The first year church plant experience is equal parts excitement, exhaustion, and holy uncertainty. Every Sunday feels like a new beginning, and every sermon carries weight beyond its word count. Preaching shapes the culture of a new congregation long before programs or ministries take root. That’s why the kind of preaching you offer in these early months matters so deeply. It doesn’t just fill time; it forms people.
The question is not whether preaching should be bold or gentle, topical or expositional. It’s how preaching can serve the fragile, forming identity of a brand-new church.
What Preaching Needs to Accomplish in the First Year Church Plant
People need clarity about who you are
Visitors arrive trying to understand what this new community is becoming. Preaching is one of the clearest signals of a church’s theological convictions, relational tone, and spiritual priorities. Whether you realize it or not, your sermons in the first year church plant will answer unspoken questions:
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What do these people believe about Jesus?
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Are they serious about discipleship?
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Do they speak with grace or with harshness?
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Does Scripture lead the way here?
Clarity builds trust, and trust builds community.
RELATED: What Makes a Spirit-filled Sermon?
People need to see the gospel at the center
Every new church will face distractions, competing visions, and logistical chaos. Preaching can either anchor people in the gospel or send them drifting in a dozen directions. Paul reminded the Corinthians that he resolved to know nothing among them except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. That wasn’t a slogan. It was a strategy for building a church that wouldn’t collapse under pressure.
Keep the gospel visible every week. Let people see Christ in your text, in your tone, and in your application.
Three Kinds of Preaching That Serve a First Year Church Plant Well
1. Preaching that is biblically rooted
A new church doesn’t need cleverness. It needs Scripture. Expositional sermons give a congregation confidence that the Bible, not personality, leads the church forward.
Some practical choices for year one:
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Preach through the Gospel of Mark to show Jesus’ character and mission.
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Preach through Philippians to shape a joyful, servant-hearted culture.
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Preach through Genesis 1–3 to give theological grounding for identity and purpose.
Whatever you choose, keep the text central and the applications clear.
