Nondenominational churches represent the fastest-growing segment of American Christianity. Without ties to a specific tradition, pastors enjoy remarkable flexibility — but that freedom comes with a unique challenge: you have to build your own framework from scratch every week.
The Nondenominational Advantage
You can preach topically one week and expositionally the next. You can draw from reformed theology on Sunday and quote a Wesleyan on Wednesday. Your congregation expects relevance and authenticity, not adherence to a creed. This is freedom — use it wisely.
Building Your Sermon Calendar
Without a lectionary, you need a plan. Map out 3-4 sermon series per quarter. Balance between Old and New Testament, between comforting and challenging, between "felt needs" and deep theology. A calendar prevents both hobby-horse preaching and aimless wandering.
- Q1: New year series (vision, habits, fresh start themes)
- Q2: Easter series + practical life skills
- Q3: Deep dive book study (Romans, Psalms, etc.)
- Q4: Advent/Christmas + gratitude series
Staying Bible-Centered Without a Creed
The risk of nondenominational preaching is drift — toward motivational speaking, cultural commentary, or therapy. Anchor every sermon in a primary text. If you can remove the Bible passage and the sermon still makes sense, it's not a sermon — it's a TED talk.
"The Bible isn't an illustration of your point — your point should be an explanation of the Bible."
AI for Nondenominational Flexibility
Generic AI doesn't have denominational bias — which makes it ideal for nondenominational exploration. But purpose-built sermon tools add biblical guardrails that generic AI lacks. SermonForge's nondenominational profile provides theological breadth while maintaining Scripture-centeredness.
Practical Tips
- Alternate between sermon series (4-6 weeks) and standalone messages
- Survey your congregation quarterly about topics they want addressed
- Partner with other pastors for accountability on theological balance
- Use AI to explore passages you wouldn't naturally gravitate toward