Compiled by Pastor Chad DeWeerd on behalf of the Communications Board

Evangelist Billy Graham was once criticized for having only a handful of different messages that he would preach from revival to revival. His response was equally elementary: "God's Word doesn't change, and if it was good enough to preach once - then it's good enough to preach again!"  With pastors investing so much of their time and energy to the task of sermon preparation, how do we best repurpose these messages?

Consider the following ways to extend your sermon's life:

- RECORD: weekly sermons (audio and/or video) to be distributed, downloaded online, or live-streamed with a simple service such as "Boxcast."

- REACH OUT: to a broader audience. Look for opportunities within the community to share an appropriate message at a school function, nursing home, prison chapel, hospital, inner-city mission, civic organization, conference, camp, or community event.

- RADIO: broadcasting can be a cost-effective way to reach a mass audience and can give greater identity to your ministry and credibility to your message.

- REALIZE: the possibilities of social media (Facebook, Twitter, blogging, etc.). Find ways to create interest in an upcoming message, gain feedback on last week's sermon, or invite others to engage through links to a sermon or archived messages.

- REVISIT: your weekly message through the use of sermon-based Bible studies that expand on the sermon. These groups can be held in homes, work, schools, or church with the use of study guides and a means of viewing or listening to the original message.

- REPURPOSE: an individual message or sermon series by turning it into a printed or digital booklet.

-  REPRINT : excerpts from your weekly message in a midweek or monthly online newsletter. Ask for responses to key questions. Print testimonies or stories that best illustrate the sermon. 

- RECIPROCATE: with another fellowship by taking part in a pulpit exchange. Sometimes the same truth from a different voice captures our attention and our hearts. 

- REQUEST: listener feedback. Use this information to connect with prayer concerns/praises and to plan future messages.

- READY: a young preacher in response to his/her call by walking with and working through past sermons as a teaching tool.

- REPLAY: many churches are using video messages to help launch multi-campus church sites. 

- REVIEW: your preaching from time to time. Where are we strong? Weak? How can we be more effective?

- REPREACH: a sermon from the pastor's archives. Chances are with fresh illustrations, insights, and a little more experience we can all do better. (Just ask Billy Graham.)