Pulpit supply is providing preaching for a church you do not regularly attend. It’s common among men aspiring to ministry because it’s typically pitched as a win-win scenario: the church wins by having a preacher, and the young man wins by getting a “rep.”

But this “win-win scenario” shouldn’t be the only way we view pulpit supply. If we’re doing it only for the “reps,” then we miss out on the deeper joy of preaching to a church in need.

Pulpit supply is one means through which Christ Jesus builds his church. Here are eight ways to act like it.

1. Prepare with prayer.

If the pastor who prepares a meal for the same family every week needs to pray that his preaching will be digestible, then you probably do too—especially if you’ve never met the church before.

2. Pick the right sermon.

What do you do if you haven’t been assigned a particular passage? Select a text that doesn’t require too much background in order to understand the context and meaning.

Some preachers have a “back pocket” sermon that they use when preaching to a new church. That’s great. Others write a new sermon every time. Either way, prepare


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