This past week was my final as Sabbatical Pastor at The Neighborhood Church in Northwest Arkansas. What’s next? I wrote about that in an update piece. The short version is, I’m coming alongside churches and organizations full-time to help with communications and websites.
But far more important this week is the main topic... It’s election week (at least for my U.S. readers), and most Americans are discipled more by 24-hour cable news than by scripture.
Jesus’ kingdom stands above every political system humans have ever built, and it calls every one of them to account.
This week’s article is about when pastors should choose sides, when we should make room, and five practical decisions for the days ahead…
Featured Article
Leading a Divided Church Through Election Week
Most of us were taught that political viewpoints stretch across a line from left to right, and that Jesus pulls us back to the middle. But Jesus isn’t a centrist. His kingdom isn’t on the spectrum at all. It stands above every political system humans have ever built, and it calls every one of them to account.
Lectionary Preaching Starter Thoughts
For Sunday, November 1, 2026, Proper 26, Year A
Joshua 3:7-17
The water does not part until the priests’ feet are already wet. The people of God have always had to step in before they could see the way through. Sometimes faithful leadership is simply being the first one standing in the river.
Psalm 107:1-7, 33-37
The psalm tells the story of people who wandered in desert wastes, hungry and thirsty, until they cried out and God led them by a straight way to a city where they could live. It is a reminder that our wandering seasons aren’t the end of our stories.
1 Thessalonians 2:9-13
Paul worked night and day so he would not be a burden, and he dealt with each person like a father with his own children. The word took root because the messenger’s life matched it. That has always been the most persuasive sermon illustration there is.
Matthew 23:1-12
Jesus tells the crowds to do what the religious leaders teach but not what they do, because they load heavy burdens on others and will not lift a finger to help. Then he reorders everything: you are all siblings, and the greatest among you will be your servant. A good week to preach on leadership that goes first.
Complementary track: Micah 3:5-12 and Psalm 43 in place of Joshua and Psalm 107.
If you’re observing All Saints Sunday (Revelation 7:9-17, Psalm 34:1-10, 22, 1 John 3:1-3, Matthew 5:1-12): the Beatitudes describe people the world rarely celebrates, and Revelation shows them gathered from every nation, robed in white. All Saints is a chance to name the ordinary, faithful people in your congregation’s memory and let the Beatitudes sound like their biography.
Introducing: Advent & Christmas Communications Kit
Advent starts November 29, which means the communications planning really starts now. So I built the kit I wish I’d had for years: Christ the King through Epiphany, planned, written, and designed.
Inside, you’ll find an eight-week timeline, thirty social captions, six parish emails, a website checklist for Christmas visitors, and sixty Canva templates. It’s written for Episcopal and mainline parishes. Change the brackets and it’s yours.
It’s $12 for your parish. If someone else handles your church’s communications, it might make a nice early Christmas gift for them.
From the Archive
Why Authenticity Matters More Than Authority in God’s Kingdom. A sermon idea on this Sunday’s gospel, Matthew 23:1-12, about why the people we trust most in the church are rarely the ones with the biggest titles.
Helpful Links for Pastors
More Churches Feeling an Economic Squeeze (Lifeway Research)
Fifty-four percent of pastors now say the economy is hurting their congregations, up from 49 percent last year. The median church saw no change in giving while prices rose almost 4 percent. Useful context heading into budget season. Read the report
Improving the Worship Service Experience (Lewis Center for Church Leadership)
Russ Bredholt walks through research on why people choose a church and why they stay, and makes the case for looking past attendance numbers to what guests actually experience. Read the article
Own Your Sermons, Guard Your People’s Stories (The Baptist Paper)
A practical word for pastors using AI in sermon prep: you are accountable for every word you preach, and private pastoral details never belong in a public AI tool. Simple, and easy to forget. Read the article
If I Can Ever Help
You can always hit reply with a question or a thought. Most of my work now happens in the communications space, helping pastors, churches, and other organizations say what matters clearly.
Website Design and Consulting. I provide communications consulting and website development for churches and mission-driven organizations through 5ox Creative, and as part of my work with Beloved Media.
Walk Humble. The main page, where I write about life, faith, and relationships.
Until next time, may you be the first one into the river and the first one to pick up the heavy end.
Brandon
Preaching for Change