THE READERS' CLUB

For years I have been frustrated by twin problems common to preachers.

First, I often know the principles I want to express, but because I preach regularly, I don't have enough illustrations to communicate them most effectively.

Second, I have scores of books and magazines I would like to read, but I simply don't have the time. My shelf is filled with good and important works from which I could glean powerful illustrations, but even if I were to read around the clock, I doubt I could get through them all.

But in the past few years, thanks to a readers' club, I have been able to file more than 1,200 illustrations a year that are up-to-date, that fit my style of preaching, and that come from a wide variety of sources I could not tap on my own. And I spend only a few hours a month.

What you need

I picked up the idea from Kenneth Meyer during a D.Min. seminar. He suggested pastors form a team of lay people to help with the research necessary for a regular pulpit ministry.

A readers' ...