What is the trend? Are church members and church leaders saying sermons should be longer or shorter? The answer is “yes.”
If my answer is confusing, I understand. But the reality is there are two major trends taking place related to sermon length. I have been following these trends through anecdotal information and social media polls for three years. There are growing numbers of respondents who believe sermons should be longer. There are also growing numbers of respondents who believe sermons should be shorter. And there aren’t many people in the middle of those two divergent views.
By the way, there is a smaller, but consistent, number that feel the pastor should preach “as long or short as God leads” with no constraints at all. That view is the third of the three perspectives.
I am reticent to put my numbers in statistical percentages since my social media polls of the past three years are not scientific. Since numbers, however, can provide greater clarity, I list them here with the caveat that the accuracy is definitely not precise.
- 41%: Sermons should be shorter, in the 20 to 30 minute range. These respondents see a cultural barrier related to short attention spans. Any sermon over 30 minutes, they say, does not connect with the typical mind of today, especially in Western culture. We, therefore, must keep the message shorter and pack more information into a relatively brief time period.
- 37%: Sermons should be longer, in the 35 to 55 minute range. A solid exposition of Scripture, this perspective argues, cannot be done in just a few minutes. The sermon is the central part of the worship service, and the time allocated should be significant. We do a disservice to the Word of God when we move toward shorter sermons.
- 9%: There should be no time constraints on the pastor’s sermons. The pastor should have a sermon length that is only subject to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Anything else lacks sensitivity to God’s work and involvement.
Obviously, if you add the numbers, another 13% had a variety of responses that fit none of the categories. By way, some of the responses in my most recent social media poll and in previous polls advocated sermon lengths from 8 minutes to 75 minutes. We church members definitely are not in full agreement on these issues.
What do you think of the two trends moving in opposite directions? One group is advocating longer sermons; the other group embraces the shorter sermon. Let me hear your thoughts on this issue.
Posted on July 30, 2014
With nearly 40 years of ministry experience, Thom Rainer has spent a lifetime committed to the growth and health of local churches across North America.
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153 Comments
It depends on the preacher and his message. I’ve known some preachers who could make an hour seem like a few minutes, and I’ve known others who can a few minutes seem like hours!
I have found that the use of PPT has made longer sermons far more endurable as they add the visual with the verbal, as well as becoming a whole focal point of its own with what visuals are added. I used to preach fairly long sermons for sitting lengths (~30 minutes), but with PPT that can inject humor with the serious are engaging, and I now speak around 40-45 minutes. That is in a service of 1:15 hours.
The relational factor cannot ever be ignored. The more personal connection with those who are present the much more they are attentive and longer.
Ted Haws, Trinity Baptist, Lebanon, OR
Have you done any study on the correlation in the length of the sermon with the length of he entire service?
No, I have not.
Well, first off, I never look at my watch and we do not have a clock hanging in the sanctuary. Some messages are 20 minutes, some are 45; it depends on the message, the subject, etc. I’m afraid trying to fit a message into a time slot limits the Holy Ghost in His work. That said, I understand three areas where constraints can cause the length of a message to be a concern:
1. Recorded events for media. (I once did a presentation on “The Way, The Truth & The Life” in 5 minutes flat for a TV spot.)
2. Multiple services that are back to back. I get it- we have another crowd coming in.
3. I’ve never forgotten what an elder said once- “Never preach yourself past the anointing; leave enough for a response.”
Lastly, I’ll share with you that I recently had a well-meaning minister “advise” me that you will lose people if you preach a message over 20-25 minutes. I guess he needs to let Mark Driscoll and John Piper know!
To the 41%: Culture should never dictate sermon length or exposition. If we back our sermon length down in time based on what society can handle, we will soon see shallow pep talks lasting only a handful of minutes. Follow Holy Spirit and preach on!
I think both shorter and longer sermons have great points and possibly the factor to determine the length is the audience. Some churches that are more high impact and bringing in greater numbers of unchurched, first time guests, might be suited to a shorter message where they would be less likely to become disengaged before the opportunity is given to respond to the gospel.
That being said, on the other hand, there is no replacing solid, expository preaching. And as a pastor who strives to preach expository messages, I sometimes almost sense either in sermon prep or even while preaching, that is time to stop here and finish the message next week. Rather than making everybody wish I would stop. I say that and I typically preach for 30-40 minutes.
I think another aspect is the preacher. There are some men that can preach for an hour without losing their audience and there are others who can’t. It is no insult, they just can’t. I don’t think there is a right answer across the board.
I am sure that when the numbers are broken down, apart from generational and denominational differences, you will find a tremendous ethnic difference as well. I preach in a multi-ethnic congregation. The whites are happy with a 25-30 minute message. The African-Americans feel robbed if the message is under 35 minutes. However, many of our African-American members left hour+ preaching churches to come to ours. My typical message is in the 33-35 minute range.
I believe the results of this survey can be directly attributed to whether or not the Pastor is delivering meaningful content under the conviction of the HOLY SPIRIT! Most likely, those who desired shorter sermons are sitting under a Pastor who views his role as a “JOB” and who has never had a real experience with the HOLY SPIRIT, OR the respondents are only attending Church for the social benefit of being seen. In either case, the Pastor or the Congregant Respondent to your survey, does not have a relationship with the HOLY SPIRIT.
For those who responded with a desire for longer sermons, most likely the Pastor, under the conviction of the HOLY SPIRIT, is revealing the Mystery of the Gospel of Jesus Christ; and/or the congregant survey respondents come to Church with their hearts prepared to submit to the conviction of the HOLY SPIRIT and hunger to hear the Word of God and to Understand the Mystery of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Oh Laodicea, “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the SPIRIT saith unto the churches.
Rev 3:15-22 (KJV)
Isn’t it sad that only 9% wanted to let the Spirit lead? But I’m afraid that number may be high.
I prepare to preach about 30 minutes as well, although I do end up at 40 minutes sometimes (or regularly). I want the message to be engaging enough that the end is well attended and able to make the point. If I lose the congregation along the way, the main purpose of the sermon may be missed at the time of decision. I will say that I have listened to 45 minute sermons that I wish could go on for another 30 and 20 minute sermons that I wish would have been 10. I think the preacher needs to know how long he is able to engage the congregation- which is partly due to the preacher’s style and partly due to the congregation’s experience- and preach towards that goal. The Word doesn’t return void- unless it was sent into a void to begin with!
Perhaps this won’t go down too well with some, but in all honesty I have heard 1 hour sermons that were way too short, and 20 minute sermons that had me falling asleep! And in both cases, the subject of the sermon was the exact same thing… In both cases it was purely an issue of the preacher, not the sermon.
Some preachers can keep the entire congregation on the edge of their seats for hours, absorbing every word deeply, contemplatively, changing lives, while others just can’t seem to muster enough interest to get past “Good morning, please open your Bibles to….” without half the audience nodding off.
I use “congregation” and “audience” deliberately above, since there’s a vast difference between them: a true preacher of God’s word, delivering the true word of God, under the true anointing of the Holy Spirit, has a congregation in front of him or her. A preacher with some things he wants to say, only has an audience.
Maybe that’s a bit harsh, but I’m not just talking about other preachers here: the above applies to me as well. Sometimes when I preach, I have to admit that 30 minutes of my waffling is way too long and my audience didn’t get much benefit at all. Other times, when I get out of the way and just let the Holy Spirit preach through me, then 50 minutes isn’t enough, and the congregation is deeply affected. Not because of something I said or did, but because of something the Lord said or did using me as a conduit. Because of God’s Word, not my words.
Perhaps that’s the issue here: it’s not about how many minutes we humans should allot to the sermon, but rather how much we are willing to allow God to be God during His service. I am convinced that if preachers would just “stand aside” mentally in the pulpit and let God do the preaching, instead of trying to do it themselves, then congregations might not even notice at all if the sermon ran for 10 minutes or 2 hours. It would be the exact right length, timed by God himself.
I wish I knew the secret of how to do that consistently, since I am forced to paint myself with the same brush with which I have painted other preachers here: sometimes it still is just me up there, waffling too long. I would be lying if I pretended different. I wish I could understand what I need to do each time I preach to always “step out of the way” and let the Holy Spirit do the preaching, instead of me: I don’t know what the key is, but I strongly suspect it has a LOT to do with spending more time in prayer while preparing the sermon, and less time watching the clock while delivering it.
My father in law told me when I started preaching that the reason we preach longer is because we are usually enjoying it more that the people listening because we have spent so much time preparing the sermon. My personal opinion is the content is key. There have been sermons I have heard that I was hoping would end soon and there have been some I was upset when it was finished. Great post. I leave you with the words I heard in college from an old preacher. “The mind can only comprehend what the seat can endure” God Bless
I am not a preacher. This is just me, but I rarely take away an entire sermon be it long or short. I mind/heart tend to take “nuggets” from either. I do believe: however, that the Holy Spirit should the choreographer of the entire service. I dream of the day when praying gets so intense and spirited that there is no time left for music or sermon or anything save “Praising and thanking the Lord”.
I agree 100% – and I like your dreams.
I don’t disagree with view on prayer, but the preaching of God’s word should be a central focus of the church.
For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians 1:17-18)
Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity. I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. (1 Timothy 2:7-8)
Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine (1 Timothy 4:13)
Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. (2 Timothy 4:2)
While I can agree that some sermons are way too long, regardless of the minutes involved, it seems to me that the short sermon is largely “culture driven.” It is not automatic that a longer sermon is spiritual or helpful, but in general, it seems that the church should be steering culture, not the other way around. Yes, I tend to preach about 45 minutes, but there is something folksy about our interaction while I’m preaching. I disagree with the “edit the illustrations to their bare minimum” view too. I think few well-placed adjectives and colloquialisms can relax the crowd and draw them into the sermon better than the “I’m rushed for time and let’s get to lunch” approach. Bottom line for me is this: it just seems like much of church activity today is geared toward a culture that wants to get their religion done quickly and get on to something more entertaining. As a preacher, I want to bring our people down to earth again and enjoy fellowshipping around the Word as did that first century church.
Thanks for all the interesting topics, Thom!
Thank you as well.