Pastors spend an average of 12 hours a week on sermon preparation. That’s time researching a text, finding great illustrations, sculpting compelling applications, and practicing a final outline. Given how much time and effort is put into it, there is a tremendous value in the words you have to say.

The captive audience you have on Sunday may not remember what you said by Tuesday. They may take notes, nod along with you, laugh at your jokes, and even cry at a heart-tugging story. But if they leave without a way to reconnect during the week, then you’re not getting the most out of your sermon.

One way to increase the outcome of each message is to remind your audience about your message during the week. Here are some quick ways to turn your Sunday message into a Monday through Friday conversation.

Stick To It on Social Media
Over half of the people in your audience log on to one form of social media or another every day of the week. If you have an active presence on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or other site, you have the chance to turn Sunday-only Christians into every day of the week followers.

Great messages are sticky. That means you use certain phrases and sentences that stick in the minds of your listeners. Every good communicator knows the importance of repetition as well. The more you say a sticky phrase, the stickier it becomes. That’s where social media comes into play.

If your congregation leaves without a way to reconnect during the week, then you’re not getting the most out of your sermon.

By taking those sticky phrases and sentences and sending them out into the social web, you not only make them stickier but they have the chance to stick on more people. When your Sunday audience logs onto Facebook on Tuesday and reads a short phrase from your message, it calls to mind everything else that stuck during your preaching.

Planning your sticky social media is a lot easier than it seems. There are multiple sites that offer free scheduling. Once you have your message completed, pick the top five phrases or sentences that quickly get across the main message you’re communicating. Then schedule them throughout the week on Twitter or whatever platform you use. Now people will be able to see and interact with your message daily rather than weekly.

Another way to leverage social media is through questions or polls. At the end of each message, what two questions would you ask your audience to spur them towards intentional application? Now plan a day each week to post those questions on Facebook. Encourage your followers to respond to the question to increase its views.

Instagram is another great way to keep in touch with your audience. A picture with a phrase from the sermon can connect you with them Monday through Friday. Or better yet, shoot a quick video about how you think the service went. The opportunities are unlimited.

Go Viral with Video
With smartphone technology, it’s so much easier to share videos today. And if you’re on social media you know the power of moving pictures.

If you record your sermon on video, take a relevant clip (no more than three minutes) and post it online. Then ask your staff and core leaders in the church to share it with their social media friends. It can be shared quickly and easily by anybody with a phone and Internet.

Video clips are a great way to remind your audience about your message’s main theme. But it can also be used as an evangelism tool. When your video is shared on social media, people who have never visited get an inside look. It’s just another way for your congregation to invite people to church.

Serve Up the Leftovers
I know as well as anyone what it’s like to over-research a topic. Many weeks you’ll find that you have so much to say and so little time. Don’t worry about cutting your sermon short. Just serve it up as leftovers.

Dedicate a blog post on your church’s website each week to giving your audience the “extras” that didn’t make it into your message. This way you can expand a sub point or provide more information about an application. You can also use this space to share personal testimonies from your congregation relevant to that week’s sermon.

The point of each weekend’s service is life-change. Honestly, that can happen even if they don’t remember the words of your sermon. But when you connect what you do on Sunday with where people are living Monday through Friday, you increase the opportunities for additional life-change. The Holy Spirit wants to use your words to impact people’s lives every day of the week.