commitments made after a worship service. Because we don’t usually have our calendars with us or a means to make a quick note, we may forget something we promised to do for someone. Rather than making commitments in those busy moments, consider saying something like, “I can’t write this down at the moment, will you please message me about this later?”
- Receive encouragement wisely. Some members have a gift for encouraging us with kind comments about the worship service or other matters. Because pastors understandably want to give glory to God, we quickly direct those compliments upwards and away from ourselves. When we do that, we often fail to receive (or remember) a blessing intended by a church member. Instead of just deflecting the praise, consider taking a moment to respond meaningfully, “Thank you. I really appreciate your encouragement!”
- Receive criticism graciously. Unfortunately, not every word is encouraging! Sometimes, others offer criticism. Perhaps they felt the service was too long, or the music was too loud. Maybe there was something about the sermon they didn’t like. It’s usually best at these times to take a deep breath and extend grace. Rather than becoming defensive, consider a simple and disarming response: “Thank you for that. I’ll give that some thought.”
- Debrief somewhere in quiet. Once we have the opportunity, it is helpful to find a quiet place where we can review all the interactions we’ve had. It takes only a few moments to recall most conversations, visitors’ names, or special prayer requests. This is also a better time to consider prayerfully those words of encouragement and criticism. End the time in prayer, thanking God for the honor of preaching and for the privilege of shepherding His people.
Preachers, what strategies do you have to use the time after the service wisely?