From Minutes that Matter to Sermons that Surprise - 52 Homilies for Preachers,with Bonus Section

The author has been in pastoral ministry for 21 years and this publication is his jubilee edition of some sermons that he has preached over the duration of his ministry.

Most of these sermons were preached in the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa, New Zealand where the author now resides. The second most in South Africa, where he was born and where he served within the Dutch Reformed Church for many years. The least of these messages were preached in the Flemish speaking parts of Belgium where the author occasionally had the opportunity to address congregations.

The first section of the book is to encourage those in the ministry of preaching and teaching to be disciplined in not neglecting the important call and service to God and his people. The second part of the book consists of author's sermons, arranged according to English alphabets and divided into two categories: 'Sermons for Feeding' and 'Sermons for Fixing'.

This book is to motivate and confirm that preaching still matters especially in a post-Christendom context and the time spent preparing for doing that does indeed count for a lot.

Mario Weyers started with ordained pastoral ministry in the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa, 20 years back. There, he pastored several churches and visited Flemish Belgium in regard to church planting projects in the Low Countries. At present, he ministers in the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa, New Zealand.

Academically, he has completed a Masters and Doctorate in Missiology. His main area of research is Post Christendom and how the Church can move beyond this reality and even flourish in spite of its challenges.

His first published book, titled: Belonging to the Church before believing in Christ by Mediacom Education in Australia (2016) deals with the ongoing issue of membership and faith. Another of his recent publication is Your Church is God's New Creation published by Christian World Imprints.

Thank you for choosing to read this book! I only write on what I believe and feel passionate about and hope that you, in reading this content, will be inspired as well. I do hope that the content will do one of two things or both. One outcome, I sincerely wish for, is for you to become a lifelong student of the Bible and the other that fits well with the first is that you will share its contents with others.

If it so happens that you find yourself in ministry that should come quite naturally. If you are not, I pray that it will not keep you from sharing your surprise finds in the Word of God with your associates and specific network of people.

I do not wish to disappoint you, but should you be searching for the different genres of preaching or how to become a great orator or preacher then this read is not what you would like to spend your time on. This book is to motivate and confirm that preaching still matters especially in a post-Christendom context and the time spend preparing for doing that does indeed count for a lot.

Knowledge of Christianity and Christ's saving mediation is rather limited among post-Christian communities which do not have a historic bond with the Christendom era. Post-Christian seekers and those interested in what Christianity teaches need to hear the Gospel and its wider content numerous times. Why? Because Christian culture seems strange to the current and upcoming generation who is not that familiar with the content of the Bible, the Gospel narrative or Christian culture as practised inside the context of a congregation. Teaching the content of the Bible, preaching to those who are eager to listen and releasing Biblical principles is what believe will become even more so the primary work of the Church in a post- Christendom culture as communities become more secularised and individuals life's more fragmented.