November 2, 2026
Preaching is an important part of sharing the Gospel, and there are always new ways to approach the craft with creativity and imagination. Dr. Heather Henson has written a blog series for the Creativity in Preaching Project that encourages readers to explore creative approaches to preaching, consider fresh perspectives, and discover practical ideas for rethinking how we communicate the Good News.
Heather is an Affiliate Professor and Adjunct in Pastoral Ministries and Preaching at Kairos and leads the Creativity in Preaching project, a Lilly Endowment-funded initiative at Green Lake Conference Center.
In this week’s post, Heather reflects on how the pressure to perform can distract preachers from their true calling. She reminds us that preaching is about faithfulness, not winning or proving ourselves.
“To mitigate some of the chaos … and help people remember it is a game, I take some time each year to say a few words. Before we slather on the paint and lumber out to the giant circle on the field, we have to remind the campers and the staff of one very important thing. No NFL recruiters are joining us. No one is getting a college scholarship based on their performance in Color Wars. No one is collecting a prize. No one is making the news or going viral based on videos of their “d1 skills.” It is tag.
I think that sometimes the same reminder needs to be given to us as preachers. Obviously, we should take our roles seriously as ministers of the gospel. But sometimes we might get a little misguided with how we are approaching it. We can forget that no angels are watching and waiting with an “MVP” award (Most Valuable Preacher).
Jesus is not watching the scoreboard, chewing on his fingernails, hoping for a victory. The Holy Spirit is not sitting with your “admission into heaven” ticket, waiting to make a decision based on your performance. Your value to God does not rise and fall on the makings of your sermon…”
Read the full Creativity in Preaching blog post here.