Preaching for Special Services

by Scott M. Gibson

Publisher:

Baker

, 2001

Overview

A pastor must be able to step with ease into a number of different speaking venues. In addition to a regular preaching schedule, you, as a pastor, face an endless parade of special occasions at which you are asked to speak. Some occasions are planned, others are unexpected, but for all occasions you must be ready to communicate the Word of God in a way that complements the liturgy and worship.

Preaching for Special Services gives you practical guidance on how to develop and deliver clear, listener-sensitive sermons for special occasions such as weddings, baptisms, and funerals. Each chapter examines the history and theology of preaching for a particular occasion and then centers on the development of the sermon for that event. Scott M. Gibson’s approach to sermon construction is based on Haddon W. Robinson’s central-idea preaching described in his Biblical Preaching.

Preaching for Special Services also offers an extensive list of resources for each special occasion and specific exercises to help you put the principles in this book into practice.

The Logos edition of this work on preaching is fully searchable and easily accessible. Scripture passages link directly to your English translations and to the original language texts, and important theological concepts link to dictionaries, encyclopedias, and the wealth of resources in your digital library.

Key Features

• Offers guidance on how to write and deliver sermons for the most common special service types
• Presents the history and theology of preaching regarding each topic
• Utilizes elements of Haddon Robinson’s central-idea preaching

Contents

• Preaching for Special Services
• Wedding Sermons
• Funeral Sermons
• Baptism and Infant Presentation Sermons
• Preaching at the Celebration of the Lord’s Supper
• Speaking on Other Occasions

Top Highlights

“our task is to direct the couple to their commitment to God and each other” (Page 31)

“The funeral sermon and the eulogy are different, even opposed to each other. Simply put, eulogy means ‘good words’ and the eulogy focuses on the life of the person who has died.” (Page 49)

“Preaching at these times allows the preacher to speak the Word of God to those gathered, to round out the worship, to bring focus to the occasion.” (Page 17)

“The strongest argument for including a sermon in a wedding service is that the wedding ceremony is an act of worship” (Page 31)

“given encouragement to live by it. Our faith is not people centered but God centered and is rooted in the Scripture.” (Page 52)

Product Details

• Title: Preaching for Special Services
• Author: Scott M. Gibson
• Publisher: Baker
• Print Publication Date: 2001
• Logos Release Date: 2013
• Pages: 144
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subjects: Preaching; Occasional services
• ISBNs: 9781441255877, 080109111, 9780801091117, 1441255877, 080109111X
• Resource ID: LLS:PREACHSPECSERVICE
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-30T02:22:59Z

About Scott M. Gibson

Dr. Gibson joined Gordon-Conwell in 1992 and has brought with him both academic and experiential knowledge of preaching. An ordained Baptist minister, he has served as a pastor and interim pastor in four churches in Pennsylvania and New York since 1985: First Baptist Church, New Bethlehem, PA; Harmony Baptist Church, New Castle, PA; First Baptist Church, Clarion, PA; and First Baptist Church, Lockport, NY. At Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary Dr. Gibson directs the Center for Preaching and the A.J. Gordon Guild, the Ph.D. program in association with London School of Theology. Dr. Gibson is past president and co-founder of the Evangelical Homiletics Society and is a member of several professional and ecclesiological organizations. These include the Academy of Homiletics, the Evangelical Theological Society and the National Association of Evangelicals. Dr. Gibson has also been the recipient of several scholarships and fellowships. These included a scholarship from the International Order of the King’s Daughters and Sons for 1982 and 1983. From 1983-1984, he was also the recipient of the Parsonage Graduate Fellowship (a scholarship to study preaching overseas) and from 1988-1989 was a Rotary Foundation Scholar at the University of Toronto. He also received a private fellowship from September to December 1989, to study in Australia. Dr. Gibson’s scholarly interests include contemporary issues in preaching, pastoral ministry concerns, the history of preaching, the history of evangelicalism and discipleship. His personal interests include fishing, various sports, reading, writing, art, theater, films, antiques, books, and traveling. He and his wife, Rhonda, live in Beverly, MA. in The The