In the course of an average year, I may receive 400 verbal or written invitations to preach at various events. Clearly I cannot take them all, though I would love to. I am always humbled that anyone would consider me as a preacher, speaker, or communicator at their event. The hard truth, however, is that I have to say no sometimes, but I also get to say yes, too. So what is that process like for me?

Here is how it usually works. The host of the potential event will contact our office and ask about my availablity to preach at their event. (Until 2002, they called me personally at my house to inivite me to preach. This was a nightmare. Phone ringing all day and night, messages scribbled on Burger King bags, and an old answering machine with a tape in it that took 8 days to check). We have a much better system now. They contact our ministry office.

Once they call the office, we have them fill out a simple speaker request form that allows them to communicate the most important elements of their event so that I can make a decision: date, location, attendance, direction of the event (evangelism, discipleship, missions?), budget to pay a speaker, and whether they have held the event before. They also share their vision for the event and what they hope to accomplish, if it is a denominational event, and who is leading worship. This form is emailed to us, ensuring that it will never be lost. It is then forwarded to me and I respond back to my office so they can communicate with the host as to whether I have accepted or declined the offer.

Here are the elements I pray through when deciding to say yes or no to an opportunity to preach the gospel.

1. Can I clearly use my spiritual gifts as an evangelist and a preacher of the gospel? Are they looking for a different experience or perspective than I can bring? In other words, am I a match for what they need?
2. Does it fit my schedule? Traveling over 150 days a year means that already, nearly half the calendar is off limits. It also means that just because I am not preaching on Tuesday, August 4 that does not mean I CAN preach somewhere that day. For every day that I travel, I need 2 days of prep time, family time, rest time, and “normal life time.”
3. How far away is it? If I can drive there and be back home before midnight, that is easier than an invitation that requires me to fly across time zones, missing 3 days away from my family to preach once (a day to fly there, a day to preach, a day to fly home).
4. What is the age group and demographic of the audience? I very seldom do middle school retreats, and I never do senior adult dinners. If the audience is not right for me, then I would be doing a dis-service to the host by saying yes.
5. What have they budgeted for the event? See my previous post on this one…it is not just whether or not they can pay me enough. That is not the point. I consider how much they are paying for the inflatable games, the 4 rock bands, the pizza blast, the iPod giveaways, and the lights and sound. If they have budgeted $7,500 for all of that, and they are gonna pay the preacher $250, then that communicates to me that they value everything else more than the proclaimed Word of God. And I am not the guy to come in and be a spiritual prop.
6. How important is the message? If they only give me 20 minutes to preach and give an invitation, but they have allowed 90 minutes for skits, dramas, videos, announcements, mime teams, puppets, giveaways, and testimonies, I am not the right choice for their event.
7. I ask my wife. She has ultimate authority to say no, pull rank, and tell me that I need to pass. Her discernment is better than mine.

The spiritual discipline that undergirds this entire process is prayer. I am asking The Holy Spirit to guide me anytime someone trusts me enough to invite me to share the precious gospel with their group.

*ANNOUNCEMENT*
My good friend and our Crossroads worship leader, Carl Cartee, is hosting an incredible conference called INSPIRE. Here are the details.

*website: inspireworshipconference.com
*When: May 14-16, 2008
*Where: Gatlinburg, TN, Glenstone Lodge and Conference Center
*What: a conference to equip, encourage and inspire those who want to lead the way in worship
*How: through practical seminars like songwriting, leading musical worship, instrumental and vocal workshops, large group worship and teaching times and tons of other opportunities to grow. For a full list, see inspireworshipconference.com
Who should come: Any person who feels called to lead God’s people in worship music. Anyone who is already leading and has a desire to develop greater musical excellence and deeper passion for truth in worship.

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